MyLand Harnesses the Power of Native Microalgae for Improved Soil Health

MyLand, an ag company based in Phoenix, Arizona, has created a new paradigm for soil health management that helps improve soil quality for specialty crops, hay production, golf courses, and more.

When MyLand Co-founder Andy Ayers began working with microalgae decades ago, the attraction and intrigue was immediate. Ayers saw the potential microalgae held for a host of soil health problems.

In 2009, Ayers set out to understand the impact algae could have on farmland and built the first microalgae application system in his front yard in Holbrook, Arizona. This system was later moved to 200 acres of a 9,000-acre Del Monte ranch in Southern Arizona. The results quickly met and surpassed expectations. MyLand’s microalgae application system improved soil porosity, organic matter, water filtration, nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubility, nutrient levels, crop yields, and more.

In 2013, Ayers connected with Bob Thompson and Dane Hague, forming the trio of co-founders behind the company now known as MyLand. The three believed so strongly in the mission of soil health and microalgae’s role in its improvement that they set out to build a foundation for what they believed would change production agriculture—something they today refer to as “Soil as a Service.”

In 2009, Ayers set out to understand the impact algae could have on farmland and built the first microalgae application system in his front yard in Holbrook, Arizona.

After reviewing the tremendous results with the Del Monte farm manager, Hague, who currently serves as MyLand’s CEO, says that the team knew that they were on to a soil health solution that could transform agriculture.

“I watched the 200 acres of dead land that we put the system on—land that had been aggressively farmed for 70-years—begin outproducing the rest of the 9,000-acre ranch on a per-acre basis,” he says.

Dane Hague, CEO, MyLand

The MyLand team knew from the beginning that live microalgae would deliver greater benefits more immediately than a bottled microalgae product. Thus, a traditional packaging and bottling system wouldn’t fit their plans. They also knew that live, native microalgae taken directly from a farm’s own land held the potential to provide even greater benefit than a foreign or generic species. As Hague shares, quoting a MyLand motto, “‘No Two Farms Are Alike,’ so why should the solution we use to drive life into the soil be the same?”

“I watched the 200 acres of dead land that we put the system on—land that had been aggressively farmed for 70-years—begin outproducing the rest of the 9,000-acre ranch on a per-acre basis.” - Dane Hague

The MyLand founders set out to establish a company with the management, application, and agronomic expertise that would best serve their customers. Their goal was to create an on-site soil health service that lasted far beyond the sale of a product or single application. 

The MyLand System is continually monitored by their team of agronomists and soil scientists to ensure optimal soil health

“You can’t deliver live, native algae in a jug economically, especially in the quantities and frequency we deliver—and that necessitated that we be on-site from the beginning,” Hague says. “That connection of working with the farm owners and managers showed us just how invaluable it is to become part of the fabric of an operation. Land is the number one asset for a farmer—it’s meaningful and cherished. Our service to those farms is healthier soil that can withstand weather and production challenges, soil that is a greater asset for the next generation of farmers.”

Vice President of Grower Relations Jonah Parker shares that the ethos of MyLand was the greatest attraction for him to join the company’s team. “I was immediately impressed by MyLand’s service-based, individualized approach to delivering live, native microalgae,” he says.

Jonah Parker, Vice President of Grower Relations, MyLand

Parker says the company is less focused on a crop-specific solution and more focused on the overall health of the soil and how that affects the management and operations of the farm.

“That connection of working with the farm owners and managers showed us just how invaluable it is to become part of the fabric of an operation. Land is the number one asset for a farmer—it’s meaningful and cherished. Our service to those farms is healthier soil that can withstand weather and production challenges, soil that is a greater asset for the next generation of farmers.” - Dane Hague

Today, MyLand partners with growers to offer an on-site service to improve soil health. After initial outreach and interest from the grower, the MyLand team pulls soil samples that are analyzed by a third-party lab. More than merely a chemical-based analysis, these soil tests provide a grower with a snapshot of the biological activity within their soil. The MyLand team also pulls soil samples that are used to identify and select a microalgae strain. Once selected, the strain is cultured at the MyLand lab and then continually reproduced in a MyLand System on-site at a grower’s field. The final step sees the live, native microalgae reintroduced to the farm’s soil through its irrigation application.

The process is an efficient, sustainable, and completely customized soil health experience.  

“It seems crazy to go on-site at each farm and provide this level of service,” Parker says. “But what I realized very quickly was that having a partner who is focused on their soil’s health is incredibly valuable to a grower’s operation. We may start at the basics of what the soil tests show us, but what we find is that once growers begin a soil health journey, they begin to recognize other management opportunities, practices, and applications that are a better allocation of resources. It’s all about perspective.”

“The future of MyLand is extremely promising,” says Hague.

“What I realized very quickly was that having a partner who is focused on their soil’s health is incredibly valuable to a grower’s operation.” - Jonah Parker

The company’s number one challenge today, Hague says, is also the one he sees as being the biggest challenge in the future—honing the service to better equip farms for improved soil health while continuing to grow. “It is a significant challenge. As great as it is to provide a truly unique service, the challenges we've created for ourselves are quite substantial. We are continually peeling back the layers of the onion on our service, gaining a better understanding of it, refining it, and making sure we're providing the growers what they need to see success on their end."