January 2026 Issue

Contents

January 2026 • Issue #655

Photo: Stock (Courtesy of Dave Christensen) — Dave Christensen’s Montano Morado Maize is bred from native Indian corns and is extremely high in nutrients like anthocyanins. Read about how Dave has devoted his life to breeding the hardiest, most drought-resistant corn possible on page 44.

FEATURES

Have We Made Any Progress on Soil Health?
Though well intentioned, government efforts to solve the problem of dysfunctional soil have not resulted in major gains; the answer is farmer-led education
BY JON STIKA

Un-inflame My Heart
A medical explanation of how food-as-medicine could work
BY GEORGE TAYLOR, M.D.

In Defense of Take-half, Leave-half
It’s not about soil carbon — it’s about keeping cool-season pastures healthy and productive
BY LAURA PAINE AND JASON CAVADINI

Biology Minus Soil?
How fungi reawakened plant chemistry in a sterile system
BY CRAIG HARTSOUGH

Corn Power
My introduction to lobbying — and why it isn’t surprising that the MAHA Commission isn’t getting much done
BY ANNELIESE ABBOTT

Photosynthesis, Phermentation and Phinances
Different crops offer different energy and ecological returns
BY MARK SHEPARD

DEPARTMENTS

VIEW FROM THE COUNTRY
Monthly musings from Acres U.S.A.’s editor

OPINION
Under One Roof
Ignoring the nation’s growing health crisis risks structural failure on every floor of American society
BY CHARLES BENBROOK

ECO-UPDATE
News in brief on developments in agronomic science

REGEN AGRONOMY
The Redox Revolution
The practical outworkings of how understanding Eh-pH homeostasis improves crop protection
BY JOHN KEMPF

INTERVIEW
A Heart for Hardiness
Breeder Dave Christensen has spent his life trying to develop the most resilient and nutritious corn in the world

REVIEWS

MARKETPLACE

CLASSIFIEDS

ECO-MEETINGS

ECO-GRAPHIC