Rick Haney
Jose Mijares
Background: Worked for Farmers and Ranchers off and on from 1975-2000 for a 2500 acres wheat- cattle operation, worked as a mechanic 1977-1981, Managed and maintained a 24-unit apartment complex, and had a furniture upholstery business 1981- 1993 while going to college (Started college in 1977, dropped out, then back in 1988).
Dr. Rick Haney joins Regen Ag Lab as our Chief Scientific Officer. Rick’s dedication to helping producers and experience, as both a leading research scientist and on-farm manager, will help Regen Ag Lab bridge the gap between data founded in sound science and practical knowledge needed to help our clients on their personal soil health journey.
Dr. Haney is a former Soil Chemist/Microbiologist and Research Farmer at the USDA-ARS Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, TX, and is the creator of the Haney Soil Health Test. Rick grew up farming in Custer County, OK, before he earned his Ph.D. in soil microbial ecology and chemistry from Texas A&M University. Rick has researched soil ecology and soil testing for more than 30 years. In 2017, he was awarded the USDA’s Plains Area and National Technology Transfer Awards. Rick was also awarded the 2018 USDA REE Under Secretary’s award for the Haney Test and the 2018 Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award for the USDA’s strategic goal of strengthening the stewardship of private lands through technology and research. Dr. Haney will be working to improve our understanding and interpretation of soil test results as it relates to production, profitability, and restoration under regeneratively managed systems.
Rick enjoys spending time with his wife, Liz, and his 2 daughters. He has a passion for good friends, great music, and better bourbon. When he’s not developing new innovations for measuring soil or diving into datasets, he enjoys woodworking and building furniture.
