Cover Crop Planning: Why Your Best Decisions Start Months Before Planting
Successful farming doesn’t begin when the seed hits the ground. It begins with a plan. Weather changes. Input costs fluctuate. Water availability creates uncertainty. Every growing season brings challenges that can force farmers to make decisions under pressure. But one of the most valuable management tools farmers have is the
Rooted in Learning: Sharing Soil Health with the Next Generation
In May, Monte Bottens and his wife, Robyn, welcomed a group of young people to Bottens Family Farm. Hosting a farm tour was nothing new for the couple. They have built Ag Solutions Network around the belief that education, shared experience and practical learning are essential to advancing soil health—and that the
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
THE GOOD: Power of Beneficial Insects Beneficial insects are your farm’s unsung heroes. Dr. John Tooker’s research proves diverse habitats supercharge their activity, curbing outbreaks. Lundgren’s findings add that regenerative fields teem with two to three times more of these allies. Healthy soils pitch in, too—microbes support tiny critters like
Pest Challenges in Row Crops
Pests are opportunists. In corn, soybeans, and wheat, culprits like soybean aphids, corn rootworms, armyworms, and wireworms flourish in simplified, monoculture systems where soil health has taken a backseat. Dr. Jon Lundgren’s research with the Ecdysis Foundation reveals a stark truth: compacted, nutrient-poor soils weaken plant defenses, leaving crops vulnerable.
Sustainable Pest Management in Row Crop Systems
Sustainable Pest Management in Row Crops Key Takeaways Leveraging Regenerative Agriculture Farmers face critical decisions influencing pest pressures, soil vitality, and profitability throughout the growing season. Now is a great time to examine your systems approach to pest management through the lens of regenerative practices. Cover cropping, crop diversification,
What can foliars do for my farm?
Nutrient requirements depend on the crop, growth stage, and soil and tissue test results. Click below to watch Monte Bottens share practical insights on innovative foliar nutrition strategies, the critical role of soil health, and how to optimize crop yields in the face of rising input costs and unpredictable weather.
Do Plants Talk? Understanding the Hidden Communication Beneath Our Feet
What if some of the most important conversations happening on your farm are the ones you can’t hear? Plants don’t have voices, but they are far from passive organisms. Above and below the soil surface, plants respond to their surroundings through chemical signals, biological relationships, and interactions with other organisms.
How Many Farmers Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?
How Many Farmers Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb? Change? Why change? That old joke is making the rounds again—and it hits close to home right now. USDA’s December 10, 2025 announcement of a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program has stirred the pot. Many soil health pioneers I know
Beyond Sustainability: Building More Resilient Farms with Cover Crops
What if the goal of farming wasn’t simply to maintain what we have, but to make our land better with every growing season? For many growers, sustainability has become a familiar word. But sustaining a system and improving a system aren’t necessarily the same thing. If soil has become compacted,
The Five Soil Health Principles: A Practical Guide for Farmers
Healthy soil isn’t built with one product, one practice, or one growing season. It’s built through a system. Each principle has a video playlist for further discovery and how to put these principles into practice. Click and read below. Farmers across the country face different climates, crops, and production challenges.
Fall Soil Sampling — Are You Getting the Full Story from Your Soil Test?
Your soil test is more than a report of available nutrients. It’s an opportunity to better understand the biological system driving your crop’s performance. As harvest wraps up and growers begin planning for another season, fall soil sampling offers an opportunity to evaluate what’s happening beneath the surface. But here’s
Soil Health, Water and Crop Nutrition: Why the Entire System Matters
You can have nutrients in the soil. You can have water available. But if the system isn’t functioning, your crop may still struggle to access what it needs. Agriculture often approaches production challenges one at a time. A nutrient deficiency calls for fertilizer. Poor infiltration calls for irrigation adjustments. Compaction
The Broken Water Cycle — What’s Happening Beneath Your Fields?
You can’t control how much rain falls on your farm. But you can influence what happens when it hits the ground. Every grower understands the importance of water. Whether you’re farming in the dry conditions of the western United States or managing excessive spring rainfall in the Midwest, water availability
Is Your Soil Absorbing Water? A Simple Test That Reveals a Lot
What if one of the most useful soil health tools on your farm was a metal ring, a container of water, and a stopwatch? Farmers invest in soil testing, nutrient analysis, precision technology, and irrigation systems to better understand their fields. But sometimes, one of the most revealing measurements is
5 Things We Need to Do Less
Five Ways to Reduce Agricultural Inputs Without Sacrificing Productivity 1. Reduce Nitrogen Use Nitrogen is a critical component of crop production, however, excess nitrogen (N) application results in environmental and economic losses. Those losses follow one of four pathways, each leading to environmental and economic consequences. Understanding these nitrogen fates can help farmers optimize use, reduce waste, and
