Milking its Multiple Benefits: Part 2
In our previous article, we provided an overview list of the many potential benefits dairy farms are observing as they move into regenerative agriculture. Dairy farms are uniquely suited to the principles of adaptive management because they have multiple livestock classes that can utilize a variety of feedstuffs. This provides opportunities for greater plant diversity …
A Compelling Case for Local Ag
For the past several decades, the food industry has experienced significant consolidation. This is especially true with the meat processing sector. According to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, about 85% of all fed cattle are purchased and processed by the largest four beef packers in the U.S. That leaves only 15% of the fed cattle …
Milking its Multiple Benefits:
Farmers often ask, “How can my farm benefit from moving to regenerative agriculture?” We most pointedly hear this from dairy farmers. With a seven-day-per-week workload, dairies have developed schedules designed around getting all the chores done. They feel that unless something offers the promise of additional milk or crop/forage yield, they struggle comprehending how to …
“Growing Hope and Possibility”
In my last post, I wrote about regenerative agriculture’s Christmas gift for all and how the hope of regenerative agriculture provides “Common Ground for Common Good.” I genuinely believe that in this New Year, and on this common ground, sprouts real hope and possibility-IF we resolve to grow regeneratively together. I believe this because every …
“Common Ground for Common Good”
It is depressing to listen to the news these days. All we hear is stories of how tough things are today. From inflation to supply chain issues, to racism to immigration, to crime, society is being torn apart. You would think nothing positive is occurring. We, at Understanding Ag, believe otherwise. We believe that most …
Growing Resilience Through Regenerative Agriculture
What are the key factors for building climate resiliency? How can each of us participate in that endeavor? In our October article, we shared examples from the Chihuahuan Desert that illustrated how regenerative practices can significantly improve productivity and resiliency in such an arid environment. We received quite a few comments on that article, but …
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The Devastating Impact of CRP on Our Rural Communities
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been an extremely popular agricultural program that has been around for 35 years. Landowners are paid to enroll their land into this federal program to supposedly “conserve” it for the future. To qualify, landowners have to take cropland and plant it to some kind of grass that prevents erosion; …
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Regenerative Rainmaking
There is an interesting and thought-provoking quote from Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher renowned for his natural farming, that is quite pertinent to climate resiliency. The author of The One Straw Revolution, Fukuoka states, “It was in an American desert that I suddenly realized that rain does not fall from the heavens – it …