Recently, a “modified one health” approach has emerged aiming to expand the original “one health” concept from animal and human health to include soil and plant health. This is a needed shift that brings attention to the importance of the health of the entire food production system for human health. Nearly all nutrients composing food originated through farming systems from soil to plants to grain and either directly to humans or indirectly from animals to humans. Thus, the way in which we manage any component in this farming system not only effects the quantity of the food that we consume but also the quality. However, this principle is often contentious and over simplified to imply that increasing the nutrient content in the soil will increase the nutrient content in the plant, grain, and ultimately the nutrient status of the human population that consumes food from this system. This is rarely the case. There are numerous chemical and biological interactions that confound these interactions and should be investigated. In 2013 and 2014, 87 maize fields in the Great Plains of the United States were surveyed and sampled for nutrient status of the soil (0-20 cm), plant (VT-R3), and grain (physiological maturity) and their relationship to grain yield. All samples were collected within a 15 x 10 m area in maize fields having no known yield limiting constraints. Soil and plant samples were collected at the same time. Agronomic standard extractants and detection methods were used for soil, plant, and grain nutrients analyses. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for each chemical relationship (i.e. plant x plant, plant x soil, plant x grain, soil x soil, soil x grain, grain x grain) and correlated with yield. For the purposes of this paper, we will primarily focus on the Zn and Fe results. Soil NO₃, P, B, Cu, Fe, and Zn did not have significant positive correlations with their nutrient concentrations in plant tissue. All grain nutrient concentrations and grain protein concentration had negative correlations with grain yield, though there was a strong positive correlation of grain nutrient uptake with grain yield. As yield increased, grain K, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn and protein concentrations decreased while total grain nutrient content increased. Plant nutrient concentrations had little correlation with the corresponding nutrient concentrations in grain, however, soil nutrient status of P, K, S, and Zn each had significant positive correlations with their corresponding nutrient concentration in grain. Though these relationships are likely not universal across different locations with different soil types, plant species, management practices and other biogeochemical conditions, these results highlight the complex interactions connecting the nutrient status of soil, plant and grains. Additionally, these results highlight the need for greater consideration of yield and grain nutrient interactions. Though total grain nutrient content increased with increasing yield, grain nutrient concentration declined with increasing yield, which is of greater concern for human health. Grain nutrient concentration drives human nutrient consumption– not grain nutrient content. Further research should be conducted to quantify these relationships between soil, plant, grain and grain yield.