It’s no secret -- the ‘conventional’ food production system is not something to admire. Farmers are being squeezed by increasing input costs, lower prices, and increasing environmental variability. It is a difficult place to be for any farmer, and the solutions to their problems seem to always be a new chemical, more fertilizer, and bigger tractors.

Here at Terraforma, we bring a different approach to agriculture’s challenges.

Terraforma was founded on the mission to improve farmers profitability while making a positive environmental impact. Our motto is Sustainability through Profitability. It is not an easy mission, but it is absolutely possible – in fact, most would agree it is essential.

Before we can go any further on discussing the solution to our agricultural predicament, we need to understand the mechanism that is the key to profitable agriculture; Soil’s Biological Functionality.

Soil’s Biological Functionality is the soil’s natural ability to (1) Produce Nutrients for the plant, (2) Suppress Pest and Disease, and (3) Withstand Environmental Variability. In essence, Increasing Biological Functionality will have a plethora of benefits which lead to increasing revenues while reducing input costs.

So, to put it simply, ‘What We Do’ is work with the farmer to improve their soil’s Biological Functionality. In doing so, we can (1) reduce usage of Fertilizers, (2) reduce Pesticides and Fungicide applications, and (3) reduce Irrigation requirements and crop loss from environmental variability. Increasing Biological Functionality results in increasing crop quantity and quality has great impacts on the farmer’s bottom line.

Now – ‘The How’. The way we see it there are two ways to improve soil health, and ultimately soil’s Biological Functionality.

1. Reinstate the productive microorganisms that are responsible for nutrient cycling, pest suppression, and environmental tolerance.

2. Implement Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs) that are beneficial to soil microbial communities as well as the physical and chemical characteristics of your soil.

But there are indefinite species of microorganisms – which do you reinstate? And there are countless sustainable management practices – which do you use?

Terraforma has worked with the best and brightest to refine our Soil Health Analysis to provide actionable guidance based on a soils microbiome. The results inform Terraforma and the farmer:

1. Which Microorganism communities to cultivate and reinstate to tailor the soil to your crop.

2. Which Sustainable Management Practice(s) will be the most impactful to implement for your soil.

Whether your objective is to transition to a reduced-input operation, increase output, or improve crop quality, it is imperative you know where to begin. Terrafroma highlights the optimal investments in your soil’s biological functionality, you need to invest in the strategies with the highest returns.

After Soil Analyses, Terraforma provides the client:

1. Customized Biological Solutions based on the results of the soil analyses that are tailored to your crop, soil, and climate.

2. Suggestions for Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs) and consultation on SMP implementation.

As you may expect, when you increase your soil’s biological functionality you will improve your gross margin through reduced inputs and increased outputs. Or as we say at Terraforma, you are creating “Sustainability through Profitability”.

Our approach is unconventional -- It is dynamic, yet structured, and by necessity requires that we work closely with the farmer to develop a project strategy that best fits with their Operation, Objectives, and Resources.

We invite you to reach out to learn more about how our approach transforms agricultural landscapes, and if increasing biological functionality is right for your soil.