Harvest is no time to worry about diesel. Managing fuel risk before harvest is one way to reduce uncertainty when timing matters most. Image by Joe Dickie Diesel Isn't the Real Story—Managing Risk Is. Recent headlines about global energy markets have prompted many farmers to ask a reasonable question: "Should I be buying diesel now?" It's a question I've been hearing more often over the past couple of weeks. The honest answer is that I don't know where diesel prices will be in October. Neither does anyone else. That's why I think the more useful conversation isn't about predicting diesel prices. It's about managing risk. Price Risk vs. Supply Risk Most of us think about diesel in terms of price. Will it go up, will it come back down, or should I wait another month? Those are reasonable questions, but they're only half the story. Diesel carries another kind of risk that often receives less attention: supply risk. During harvest, the issue isn't simply whether diesel costs 20 or 30 cents more per gallon. The issue is whether it is available when you need it. Weather creates enough pressure during harvest without adding uncertainty about fuel deliveries. That's why my first piece of (possibly obvious) advice is simple: Harvest is not the time to worry about diesel. Think in Stages, Not Absolutes Notice that I didn't say everyone should fill every fuel tank immediately. I also didn't say everyone should wait; managing risk isn't an all-or-nothing decision. Many successful farmers already think this way when marketing grain. They rarely sell the entire crop on one day because no one consistently knows where the market is headed. Instead, they make decisions in stages, reducing risk while maintaining flexibility. Fuel can be approached in much the same way. For many operations, that might mean securing enough diesel for harvest if it can be purchased at a price that fits the farm's budget. Once harvest needs are covered, the remaining purchases can be spread over time as new information becomes available. That's not market timing; it's risk management. Context Matters One of the six principles of soil health is context. Every farm is different. What makes sense for one operation may not make sense for another. The same is true when thinking about diesel. A producer with 6,000 gallons of on-farm storage faces different choices than someone who depends on fuel deliveries every few days. A diversified livestock operation may use fuel very differently than a grain farm preparing for harvest. Cash flow, storage capacity, and relationships with local suppliers all influence what makes sense. That's why I hesitate to tell anyone simply to "buy" or "don't buy." The better question is: "Given my operation, my risks, and my resources, what decision reduces uncertainty without sacrificing flexibility?" That's what context looks like in practice. Information Is Better Than Headlines If you want to follow fuel markets yourself, I'd encourage you to rely on data rather than headlines. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes weekly information on: U.S. diesel inventories Refinery utilization Petroleum supply Regional fuel markets Their website is (somewhat) easy to navigate and provides objective information without the emotion that often accompanies market news. The goal isn't to become an energy analyst; rather, you want to make better-informed decisions. A Bigger Question This conversation about diesel eventually led me to another question. What is the cheapest gallon of diesel? I don't think it's necessarily the gallon you bought at the lowest price. I think it's the gallon you never had to burn. That's where this discussion moves beyond fuel markets and into something much more interesting. Every unnecessary pass across a field costs diesel, labor, machinery wear, time, and often soil moisture. When fuel prices become uncertain, it's a good reminder to examine every operation and ask a simple question: Is this pass still paying for itself? That question takes us well beyond diesel. It takes us into soil health, cover crops, reduced tillage, and farming systems that require fewer purchased inputs because the land itself is functioning more effectively. We'll explore that idea in the next article, because the real opportunity isn't simply buying diesel wisely; it's building a farming system that's less dependent on diesel in the first place. __________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

A few days ago, we posted a simple question to our followers: "What is the biggest problem in agriculture?” Honestly, we expected a handful of responses. Instead, we got hundreds. Farmers, ranchers, and land stewards from across the U.S. and beyond jumped into the conversation. Some answers were nuanced. Some were extremely passionate. A few were blunt. What surprised us wasn't just how many people responded, but how different the answers were. Some pointed to politics and regulations. Others blamed economics, rising input costs and things like land access. Still, others pointed at the lack of younger generations entering agriculture and the growing disconnect between consumers and producers. Poll Results: Government / Regulations / Politics — 27% Mindset / Resistance to Change — 18% Economics / Profitability / Input Costs — 15% Consumer Disconnect / Education — 12% Land Access / Cost of Entry — 10% Soil Health / Degradation — 8% Next Generation / Labor Shortage — 6% Water / Weather — 4% No matter where you stand on the issues, one thing is clear: Agriculture is under pressure. From drought and input costs to labor shortages and profitability concerns, many farm and ranch families are carrying