Soil Series #1: What Is Soil Organic Matter (and Why It Matters on Our Ranch)

Soil Series #1: What Is Soil Organic Matter (and Why It Matters on Our Ranch)

If you follow regenerative agriculture conversations, you’ll hear the phrase “soil organic matter” over and over again.

But what does it actually mean?

And why are farmers like us at Dos Lobos Ranch paying so much attention to it?

This post starts a new Soil Series where we’ll walk through what we’re doing on our ranch to rebuild soil — and why it matters for our animals, our pasture, and the food we produce.

What Is Soil Organic Matter?

Soil organic matter (often shortened to SOM) is the portion of soil made up of living and once-living material.

It includes things like:

• Plant roots
• Decomposing plant residue
• Microbes and fungi
• Manure and insect activity
• Stable carbon stored in the soil

You can think of it as the biological engine of the soil.

The higher the organic matter, the more life your soil can support.

Why Soil Organic Matter Matters

Increasing soil organic matter changes how the entire farm functions.

Even small increases can make a big difference.

1. Water Holding Capacity

Every 1% increase in soil organic matter can dramatically increase how much water the soil can hold.

In North Texas, where rainfall can swing between drought and heavy storms, this matters a lot.

Healthy soil acts like a sponge.

Instead of rain running off the surface, it soaks in and becomes available to plants later.

2. Grass Recovery After Grazing

Pasture plants rely on healthy roots.

When soil biology is strong, grasses recover faster after animals graze them.

That means:

• Healthier pasture
• More consistent forage
• Longer grazing seasons

3. Nutrient Cycling

Animals don’t just eat grass — they rely on the nutrients stored inside those plants.

Healthy soil microbes help unlock minerals and nutrients so plants can absorb them.

That process eventually flows all the way through the system:

Soil → Plant → Animal → Food.

4. Drought Resilience

One of the most noticeable differences between healthy and degraded soil is how it performs during dry periods.

Soils with higher organic matter:

• hold moisture longer
• keep plant roots alive deeper in the soil
• recover faster after stress

This is one of the biggest reasons regenerative farmers focus on soil building, and in 3 short years, we've seen a serious jump in the amount of time it takes for our soil to absorb a heavy rainfall.  It used to take 2-3 days for a heavy rain to completely soak in (or just evaporate).  Now, it's gone down into the ground in just a few minutes after a heavy rain.

Where Our Soil Started

When we began focusing on regenerative practices a few years ago, our soil visually tested around 2–3% organic matter.

That’s fairly typical for pastures in our area.

It’s not bad soil — but it leaves a lot of room for improvement.

What We’ve Been Doing to Improve It

Over the past three years we’ve gradually changed how we manage the pasture.

Some of the practices we’ve implemented include:

• Rotational grazing
• Cover crops
• Compost and biochar applications
• Bale grazing to return carbon to the soil
• Encouraging dung beetles and soil insects
• Applying organic compost tea
• Integrating multiple livestock species

Each of these practices helps move carbon back into the soil.

And over time, those changes start to add up.

Why This Matters for the Food We Raise

Soil health ultimately affects the quality of the food produced on the farm.

Healthier soil supports:

• deeper-rooted grasses
• more nutrient-dense forage
• healthier animals

That chain matters.

When we talk about raising pasture-raised meat, the health of the soil underneath the pasture is where it all begins.

What We’ll Cover in This Series

In future posts we’ll dive deeper into topics like:

• How bale grazing improves soil
• Why dung beetles are one of the best soil builders on the ranch
• What weeds can tell us about soil health
• How rotational grazing rebuilds pasture
• What our soil test results show this year

We’ll share both the successes and the lessons we’re learning along the way.

Because regeneration isn’t a buzzword here.

It’s a process.

And we’re excited to share that process with you.

— Dos Lobos Ranch