Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Connection Between Soil and Human Health

In Southwest Montana, the connection between land and health runs deeper than we often realize.

In Southwest Montana, our lives are interconnected with the land. From the rivers that boast recreators throughout the summer, to the valleys that support cattle and crops alike, to the mountains that feed streams and ditches year-round; But one essential piece of this landscape is often overlooked: the soil, and the amazing unseen world, beneath our feet.

Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with saying “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than the soil underfoot.” From an early age, we constantly interact with the soil. We run on it, inhale it (likely by accident), and drink water filtered through it; however, our connection runs much deeper than we often realize.

Beneath our boots lies an entire universe of biological activity. As conversations about “soil health,” emerge, it should be noted, we aren’t just talking about dirt. Our soil is a living ecosystem, made up of a mixture of weathered rock, organic material, water, air, and a vast community of microorganisms. The health of these underground communities can have profound impacts far beyond what lies below. As soil health improves, it branches out into a cascade of incredible benefits, creating nutrient-dense foods, resilient landscapes, and even natural systems that help suppress weeds and pests.

 

From Soil to Self

While there are many distinct factors at play, such as genetics, environment, or lifestyle, that can influence human health, the impact of diet could be the most important. You’ve likely heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” This playful tease, not to be taken literally, was likely utilized to encourage you to examine your dietary choices and prioritize whole foods (meat, fruits and vegetables) over processed foods. But taken one step further, it’s not just what we eat that matters; it’s what our food eats too.

Food produced today may look similar to what our parents or grandparents ate, however the nutritional value may vary greatly. Some research on plant nutrition suggests that fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes, have lost 25-50% of their nutritional density over the past few decades. Nutritional density refers to the amount of essential vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients in a food compared to its calorie content. Simply put, people are having to consume more food, to get the nutrients they need. In many ways we are being overfed and under nourished.  From a global perspective, the decline in nutritional quality is increasingly important as we face feeding a growing population, with finite resources. While there are a variety of reasons for this shift, one major cause is declining soil health.

Approximately 95% of our food grows from the soil. Plants have a special relationship with soil and the many unseen organisms that live within it. The soil microbiome, a diverse community of microorganisms, plays a vital role in nutrient cycling and plant health, ultimately impacting the nutritional value of the food we consume.

These microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, support plants in a sort of mutualistic relationship. Plants need nutrients and water to survive and thrive, just like us! While we can eat meats, fruit, and vegetables to receive these nutrients, it’s not as straightforward for plants.

Plants rely on microscopic fungi and bacteria to unlock nutrients. For example, microscopic fungal networks act as an extension of the plant’s roots, helping access essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, and calcium, and trading them to the plant for carbon. Similarly, certain soil bacteria convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into forms that plants can use. As the bacteria around a plant’s roots work to convert these nutrients, the plant provides carbohydrates for the bacteria. This exchange is a powerful partnership that ultimately influences the nutritional quality of the food we eat.

No soil microbiome is the same, and there is still much to learn about these impressive microbial communities. There aren’t just a few hundred players at work. It is estimated that a single teaspoon of soil can contain billions of microorganisms. And of these microorganisms, hundreds of millions of unique species likely exist. While scientists are still uncovering the specific roles of many of these organisms, one thing is clear: diversity matters. A more diverse soil ecosystem tends to function more effectively, supporting healthier plants and more stable systems overall.

While much of this conversation focuses on crops, these connections extend to animal agriculture as well. Emerging research suggests that how food is produced may influence its nutritional quality, adding another layer to the connection between soil health and human health. In pasture-based systems, animal products are often associated with more favorable fatty acid profiles, compared to grain-finished systems. These differences are largely linked to forage-based diets and the health of the soils that support plant growth, which ultimately shape the quality of the food animals consume.

A Shared Microbiome

Interestingly, our own bodies function in a similar way. In the human gut, the microbiome helps digest food, converting it into nutrients that sustain us. Even if you’re unfamiliar with your gut microbiome, you’ve likely heard of probiotics or supplements designed to support beneficial bacteria in the gut and throughout the body. Amazingly, as many as 100 trillion microorganisms reside in the human gastrointestinal tract, and about 50% of what circulates in our body is determined by what we eat. Different bacteria in our gut have different responses to the same meal and different diets seem to influence the composition of bacterial communities.

Because of these similarities, researchers have begun exploring connections between soil health and human health by more than just how these communities operate within their greater environment. While the science is still emerging, the parallels are compelling. For example, both the soil and human microbiomes are affected by external activities and provide benefits for their host.