a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now. But as we collected all the responses and concerns, a clear theme emerged in all of them. The Biggest Problem in Agriculture Whether someone blamed government, economics, land access, consumer education, or soil health, the underlying concerns are largely the same: How do we build farms, ranches, and rural communities that can withstand the headwinds and challenges they’re facing? It's an important question because agriculture has never been a simple business. Farmers and ranchers have always dealt with uncertainty. Weather changes. Markets fluctuate. Costs rise and fall. New challenges emerge. But many producers today feel like more and more of the factors affecting their success are outside their control. And that's where resilience clearly becomes more than a buzzword: it’s a crucial strategy for long-term success and operational sustainability farmers and ranchers can’t do without. The agriculture community is hungry for a way of doing business that not only maximizes production this year but also can remain productive, profitable, and healthy for decades to come. Is Regenerative Agriculture The Solution We Need? One of the crucial—and most obvious—ways we can stay afloat over the long haul is obvious: lowering our reliance on what can’t be controlled. This includes fluctuating weather, input costs, and supply chain bottlenecks, just to name a few. And, whether we like it or not, the conventional agricultural model places farmers/ranchers in a tough spot: increasingly dependent on things that exist outside the operation. This is one reason regenerative agriculture continues to gain attention across the agricultural landscape. At its core, regenerative agriculture is about rebuilding the strength of the operation from the ground up. Healthier soils hold more water during dry periods. Diverse plant communities mimic natural systems, rebuild the soil and suppress weeds. Integrating livestock can turn standing forage into feed while reducing the need for harvested inputs. Improved soil biology can cycle nutrients that might otherwise need to be purchased. In other words, regenerative agriculture seeks to move more of the solution back onto the farm or ranch itself, at a lower cost. The goal isn't independence from markets or weather. No system can offer that. The goal is greater resilience when challenges inevitably arrive. We've seen examples of this across the producers we've featured at Growing Resilience. Ranchers are extending grazing seasons and reducing winter feed costs. Producers are increasing water infiltration and carrying green forage longer into dry periods. Farmers are reducing fertilizer requirements as soil health improves. Operations are finding ways to remain profitable without continually increasing inputs and, due to a more diverse mix of crops, are no longer solely reliant on risky corn-soybean production. These changes don't happen overnight. Most producers will tell you they take years of observation, experimentation, and adaptation. But they all point toward the same idea: The healthiest farms and ranches are often those that become less dependent on forces beyond their control. Keeping it Realistic We don’t present regenerative agriculture or systems as a silver bullet solution to all that ails an operation. Rain still needs to fall, and input costs still exist. Agriculture can be an extremely rewarding and fruitful way of life, but it has never been easy. This truth still remains for those who switch to regenerative systems. Making the transition isn't always straightforward, either. While there are universal principles that research shows work everywhere, every farm and ranch is unique. What works in South Dakota may need to be adapted in Georgia. What works on one soil type may not work exactly the same on another. Producers considering regenerative practices often have legitimate questions about profitability, risk, implementation, and how to make changes without disrupting an already complex operation. That's why community matters. One of the encouraging themes we've seen emerge in agriculture is the growing willingness of producers to share what they're learning. Farmers and ranchers across the country are opening their gates, sharing successes and failures, and helping others avoid costly mistakes. Fortunately, there has never been greater access to knowledge. Free educational resources are available through platforms like YouTube. Organizations like the NRCS provide technical assistance and support to land managers across the country. Local soil health groups, grazing networks, and producer-led organizations regularly host events where farmers and ranchers can learn directly from people putting these ideas into practice. The resources are there. And while no system removes all risk, many producers who incorporate regenerative principles report something important: less dependence on outside inputs and greater confidence in their operation's ability to weather challenges. What does that mean in practical terms? Greater operational resilience. The ability to withstand drought a little better. The ability to absorb market shocks a little easier. The ability to rely more on the strength of the land itself and less on factors beyond the farm gate. The Need for Collective Dialogue Whether you agree or disagree with regenerative agriculture, one thing became clear from this conversation: Agriculture needs more discussions like this. Open-minded conversations about the challenges we face. Honest conversations about what's working, what isn't, and what possibilities exist moving forward. Because the future of agriculture won't be shaped by one person, one practice, or one idea. It will be shaped by farmers, ranchers, researchers, land managers, and communities working together to find solutions that make sense for their land, their families, and their future. So we'll leave you with the same question we started with: What do you think is the biggest problem facing agriculture today? And can regenerative agriculture be part of the solution? Get involved with us by subscribing to our email list, and let’s keep this important discussion going! __________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

