Loam is a combination of sand, silt, and clay—the three sizes of soil particles from largest to smallest. While there is a good bit of variability, ideal proportions for most garden plants are ...

Farm A and Farm B are less than a mile apart and contain the same makeup of silty clay loam and silt loam soil. But the three-year average (2008 through 2010) corn yield of Farm A was 200 bu.