Most research linking human health and ingestion or direct contact with soil, focuses on risks related to contamination or inhalation of dust in the air. There is an increasing interest in exploring how interactions with the natural environment, such as soil and the soil microbiome may have significant role in developing the human immune system. Don’t start taking dirt baths just yet! Much remains to be understood about this potential connection, nonetheless, growing interest around this subject points to a deeper connection between people and the environment they live in.

While the science is still evolving and outcomes can vary depending on environment and management, a consistent pattern is beginning to emerge: healthy soils support healthy plants, which support healthy animals and people.

Resilient Landscapes, Resilient Communities

Soil’s influence doesn’t stop at the dinner plate; soil is also essential for developing resilient and profitable landscapes.

Soil’s piece of the water cycle is crucial for the provision of clean water and drought tolerant landscapes. Soils that are stable and have large pores, allowing rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation to seep into the ground, filtering through the open spaces, and helping prevent runoff or erosion. Soil organic matter, often considered the carbon-rich lifeblood of the soil, is a key feature in this process. Made up of decomposing plant material and microbial residues, it enhances the soil’s ability to retain water. For example, for every 1% increase in soil organic matter, an acre of land can hold roughly 20,000 additional gallons of water. In relatively dry regions like Southwest Montana, this capacity can make a significant difference.

Healthy soil can also help suppress disease and pests. Generally, the soil microbes can defend against harmful pathogens by competing with them for resources or actively engaging against them. Think of it like your body’s immune response.

Plants that are grown in soil with high biological activity have also been shown to have elevated levels of complex sugars, animo acids, and dissolved minerals in their sap. Many of the sap-sucking insects that you see targeting crops, such as grasshoppers or aphids, have simple digestive systems that can’t process complex sugars and proteins. Therefore, these plants have a natural method of pest suppression that can prevent the need for expensive pesticides.

Similarly, healthy soils play an important role in managing forbs, often referred to as “weeds.” In a balanced system, many of these plants contribute to overall diversity and can even provide medicinal compounds for grazing animals. However, when soil is disturbed or degraded, weeds can begin to dominate. In many ways, they are nature’s first response, quickly covering bare ground and initiating the healing process.

An overabundance of weeds is often less a seed problem and more a signal of how the land is being managed. Weed seeds are nearly always present; what ultimately grows is largely determined by soil conditions. As soil health improves, these early colonizers are gradually replaced by more desirable and diverse communities of grasses and legumes.

When aggressive species such as knapweed, leafy spurge, or cheatgrass take hold, management can feel challenging. These plants thrive in disturbed environments, establishing quickly and outcompeting other species for resources. In ecological succession, they are often referred to as pioneer species because of their role in stabilizing and rebuilding damaged systems.

Soils with a healthy, balanced microbial community tend to cycle nutrients more gradually, avoiding the rapid nutrient spikes that favor many invasive species. Rather than focusing solely on eliminating weeds after they appear, supporting soil health addresses the root cause, allowing natural processes to shift plant communities over time and reducing reliance on chemical herbicides.

 

Supporting Soil Health through Regenerative Agriculture

Producers play a vital role in maintaining and improving the health of our soils, and in doing so, many are looking to regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture doesn’t come with a set formula, instead it focuses on encouraging practices that have a positive impact on soil health and soil organic matter. Essentially, the goal is to create an environment where the system is healthier to provide the plant what it needs by utilizing what’s already there, instead of getting the short-term gain that can be recognized by applying synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

To help guide decision making and practical land management related to soil health, the Six Principles of Soil Health offer a useful framework.

1. Context: Every landscape is different. In Southwest Montana, our context is a high-altitude, semi-arid environment with a short growing season. Land management should reflect this.
2. Minimize Disturbance: This means reducing mechanical disturbance (like tillage) and chemical disturbance (like synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides) which disrupt soil structure and kill beneficial soil microbes.
3. Maximize Soil Cover: Bare soil is vulnerable soil. Leaving armor on the soil through plant residue or living canopy, protects it from wind, water erosion, and extreme temperature fluctuations.
4. Maximize Continuous Living Roots: Plants feed soil organisms through carbohydrates released through their roots. Keeping a living root in the soil for as long as our Montana seasons allow keeps underground communities thriving.
5. Maximize Biodiversity: Nature does not grow in monocultures. Diverse plant species attract diverse soil biology, which in turn supports diverse wildlife and livestock diets.
6. Integrate Livestock: The grasslands of Southwest Montana were built by the interactions of grazing, trampling, and depositing manure. Responsibly managed livestock are essential for nutrient cycling.

These components are here to provide a framework and guidance for taking action on your land, but again, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. Knowing your land and getting boots on the ground to make observations about what’s going on is essential. For some producers, this can include implementing crop or livestock rotations, planting cover crops, utilizing no-till or reduced till, and judicious use of chemicals, like herbicides or pesticides.

