Acres U.S.A., The Voice of Eco-Agriculture, March 2025 | Issue #645, Copyright 2025, 67 pages. Become an Acres U.S.A. Eco-Farmer Member here! Contents March 2025 • Issue #645 Photo: Pest Photo caption: Holistic veterinarian Will Winter and Acres U.S.A. owner Taylor Henry, observing Taylor’s cattle. Read about Will’s preventative recommendations for healthy cattle on page 32. On the cover: (Alabama Extension, Flickr) — Each white cocoon on this tomato hornworm contains a parasitic wasp larva. Ecological systems, as described in this issue of Acres U.S.A., provide superior pest and disease control compared to input-based systems. FEATURES Microbial Nutrient DeliveryTwo relatively new understandings of how plants and microbes work together — rhizophagy and exclusion-zone water — help explain why regenerative practices work better in some soils than othersBY JOHN KEMPF Give Your Crop’s Immune System a Chance to WorkHealthy, mineralized soils and healthy plants are the key to protecting your cropBY GARY ZIMMER Ecological Succession for Pest ResistanceUnderstanding disturbance and succession helps us as eco-farmers to use our management to steer our farms toward greater resistance to pests and disease BY MARK SHEPARD An Ounce of Mineral PreventionMinerals, clean water and apple cider vinegar offer holistic disease prevention for cattleBY TAYLOR HENRY DEPARTMENTS VIEW FROM THE COUNTRYMonthly musings from Acres U.S.A.’s editor OPINIONMicrobial Soup for the SoilFarming to optimize plant-microbe interaction is the best way to ensure the food we eat contains the phytochemicals that will make us healthy BY WILLIE PRETORIUS ECO-UPDATE News in brief on developments in agronomic science REGEN AGRONOMYThe Hidden Resilience of Healthy PlantsGrowers can manage plant nutrition to achieve resistance to pests and diseasesBY JASON STOLL INTERVIEWBuilt-In Pest ManagementResearcher Joe Lewis and researcher/farmer Alton Walker discuss how to harness nature’s built-in mechanisms to keep pests in check in order to successfully grow healthy crops REVIEWS MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIEDS ECO-MEETINGS ECO-GRAPHIC Become an Acres U.S.A. Eco-Farmer Member here!
