Using data from the Purdue University soil characterization laboratory and soil descriptions made by field soil scientists, we have developed a semi‐quantitative relationship between organic matter content and soil color for cultivated, silt loam soils of Indiana. This relationship is correct for about 90% of the samples examined and divides them in three categories: < 3%, 3–5%,, and > 5% organic matter. This is not a replacement for chemical analysis but a tool that could be of use when examining problems in the field.