Growing Health from the Soil
Key Points
Regenerative farming practices improve soil health and boost nutrient density in crops and livestock.
Practices such as no-till, cover cropping, and diverse rotations enhance micronutrient and phytochemical content.
Healthy soils contribute to better food quality, human nutrition, and ecosystem resilience.
Health from Soil
The food on our plates begins with the soil beneath our feet. Yet, over decades, conventional farming has often prioritized yields over soil vitality, inadvertently reducing the nutrient density of crops. Regenerative agriculture offers a different path. By rebuilding soil life, using planned grazing management, cover crops, rotating diverse plantings, and reducing tillage, this approach aims to nourish both the earth and the food it produces. Beyond sustainability, regenerative systems show promising links to healthier, more nutrient-rich crops and meat, pointing to a deeper connection between soil health and human well-being.
Fertile Ground
Much of modern agriculture treats soil as a medium for growth rather than a living ecosystem. The role of soil microbes, organic matter, and micronutrient cycling in determining food quality is often overlooked. Without healthy soils, crops may lack essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, while livestock fed on nutrient-poor forage may produce meat with less beneficial fatty acids. Overlooking this element not only impacts human nutrition but also diminishes the long-term resilience of farming systems.
Watching choices
Crops grown on regenerative farms tend to contain higher levels of vitamins K, E, B1, B2, minerals like zinc, calcium, and copper, and protective phytochemicals such as carotenoids and phenols. Similarly, pasture-raised livestock can provide meat richer in omega-3 fatty acids and a more favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. While not prescriptive, choosing foods from farms practicing soil-building methods can be one way to naturally integrate more nutrient-dense foods into a diet. Diverse plant-based foods, seasonal produce, and responsibly raised meat all reflect these practices in action.
The Ripple Effect
Regenerative agriculture does more than improve nutrient content; it encourages thoughtful stewardship of land, water, and biodiversity. Land Managers and Farmers who embrace these practices reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, nurture soil microbial life, and create habitats that support pollinators and wildlife. These choices ripple outward, linking food quality to environmental health and ethical responsibility in production.
Systems in Synergy
What we eat is inseparable from the ecosystems that produce it. Soil health, water quality, crop diversity, and livestock management all interact to shape the food chain. When nutrients are depleted from the soil, the impacts extend from plants to animals to humans. Conversely, rebuilding soil vitality enhances ecosystem services, strengthens agricultural resilience, and can support better nutrition. Understanding these systemic connections invites us to think beyond individual meals to the broader cycles of life and land.
Soul Food
Supporting nutrient-dense food requires awareness rather than perfection. Reading labels, exploring local farm options, or simply reflecting on where your food comes from can guide choices that benefit both personal health and the environment. Each mindful step acknowledges the living systems that sustain us and encourages a deeper relationship with the food we consume.
References
Lister, Carolyn (2024). Nutrient density and food quality in the context of regenerative agriculture. AgResearch. Report. https://doi.org/10.57935/AGR.26001868.v1
Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming
PeerJ, published January 2022, Authors: David R. Montgomery, Anne Biklé, Ray Archuleta, Paul Brown, Jazmin Jordan
REVIEW: Nutrient stripping: the global disparity between food security and soil nutrient stocks
Davey L. Jones, Paul Cross, Paul J. A. Withers, Thomas H. DeLuca, David A. Robinson, Richard S. Quilliam, Ian M. Harris, David R. Chadwick, Gareth Edwards-Jones First published: 08 May 2013