Eric Collier

Walk into any healthy field and you'll likely find earthworms hard at work beneath your feet. These underground engineers do more than just wiggle through the dirt—they're reshaping soil structure, cycling nutrients, and leaving behind clues about the overall health of your farming system. But can earthworms actually tell you if your soil management is working? Research suggests they can. A 15-year agricultural trial near Paris tracked earthworm populations across three different farming...

Again, scoop up a handful of healthy soil and you'll find a little known community. Think about the earthworms that tunnel through layers of soil, springtails leap between soil particles, and microscopic organisms break down organic matter into the nutrients that feed our crops. This living ecosystem is the foundation of agriculture—yet it's under attack. Research demonstrates a troubling reality: pesticides harm soil organisms in 70.5% of cases studied. For Hawaiʻi's farmers, this matters...

If you’ve ever scooped up a handful of crumbly soil and felt a sense of pride, you already know that healthy soil is the heart and soul of any successful organic farm. But, what actually makes that soil "healthy"? The answer: organic matter. For many producers, managing soil fertility may feel like a juggling act. You want to feed your crops without relying on synthetic inputs, all while keeping your expenses within a tight budget. This is where understanding organic matter changes the game....