All the talk with food and we need to look at one of the main root causes of all these chemicals put on/in our food to help preserve it. The soil health in the United States is not great. The country is losing fertile soil at a rate that is much faster than nature can replenish it, Tilling kills microorganisms that help keep soil healthy and productive. It also makes it easier for soil to be washed away by rain and wind. For others reading this the Documentary Kiss the Ground is good to watch or this web site What is the State of Soils in the USA? - Earthworm
Agree! Another knowledgeable person is Paul Gautschi. He is on YouTube “Back to Eden Gardening.”
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I’m not sure I understand the policy proposition here. What would you like to see from the government?
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There are people within the government’s AG sector who have been trying to stop and teach the farmers about the problems with over tilling. What happens to the soil when it becomes straight-up dirt, Dust Bowl, ( Contributing Factors
Due to low crop prices and high machinery costs, more submarginal lands were put into production. Farmers also started to abandon soil conservation practices. These events laid the groundwork for the severe soil erosion that would cause the Dust Bowl.)
In response to the Dust Bowl disaster, the Soil Erosion Service, now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), was formed. This government agency aims to promote more environmentally sustainable farming techniques.
so we do have a government department already. They could go in and over time teach farmers how to get the nutrients back into the soil without using pesticides and over-tilling.
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I think if farmers were to have sufficient (affordable) land and encouraging the tried-and-true practice of leaving a portion of the farmland ‘fallow’ and use crop rotation methods, the soil would have time to recover. I recently saw where a dried-up landscape was revitalized by the ‘dumping’ of orange peels onto it. Just an example.
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yes, I saw a documentary a few years ago about that. Someone dumped industry waste of solely orange peels somewhere in Central or South America. In very short order a rain forest grew!
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We need to move away from plant food sources, we can save our soils and feed our people with Ruminant pasture agriculture.
Look up Peter Balderstadt aka the Sod Father
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Quoting an advertisement from Grassroots Farmers’ Cooperative:
Our multi-generational farmers are driving solutions for healthier farms, thriving livestock, and a sustainable planet.
Let’s cut to the chase - American agriculture has a wrinkle problem, and I’m not talking about prunes.
This week at a ranching conference in Oklahoma, something wild caught my eye. In a world where the average farmer is pushing 60 (yep, you read that right), this room is packed with thirty-somethings ready to flip the script on farming. And thank goodness, because with less than 10% of farmers under 35, we’re staring down a pretty serious question: Who the heck is going to be feeding us in 20 years?
It’s never too early to start learning—our kids are hands-on in every part of the farm.
Now, I’m not knocking our seasoned farmers - they’ve forgotten more about farming than most of us will ever know. But let’s be real: we need some fresh blood in these fields, and fast.
Here’s where it gets good. These young guns I’m meeting? They’re not interested in their grandpa’s playbook. They’re out here plotting revolution with regenerative agriculture, carbon sequestration, and business models that would make an MBA’s head spin. They’re asking questions that would’ve gotten them laughed off the farm a generation ago - and they’re finding answers that work.
After 20 years of trial and error in regenerative agriculture, I love sharing what we’ve learned with the next generation. But here’s the thing - they’re not just following our footsteps, they’re blazing whole new trails. Every time I mentor a young farmer, I end up learning as much as I teach.
A glimpse into innovative regenerative agriculture in action - our farmers use rotational grazing to improve animal welfare, restore land, and support a healthier planet.
It takes me back to when Andrea and I were those starry-eyed kids, patching together a farm with duct tape, determination, and definitely not enough capital. The old-timers probably thought we’d wash out in a year. Now I’m watching these young farmers roll in with their MBA mindsets and regenerative grazing plans, and I can’t help but grin.
This isn’t just about keeping farms running - it’s about reimagining what farming can be. And from what I’ve seen this week, this new generation includes some brilliant rebels who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
Your farmer (and proud agricultural troublemaker),
Cody.*