How Healthy Soil Boosts Farm Resilience 

By Nicole Small | August 27, 2025

Farmers are some of the most resilient people in the world. No matter the conditions, from heat to drought to natural disasters, they adapt and keep going. That resilience is built from generations of knowledge and experience, and it’s supported by something invisible but powerful: the soil beneath their boots. 

Healthy soil is one of the most powerful tools growers can use to strengthen their farms and protect against uncertainty. Farming today faces more volatility than ever, and resilience is no longer optional. It is essential for staying profitable and competitive. 

This post explores how soil health supports farm resiliency, what farmers do to maintain resilient plants, and why healthier soil is proving to be one of the most valuable investments growers can make.  

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Soil health as the foundation of resilience 

Soil health isn’t just about sustainability; it directly impacts a grower’s ability to withstand challenges and recover quickly. This creates an extra buffer, equipping crops to better handle stress, bounce back faster, and keep producing under difficult conditions. 

Take water, for example. Healthy soil rich in organic matter can retain up to 20 times its weight in water!¹ That kind of water retention cushions crops against drought, improves infiltration during intense storms, and ultimately saves growers money on water use. Regardless of a climate event, resilient plants benefit from better root protection, less runoff, and quicker recovery. 

Let’s look at how healthy soil strengthens a farm’s resilience. 

Healthy soil = Stronger plants 

Resilient plants stem from healthy roots, and healthy roots depend on a thriving microbial ecosystem in the soil. Living roots, fungi, and beneficial microbes work together to help improve nutrient uptake and water efficiency, giving plants what they need to stay productive under stress.² 

Justin Wylie, a 5th generation pistachio grower, saw a clear difference after improving his orchard’s soil health. In areas of his orchard that received the same amount of water, he saw that the trees grown in healthier soil recovered faster and showed fewer signs of stress. Even after applying a full inch of water, the trees remained noticeably healthier within just a few days, while others in less healthy soil still struggled.  

Scientific tools confirmed what he was observing. “When you’re using things like tensiometers and you’re monitoring the respiration of the trees, you can see that the trees aren’t stressed,” he explained.  

In healthier soil, Justin’s trees didn’t just bounce back: they avoided stress altogether:

“You’re not just allowing them to stress and hoping they produce. The trees aren’t stressed to begin with. That’s really exciting.” 

Healthy soil = Environmental resilience 

Healthy soil helps plants cope with climate extremes and: 

  • Retains water in drought: Reduces irrigation needs and supports crops during dry spells 
  • Improves drainage during storms: Prevents waterlogging and disease pressure 
  • Stabilizes soil temperature: Protects roots during heatwaves and cold snaps 
  • Reduces erosion: Preserves productivity in windy or flood-prone regions 

Justin experienced this firsthand after a major rain event that once would have caused widespread phytophthora, a soilborne disease that thrives in wet conditions, on his orchards. But after working with MyLand, he noticed something new: 

“The trees bounced back in a way I’ve never seen. It was phenomenal,” he said. “It’s very possible that we could create enough resilience to resist the impact of weather events.” 

Healthy soil is not just a short-term strategy for US growers and water conservationists. It is an investment in land that can produce for generations. 

Healthy soil = Biological resilience 

A healthy soil microbiome fiercely protects farmland. This happens because beneficial microbes compete with pathogens for space and resources, making it harder for disease to take hold.⁴ 

Living soil supports a stronger ecosystem that naturally protects crops: 

  • Better root development for drought tolerance 
  • Beneficial microbes boost soil nutrients 
  • Increased plant immunity against pests and disease 

Healthy soil = Financial resilience 

Healthier soils don’t just grow stronger crops — they stabilize margins and strengthen the bottom line. Farm profitability depends on many factors, like water use, inputs, and crop performance, but these all start with the same thing: healthy soil. 

When soil functions better, every part of the system benefits, from water retention and efficiency to nutrient cycling, input use, and more. As those benefits come into play, growers are empowered to stretch their budgets further and respond with more flexibility to the pressures of the market.³  

Justin has seen this shift on his orchards:  

“In the long run, I think it’s [sustainable growing practices] going to be far more profitable, far less expensive, and we’re going to have far fewer crop insurance claims because of the resiliency of our crops.” 

Still, he exercised caution when transitioning a number of his acres from conventional agriculture to sustainable agriculture. “We matched a conventional budget to make sure we didn’t see damage as we were pushing that soil forward,” he said. He worked closely with regenerative agronomists to test and measure progress. Justin also recognizes that not every grower can commit to an intensive transition all at once. “That’s where MyLand comes in,” he said.   

Soil health = Risk management 

Growers can’t control the weather, markets, or water allocations, but they can control how they manage their soil.  

Building soil health is like putting insurance in the ground: it cushions against the unexpected. Growers have seen their soil health investment pay off with greater yields, stronger crops, less intervention, and better returns. 

The challenges of farming aren’t slowing down, but healthy soil makes your operation stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for what’s ahead. 

Posted in Soil Health