When Innisfil farmer Hunter Roberts decided to plant his tighty-whities, he had big hopes.
"I was a little nervous when we put it in," he admits while talking about burying the undies in his land. "So many sleepless nights… just hoping that my investment in planting underwear and growing underwear trees is going to work," he laughs.
Of course, Roberts didn't really plant his underwear. He buried them to test the quality of the soil on his family's farm.
After eight weeks, they were ready to be dug up.
"I guess we'll hang that on the trophy wall," Roberts says holding what was left of his drawers. "That's a certification of clean soil right there."
The farmer's bloomers have been reduced to nothing more than a waistband after the brief time underground.
"That's exactly what we're looking for," explains Lake Simcoe Regional Conservational Authority (LSRCA) Peter Shuttleworth. "That's what we're trying to raise awareness for, soil conservation, soil health. Two of the most important factors for farms."
The 'Soil Your Undies' campaign encourages farmers to bury 100 percent cotton skivvies to check the health of their soil.
The Innisfil farmer is relieved his soil came up with glowing results.
"I actually never tested this field," Roberts says, but he wasn't entirely surprised by the outcome given the farm's natural habits. "The sheep fertilize it themselves with manure. Previously, we had hay in here. There's a lost of alfalfa, a lot of red clover, which are nitrogen fixers so that just naturally puts nutrients into the soil."
The LSRCA says if your skivvies come up the same way they were buried, give them a call to find out more about how to improve your soil's health.
