Protecting the land, water, air and wildlife

At the SA Ranch, we employ sustainable farming and ranching practices which clean water, prevent erosion, and create healthier food and healthier animals.

Conventional Farming Practices Pollute Our Water, Air, and Soil.

If something does not change, top soil will all be gone at some time in the future

The current crop rotation for dry land wheat farmers with a mono-crop one year and bare dirt the next is very susceptible to erosion.  The SA Ranch is in (as is most of the northern plains) a windy area of the country and at times it becomes a dust bowl with all the fallow land.  Worse than wind though is the cloud bursts of rain.  The use of big heavy tractors in fields all the time (all the chemical application) causes compaction just down past where the tilling equipment goes and thus the fields become almost like sluice boxes.

Every year, massive amounts of top soil wash off the SA Ranch (the Natural Resources Conservation Service estimates 4 tons per acre of soil is lost on average annually with traditional farming) and into the Missouri river where it goes to the Gulf of Mexico.  There is very little organic matter (less than 1 inch) on the SA Ranch and top soil flies or washes off the ranch every year.

If something does not change, top soil will all be gone at some time in the future.  When it is gone, there will be no more farming.  In fact, the loss of top soil is burning out farmland across the globe with many countries losing arable land at alarming rates.  Land degradation globally is estimated at 10 million hectares annually.  Since 1960, it is estimated that 1/3 of the world’s farmland has been lost due to erosion or degradation.  This loss of arable land has grave strategic implications for the USA as well global food production.

Modern agriculture does not retain water in the ground for the living roots are not deep if there are any at all.  Nature with its bio-diversity and deep root systems retains water.  If cropping practices could mimic nature, we would have drought resistant crops that would strategically be important to the stability of the countries food source.

Bare dirt and lack of living roots on Sandy Arrow Ranch – we’re going to fix this!

Regenerative Farming & Ranching is the Solution

A Virtuous Cycle

In addition to accelerating carbon build up, employing a “sustainable” biologically pure soil-focused process provides many other crop based, environmental, wildlife, and health benefits.  Healthy soil create soil aggregates, which are individual soil granules which are clumped and bound together.  Soil aggregates act as sponges in the ground, enabling deep water retention.  Increased water retention provides much-needed water to plants during low rainfall periods (thus creating more reliable crops) and also reduces erosion.  When combined with a chemical-free environment, the water filtering process that healthy soils with robust root systems provide cleans water.   It is our hope that this model will play a role in cleansing the ground water issues that are rampant across farming communities and throughout America’s water systems.

It is also intuitive that healthier plants that are grown in healthier soil, not held back by disease or confused by synthetic chemicals, will thrive and provide healthier food.  Clean water and healthier plants also benefit livestock and create healthier animals and higher quality meat.

The Sandy Arrow will also employ wildlife friendly ranching practices.

Healthy soils create soil aggregates, which are individual soil granules which are clumped and bound together.

Did you know?

  • 20% of the harmful carbon emissions are due to agriculture practices
  • Since 1960, 1/3 of the world’s farmland has been lost due to erosion or degradation
  • 2/3 of the deaths on the planet are directly or in-directly caused by diet
  • Chemicals are approximately 70% of the cost structure in growing wheat.