KRIS Systems
Our Story
KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration and Innovation in Soil) Systems started in 2017. After a hiatus between 2021-2025 while Dr. Kris Nichols was in Canada, KRIS Systems is (re)launching on Earth Day 2026. This relaunch is focused on soil, carbon and soil function because at the end of day it is the ECONOMY - the CARBON ECONOMY.
Behind the Logo
The KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration and Innovation in Soil) acronym was created to focus on education and knowledge as the most important component to drive innovation and regenerate soils.
The photo in the KRIS Systems logo was taken from a microscope where arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae or mycelium is stained with immuno-fluorescense to identify the presence of glomalin.
Dr. Kris Nichols, Soil Microbiologist
Raised on a grain farm in southwestern Minnesota, Dr. Kris Nichols brings together:
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Deep scientific expertise in soil biology and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
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Extensive experience with USDA-ARS
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A lifetime connection to farming, land stewardship, and real-world application
Her work bridges the gap between science and practice, helping farmers, ranchers, and land managers build systems that are biologically functional, economically viable, and resilient. She is a soil microbiologist, educator, and founder of KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration and Innovation in Soils) Systems Education & Consultation, where she works to advance regenerative agriculture through practical, science-based solutions. She also serves as a Research Consultant with the Food Water Wellness Foundation in Olds, Alberta, Canada.
With a career spanning research, consulting, and global outreach, Dr. Nichols has held key roles across the agricultural and scientific community. She previously served as a Senior Science Advisor with Canadian Organic Growers (2020–2022) and as a Research Consultant with MyLand Company in Phoenix, Arizona (2019–2025). She served as Chief Scientist at the Rodale Institute (2014-2018), where she led approximately fifteen research projects in organic agriculture. Prior to that, she spent 14 years with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, including 11 years as a Soil Microbiologist in North Dakota and 3 years in Beltsville, Maryland.
Dr. Nichols holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Plant Biology and Genetics & Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota, a Master’s degree in Environmental Microbiology from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Maryland. She has delivered over 350 invited presentations across a dozen countries, authored or co-authored 34 peer-reviewed publications and four book chapters, and has been widely featured in media, podcasts, documentaries, and industry publications. Her contributions to soil science have been recognized with multiple honors and awards including the 2012 Conservation Research Award from the International Soil and Water Conservation Society and the 2026 No-Till Innovator Award for Research & Education from No-Till Farmer.
She is widely recognized for developing a carbon-based framework for the six soil health principles:
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Maximize days of photosynthesis
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Increase biological diversity (macro and micro)
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Manage inputs strategically
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Integrate livestock systems (macro and micro)
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Control soil disturbance
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Protect and armor the soil surface
For more details, click here to review Dr. Nichols's full curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.
Politics of Soil Podcast
The Politics of Soil is hosted by Dr. Kris Nichols and her father, Jim Nichols – a lifelong farmer, former Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner, and former State Senator. Together, they bring more than eight decades of experience in agriculture, soil health, energy production, and public policy to this podcast about the future of food, farming, and society.
Beneath our feet exists a complex living world where bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and animals work together through cooperation, competition, and carbon exchange to sustain life itself. These interactions occurring belowground mirror the challenges – food abundance and nutrition, energy needs, building blocks, governance and the structure of civilization – facing human societies aboveground. The principles of integration shape the agricultural industry, economics, environmental policy, food systems, energy production, and the future of rural communities as soil health, regenerative agriculture, food security, renewable energy, and public policy are deeply interconnected.
Through science, storytelling, and dialogue, Kris and Jim Nichols explore how soil connects to broader issues including food security, energy production, economics, environmental policy, rural communities, climate resilience, and public health. Their conversations draw from both scientific research and lived agricultural experience to rethink how the politics of food and land influence the future of civilization itself. From the Dust Bowl to modern regenerative farming, from ethanol and wind energy to carbon cycling and ecosystem resilience, Kris and Jim connect history, science, and politics to ask one central question:
What happens when we place SOIL — and the systems that sustain life — at the center of our decisions?