Digging a Little Deeper, into Your Soil

Every year, farmers talk about cutting costs, reducing waste, and getting more bang for their buck.

One of the simplest ways to do that doesn’t come from a new product, fancy technology, or the next best planter — it comes from the soil itself.

Soil sampling isn’t shiny, glamorous, or necessarily exciting, but it’s the foundation of every good fertility plan. When inputs are high and margins are tight, it’s one of the few tools that can both save money and boost your ROI, when done correctly and consistently.

Soil Sampling Matters, in Good Economic Times and Bad

Your soil is your farm’s stomach. Every time you grow a crop or spread fertilizer, you’re either feeding it or asking it to burn stored energy. Without soil testing, you don’t know if it’s craving a good steak or running on empty — you’re just hoping there’s enough fuel left to feed the next crop.

Why does sampling matter?

Sampling allows you to know what is already in your soil. It’s hard to manage what you don’t measure. Would you ever put gas in your truck when it’s already full? Probably not, because you’d be wasting fuel and money. Getting your soil tested gives you the real numbers on nutrients, pH, and organic matter; details that should drive every fertility decision.
Avoid over- and under-application. Over-applying fertilizer causes reduced ROI and high input costs. Under-applying reduces yield. Regular sampling puts you in control to maximize profits and yields.
Keep up with change. Weather swings, crop rotations, and manure can all shift nutrient levels. What was true three or four years ago may not be true today.
Protect your soil health. Tracking nutrients over time helps you detect problems, such as acidification, organic matter loss, nutrient mining before they cost you yield or worse, profits.

How can more frequent sampling pay off in the long run?

It is still pretty standard to see soil samples pulled every 4-5 years. This frequency works when markets are stable, inputs are lower, and weather patterns are more predictable. Now, none of that is necessarily the case. Markets change by the hour it seems like, inputs are through the roof, and Mother Nature is always throwing a curve ball. All of which will play a role in determining yield and ROI.

What should the sampling frequency be and why?

We have seen the best return on sampling every other year. This allows for a trend to be developed more quickly, keep on consistent crop rotations, and allows for a more economical approach over every year sampling.

Catch Problems Early: Deficiencies build slowly. By the time you see it in the combine, it’s already cost you. More frequent testing catches issues early and keeps small problems small.
Fine-Tune Fertility Spending: Fresh soil data means fertilizer dollars go exactly where they’re needed. With a longer sampling cycle, it’s harder (and more expensive) to make long term (4-5 year) fertilizer decisions. Think of fertilizer, grain, land, fuel, and labor prices 5 years ago compared today. Would your decisions be the same?
See Year-to-Year Differences: Drought, floods, and residue levels all affect nutrient cycling. Sampling more often shows what actually changed instead of guessing.
Prove ROI and Sustainability: Regular testing gives you a record of improvement, something you can use for government or carbon programs, or simply to prove your management is working.

How to get the most from soil sampling?

Getting the data is one thing. Getting good data is another. Here’s what matters:

Stay consistent. Sample the same area, depths, and timing/season each time. Consistency beats perfection.
Use GPS or zone sampling. Even basic zones by soil type, yield, or elevation can make results more accurate.
Choose one lab. Consistent methods give consistent results — switching labs mid-cycle can skew comparisons.
Keep consistent records. Note fields, zones, and years. Over time, that history becomes one of your most valuable management tools.
Work with an independent consultant. A good consultant doesn’t sell products, they help you make better decisions. Amplify consultants are independent crop advisors who work for your bottom line, not to meet sales goals. They’ll push your thinking, interpret the data, and make sure your fertilizer plan makes sense for your acres. And remember, free apps, testing, or advice rarely come without a cost; it just shows up somewhere else, like your fertilizer bill.

Turning Data into Action

Sampling is step one. The real payoff comes when you put the numbers to work:

Adjusting lime and fertility plans for profitability and productivity, based on facts not feelings, before buying them.
Setting realistic yield goals that match your soil’s ability and your budget.
Track how your soil is changing over time to be able to better predict the outcome in fall, instead of hoping for the best.

If you’ve got a trusted agronomist or Amplify consultant, sit down and go over your results. The conversation quickly shifts from what should I apply? to what’s the smartest way to spend input dollars this year?

Where do Brookside Labs and the Amplify Network Fit In?

Behind every good soil test is a good laboratory, and Brookside Labs has been that trusted partner for decades. Hundreds of Amplify Consultants and thousands of farmers rely on Brookside Labs’ high-quality, consistent results across millions of acres each year.

