Why do soil decisions feel so uncertain?

Because the tools don’t match the system.

We receive multiple data streams that don’t talk to each other:

• Chemical: NPK levels, pH, CEC, base saturation

• Biological: microbial biomass, respiration rates, fungal:bacterial ratios

• Physical: bulk density, aggregate stability, infiltration rates

Each report has its own units, norms, and recommendations. The reality, however, is that data is only as good as the framework used to interpret it — and the decisions it enables. Without a unifying framework, the data is noise.

The Soil Function Ladder™ provides that framework. It synthesises scattered tests, field symptoms, and soil indices into a single diagnostic position — Collapsed, Recoverable, Resilient, or Regenerative — and tells you should do next to start building soil. Not more data. A clear direction.

Why aren't you moving up the ladder?

“Over ten years of working with farmers on degraded soils has shown me they’re often operating from the wrong script.

When farmers attempt to jump from a Collapsed soil using advanced Regenerative practices it simply doesn’t work. Living soil has to be grown with the plant, balanced through mineralogy, and strengthened by microbiology — only then does the soil-building process switch on. ” Josef Winter founder 59degrees.

The soil building process benefits from an integrated approach — one that prioritises a balanced mineral matrix, maintains pH within the optimal range for the crops being cultivated, and supports continuous root exudation to feed soil biology. When these fundamentals are in place, the soil develops self-organising function and dynamic stability. Fertility, then, becomes a management trajectory — shaped by decisions that compound across seasons.

From soil confusion to a working plan

1. Listen & map the problem
You share your farming system, soils, and constraints – budgets, timelines, policies, and existing designs – so we understand the real context for change.

2. Assess soil structure, biology, and balance
We combine lab data, field observations, and your local knowledge into a single, readable picture of how the soil is functioning.

3. Design stepwise interventions
You receive a short, ranked list of actions that fit your rotation, equipment, and risk tolerance – what to do, when, where, and why.

4. Support implementation & learning
Ongoing advice, workshops, and resources help you adjust as conditions, markets, and seasons change, so each year moves you up the ladder instead of back to guesswork.

Our systems‑design method gives you an honest appraisal of the current rung, a realistic next step for each field, and a way to track genuine progress over time instead of guessing from one season’s yield.

Complex data are consolidated into science‑backed actions you can actually take, so profitability and soil health can move together, season after season. With our method, farm profit is prioritised through systemic changes at key leverage points in cropping design.

Is this for you?

Our work suits decision makers who think like this:

• You think in systems, not silver bullets. You’ve noticed that problems rarely have single causes — and you’re sceptical of anyone selling one-product solutions. You want to understand why something works before you scale it.

• You’d rather invest in understanding than chase trends. You’re not interested in the latest regenerative buzzword. You want a framework that helps you make sense of what you’re seeing in the field — and what to do about it.

• You’ve tried things that should have worked. Some did. Some didn’t. Cover crops, reduced tillage, biological inoculants, mineral balancing — you’re not starting from zero. But you’re not sure which changes are actually building soil function.

• You want to be confident, not just busy. You have the data. You have the observations. What you don’t have is a way to integrate them into a decision you’d stake money on.

• You’re playing a long game. You’re not optimising for this season’s yield at the expense of next decade’s soil. You want a strategy that compounds.