Measuring What Matters Beneath Our Feet: EarthOptics Brings Soil Science to Life at Trust in Beef
At the recent Trust in Beef event in South Texas, EarthOptics team members Lars Dyrud, CEO, and Ryan Wittenburg, Senior Field Technician, gave attendees a rare look beneath the surface — literally. Their presentation on soil carbon measurement and monitoring technology showcased how cutting-edge tools are transforming the way ranchers understand and improve the land they manage.
The Power of Soil Carbon
Holding a three-foot soil core in his hands, Lars began with a simple but striking question:
“Does anyone know what color carbon is?”
When the audience called out black, Lars nodded. “That’s right. You can see carbon — and when you look at this core, you can see how much darker the soil is at the top where plant and root activity thrive.”
That dark layer represents organic carbon, the foundation of healthy soil. Lars explained that in just the top three feet of soil globally, there is five times more carbon than in all the world’s vegetation, and three times more than in the entire atmosphere.
“Soil and atmosphere are the two main places carbon is stored,” he said. “Plants and biological activity are what move it between the two — and that’s where ranch management really makes a difference.”
From Soil Sampling to Smart Mapping
EarthOptics’ mission is to measure and quantify soil carbon with accuracy and scale, helping producers and carbon credit developers alike understand the value of their land’s improvements.
Through core sampling, the team collects soil from randomized, GPS-located points and analyzes carbon content in the lab. These same points are resampled periodically, every few years, to track changes and calculate true carbon gains.
But Lars emphasized that no two acres are alike, especially in rangeland. “You saw it just walking over here — how variable the soil and vegetation can be,” he said. “We can’t take samples everywhere, so we use technology to bridge the gaps.”
That’s where the GroundOwl™ sensor board comes in — a specialized tool that measures soil conductivity, which correlates with moisture, texture, and even carbon concentration. “It’s basically a super-expensive metal detector,” Lars joked. “But it helps us map variability across the whole property so our samples represent the land accurately.”
Bringing Field Data to Life
Taking the stage next, Ryan Wittenburg walked the audience through the hands-on process of collecting data in the field.
“All our sampling points are randomized through our iPad app,” he explained. “At each point, we start with a one-by-one meter square and take photos from all four directions — north, east, south, and west. That way, over time, you can see how coverage and ground conditions change between sampling years.”
Using EarthOptics’ hydraulic soil corer, Ryan and his team drive metal tubes into the ground — sometimes through extremely compact soils — to collect samples up to one meter deep. The process isn’t easy, but it’s essential to understanding soil carbon, density, and nutrient content across both rangeland and cropland.
“For some of these compacted South Texas soils, we even use a gas-powered drill,” Ryan said with a grin. “It’s tough work, but we get the data that matters.”
Turning Soil Science into Climate Solutions
As Lars and Ryan wrapped up, they were joined by Kateri and partners from Grassroots Carbon, highlighting how this data fuels real-world carbon credit programs. By quantifying carbon storage and soil improvement over time, EarthOptics helps landowners translate good management into measurable, marketable impact.
“Every sample, every scan, every data point tells a story,” Lars said. “And when you put those stories together, you can see how stewardship decisions on the ground connect directly to the global carbon cycle.”
A Ground-Level View of the Future
The Trust in Beef audience left with a clearer picture of what’s happening beneath their boots — and a deeper appreciation for the science driving modern regenerative ranching.
From precision mapping to long-term carbon tracking, EarthOptics is proving that technology and stewardship aren’t competing forces — they’re complementary tools for resilient agriculture.