How long will it take?

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By Kim Deans

This is one of the most common questions I hear from clients and workshop participants. How long it is going to take to regenerate soil health always depends on several factors. We are operating in a complex ecosystem with many interrelated factors at play, there is no one size fits all answer or recipe. Every farm and every farmer are unique. A prescriptive answer usually only comes when there is a prescription for sale.  

To break through the frustration that comes when the answer is “it depends”, let’s break down five factors which we can influence to help see improvements more quickly:

A growth mindset.

Mindset is the biggest factor that determines our success in achieving regenerative outcomes. A growth mindset, where we believe that we can develop our ability to succeed through effort, learning and persistence helps us to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, and to stay curious and be willing to experiment. A fixed mindset is limiting because it takes the point of view that our situation is unchangeable, and instead of feedback, we see failure, limitations and roadblocks.

A couple of clues that a fixed mindset is limiting our progress are when we hear ourselves say “that won’t work at my place”, or “that did not work.” A growth mindset reframes these scenarios to “how could that work at my place?” and “that has not worked, YET.”

Embracing the learning journey

A growth mindset opens the door to ongoing learning. The more we know the more we realise we don’t know, and this can spark an enjoyable journey of discovery that can make farming more enjoyable and rewarding. The more we can learn about soil health the more we will start to see the opportunities we have to create improvements and understand the feedback we are receiving from our actions. 

Clarifying our vision

Clarifying our vision for soil health, and connecting with what soil health means to us, what it will provide and how much this matters provides us with an anchor to keep us oriented in an uncertain environment. When we make decisions based around the soil health outcomes we are working towards the results can follow. With out this clarity it is easy to give up at the first challenge, or to be distracted and end up off track due to someone else’s influence. If we don’t know what we want, someone else will.

Taking a strategic approach

With out a strategy developed for our unique situation we tend to stay focused on trying different practices, like exchanging one input for another or finding a nicer way to kill things. We then become frustrated because we do not achieve the results we know are possible. Soil health is an outcome of the system, not a practice. One practice that is linked to soil health improvements on one farm may not deliver the same outcomes on another. Developing a strategy that addresses the soil type, soil constraints and soil characteristics that we have, along with the enterprises we run, our financial position and the climate we operate within can help achieve faster outcomes than randomly trying different practices.

Monitoring soil physical health

Soil mineral tests have a role, but there is no substitute for monitoring the physical health of your soil. Observing soil structure, water infiltration, and plant growth is essential. Starting with this as a baseline helps you to see your progress and if your actions are taking you in the direction you desire, or if there is a need to adapt the strategy as you go. Failing to monitor your progress towards the outcome you wish to achieve is a sure way to make sure you don’t achieve it.

There are a few other things that will impact the speed of change that are not within our control. The weather conditions that occur will impact the speed of change, as will the type of soil we are working with, with lighter soils sometimes responding more quickly. The length of time the soil has been degraded, and the extent of the degradation are also going to influence how long it takes to get life force energy flowing again. When a production system has become addicted to inputs it will take time to transition away from these products, a gradual transition can be more likely to succeed as it takes steps to keep the financial situation healthy enough to survive the changes. Managing financial pressures is vital as financial stress can limit our capacity for the creative thinking needed to turn the challenges we experience into learning opportunities. The type of enterprise we run also plays a role in how long the changes will take.

When our questions have the answer “it depends” this can be a sign to ask a different question. Changing our questions is often more powerful than trying to find the right answers. We can reframe our question from ‘how long will it take?” to “where do I start” and ‘what is my next step?”

My next blog will explore the question, where do I start?

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We offer coaching support, and online and on farm soil health packages to help you develop your soil health strategy for your unique goals and situation. Contact me to arrange a time for a chat if you would like to know more about how we can work together.