Merit or Myth

Engaging

South Dakota’s

Farming Community
in the Pursuit of

Healthy,
Functioning Soils

Working Alongside

Natural Systems

to Benefit the

South Dakota
Farmer

Exploring

Holistic Views

that help keep
the Mt. Rushmore State

Farmer

in Business

Applying the ideas of

Transformational Science

for a

Sustainable Future

Our Mission

The big-picture idea of healthy, functioning soils is so appealing: more moisture available to the plant, more nutrients recycling, fewer weeds, lower inputs… what’s not to like, right? To the busy farmer, are the ideas of healthy functioning soils just that… ideas? Put another way we should ask: “what has merit and what is myth”? At Merit or Myth our mission is, through the social media, to engage with South Dakota-based farmers, researchers and conservationists to gain a better understanding of healthy, functioning soils. We want to engage in the context of the management issues that farmers most care about including residue, soil temperature, soil moisture and weed management.

Latest News

Why Make the Change to Soil Health (Stiefvater 1/3)

Video

Kurt Stiefvater has been farming in Salem, South Dakota for 35 years. He’s been declared a leader and visionary by the Farm Credit Services of America who included him in their 100 Fresh Perspectives in Agriculture. We sat down with Kurt and his wife Kathy to hear their story, how they manage their operation and…

The Most Powerful Question in Agriculture

Blog

What does Mother Nature want? As farmers, we do a lot to fight her. If the soil is hard, we till it. If our crops have weeds, we spray them. If the land doesn’t have the right amount of nutrients, we inject them. This has been the way to farm for the past 50 years….