Soil Health Can Help Farms Go Further

Harvest is what's on everybody's mind. Well, that, and also likely the cost of diesel. I feel like every newsletter I start with something along the lines of “I know it’s tough out there”. So I won’t belabor the point... 

But what I will say is that, more than ever, the pressure to farm as cheaply as possible is real. There’s a lot going on in the world that we can’t control, but getting our operation cost-efficient is something we can control.

Soil Health Can Deliver On-Farm Savings

This time of year is all about planting. Everyone's gotten started, and some of us are already finished. All of us are at the mercy of Mother Nature and the markets.

I know I say this every month, but we’re sending our best as times continue to be uncertain and tough on the economic front.

Navigating Planting Season Across Regions

Planting season is in full swing and surely life on the farm is B-U-S-Y. Equipment is rolling and everyone is experiencing their own version of Mother Nature.

Out west in Kansas and Colorado it's dry. Down here in the south it’s also pretty dry although some of us got a good rain last week. Up in Wisconsin, it's been raining and too wet in places.

Advancing how farmers get paid for regenerative work

In farm country, the wheels are rolling. Every few minutes there's a tractor, truck, or sprayer heading down the road. A few of us in the deep South have started planting, and the rest of us are getting close!

SCI was at Natural Products Expo West a few weeks ago – which is a huge gathering of food companies and brands along with organizations like us trying to make inroads in the food system. We were there to make the case that farmers deserve and must get paid more than commodity prices. And that we need more food companies to step up.

When Margins Shrink, Start With Soil Health

This time of year it’s all about farm planning and locking in decisions for the coming season - what you're growing, what you're buying to grow it, fertilizers, chemicals, equipment. That's typical. What's atypical is the state of the ag economy. Crop prices aren't looking good, and in a lot of places, the co-op program costs more than you'll make.

That changes the importance of soil health. We can't be good caretakers if we can't stay in business. When the price is set low, the only thing you can control is expenses. Good soil health means reduced fertilizer, fewer chemical applications, less equipment and labor. That's how you stay afloat in a year like this. 

Practical Soil Health When It’s a Tight Year

On the farming side, we know things are still tough. You're most likely working on your plan for 2026 - what to plant, what your management program will be, how to make it through another year when prices were terrible last year and the outlook isn't any better.

At SCI, we're committed to promoting soil health in a way that helps farmers in this moment.