Baseline soil sampling
$195 first zone
$45 each additional zone
One visit. Routine soil analysis + organic matter, lab coordination, and the report.
MantisGuard Regenerative · Available now
Soil sampling around Franklin and Pine, Louisiana
Soil Is Freedom.
I pull and prepare your soil samples, send them to a routine soil-testing lab, and bring back a plain-English report organized by field, block, or bed with the laboratory’s lime and fertilizer recommendations.
Prefer to call? 985-515-4824
From $195
Soil sampling
Samples pulled by zone, sent to a routine soil-testing lab, and returned as a plain-English report.
DetailsQuoted separately
Lime & fertilizer spreading
For pastures, hayfields, and food plots, at the rates on your lab report.
DetailsFrom $245
Food-plot readiness
Baseline sampling plus the material amounts from your lab report, before you plant.
DetailsTwo-visit soil monitoring
$325 first zone
$75 each additional zone
Baseline plus a follow-up of the same zones, so you can see what changed. 50% due when booked.
Explore soil
Curious what’s under your feet?
Scroll down through the living layers of the soil — the part of the job that makes the report make sense.
Classified · Clearance Granted
Soil Intelligence Hub
Soil Food Web · Educational Illustration
An illustration of the most advanced living technology on Earth — the soil food web MantisGuard works to protect and rebuild. Nothing in this section is a live reading from anyone's soil.
Network
FUNGI
Structure
AGGREGATES
Biology
MICROBES
Water
INFILTRATION
system log
The Soil Food Web
Nutrient MapIllustration · not a live measurement
Every line is a living exchange — microbes, fungi and worms trading nutrients with roots. A map of how soil life works, not a reading of any specific soil.
Descending · Depth Scan Active
Hacking Into The Biosphere
Keep scrolling to travel down through the living layers of the earth. Tap or hover any lifeform to open its file.
01 / 05
0 cm
Surface Organic Matter
The living skin of the earth
Fallen leaves, mulch and residue — the buffet that fuels everything below. Decomposers here turn yesterday's plants into tomorrow's fertility.
Springtails
- Role
- Surface shredders that graze on fungi and decaying litter.
- Why it matters
- They fragment organic matter so microbes can finish the job faster, speeding nutrient release to roots.
- MantisGuard read
- Micro-janitors of the topsoil. Mulch, cover and less disturbance keep them working.
Earthworms
- Role
- Ecosystem engineers that burrow, mix, and aerate the soil profile.
- Why it matters
- Their tunnels become water and air highways, and their castings help bind soil into stable crumbs.
- MantisGuard read
- The original tillage crew — no diesel required. Residue left on the surface keeps this engine fed.
Actinomycetes
- Role
- Beneficial decomposers that break down tough organic matter.
- Why it matters
- They dismantle cellulose, chitin and lignin, and help suppress soil-borne disease — that earthy 'petrichor' smell is them.
- MantisGuard read
- Frontline decomposers and disease suppressors. A signature of biologically healthy soil.
02 / 05
5–30 cm
Topsoil
Where the food web goes to work
The most alive layer on the planet. Roots, worms, bacteria and fungi trade nutrients in a dense underground marketplace.
Red Wigglers
- Role
- Nature's compost engineers, thriving in rich organic layers.
- Why it matters
- They break organic matter down into castings. Well-finished castings are stable and gentle on roots — how much life they carry varies, which is why maturity gets tested, not just biology.
- MantisGuard read
- The workhorse of vermicomposting — turning waste into dark, crumbly castings. MantisGuard's planned worm work starts here.
Mycorrhizal Fungi
- Role
- A living underground network fused to plant roots.
- Why it matters
- They extend the reach of roots and trade water and nutrients for the plant's sugars.
- MantisGuard read
- The internet of the soil. Less tillage and living roots protect this fungal network so plants stop working alone.
Bacteria
- Role
- The most abundant life on Earth, cycling nutrients at microscopic scale.
- Why it matters
- Some fix nitrogen, many unlock minerals, and together they form the base of the soil food web that feeds plants.
- MantisGuard read
- Billions per gram in ordinary soil. What matters is what they are doing — and that depends on food, air and water, not the head count.
Living Roots
- Role
- Not just plumbing — an active partner in the soil economy.
- Why it matters
- Roots leak sugars (exudates) that feed microbes, which in turn feed the plant. Living roots keep soil alive year-round.
- MantisGuard read
- Living roots feed the whole system — the reason regenerative practice keeps roots in the ground as long as possible.
03 / 05
30–90 cm
Subsoil
The nutrient bank vault
Denser and lower in organic matter, subsoil stores minerals and water. Deep biology and fungal highways reach down to mine and move them upward.
Nematodes
- Role
- Microscopic roundworms that regulate microbial populations.
- Why it matters
- Beneficial nematodes recycle nutrients and keep bacteria and fungi in balance, releasing nitrogen where roots can grab it.
- MantisGuard read
- The soil's population control. A diverse, healthy soil favors the beneficial species over the crop-damaging ones.
Protozoa
- Role
- Single-celled grazers that eat bacteria.
- Why it matters
- When protozoa consume bacteria they excrete plant-available nitrogen right in the root zone — the 'microbial loop'.
- MantisGuard read
- Tiny nutrient couriers. Their grazing turns bacteria into plant-available nitrogen right at the root.
Water Channels
- Role
- Pores and old root paths that move water and air through the profile.
- Why it matters
- Good structure lets water infiltrate instead of running off, storing moisture for dry spells and preventing erosion.
