Brian Brhel is working to farm closer to nature by growing diverse crops and incorporating livestock on the landscape. He’s fostering soil health, and raising healthy cattle and nutritious beef.

He can taste the difference in his forage-finished beef.

“The flavor is more enhanced,” he said. “There’s a depth to it and a richness from the forages they consume.”

Farmers across Nebraska are facing another year of planting into dust, but by diversifying their crops and staying flexible, farmers can make the most of it.

On Zach Mader’s farm north of Grand Island, the first week of April brought an inch of rain – the first significant moisture he’s seen since September.

Years of building up healthy soils created a structure beneath his feet. His soils are porous enough to let rainwater soak in. High organic matter helps stabilize soil aggregates, keeping particles in place when water and wind want to erode the earth.

A producer-to-producer learning community is one of the key components of the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition’s mission to promote the adoption of soil health systems and help rural communities. The organization is using economic and socio-behavioral interviews to arm producers with data to adjust their nutrients, improve water quality and foster trusting relationships in the name of improving sustainability.