Q4: Microbial Livestock

DECEMBER 18, 2025

Rhizos Newsletter edition #3

I’m Andie Marsh. Rhizos the Newsletter is your seasonal dose of soil biology talk, where poop is prized and ‘nematode’ is no longer a bad word.

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HOWDY.

The seasons are shifting, but the work belowground never stops. As we approach the winter solstice, it's a natural time to reflect on the year’s growth and plan for the cycles ahead.

❄️ In this winter edition:

• Spotlight: Multi-species management at Sunrise W Ranch
• Updates: Small-batch "bioamendments" are coming this spring
• Event: A hands-on composting workshop in January

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SPOTLIGHT.

Stewardship vs. "Re-wilding"

This fall, I sampled several fields at Sunrise W Ranch—ranging from recently cleared land to holistically grazed pastures and untouched areas. This range establishes a baseline to track how different management strategies influence soil biology over time.

One early takeaway: land clearing may cause temporary declines in fungal biomass and bacterial blooms. That’s not necessarily bad—it’s part of the process. What matters is the stewardship that follows.

The Hypothesis:

I expect the intentionally managed fields will show greater gains in soil health in a much shorter timescale compared to the areas that have been “naturally re-wilding” without management.

Why? Our landscapes often lack the natural processes that build topsoil—such as the migration of dense animal herds—due to modern constraints like fencing, roads, fire suppression and fragmented land use.

With these constraints, even land that is moving along in succession with the growth of woody species, often isn't able to reach its functional potential or optimal health above or below ground.

Thoughtful stewardship accounts for these missing factors and can bridge the gap through practices like strategically managed livestock, diverse cover cropping, and biological compost applications.

The Sunrise W Sequence:

Sunrise W is using multiple species, including earthworms (!), to transform their land and restore it to a flourishing grassland and savanna ecosystem.

• Goats to clear unwanted vegetation
• Cattle to graze and trample biomass
• Chickens to scratch, spread manure, and disturb the soil surface
• Vermicompost tea to reintroduce and support soil biology

Under the microscope, their vermicompost showed excellent quality. We observed a successful increase in protozoa through their tea brewing process—a key factor for Sunrise W’s bacteria-rich soils, as protozoa regulate bacteria and release plant-available nutrients.

The Takeaway

This experience at Sunrise W is a good reminder that sampling isn’t about collecting endless data. For land managers, it’s about detecting trends, understanding the impact of management decisions, and telling a clear story of regeneration—successes, setbacks, and all.

Thoughtful sampling doesn’t have to be excessive or expensive. It just needs to be intentional.

If you’re unsure how often to sample or what approach makes sense for your land, I’d be happy to talk it through.

Book a complimentary Intro Call to discuss a sampling plan.

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UPDATES.

Small-Batch Bioamendments

It’s official: Rhizos is beginning to produce craft compost!

We’ll be doing a small-batch launch this spring through our sister brand, Soil is Sexy, geared toward gardeners and suburban land stewards. We’ll be selling through an online shop and in-person events in the Austin area.

Agricultural Scaling

We are working toward fulfilling larger, agricultural-scale orders in late 2026. If you're curious about our process or want to let us know what you're looking for in a bioamendment, please reach out at andie@rhizos.science.

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EVENT.

Workshop: Composting With Purpose

January 3, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | The Regen Ranch, Oakwood, TX

Join Christine Martin and me for a day designed to help you start or level up your composting practice in the new year! We will help you build a compost plan tailored to your specific context—considering your available time, local feedstocks, and land goals. We’ll also build a pile together so you can get a feel for the process.

Lunch will be provided.

​Register for the Workshop Here​

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Thanks for being here. We’re here to help you make soil health gains with intention and insight. 🔬 It's the honor of a lifetime to share in this work with you. Wishing you all very happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

Warmly,

Andie

Holiday Lab Hours: we're hanging up our lab coats from 12/24 to 1/2. We will resume sample processing in the New Year!

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Testimonial 🤎

"Andie has served as a guest speaker at several of our on-farm professional development events, as well as at our annual conference at Texas State University. She is always a crowd pleaser; people come away with a much better understanding of how fostering microbiology can improve farm productivity and profitability. Andie is extremely knowledgeable and has a clear, easy-going teaching style that is appreciated by students and collaborators alike. I highly recommend her as a speaker and consultant!"

— Hunter Francis

Small Producers Initiative, Texas State University

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Have a suggestion for how we could improve our lab services? We are always open to your ideas and constructive feedback. Write to us any time at hello@rhizos.science.

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