A Conversation with Fred Provenza About Family Farms and Rural Communities The ranch country near Salida, Colorado, where Fred Provenza first learned lessons about land, livestock, and the communities that depend on them. Photo by Joe Dickie By Buz Kloot A few weeks ago, I sent out an email titled What Wendell Berry Taught Me About the Family Farm. Shortly afterward, my friend, behavioral ecologist Fred Provenza wrote to say how much he appreciated it. That email sparked a new conversation between us. Fred reminded me of an article he had shared earlier this year titled Town and Country: Linking Agriculture and the Nonfarm Rural Economies. In February, I had the opportunity to sit down with Fred and record a conversation about the changes he has witnessed during his lifetime in agriculture. As I revisited that discussion and reread the article, I began to see why it had resonated so strongly with him. The article challenged one of the most deeply held assumptions in American agriculture. For generations, we have assumed that healthy farms create healthy rural communities. The authors suggest that, increasingly, the opposite may be true. Today, many farms depend on healthy rural economies to survive. That observation caught Fred's attention. He described a pattern that researchers call the "barbell effect." The largest farms continue to grow larger. At the same time, the number of very small farms continues to increase. Meanwhile, many of the mid-sized farms and ranches that once formed the backbone of rural communities are disappearing. "I worked on one of those ranches," Fred told me. As he reflected on the ranch where he spent so many years, he found himself thinking about how difficult it has become for young people to enter agriculture. Previous generations often had opportunities to build operations on land acquired through homesteading or inherited through family. Today, high land values and capital requirements create barriers that would have been unimaginable a century ago. What struck Fred most was not simply the economics. It was what happens to communities when the middle disappears. The Hollowing Out of the Middle The article traces a dramatic shift in American agriculture. Since the mid-1900s, farms have become fewer and larger. At the same time, the number of very small farms has increased. The result is a hollowing out of the middle—a landscape dominated by a relatively small number of very large operations and a growing number of very small ones. It was this disappearance of the middle that caught Fred's attention. More Than a Story About Efficiency For many people, this may sound like a story about efficiency. Fred sees something more. He sees a story about communities. Researchers have long debated what is known as the Goldschmidt Hypothesis—the idea that communities supported by modest-sized family farms tend to enjoy stronger economic, social, and civic life than communities dominated by large-scale industrialized agriculture. While the evidence is mixed, there is little doubt that farms and ranches once played a central role in sustaining rural communities. Fred remembers those communities. He also remembers a time when many producers had more control over their own economic destiny. From Price Makers to Price Takers Fred remembers a time when farmers and ranchers were often what one South African producer called "price makers, not price takers." As industries consolidated and supply chains centralized, many producers found themselves with less influence over the prices they received and fewer options available to them. Why Healthy Farms Need Healthy Communities Perhaps the most surprising finding in the article involves off-farm income. Today, the average farm household receives roughly four out of every five dollars of household income from off-farm sources. For many small and intermediate-sized farms, off-farm employment is not supplemental income—it is what allows the farm to continue operating. That reality has profound implications. If farm families depend on off-farm employment, then the health of the local economy becomes essential to the health of the farm. The authors put it plainly: a viable farm increasingly requires a financially stable household, and a financially stable household often depends on a strong local economy beyond agriculture. In other words, healthy farms now depend on healthy communities. Broadening the Conversation As Fred and I discussed these ideas, I found myself thinking about conversations I've had with farmers and ranchers across the country. Many are working harder than ever. Many are producing more than ever. Yet many feel trapped between rising costs, volatile markets, and shrinking margins. The answer is not simple. But Fred believes we need to broaden the conversation. For decades, agriculture has focused heavily on production and yield. Those things matter. But so do the health of rural communities, the vitality of local businesses, opportunities for young people, and the resilience of the landscapes that support agriculture. Toward the end of our conversation, Fred shifted from economics to ecology. He reminded me that livestock can be more than a means of producing meat. Properly managed, they can help build healthy landscapes, increase biodiversity, improve water cycles, and support both wildlife and people. That observation points toward a hopeful future. If the challenges facing agriculture are economic, social, and ecological, then the solutions must be as well. The future of family farms may depend not only on what happens within the fence line, but also on the strength of the communities beyond it. That may be the most important lesson Fred took from the article. And it may be one of the most important conversations agriculture needs to have today. __________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

