This year, we thought we'd celebrate by giving you a look at some actual earth!
These pictures show the difference a commitment to sustainable farming management can make. By moving our herd every 12 hours and minimizing tillage we have been able to greatly change our soil. Notice the deeper, longer roots in the sample on the right compared with its neighbor. The looser structure with large "clods" that means better water absorption and oxygen in the soil, which in turn means less runoff. The roots also allow for more organic matter, which creates a cycle of stronger, more fertile soil, which grows more grass, which adds more organic matter.
Finally, all that organic matter also sequesters CO2. We are still trying to figure out our carbon footprint, but we do know we've put literally tons of carbon per acre back into the soil, with more getting added every year. That's a big impact from a little family farm!