The headline in The Washington Post article, published August 25, 2024, proclaimed “Scientists may have found a radical solution for making your hamburger less bad for the planet.” The article, written by Shannon Osaka and Emily Wright, examined research currently being conducted at the University of California-Davis using gene editing techniques on rumen microbes to […]
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In part one, I outlined some of the societal challenges linked to soil erosion and poor soil function. Now let’s take a look at some of the economic costs and benefits of addressing erosion on farms and ranches. To determine the cost of erosion, first we must assign a value to soil. In truth, topsoil […]
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Soil erosion has been one of the most persistent challenges humanity has faced since the advent of agriculture over 10,000 years ago. Loss of productive capacity of the supporting land base contributed to the collapse of numerous civilizations during that time. Poor grazing practices and tillage were the main causes of land degradation historically and […]
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Life is short so embrace change.” That’s the “distilled” philosophy Rodrigo Mestas brings to his tequila business, his regenerative agriculture management style and his outlook on life. In the acres he’s transitioned to regenerative agriculture, Mestas allows naturally occurring cover crops to emerge between the rows of the agave, and then grazes livestock- including […]
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I pulled this image up on GoogleEarth yesterday. The photo below shows an area 12.5 miles wide, by 6.5 miles vertically, much of it in Rock Dell Township, Minnesota where our farm is. Hayfield is in the upper left-hand corner. The green area in the middle is along Hwy 30, and at the top is […]
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In Part Four, I discussed the importance of keeping living roots in the soil and avoiding overapplication of nutrients at the wrong time. In this final post I will examine nitrogen sourcing options and how plants acquire nutrients in a healthy soil. To understand what the ‘right source’ of nitrogen is, we first need to […]
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God designed the world to function as a perpetual motion machine. If done right, it should always be building fertility, not extracting it. But you have to understand the principles of soil health, and the four ecosystem processes, in order to achieve that outcome. While many individuals are content with simply “growing a cover crop” […]
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In Part Three, I reviewed the concept of using marginal nitrogen use efficiency and zero N check strips as tools to evaluate application rates. Now I will shift the focus to problems with overapplication, how to determine the right timing for application, and the consequences of not doing so. The fastest way to diminish the […]
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In business, it all comes down to profit. In farming, profit comes down to things we can’t control like the weather and the markets, and the things we can control like our management decisions. One of those key management decisions is determining how much nitrogen to apply to our crops. In part two of this […]
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In part one of this series, I briefly discussed the importance of education for understanding how soil function and ecosystem processes play a critical role for water quality. Now let’s turn our attention to determining the “right rate” for nitrogen. Nutrient management plans focus heavily on nitrogen because it is critical for plant growth and […]
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Poor water quality has been a persistent challenge in agriculture, particularly due to sediment and nutrient loss from farmland. It is considered a “wicked problem” with conflicting social, political, economic, and environmental aspects that prevent solutions. In this blog series I will challenge the notion that degraded water is something we all have to live […]
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Most of us have heard the old sayings regarding weather and farming including, “Don’t plant until the barn swallows return,” and “Wait until the oak leaves are as big as a squirrel’s ear.” These, and many other sayings, were tied to observations and farming in sync with what Mother Nature was telling us in terms […]
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Reducing soil disturbance is the second rule of the Six Principles of Soil Health™. Tillage and other deep disturbances destroy the structure of the soil, plant roots, the mycorrhizae fungi and ultimately the overall soil biome. Tillage also allows organic matter to be oxidized, all of which adds up to a decline in soil resiliency. […]
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Understanding Ag is dedicated to teaching and helping its clients understand and successfully apply the Six Principles of Soil Health™ Based on my experience, the most important of those is the principle of “context.” This is the how, why and for what reason a farm/ranch does what it does. Context is also a way of […]
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Those of us who grow and raise food and fiber refer to ourselves as farmers, ranchers or producers. What makes us what we are? Is it land, livestock, machinery, our skill set? All of these are part of agriculture. What about the products that we produce? Do we have a good reason for what we […]
Read MoreProverb: “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” As the world’s leading regenerative agriculture consulting company, Understanding Ag has the knowledge and experience to move producers successfully along the regenerative path and, most importantly, provide them with […]
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The severe dust storm that occurred on May 1, 2023, along Interstate 55 in Central Illinois should be a wakeup call for all farmers. Tragically, seven people lost their lives, dozens were injured and more than 100 vehicles were damaged. Many people believe this dust storm was a natural occurrence, but it was not. It […]
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An egg produced by a laying hen raised on pasture is a self-contained nutrient powerhouse. It is hard for any single food to match the nutrient density in a pasture-raised egg. We all know that egg whites are loaded with protein and essential amino acids, but are you aware of the incredible nutritional value of […]
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To understand regenerative agriculture, you must have a working definition. Regenerative Agriculture is defined as: Farming and ranching in synchrony with nature and the four ecosystem processes to repair, rebuild, restore and revitalize ecosystem function, starting with life beneath the soil and expanding to life above. This is most effectively accomplished by farmers and ranchers […]
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We all know that healthy foods, consumed routinely over our lifetime, bodes well for a lifetime of health. We read a lot about crude protein, fats, carbohydrates and sugars. However, what is often left out in the healthy food discussion is the critical topic of phytonutrients. Healthy, nutritious foods should be comprised of more than […]
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A clean, reliable source of drinking water is not only something a society needs to survive, but also something farmers and ranchers bear great responsibility to maintain. Agricultural producers have a greater impact on water quality than people in any other industry. Agriculture consumes and interacts with more total water than any industry, both in […]
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Manure slurry is a valuable but difficult resource to manage on dairy farms. Slurry pits must be emptied to make room for the never-ending stream of manure. Manure is often not a top priority for most dairies and handling may have to wait until seasonal fieldwork is completed. That leaves farmers with a fall and […]
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Corn isn’t food Nine unpopular facts USDA and Big Ag don’t want you to know By Jason Wisniewski Occasionally, I get to share my understanding of the agricultural industry with farmer-led organizations like this recent seminar held by the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition and the Isaak Walton League. The seminar was a good opportunity for me […]
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Soil Health Principles: The Importance of Context By Eric Fuchs, Understanding Ag, LLC Picture this: You just attended a training on regenerative agriculture and you come home excited and motivated for the changes you’re going to implement on your operation. You want to plant a 46-species cover crop mix in your cropping operation, produce grass-finished […]
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