Soil in the Ioway language is called Maha, the Skin of the Earth. Understanding Ag helped us first educate tribal leadership and our employees regarding the basics and long-term benefits of soil health-focused regenerative agriculture based on the latest developments in scientific research. They helped us plan and successfully implement those principles and practices, which, in less than a year, have resulted in significant input cost reductions without yield drag, and this has improved the farm's overall profitability. More importantly, the work we're doing with UA is laying the foundation for moving our entire farming and ranching operation closer to our long-term cultural and regenerative goals.
Working with UA gives our tribe a better opportunity to connect the values and practices of our ancestral traditions with the innovative soil science needed to preserve and perpetuate the health of our lands for the next seven generations and beyond. As the ancestors said, and as science now supports, “Everything is Connected in the Web of Life.”