- MantisGuard read
- Structure is destiny. Soil biology builds the aggregates that keep these channels open.
04 / 05
90–200 cm
Parent Material
Rock, halfway to soil
Partially weathered geology — the raw stock from which soil is slowly made. Minerals and aggregates form the skeleton of future fertility.
Minerals
- Role
- Sand, silt and clay particles — the mineral backbone of soil.
- Why it matters
- They hold and exchange nutrients (cation exchange) and, once weathered, feed the biology that feeds plants.
- MantisGuard read
- The raw ledger of fertility. Soil biology helps unlock minerals and put them back into circulation.
Soil Aggregates
- Role
- Clumps of mineral + organic matter glued by microbial secretions.
- Why it matters
- Aggregates create the crumb structure that stores water, air and carbon — the difference between dirt and living soil.
- MantisGuard read
- Built by biology, not machinery. Strong aggregates are the fingerprint of healthy, living soil.
05 / 05
200 cm +
Bedrock
The foundation stone
Solid parent rock. Over centuries it fractures and weathers, feeding the mineral supply that biology above unlocks for plants.
Weathering Bedrock
- Role
- Fractured parent rock slowly releasing minerals over centuries.
- Why it matters
- This is the deep, original source of the mineral wealth that biology carries upward to the root zone.
- MantisGuard read
- The long game of fertility. Soil forms over centuries — rebuilding it is measured in decades, not seasons.
Field Reference
Explore Soil Types
Every soil is a different starting hand. Here's what each one does well, where it struggles, and how living biology upgrades it.
Loam
The gold standard — a balanced blend of sand, silt and clay.
- Strengths
- Holds water and nutrients while still draining well. Easy to work and naturally fertile.
- Weaknesses
- Rare in nature and easily degraded by tillage, compaction and loss of organic matter.
- Biology upgrade
- Biology maintains loam's crumb structure — fungi and worm castings keep it from collapsing into hardpan.
Sandy Soil
Large, gritty particles with big air gaps.
- Strengths
- Drains fast, warms early in spring, and is easy to dig and root into.
- Weaknesses
- Water and nutrients wash straight through; it dries out and starves plants quickly.
- Biology upgrade
- Organic matter and microbial glues act like a sponge, letting sandy soil finally hold water and nutrients.
Clay Soil
Tiny, tightly-packed particles with huge nutrient-holding power.
- Strengths
- Extremely rich in mineral nutrients and excellent at retaining water.
- Weaknesses
- Compacts hard, drains poorly, and suffocates roots when waterlogged or dry-baked.
- Biology upgrade
- Fungi, roots and worms build aggregates that open clay up — turning a brick into breathable, fertile ground.
Silt
Smooth, flour-like particles between sand and clay.
- Strengths
- Fertile and moisture-retentive with a soft, workable texture.
- Weaknesses
- Compacts and crusts easily, erodes in wind and water, and can become slick and airless.
- Biology upgrade
- Living roots and microbial secretions bind silt into stable crumbs that resist erosion and crusting.
Peat / Organic-Rich
Dark soil built from partially decomposed plant matter.
- Strengths
- Huge water-holding capacity and a deep reserve of organic carbon and nutrients.
- Weaknesses
- Can be acidic, low in some minerals, and releases carbon fast if drained and oxidized.
- Biology upgrade
- Balanced biology stabilizes the carbon and cycles nutrients, keeping peat productive without burning it off.
Soil Is Freedom
We don't just improve soil. We protect the life within it.
Soil isn't dirt — it's the most advanced living technology on Earth. MantisGuard exists to defend and rebuild the biology that grows our food.
Mission
Healthy soil creates resilient communities.
Worm systems
Practical biology for food, gardens, and the people rebuilding fertility from the ground up.
Microbial inputs
Practical biology for food, gardens, and the people rebuilding fertility from the ground up.
Local resilience
Practical biology for food, gardens, and the people rebuilding fertility from the ground up.
Field Catalog
Planned soil products.
Worm castings, tea, and microbial inputs remain planned work while testing and local launch planning continue.
MG-WC1
Worm Castings
Planned vermicompost product for gardens, beds, and local growers.
MG-WT2
Worm Tea
Planned aerated extract offering for growers interested in soil biology.
MG-IMO3
Indigenous Microorganisms
Planned local microbe capture and culture experiments.
MG-CE4
Compost Extracts
Planned small-batch biology-focused extracts for future field trials.
MG-IPM5
Mantis IPM Kits
Planned pest observation and monitoring kits for growers.
MG-BSP6
Bioactive Soil Packs
Planned soil amendment packs for launch testing.
Government Readiness
A clear lane for agencies and partners.
The purpose of this page is simple: help procurement officers, grant partners, farms, schools, and municipalities understand what MantisGuard can support and how to contact the business.
Primary NAICS 541620 Environmental Consulting Services
Status Capability statement published
Capability signal
Environmental consulting
Soil biology planning
Compost and worm systems
Regenerative agriculture support
Grant project scoping
Louisiana field coordination
About
Soil biology, learning, and local resilience.
MantisGuard provides soil-sampling services today, alongside early-stage work with compost, microbes, worms, grower knowledge, and honest field notes.
Living soil. Worm systems. Microbial inputs. Soil Is Freedom.
Jeremy Steadham · omegamantis@mantisguardsoil.com · or call 985-515-4824
Field inbox: omegamantis@mantisguardsoil.com