June 2026 Issue

Contents

Jun 2026 • Issue #660

Photo: TOC photo (Courtesy of Melvin Fisher) — A healthy kale crop, grown with reduced nitrogen. Melvin Fisher describes a helpful nitrogen reduction protocol on page 14.

FEATURES

Reduce to Produce
Two rapid, systems-thinking ways to reduce your dependence on off-farm nitrogen inputs
BY MELVIN FISHER

AMF: Agriculture’s Missing Factor
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi act as a powerful underground partner, extending plant roots and improving access to water and nutrients — in the right soil conditions
BY JOE AILTS

Mulch Ado about Something
As vineyard margins tighten, growers should rethink under-vine management, shifting from bare soil to biologically active systems
BY CRAIG HARTSOUGH

Why Soil Microscopy Matters
Five reasons to adopt microscopy to help make better agronomic decisions
BY MATT POWERS

Beyond “Pop Ecology”
Ecological agriculture succeeds not through idealized harmony but through understanding nature’s dynamic, often chaotic systems and managing them with intention
BY MARK SHEPARD

The Land of the Living
Continual live plants are carbon inlets that feed the underground microbial world
BY JAY FUHRER

Subsi-de-generation
We can’t afford to feed Americans with the status quo of subsidy-dependent agriculture
BY MOLLIE ENGELHART

DEPARTMENTS

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

OPINION
Fertilizer for Thought

As nitrogen supply disruptions expose vulnerabilities, policymakers and farmers face mounting pressure to rethink inputs, incentives, and long-term sustainability strategies
BY CHARLES BENBROOK

ECO-UPDATE
News in brief on developments in agronomic science

REGEN AGRONOMY
Bog to Basics
Turning on-farm plants into fermented inputs helps reduce chemical dependence while improving cranberry health and ecosystem balance
BY CASS GILMORE

INTERVIEW
Surface Decomposition
John Kempf interviews Erwin Westers, an innovative Dutch grower who harnesses a technique called Flächenrotte to drive soil biology, improve seed vigor, and boost whole-system resilience

REVIEWS

MARKETPLACE

CLASSIFIEDS

ECO-MEETINGS

ECO-GRAPHIC