The mission of Growing Resilience Through Our Soils is to help ranchers and cropland managers maximize soil health to deliver profitable farming and ranching and well as soil resilience. This educational platform–led by passionate researchers and storytellers—uses videos, photos, and words to showcase the trials and successes of ranchers and farmers as they continue along their soil health journeys. Recipes Filter by Level Number of recipes found: 0

Through Growing Resilience, healthy crops and soils mean healthy farmers and consumers. Regenerative Farming is the idea that if farmers change the way they manage the soils, you can improve environmental conditions through less disturbance, have more profitable faming, and more time with family. GROWING RESILIENT SOIL Learn soil health practices from ranchers and farmers to make your operation resilient and profitable. Made possible through partnership with the USDA-NRCS in South Dakota. USDA-NRCS in SD We’re Changing the Way Ranchers and Farmers Think About Soil Ranchers and farmers are often told that better production means higher inputs—but at what cost? In the face of skyrocketing input costs, many producers across the nation are being forced to ask this question. Does a better and more cost-effective way to regenerate exist? Ranchers and cropland managers are telling us yes, it does even as they reduce operating costs and increase their bottom line. Read More Read More Featured Content Farmers Journey to Find the New Cropland Grazing Model See how South Dakota farmer/rancher Brian Johnson and his family are discovering increased profits, decreased workload, and enhanced land and operation resilience through an innovative approach to grazing. Here's How Ranchers Are M aking Their Ranches Drought Proof. Prescribed Grazing —Our ranchers are rotating livestock, resting grazed land, and thereby allowing their land to recover. Increasing Diversity —A great indicator of healthy soils is diversity. Our ranchers are managing their land for diversity so that their forage base includes a wonderful mix of native warm and cool season grasses and forbs. Grazing More, Feeding Less —As their forage base increases, our ranchers are making more money per acre by grazing more and feeding less. Being Adaptive — Our ranchers embrace the fact that nothing in life is set in stone and that flexibility is an asset. As SD rancher Bart Carmichael says, “We make plans, assume we’re wrong, then adapt as the weather or livestock dictate”. Plan, observe, adapt, repeat. Changing their Mindsets —Through embracing free resources, such as those provided by the SD NRCS, the SD Grassland Coalition, the SD Soil Health Coalition and this platform, our ranchers are changing their thoughts about what successful, profitable ranching can be. The range management techniques we highlight are tools that any rancher can use to change and improve their land. Drought Resources Our partners at the South Dakota Grassland Coalition just launched their "Pray for Rain. Plan for Drought." project. Click below to find out more; Struggling With Drought? Click Here The ranchers and technical advisors listed in the downloadable document below are ready talk with anyone interested in weathering the worst impacts of drought. Give one of them a call. Talk To A Drought Expert Download Now What Ranchers Are Saying The time savings doing something like this has for me. I was going to have my wife come out and talk to you. She’s complaining I’m around too much now. Reid Suelflow, Rancher When Should Farmers buy Diesel? Managing Fuel Price and Supply Risk 3 days ago 3 min read The One Big Problem Facing Agriculture (According to Farmers & Ranchers) Jun 19 5 min read What Happens When the Middle Disappears? Family Farms and Rural Communities in a Changing America Jun 16 4 min read Are We Measuring the Entire Phosphorus Story? Jun 2 4 min read Five Practical Themes Emerging from Dry-Year Conversations Across South Dakota May 19 3 min read Supermarkets and Medicine Cabinets: What Fred Provenza Taught Me About Nutritional Wisdom Our Posts May 4 5 min read Be first to know about new blog posts! First Name Last Name Email Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! Watch Don't Know Where to Start? Ask A Mentor! If you're looking for an agricultural expert to help you improve or expand a certain area of your operation, consider joining our Mentor Network where you can reach out the experienced producers in various agricultural fields who provide technical and planning assistance to South Dakota farmers and ranchers. I'd like a mentor! Less Time in the Field = Less Stress (and More Time With Family) Two things are always out of a rancher’s control: the weather and the cost of doing business. But ranchers who have changed the way they think of the land are finding themselves more in the driver’s seat of their operations and their wallets. Through understanding the soil health principles and implementing these to suit their operations, our ranchers are waking up to fewer operating costs, less time needed ‘working the land’ and more down-time enjoyed with their families. That’s less worrying about money and less time working—all by simply allowing the land (and livestock) to work for them. Read More MORE CONTENT PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES OUR PARTNERS

