Most farmers are addicted to tillage, the Margraf’s are addicted to growing healthy soils. Before the phrase healthy soils was coined, Bret and his father Gene, were adopting practices like cover crops and nutrient management while adding diversity to their farms. Recognizing the value of manure and cover crops together, they continued adding to the rotation at a time when most other Northwest Ohio farmers were reducing to a corn/soybean rotation.
Allan will explain clearly why the biological problem of regenerating agricultural soils needs more than technology and fire. Those being the only two tools we have used for thousands of years, and on which failing mainstream industrial agriculture relies entirely today.
Allan Savory will explain why present management is reductionist and is the cause of most droughts, crippling debt and emigration that are within our control locally. He will talk about a study that 30 years ago that showed early adopters of Holistic Management averaged 300% increase in profit while over 600,000 family farms failed, and suicide was the leading cause of agricultural death. He will explain why such success did not spread because of the way society, and our institutions, oppose new scientific insights that are contrary to our beliefs. Just as soon as two, easy to understa
Regenerating soil by increasing soil organic matter and biological activity enhances nutrient cycling and water use efficiency. As a result, crop plants are healthier and more resistant to pests and diseases, but more importantly, the nutritive quality of grains, fruits and vegetables is increased due to higher mineral content as well as phytonutrients. Certain key phytonutrients – amino acids and antioxidants – are created by soil microbes and find their way into the food chain through healthy soils.
Regenerative farms are unified by a series of core principles. Stop or reduce soil tillage. Never leave bare soil. Develop more plant diversity in the farmscape. Integrate crops and animals. Here, we will discuss an overview of the scientific research that supports these principles. This science is critical to taking what regenerative farmers are doing, and scaling and transferring their success to other operations.
After many decades of chemistry and physics dominating scientific thinking, we are in the midst of a very exciting time for the biological sciences. This holds true in many arenas of the natural world and certainly so for plants, soils and all that lies between. A fundamental rethink of plants is required. A plant is not simply a plant; rather, it is a plant co-existing along with its associated microbial community and in constant dialogue as a singular dynamic entity. When we adopt this broader view of plants, a rethink of how we manage this entity is also essential.
Nick will share his story about how a native South African became a first generation American farmer. He will share his successes and struggles making no-till and cover crops work in an area that became famous as “The Dust Bowl.”
John Stigge manages the family farm located in Washington County, KS. The farm has been over 30 years of never-till, 22 years of continuous cover crop usage, and 11 years of regenerative farming.
What is beyond no-till? What if we could go way further? What if we could regenerate the soil fertility faster with new ways of farming? What if we could be more resilient on the farm?
Cover crops cocktails, companion cropping, integration of animals on the farm, are some of the examples Sarah will talk about. She will present various successes and failures based on her farming experience and on the visits she has done in France and abroad. An inspirational talk for those who want to look at the farm beyond no-till.
