Ideas into practice

The WB Foundation traces its origins to Woods End Agricultural Institute, a non-profit established in 1979 by Will Brinton and the late Robert Parnes to pioneer soil lab methods for ecological farming. In its early years, the Institute worked as an innovation incubator for a partnership that later became Woods End Laboratory Inc., a separate commercial entity incorporated in 1988. Although legally and functionally distinct, the two entities collaborated on applications inspired by the Institute's groundbreaking work.

With the change of the Laboratory to new ownership, the Foundation now operates as a fully independent organization, with no formal ties or shared oversight. It is dedicated to addressing problematic, scientific challenges that impact alternative and regenerative farming, particularly in the context of climate change and an agricultural industry inundated with oversimplified, hyped solutions.

From its inception, the Foundation focused on addressing challenges growers face when trying to raise crops organically. An example is managing the supply and decomposition of soil organic matter to supply needed nitrogen. The Institute also pioneered green manuring—known today as cover cropping—for its dynamic role in cycling nutrients, controlling weeds, or enhancing soil carbon. Finally, it advanced lab methods to measure and reflect these vital processes commonly ignored.

We have been a small but persistent voice highlighting new opportunities in observing the relationships of plants to soil. Against this is the risk of too narrow a focus on science paired with accelerating commercialization. A relentless emphasis on producing marketable outcomes and prioritizing publications over practical relevance has cultivated an ethos of 'solutions in search of problems,' often at the expense of genuine inquiry and scientific integrity.

Building on the vision of our founders, the WB Foundation continues to explore challenging - or ignored - areas of science that may influence sustainable farming.