We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Not Just No-Till: Sorting Fact from Fiction in a Lively Debate Few topics on our site spark as much interest—and as much spirited debate—as no-till farming. Scroll through our Facebook threads and you’ll see it: farmers, agronomists, gardeners, and even a few armchair soil scientists weighing in with strong opinions. Some argue no-till is the clear path forward; others point out it’s no silver bullet. We get it. For some, no-till sounds like the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland —asking you to “believe six impossible things before breakfast.” Perennial roots going 12–20 feet deep? Diverse soils that act like sponges instead of concrete? It can be hard to picture if you’ve never seen it. But producers who’ve lived through the transition know it’s possible—and profitable. That’s because no-till isn’t meant to stand alone. As Dr. Dwayne Beck has spent decades demonstrating, when no-till is paired with rotations, cover crops, and sometimes livestock, it becomes part of a system that restores natural pore space, improves infiltration, and often lowers costs. And while regional soils—from South Dakota silt loams to Kansas clays—behave differently, research and farmer experience show that context-driven management makes all the difference. Our goal here isn’t to push a single narrative, but to share the science and stories so you can sort through the information for yourself. You’ll find podcasts with innovators like Dr. Dwayne Beck, Gabe Brown, Ray Archuleta, and Dr. Ray Weil, alongside South Dakota farmers who’ve put no-till to work in their own operations. You’ll also find blogs where we dig into questions like: Does no-till really improve water infiltration compared to tillage? How do crop rotations affect no-till outcomes? What do large-scale studies (and real farmers) say about yields and profits in no-till systems? When does no-till work—and when doesn’t it? Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, we invite you to explore, question, and draw your own conclusions. Thank you to the USDA-NRCS for collaboration on these valuable no-till stories. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VIDEOS No-Till Podcasts All PODCASTS No-Till Blog Posts Being Hung by the Tongue: How Tillage Language Shapes Soil Outcomes Confusion around tillage terminology especially the modern use of “vertical tillage” may be shaping farmer decisions in ways we don’t fully understand. In this guest piece, Jim Martindale explores how soil disturbance, temperature, and terminology influence corn root development, challenging us to rethink how we define and evaluate tillage systems. Apr 13 3 min read The Wind You Don’t Notice (And What It’s Taking from Your Soil) Most soil loss doesn’t happen in storms—it happens on ordinary spring days. In dry conditions across South Dakota, steady winds are quietly moving soil, nutrients, and long-term productivity off exposed fields. Mar 31 4 min read Can We Really Fix Wet Spots With Tillage? If So, Why Are They Still There? “Standing in Jesse Hall’s field, Joe and I exchanged that familiar look — the one we’ve shared with several South Dakota producers — because once again someone was demonstrating a truth that runs against the old playbook: you don’t fix water problems with tillage; you fix them with biology.” Dec 17, 2025 3 min read Cows on Cover Crops: South Dakota Farmer Adds $86/acre and 70 Bu Corn On our spring tour of South Dakota farmers integrating livestock, my partner in crime, Joe Dickie, and I left Huron, and a couple of hours later crested the rise where Ryan Urban lives. Ryan identifies himself as a fourth-generation Pukwana crop-and-cattle producer—he jokes that they’re “cattle people who farm on the side.” With a name like Urban, I half expected him to grab a guitar and sing us a country tune. Instead, he grabbed the keys to his pickup, and we rode out into Aug 11, 2025 3 min read No-Till vs. Tillage: Which Really Lets the Water In? Jeff Hemenway, former Soil Health Conservationist, pointing out Roots in the Subsoil at 80” in a No-till, Cover-Cropped Field in Brookings, SD When a commenter wrote on one of our recent videos Dwayne Beck, no-till , he put it bluntly: “Without tillage water won’t penetrate. I rented 400 acres that was zero till for decades and it was like a concrete block.” That comment — echoed by others in our threads — hits at one of the most common criticisms of no-till. If the soil is h Aug 11, 2025 4 min read No-Till, No Yield? Are We Putting Corn Above Soybean Yields? As a response to several requests for more peer-reviewed material on the economics of no-till (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT), I went digging into the usual suspects — input costs, yield comparisons, and long-term trials. That’s when I stumbled on research from South Dakota State University’s Beresford Research Farm that made me realize: I had a bias . In an earlier blog , we cited a meta-analysis showing no-till yields averaging 5.7% lower overall compared to conventiona Jul 21, 2025 3 min read ALL BLOG POSTS No-Till Resources No-Till: Common Questions and Straight Answers Click here to download! ALL RESOURCES No-Till Shorts ALL SHORTS