I was recently studying the difference between knowledge and intelligence. Knowledge is the information and facts a person acquires, while intelligence is what you do with that knowledge. Intelligence is the ability to solve problems, think critically and adapt to new situations. Economics in farming have been challenging for the past few years. What knowledge and intelligence do you have this coming year to adapt and do something new for yourself or for your farm?
In my last article in July 2025, I discussed the importance of recognizing what weeds are telling us about the dysfunction of the soil. I want to dive a little deeper into the relationship of biology, soil function and, ultimately, the health of the crop we are trying to grow. Most of the soils that I have worked with for the past 18 years have been farmed in such a way that they are bacterial dominant and lack organic matter. If we look at the soil food web and how a healthy ecosystem should function, we are missing most of the key species if the soil is bacterial dominant.
Why is this important?
The higher-level organisms, such as fungi, protozoa, nematodes and arthropods, all contribute to nutrient cycling, water cycling and soil structure and function. When we have a functioning soil food web, the need for added fertility can be reduced significantly, the need for chemicals to control weeds, disease and insects can go to zero, and a functioning water cycle requires less water to grow the same yielding crop. The challenge with our current cropping methods – the heavy use of fertilizer, tillage and chemicals – destroys all these higher-level organisms. Economically, what we are doing today is putting too much reliance on outside inputs to improve poor soil conditions that lack a healthy, diverse microbiome.
How do we change?
It requires knowledge and intelligence. I am a lifelong learner and have always questioned what we do in farming. This has led to great experiences of learning how the beauty of nature works and functions! If you are currently in a situation where you don’t know how to adapt or change your current practices, I challenge you to reach out to someone who has. Set some time aside this winter to learn how to change and figure out how to implement that on your farm.
Let’s talk a little bit about treating root causes over symptoms. In the medical world, most doctors will spend five to seven minutes with you to understand what symptoms you are experiencing and then prescribe a medication to treat those symptoms. When new symptoms appear, they just add or change the medication. The challenge with this mindset is that we never actually fix the root issue. The same thing is done in farming. We see a weed, insect or disease and immediately work to treat that symptom. Let me be clear: Weeds, insects and disease are all symptoms of a deeper issue. They are indicators of an imbalance or dysfunction in the soil and in the plant.
A functional medicine approach – or in the case of farming, a regenerative approach – would be to dive deeper and look at all the symptoms on a timeline, look at different tests to interpret when the symptoms appeared, recall what was going on before the symptoms appeared (stress, tillage, nutrient application, etc.), and figure out the root cause. When we have a clear timeline of when the problems show up, proper testing to understand what is going on inside the plant or soil, and a record of what has been done to the crop, we can start to paint a clear picture of why the dysfunction or imbalance is present. Fix the root cause, and the symptoms disappear.
A good example of this would be insects. They will only feed on unhealthy plants (if you want to learn more about this, refer to Dr. Tom Dykstra’s work). The plant can look green and healthy, but it’s actually running a low-grade fever, and the insects are indicators. It also really depends on the type of insect on how unhealthy the plant is. A good way to monitor this is through Brix. A Brix reading is an indicator of the dissolved solids in the plant (sugars, proteins, etc.). We can monitor this with a simple refractometer or through plant sap analysis. If the Brix is low at the time of fruit production (for grains, it would be when it is filling the kernel; for potatoes, it would be during bulking), we have an energy problem. The plant is moving most of its energy to fruit production, and we can see the Brix drop by one or two levels, or more, during this time. If the Brix was at a borderline level that was keeping insects away, we now have an issue because the Brix dropped. I have seen this happen many times around the first of July, and insects show up because of this very process. Increase Brix, and the plant will have sufficient energy to respond to its needs without compromising its health.
What affects Brix? Low photosynthesis, a low microbiome that lacks diversity, fertilizer applications, chemical applications, etc. How do you increase Brix? The opposite of the list mentioned above. Optimize photosynthesis through a healthy, diverse microbiome and adequate nutrients, stop applying chemicals and change the type of fertilizer you are using to low-salt, natural fertilizers that don’t disrupt the microbiome of the soil.
There are many examples of root-problem issues, and it takes both knowledge and intelligence (experience) to identify what is really going on with soils and plants. Many great individuals have dedicated their time to understanding these processes, and I would encourage you to reach out to them or contact me if any of this has resonated with you. Economically, you will be more secure when the soil and microbiology are working for you, rather than continuing to patch it up with medications that crash and cause frustration! Lifelong learning and understanding root causes are the key to your health, the health of the soil and crops, and the health of your family.
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