Soil Isn't Just a Growing Medium — The Connected and Complicated Relationships of Soil

🤔 Is growing the same crop every year causing disease? “Nature wants diversity. Nature is diverse.” Ray Archuleta says it plainly because the soil shows it every day. One of the biggest critiques of regenerative agriculture is that planting diverse mixes will “create a bridge for disease.” But Ray’s response cuts through the noise: 🌿 Nature is self-healing, self-organizing, and self-regulating. Disease doesn’t come from diversity... ❌ It comes from uniformity. Growing the same plant over… and

💵 Finally! Money is staying in the pockets of producers! At South Dakota State’s Beresford farm, 27 years of research tell a different story than the old “no-till, no yield” adage. 🌱 Soybeans yielded nearly 2 bu/ac higher under no-till. 🌾 In diverse 3- and 4-year rotations, no-till corn edged ahead by 1.3–1.8 bu/ac and soybeans gained another 1.4–2.5 bu/ac. Long-term trials show that diverse no-till rotations can increase net income through lower inputs, reduced chemical use, and improved wee

The Journey to Soil Health — Ray Archuleta at SoilSmart '15

🤔 What breaks compaction faster: tillage equipment or living roots? Ray Archuleta says that there’s no tillage tool on the planet that can match what a living plant does. 🌿 Roots punch through compaction deeper than any ripper. 🦠 Biology builds soil aggregates stronger than anything steel can create. 💧 Living systems create porosity—the kind water actually follows. A chisel plow may loosen a layer… 💪 …but plants rebuild the entire soil structure. That’s why more growers are turning to: ✅ Co