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The Wonder of Farming with Nature

John Snyder’s Soil Health Journey Started with a Question: Where are the Worms?

By Barb Sogn-Frank
October 22, 2021

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Ben and John Snyder discuss their soil health practices with Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen.

Some five decades ago, a young aspiring farmer named John Snyder brought his bride Bernadette back to Minnesota from Tennessee to begin their farm and family dream together. The newlyweds settled in on a piece of rolling farmland near Preston in southeastern Minnesota where oak savanna forests, limestone ridges, and prairie meet. That first farmhouse had no running water, but it was home. And with just a few hundred dollars in the bank, they launched their life’s work with cattle, dairying, growing corn, soybeans and a family.

Fast forward to October 202I: their farm dream has taken on proportions they’d never have imagined decades ago. In addition to conventional row crops and hay, the Snyders also raise hogs and goats. All along, as John and son Ben planned, planted and harvested, they took care observing their land, its weather, and water patterns. They paid attention to the farm’s wildlife and the health of their crops and livestock as carefully as they managed seasonal planting, production cycles, and farm finances.

Over time, John got concerned about some things he was observing on the farm. “Something was wrong with my livestock – puffy joints, ornery…I went to the vet and he recommended no Roundup Ready infused feed and to go with non-GMO feed. I did, and the animals got healthier and happier,” he says. “I think Roundup is doing more damage than we know. I’m talking as a farmer here, I’m not a radical, left-wing, socialist…There’s something going on there. I got a lot to learn and I think we all do.”

Soil erosion and the lack of life he’d been noticing in his soil bothered him too. Where were the worms?

Snyder says his brother, who has some of the best farmland in the area, loves to fish. When it was time to go drop a line, he’d say, “I gotta go to the Amish to get some worms.” Even though John’s brother’s farm looked great, John says, “His soil didn’t have the life and diversity that you find in Amish country where they use more diverse cropping and livestock integration.”

John and Ben made the switch from Roundup Ready seed to non-GMO and organic production. That required taking a different approach to weed control that relies on a rotary hoe, a cultivator, and an electric weed zapper along with a mix of cover crops. John’s learned that, “…timing is critical. You’re not a windshield farmer anymore. Next year I’ll do barley. Also, clover, alfalfa, and grass, and then I hay it for a couple of rounds. You gotta break up the cycle, you gotta have oats or beans. All your weeds germinate at different times so you gotta change up your tillage.”

They switched to spring interseeding of cover crops in standing corn. About 200 of their 700 acres are now either certified organic or in transition away from conventional non-GMO corn and soybeans to organic. Their remaining acres are conventional, non-GMO crops and cover crops.

The Snyders are happy about the many positive changes they’re seeing on their farm with the switch to regenerative practices over the past few years. Their plants withstand drought better — a particularly key characteristic during the summer of 2021 — because there’s more moisture retained in the soil. Wildlife is more plentiful around the farm. An added benefit is lowered cost of production. “Conventional corn’s $260 a bag,” John says. “My preferred organic seed corn is $160 a bag. And fertilizer just went up in price six times in six weeks.”

“What’s underneath your feet is what’s making the health of those plants,” John Snyder says of this thriving stand of organic corn.

The ‘Wonder Field’ Tells the Story

Recently, on an unseasonably warm, overcast October afternoon, John hosted a group of about a dozen visitors including Thom Petersen, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. They came to see and hear about what Snyder calls his “wonder field” — a stand of 11-foot-tall organic corn. It is indeed a wonder to see and walk through; the response of the visitors that day was genuine awe and appreciation.

John and Ben led the group into the midst of the massive stalks to demonstrate how to calculate an estimate of bushels-per-acre-from this field. There was a hand count and folks calculated the averages on their phones yielding a reasonable estimate of 188 bushels per acre, which will make for a profitable harvest for the Snyders.

“What’s underneath your feet is what’s making the health of those plants,” John told his guests emphatically.

Towards the end of Commissioner’s visit, the two of them had a chance to walk and talk a bit. To John, this was the most important aspect of the Commissioner’s visit. While it was nice to have him stop by to see the Snyders’ soil building results firsthand, the vital element was for the Commissioner to leave with a visceral understanding of what the future of farming could and should be for the next generation.