One local producer in the Madison Valley putting these regenerative principles into practice is Sacred Pine Ranch in McAllister. At Sacred Pine, the focus is on producing nutrient-dense, pasture-raised, grass-finished beef, pork, lamb, and honey, while prioritizing the health of the soil that makes it all possible.

The decision to adopt regenerative practices came from a desire to work more closely with natural systems rather than against them. “We believe our role is to support the land’s natural processes, not override them,” says ranch owner Scott Farquhar. By keeping livestock on pasture and moving them frequently in high-density groups, Sacred Pine aims to mimic the historic grazing patterns that once shaped these landscapes, integrating livestock in a way that supports soil function.

This style of management, often called high-density, short-duration grazing, creates concentrated impacts of dung and urine, often referred to as “nature’s fertilizer,” helping to feed soil microbes and drive nutrient cycling. Just as important are the extended rest periods that follow, sometimes lasting up to two years, which allow plants to fully recover, rebuild root systems, and increase both diversity and productivity over time.

For Sacred Pine Ranch, the goal extends beyond production alone. Building healthier soils is seen as the foundation for producing more nutrient-dense food while creating a more resilient and economically viable operation. “When our soils are functioning well, they can capture and hold the limited moisture we receive,” says Farquhar. “That allows us to grow more forage and stay productive, even during dry conditions.”

Operating in this way has also led to visible changes across the landscape. “Every day, we’re thinking about how to work with nature to improve life both above and below the soil,” Farquhar explains. Improvements in plant diversity, ground cover, and water infiltration, along with a noticeable return of wildlife and bird species, all point to a system trending in a positive direction.

Beyond the ecological benefits, there is a deep sense of fulfillment in producing food this way. Providing high-quality, nutrient-dense products directly to the local community creates a meaningful connection between the land, the ranch, and the people it nourishes. “There’s a real satisfaction in knowing the food we raise is supporting the health of our neighbors,” Farquhar says. “It gives purpose to the work we do every day.”

Ultimately, regenerative agriculture at Sacred Pine Ranch is about stewardship and making daily decisions that build soil health over time while producing high-quality food. By focusing on the soil first, the ranch is working to strengthen the connection between healthy land, healthy food, and healthy communities.

 

Look Local

Soil health isn’t just for farmers and ranchers! Whether you’re cultivating a backyard garden or just looking to be more conscious with your food consumption, there are choices that you can make every day that can directly and indirectly support healthy soils.

For consumers, it can be difficult to think about how to get the most bang for your buck nutrition-wise. Unlike calories or ingredients, nutrient density isn’t readily available on a label at a store. However, there are simple ways to make more informed choices.

One option is to eat with the seasons. Different foods contain different nutrients, thus by eating foods that are in-season, you’re naturally providing your body with a variety of important nutrients. For example, summer might bring fresh greens, tomatoes, and berries, whereas winter may suggest more root vegetables or seasonal squash. Choosing local foods can also make a difference. Fruits and vegetables begin to lose nutrients after they’ve been harvested. By consuming fresh, local produce, you’re minimizing time spent on storage and transit, and getting more vitamins and antioxidants on your plate. Shopping local also strengthens connections within the community and supports regional producers.

If you have the opportunity, choose local. Seeking out nearby producers and learning how your food is grown and raised creates a deeper connection to both your meals and your community. In Southwest Montana, we are fortunate to have a wide range of local producers offering everything from fresh vegetables to pasture-raised meats, many of whom can be found at local farmers markets. Taking the time to meet the people behind your food and hear their stories can be incredibly meaningful. There are also helpful online resources, such as Abundant Montana and Edible Bozeman’s local farmers market guide, that make it easy to find where to go and who to connect with. As Kaleena Miller, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent with Montana State University Extension, explains, “your purchase in some way supports the community that you care about.”

This conversation is not meant to be restrictive. Instead, it’s an invitation to think more deeply about our health, the land, and what we can do to make a positive impact. I want to share one of my favorite moments from my conversations with Kaleena about this article. When asked what she hopes people take away from this discussion about their connection with soil and their own wellbeing, Miller shared, “Everything is connected. We don’t live in silos.” Elaborating, she explains, “We are all connected to each other and these natural systems in the world of soil health, of plant health, of animal and human health. They are all connected. And we might not understand this connection fully, but they absolutely are.”

There are many ways that you make small actions to contribute to a larger impact; whether its supporting local producers, making thoughtful choices, or even simply becoming more aware of the role soil plays in everyday life. By caring for the soil, we are ultimately caring for ourselves, and for the communities we call home.