The Amplify Network is made up of independent, vetted crop consultants who share one mindset: “If my services aren’t making you money, I’ll fire myself.” They bring the expertise, honesty, and independence that turn lab results into profit-driven decisions.

And tying it all together is AIPro, the data management system that makes it seamless for Amplify Consultants to submit samples to Brookside Labs, create recommendations, and give clients clear visibility into every step. Farmers can see results, track trends, and follow fertility plans all in one place. It’s a complete system built to make soil (and other agronomic) testing and the decisions that follow simpler, smarter, and more profitable.

The Bottom Line

In a world of high input costs and low market prices, margins are tight and guessing is expensive. Soil sampling is the cheapest insurance you can buy, and the more often you do it, the better it pays.

Your soil talks every season. The question is, are you listening often enough?

Luke Baker, PhD

CEO/President

Brookside Labs | Amplify Network

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Turning Last Year’s Lessons into Next Year’s Wins

By Heather Rindler • November 10, 2025

If you’re in agriculture, there’s a good chance this past year tested your patience. Low commodity prices, high input costs, tight margins—it’s the kind of season that makes every decision feel heavier. And looking ahead, it might be more of the same. When every dollar counts, it’s tempting to just dive into next season with your head down and sleeves rolled up. Before you jump in and get to work, there’s one step that can pay bigger dividends than any yield bump or price swing: an after-action review. Reflecting Beats Reacting All farmers do some kind of mental recap each winter: “ That hybrid didn’t hold up ,” “ We sprayed too late ,” “ Fertilizer costs killed the margin .” But when times are tight, those thoughts deserve more than a mental note. An after-action review isn’t just for corporate companies, it’s for all businesses, including your farming operation. Large, small and everything in between—it’s a proven approach used by the military, emergency responders, and forward-thinking farmers. The concept is simple: step back, analyze your season objectively, and make next year’s decisions sharper, leaner, and more data-driven. Think of it as yield-mapping your management choices. Why It’s Worth Your Time Clarity in the Chaos: Remove emotion from hindsight. See what really drove results, not just what felt like the problem. Better Decisions, Not Just Different Ones: Understand what worked and why. Double down on what’s effective, cut what isn’t, and control costs smartly. Team Alignment: If employees, family, or agronomists are involved, this process gets everyone on the same page and stops repeating mistakes. Confidence in Uncertainty: Markets and weather are unpredictable—but your response doesn’t have to be. An after-action review puts you in control of what you can manage. A Simple Way to Perform an After-Action Review on the Farm Gather the Facts: Pull yields, fertilizer rates, spray programs, weather notes, invoices, scouting reports—anything that tells the season’s story. Ask: What were our original goals? What did we actually achieve in yield, profit, and efficiency? Identify What Went Right: Even a tough year has wins. Maybe you hit target moisture on corn, reduced herbicide passes, or had fewer machinery breakdowns. List them—this shows what’s working under pressure. Identify What Went Wrong: Stick to facts, no blame. Be specific: “ Applied herbicide three days after rain, reducing control ,” instead of “ spray timing was bad .” Look at timing, inputs, and processes. Understand the Why: Keep asking why until you reach something you can control. Example: Soybean yields were low. Why? Poor stand establishment. Why? Planted in marginal soil. Why? Rushed to finish before forecasted rain. Now you’ve found something to fix—not just a bad outcome. Turn Lessons into Action: End with 3–5 clear, measurable takeaways for next year: Examples: Delay soybean planting until soil moisture conditions are ideal . Lock in fertilizer purchases 4–6 weeks earlier. Trial two new hybrids on poorer ground. Write these down, add them to your crop plan, and involve your agronomist. Don’t let your insights get lost, by keeping them in your head. Make It a Habit, Not a Hurdle The first after-action review is often the toughest. As you do them, they get easier and your review file becomes a running log of insights. Patterns will emerge, and you’ll start spotting trends that explain not just what happened, but why. That’s how farms succeed—even in tough years—not by luck, but by reflection, refinement, and intention. The Bottom Line You can’t control global markets. You can’t change the weather. But you can control how your farm learns and operates as a business. An after-action review rarely costs more than your time—and it’s one of the smartest investments heading into another challenging season. If you’d like a hand walking through the process, or want someone to help guide your review, we can work with you to make it simple and actionable. Take a breath, look back, and move forward smarter. Your future self—and your bottom line—will thank you.