The Business of Soil Health

S2:E2 – Allen Williams: Why Net Profit — Not Yield — Should Be the Agronomist’s Job

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What if everything we’ve been told about maximizing yield is leading us in the wrong direction?

And if you’ve ever asked, “Where’s the premium?” or “Does changing on-farm practices mean a certainty of more risk in exchange for uncertain gain?” — this episode of The Business of Soil Health offers a counter-narrative from one of the most experienced regenerative agronomic advisors in the world.

Your hosts, Patrick and Sami, sit down with Dr. Allen Williams — rancher, scientist, and founding partner at Understanding Ag — for a wide-ranging conversation that reframes how we think about profitability, risk, and the true function of soil. Allen shares why he left a tenured academic career, what most agronomists get wrong, and how regenerative agriculture offers a path off the input treadmill.

We explore:

  • How common practices like tile drains and center pivots are treating symptoms rather than root causes

  • Why yield is a poor north star metric — and how most agronomists are solving for the wrong outcome

  • The “Rule of Compounding” and how every decision creates cascading effects on biology and economics

  • The three barriers holding producers back: lack of education, peer pressure, and debt

  • The path from regenerative to organic — and why they’re complementary, not competitive

  • Why corporate investment is being driven more by supply chain resilience than by climate action

    • ...more
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