Driving Deeper: Regenerative Farming Below the Soil

Regenerative Farming Starts Underground

People often ask what I’m most passionate about when it comes to farming.

The answer surprises them.

It’s not cattle genetics.
It’s not the business.
It’s not even livestock management

I love all of these aspects of what we do, but my deepest passion is soil food web biology.

Because that’s where regenerative farming actually begins. It's the foundation from which everything else is built. 

If the biology in the soil is broken, nothing above ground will truly thrive. You can put animals on pasture, rotate them beautifully, and use all the right buzzwords—but if the living system underground isn’t functioning properly, the whole thing is mostly optics.

Real regenerative agriculture starts with the biological economy inside the soil.

The Soil Economy

The easiest way to understand soil biology is through economics.

Think of soil like a functioning marketplace.

Plants are the primary investors. Through photosynthesis, they convert sunlight into sugars. A large portion of those sugars—sometimes 20–40% of what the plant produces—is released into the soil through the roots.

Those sugars are the currency of the soil economy.

They feed bacteria and fungi living around the roots.

In return, those microbes perform services the plant cannot do alone. They mine nutrients from minerals, break down organic matter, and transport nutrients and water through microscopic

fungal networks.

But the economy doesn’t stop there.

Protozoa and beneficial nematodes graze on those microbes. When they consume bacteria and fungi, they release nutrients—especially nitrogen—in plant-available forms right where the plant needs them - when the plant needs them.

This constant cycle of investment, trade, and consumption is what scientists call the soil food web.

And when that biological economy is functioning well, plants gain access to a much broader spectrum of nutrients than they could ever pull from soil on their own.

The Difference Between Slogans and Proof

There’s a lot of talk about regenerative farming right now.

Pasture photos. Buzzwords. Marketing slogans.

But real regenerative agriculture requires something more.

Measurement.

On our farm, we don’t just put cattle and chickens out on pasture and assume everything is working the way it should.

We monitor the biology underground.

That means taking soil samples and putting them under a microscope to look directly at the organisms that drive the soil food web—bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other microscopic life.

It’s the difference between guessing and knowing.

When you can actually see the biological community in the soil, you can tell whether the ecosystem is functioning or whether something is missing.

That crosses the line from marketing language into hard biological evidence.

Healing Relationships with Land and Animals

Our farm’s mission is simple:

“As farmers, we seek to heal our relationships with land and animals. We share this healing with our patrons through the food it produces.”

That healing begins with this soil food web economy.

When the soil food web is functioning properly, nutrients cycle efficiently. Plants grow stronger. Pastures become more resilient to drought and stress. Animals grazing those pastures receive a more complete nutritional profile from the plants they consume.

The result is healthier animals and more resilient land.

And the food produced from that system?

That’s the byproduct. That's why "we share this healing with our patrons through the food it produces" is the second part of our mission. 

When soil biology improves, nutrient density often follows because the plants—and the animals eating those plants—are operating within a healthier biological system.

Raising the Bar on Regenerative Farming

The word “regenerative” is being thrown around a lot these days.

Sometimes it’s used meaningfully. 
Oftentimes,  it’s used as a slogan.

I’m committed to something deeper.

For regenerative agriculture to mean anything, it has to be grounded in biological function, not just good intentions.

That’s why this year I’ve made a decision that reflects where our priorities truly are.

I've set in motion a plan to reinvest the majority of profits this season into a comprehensive soil improvement program spanning more than 400 acres of land under our management.

This includes detailed biological soil analysis, targeted strategies to strengthen the soil food web, and management practices designed to support the long-term health of the entire ecosystem.

When the biological economy underground is functioning well, everything above ground explodes with productivity and resilience.

The Foundation of Everything We Produce

At the end of the day, regenerative farming isn’t defined by labels.

It’s defined by whether the land is actually getting healthier.
Whether the soil biology is becoming more diverse.
Whether the ecosystem is becoming more resilient year after year.

That’s the work I’m committed to. That's where I'm directing the majority of our investment this season.  It's not flashy, fancy or romantic -- but it's where regenerative farming truly begins and ends.  Driving deeper - that's where I'll be. ☀️ Dustin