LSP soil health organizer Barb Sogn-Frank can be reached e-mail or at 507-479-9119.

Category: Blog
Tags: cover crops • crop rotations • non-GMO • Soil Builders' Network • soil health

Video: Soil & the Next Generation

In a Land Stewardship Project video, John Snyder describes why building soil health on his farm is key to allowing him to pass the land on to the next generation. Check it out here.

Soil Builders’ Network

Join LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network to get regular updates on workshops, field days, and on-farm demonstrations, as well as the latest soil health and cover crop research. For more information on joining, see the Soil Builders web page.

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LSP in holding two events on managed rotational grazing in November:

  • Nov.11: Canoe Creek Dairy, Decorah, Iowa
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July 2025

Friday July 11

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Big Community Carne Asada Cookout
Friday July 11
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Big Community Carne Asada Cookout
Todd Park, 2411 11th St NE, (Site #1), Austin MN 55912

You’re invited to our Big Community Carne Asada Cookout! Join COPAL and the Land Stewardship Project for an afternoon of delicious grilled food, music, and great company. Let’s come together to share stories, build stronger connections, and keep growing a united and supportive community. 👉 Limited spots available — register at the link!

 

🔥 ¡Está invitado a nuestra Gran Carne Asada Comunitaria! Acompáñe a COPAL y a Land Stewardship Project para disfrutar de una tarde con comida deliciosa a la parrilla, música y buena compañía. Unámonos para compartir historias, fortalecer lazos y seguir construyendo una comunidad unida y solidaria. 👉 Cupo limitado, regístrese en el enlace.

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Saturday July 12

10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek's Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters
Saturday July 12
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek's Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters
Farmers Community Park, 23274 Arches Road Lewiston, MN 55952

During the Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek’s Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters event, the Land Stewardship Project will mark the three-year anniversary of a major fish kill in southeastern Minnesota that spawned citizen action and led to new public policy around how such events are reported. Join Land Stewardship Project and our partners at Farmers Park, Saturday July 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lewiston, Minnesota. Register here.

What to expect?

  • Fly fishing demonstration led by Minnesota Trout Unlimted and LSP member, Lee Stoe. Please bring your own fishing gear.

  • Minnesota Trout Unlimited & Izaak Walton League staff and members will be leading macroinvertebrate sampling of Garvin Brook and discussing what they tell us about the health of the stream.

  • Discussion on how regenerative farming systems can support healthy soil and clean water.

  • Opportunity to take action! Help prevent future fish kills by sharing how you think the Minnesot Feedlot Rule, which is open for comment through July 22, should be stronger. Postcards will be available to fill out and send with your comments.

  • Farmers Park is a great spot for birding. Please bring your binoculars!

  • You are welcome to bring your own snacks or picnic lunch; food will not be provided at this event.

LSP is partnering with several community groups for this event, including:

Minnesota Trout Unlimited, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Izaak Walton League, Food & Water Watch, and Savanna Institute

Register HERE. For more information, contact LSP’s Kate Rowe at krowe@landstewardshipproject.org.

Tuesday July 15

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day
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1805 Dudley Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55113, USA

Join U of M researchers and Extension for updates on organic fruit and vegetable research and tour the Student Organic Farm and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in Saint Paul. Topics include: organic insect management, integrating livestock into vegetable farms, new crops for Minnesota, irrigation strategies, and more. Free to the public.
 
For details and to register, click here.

Wednesday July 16

9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Cottonwood County
Wednesday July 16
9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Cottonwood County
27092 Co Rd 8, Comfrey, MN 56019, USA

Details here.

Thursday July 17

9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Pipestone County
Thursday July 17
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Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Pipestone County
518 30th Ave, Jasper, MN 56182

Details are here.

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Recent Posts

  • ‘Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek’s Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters’ Event July 12 Near Lewiston July 8, 2025
  • Contributing to the Cause July 8, 2025
  • Contact the MPCA by July 22 About Revising its Feedlot Rules July 2, 2025
  • Tell Your Representatives: We Want a Farm Bill for All, Not a Tax Break for the Wealthiest July 2, 2025
  • U.S. Supreme Court’s Decline of Iowa Case Bolsters Local Control July 2, 2025

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