Soil Works: Correct the Cause featuring Glen Rabenberg

Glen Rabenberg is the founder and owner of Soil Works LLC. Born and raised in Bancroft, South Dakota, he graduated from Desmet High School in 1980. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, General Agriculture and Agriculture Economics from South Dakota State University in 1985. Glen then went to work for Walco International as an Animal Science Technical Advisor. He spent most of the following years with Walco working with animal pharmaceuticals, veterinarians, and farmers. Through his experience he began to notice trends in the animal science industry. He saw that many of the diseases he was employed to treat were the result of nutritional deficiencies from poor grains and forage that the animals were consuming.

Rather than conforming to the traditional methods of soil science, Glen brings his knowledge of animal science and applies it to the soil. Many of the same required nutritional ratios shared by humans, animals, and plants are reflected in the soil. He believes that the soil is a living organism and that the health of the soil should be checked in the same manner that humans and animals are checked. Glen heavily relies on the electrical conductivity of the soil to tell him the pulse of the soil. He uses a soil respiration test to tell him how the soil is breathing. And, he uses a penetrometer as a stress test and soil/plant tissue tests as the blood panel/work. Glen has learned to use these simple tests to diagnose virtually every soil problem. He has successfully solved numerous soil problems by treating the soil as a living breathing organism and correcting the cause instead of reacting to symptoms.

Glen continues to search for new ways to restore the soil and aid in the production of quality food. He aims to “bring soil back to the way nature intended.” He still maintains his third generation farm in Bancroft, South Dakota, and travels the world solving the world’s soil problems with a little bit of simplicity and the “rite” tools.