For Whom the Soil Tolls: Lessons in Connection
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ken Herz, NSHC Board Member
Email: kherz24.kh@gmail.com
When I was about ten years old, my father came home from helping a neighbor and looked noticeably unsettled. The neighbor had asked my dad—and several others—to help break a spirited young horse. The methods used were gruesome, built on force and dominance. In the end, the horse was broken in spirit.
Years later, I discovered Monty Roberts, known as “the Man Who Listens to Horses.” His approach to training horses couldn’t have been more different. Instead of breaking horses, he worked with them in a round pen, gently pushing them away until the horse chose to “join up.” That incredible moment—when the horse stopped resisting and walked willingly toward him—was not about dominance but about relationship and partnership.
So, what does this have to do with soil health and the work of the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition?
I’ve always felt a deep connection to the world around me—not only to family, friends, and community, but also to the land and nature itself. We often think about connection in terms of neighbors helping neighbors, communities uniting for shared goals, or people rallying together through GoFundMe campaigns. But what about our connection to the land beneath our feet?
That connection has shaped much of my life. As a longtime producer in the Lawrence area, I’ve witnessed firsthand how decisions made on the land ripple outward—affecting not only crops and livestock, but also the health of communities and the resilience of future generations.
In college, I became concerned about proper land management. At the time, irrigated fields relied on water from the Ogallala Aquifer, using flood irrigation—long before pivots were commonplace. Over-application of nitrogen and deep water percolation led to excessive nitrogen in groundwater, posing health risks for those who depended on it. That was when I began to see the dots connect: between individual actions, the land, and the well-being of entire communities.
As John Donne wrote in the 15th century:
“No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.”
I’ve always believed that the land owns me—not the other way around. What’s good for the soil is good for the community, and ultimately, good for me. If I can help soil remain healthy, it builds resilience for the soil, the community and me. Healthy soil is the foundation of sustainability.
To me, sustainability has three parts:
Economic sustainability – Profitability is essential for individuals and communities to thrive.
Environmental sustainability – The land and soil must remain healthy and productive, because our lives depend on the food and water nature provides.
Social sustainability – Communities need safe, reliable food systems and the social structures that support them.
So, can we be like Monty Roberts and learn to “listen” to nature? Can we build a partnership with our soils? The answer is yes—and we already know how:
Keep cover on the ground.
Do not till the soil.
Increase plant diversity.
Use proper fertilization.
Keep living roots in the soil.
Integrate livestock.
Donne concluded his poem with:
“Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
That ten-year-old boy, asked to exercise a “broke” horse, recognized even then for whom the bell tolls. He sensed the weight of connection. Today, we face the same truth: everything is connected.
Everyone should be concerned about soil health because it connects us all. Healthy soil connects and supports everyone. It’s the cornerstone for a healthy, vibrant and sustainable community and future.
About the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition
We are a collaborative effort to increase sustainable agricultural production and thriving rural communities. As part of that vision, we support Nebraska’s community newspapers. Our mission is to advance producer-centered education, outreach, and adoption of soil health principles to build resilient farms, ranches, and communities across Nebraska.
