Our Story
Serving DFW Since 1997
Soils Alive was established in 1997 to provide organic solutions and natural fertilization programs that support healthy, safe, sustainable landscapes. Twenty-seven years later, that is still the whole job.
How We Got Here
The company changed. The approach didn’t.
Soils Alive began in 1997 with a simple idea: a healthy lawn in North Texas starts with the soil. Nearly three decades later, the science supports this.
Justin Cernoch, a friend of the founder, became lead technician in 2000, general manager in 2010, COO in 2013, and bought the company in 2022. He studies native grasses and lives in Lake Highlands with his family.
That matters more than a typical ownership note, because it means the person running this company learned it from the ground up, on these soils, over more than two decades. Our COO started here part-time in 2015. Our sales and customer service manager joined the same year, after a degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M and a stint working organic farms. Nobody here arrived from outside the industry to run a lawn care business.
Why Soils Alive?
Organic treatments that improve how your soil actually functions — reducing chemical use by 80–100% compared to a conventional plan.
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Since 1997
Years of R&D behind our proprietary DFW soil formulas
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500+
Five-star Google reviews
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2,000+
Gallons of liquid compost applied daily
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Zero
Zero annual contracts
What We Believe
Feed the soil, and the lawn takes care of itself
Effective lawn care is about more than appearances — it is about building a healthy foundation. Our use of liquid compost reflects the core idea: real, lasting results come from feeding the soil and respecting the natural systems beneath your feet. We combine scientific research, premium organic inputs and personalised care, which is a different proposition from a high-volume service running the same calendar across every property.
Our Mission
Organic, at a price that works
Organic lawn care is good for Texas — for our rivers, our wildlife, our birds, our children and our pets. An organic lawn, rich in organic matter and healthy microbes, stores water like a sponge. A four-inch rain that soaks in gives your lawn plenty of water for four weeks with no extra irrigation. Only a healthy, organic lawn can soak in all the rain.
We aim to empower 10,000 DFW homeowners with affordable organic solutions. Plans start at $55 a month.
The Crew
Six people, four here more than a decade
You get the same crew, not a rotating roster. Between them our technicians hold Texas Structural Pest Control Board certification and certified applicator licences, and several have been treating DFW lawns for twenty years or more.
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Justin Cernoch
Owner/CEO
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Cari Rasco
COO
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Kirby Pierce
Sales & Service Manager
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Bradley Ballantine
Lead Tech & Quality Manager
Credentials
Who holds us to a standard
Soils Alive began in 1997 with a simple idea: a healthy lawn in North Texas starts with the soil. Nearly three decades later, the science supports this.
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Proud Members of
Members of the Agronomy Society of America (ASA), the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)
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Texas Nursery & Landscape Assoc.
Members of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, the state’s largest green industry advocacy and governance group
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Licensed and insured
An organic lawn, rich in organic matter and healthy microbes, stores water like a sponge.
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Texas Pest Control certified
Organic lawn care is good for Texas — for our rivers, our wildlife, our birds, our children and our pets.
Love your lawn again.
We'll assess your soil and growing conditions, and send you a clear quote — usually the same day.