Diversity is one of the leading principles of the soil health movement. But can the affects of incorporating diversity into an operation be quantified? Research Microbiologist Dr. Mike Lehman (ARS) set out to find out in this 16 year field experiment… and man, are the numbers impressive!
Latest News
Teaming Up with Mother Nature
There are many different farming tools and methods, but fundamentally, there are only two ways to farm – with Mother Nature or against her. Unfortunately, conventional agriculture has sided with the latter. Only in recent years has the idea of working alongside Mother Nature picked up momentum. One operation that’s been ahead of the curve…
Unpacking the Benefits of Soil Health w/ Steve Reimer: Increasing Available Moisture Availability (3/3)
We hear about soil health being a tool for things such as sustainability, reduced input costs, and more consistent yields… but how exactly do these benefits unfold? One way that is often overlooked is through reducing runoff and increasing soil moisture availability. As SD farmer Steve Reimer says, “As we started rotational grazing and no-till…
Unpacking the Benefits of Soil Health w/ Steve Reimer: Grazing Multispecies Cover Crops (2/3)
Cover crops have been on the rise for quite some time now, but the benefits of livestock integration cannot be underestimated. Fortunately, this subject has recently been receiving a lot of attention! Hear Chamberlain, SD farmer and soil health advocate Steve Reimer discuss how these two tools (cover crops and livestock) go hand in hand.. and…
Unpacking the Benefits of Soil Health w/ Steve Reimer (1/3)
A farmer can do everything right and still not get the crops he worked for. If it doesn’t rain enough or if it rains too much, it’ll show up in his bottom line. If it gets too hot or too cold, he’ll feel the affects in his wallet. We can’t control the weather. Nobody knows this…