Flour starts with wheat. And wheat? It starts with soil.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why, even though we\u2019re a baking company focused on helping you bake better bread<\/a> and improve your cake confidence<\/a>, we\u2019re also focused on soil health. As Annie Rowell, King Arthur\u2019s Environmental Sustainability Manager, puts it, \u201cIt\u2019s important to equate your love of baking with a love of soil.\u201d Here\u2019s why.\u00a0<\/p>\n The National Resource Conservation Service, founded by Franklin Roosevelt in response to the destruction and loss of topsoil in the Dust Bowl years, states that \u201cSoil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.\u201d<\/p>\n More specifically, that includes: a lot of available organic material; sequestered carbon; and high moisture and mineral retention. It means rich, hearty soil that won\u2019t runoff, establishing a thriving layer of topsoil with enough nutrients that crops can grow with fewer interventions.<\/p>\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n Scott Slusher<\/p>\n<\/div> Healthy soil is the foundation of strong, resilient crops \u2014 including the wheat that becomes our flour. But topsoil, where 95% of our food grows, is disappearing faster than it can rebuild, making farming more challenging, especially as weather patterns become more extreme.<\/p>\n To address this urgent problem and support the farmers we work with, we\u2019re committed to Grains for Good<\/a>: 100% of our flour available at grocery stores will come from wheat grown using regenerative practices<\/a> \u2014 farming methods that build healthy soils, support ecosystems, and strengthen farming communities. These include approaches like cover cropping, crop rotation, reducing chemical use, and minimizing soil disturbance (also known as no-till farming).<\/p>\n Many of the farmers we work with have been using these approaches<\/a> for decades, seeing benefits like healthier soil, stronger crops, and greater resilience to drought<\/a>, and we\u2019re supporting them in continuing this necessary work. We\u2019re also working alongside soil experts nationwide, including the Soil Health Institute and Kansas State University, to advance soil education and region-specific solutions. As Annie puts it: \u201cHealthy soils mean farmers can continue growing high-quality wheat \u2014 for our flour and our bakers.\u201d<\/p>\n She notes, too, that improving soil health is a complex balancing act between product quality, environmental sustainability, and economic impact for the farm and farming community \u2014 one with vast differences depending on\u00a0where wheat is being grown, from North Dakota to the panhandle of Texas.<\/p>\nWhat do we mean by \u201csoil health\u201d?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhy does soil health matter \u2014 especially for bakers?<\/h3>\n