Greensmiths’ Graphite Solution: Revitalizing Soil for Sustainable Agriculture

Greensmiths Southwestern Graphite Mine in Burnet, TX

Graphite mine tailings have the power to transform global agriculture, enhancing soil health by boosting microbial activity and reducing synthetic inputs, according to Greensmiths Inc. president Jim Montgomery — an organic pioneer who aims to redefine regenerative farming and address soil degradation with sustainable, mineral-based solutions.

“We need a global understanding of soil biology, and we must quickly eliminate synthetics that become ‘forever’ chemicals, disrupting the soil’s natural balance,” he said, adding that transitioning from chemical-based farming to regenerative agriculture is essential for long-term sustainability and ecosystem balance. “Organic agriculture is considered by everyone in the world as the right way to go.”

The U.S.-based company integrates cutting-edge technology, including metagenomic soil testing, to develop customized nutrient solutions tailored to specific soils. Through precision nutrient delivery and expert agronomic support, Greensmiths helps farmers improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support long-term soil vitality. Working in alignment with Remineralize the Earth, it advances sustainable soil management and ecological restoration efforts.

“Our product is the graphite mine tailings that have a much greater impact on soils because of the mineral content in the tailings. The mine tailings contain about three percent graphite. 

The rest of the material is basically a bioactive sand. Together, they have a tremendous benefit in controlling disease in plants, boosting plant health, and increasing ground hardiness, among other things.”

He added: “I believe our whole world will shift to the use of minerals and moderate levels of chemicals — very moderate and very few chemicals.”

Origin story

Greensmiths has been around since 1972, developing, manufacturing and exporting cutting-edge fertigation and fertilizer products. By helping companies reduce their carbon footprints through revolutionary, sustainable methods, Greensmiths facilitates reduced water and fertilizer usage while promoting soil carbon capture. It leads the industry in environmentally sound methods of turfgrass maintenance and specialty agricultural farming.

Currently based at a graphite mine in Burnet, Texas, Montgomery began his career at age 22 when he bought a fertilizer plant in southwestern Oklahoma, a region that unfortunately turned out to be unsuitable for long-term farming. Nitrogen fertilizer could only make it viable for short periods. He sold the fertilizer plant and moved to a region with irrigation agriculture.

“At that time, I’d spent a lot of time working with the U.S. Salinity Laboratory in California and the Tennessee Valley Authority through their national fertilizer development program,” he said. “They lost their funding through the U.S. government and had some chemistry they had defined but not completed when they closed. So, they offered me their information to try and improve it.”

Montgomery developed a safe urea-sulfuric acid in which urea encapsulates the acid to make it non-corrosive and storable in mild steel containers. While Unocal Corporation eventually patented the product, he had been producing it for several years already, and so he received national rights to sell it for golf courses and agriculture businesses.

“That took me from a small-town operator to an almost international company, where we sold irrigation water treatments to lower the pH, which was very successful.”

Expanding internationally, Montgomery realized soil biology was key to sustainability. His soil treatments led him to the graphite mine, where acidic tailings supported microbes. Water treatment confirmed graphite’s benefits, inspiring agricultural applications. In 1998, he founded Greensmiths Southwestern Graphite, building a golf course with tailings that have maintained a pH of 6.5 for decades. These materials also enhance soil health in nurseries and potting mixes.

“Moving forward, we have two million yards of graphite mine tailings here, with reserves of probably 20 million if we developed the mining further. I feel the value of this product going forward, even after my lifetime, will be to utilize graphite from sources like Mexico or around the world to coat other minerals. We’ve really now defined that graphite does a tremendous amount by itself at very low rates per acre or per hectare.”

Metagenomic matter

Last year, Greensmiths discovered a metagenomics-based test through Arizona State University that identifies the effects of graphite on soil, including bacteria types and the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria. Corroborated by several other universities, the test led the company to further investigate why certain bacteria respond positively while others respond negatively.

According to Montgomery, bacillus bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis, responded favorably to graphite, increasing tenfold in volume. Tests comparing graphite and graphene confirmed their similar effects. Further research explored how bacterial activity interacts with minerals in graphite mine tailings, which contain hematite, goethite, as well as trace amounts of siderite, copper sulfide and zinc sulfide — all of which are diamagnetic.

“Learning about magnetism has opened up a whole new world of thermomagnetism, antithermomagnetism and altermagnetism that’s just unbelievable, illustrating how bacteria and plants communicate within the soil system and how minerals can change those values in the soil. This kind of brings me up to today.”

He added: “The types of magnetism we’re discussing are very advanced methods of testing when it comes to bacteria and fungus. That’s being set up by the U.S. Geological Survey, which is a very good thing because I don’t have to pay for what would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s where I stand now.”

Organic agriculture needs reassessment, Montgomery suggested, as pollution has compromised natural inputs, even making livestock manure toxic. He said the concept must be redefined, incorporating scientific advancements such as metagenomics to ensure it remains a viable and truly sustainable approach to agricultural growth.

An RTE admirer

Remineralize the Earth’s work inspires Montgomery’s commitment to soil restoration. Further, while initially a sceptic of paramagnetism, he now sees it as fundamental to soil health. He argues that synthetic agriculture depletes soil, while mineral-based approaches support regeneration. His research suggests soil minerals can help break down pollutants, including antibiotics and “forever chemicals,” highlighting the need for scientific collaboration.

“The addition of graphite to minerals, even basalt — which is widely available in the U.S. — offers significant benefits. While our minerals are more complex than basalt, coating basalt with graphite enhances both its mineral properties and graphite’s benefits, creating a strong opportunity for regenerative agriculture.”

Carter Haydu is a senior content creator for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Since 2012, he also has written about the Canadian energy sector for a Calgary-based trade publication. Carter has been a journalist since 2005, with much of his reporting delving into the environmental issues facing upstream oil and gas. He has written for Remineralize the Earth since 2018.