Low Hanging Regenerative Fruit

Quick tips for getting started in Regenerative Ag

Over the next few weeks, I’ll summarize and explain the basic principles underlying regenerative ag. In the meanwhile, this webinar from Understanding Ag gives some juicy food for thought about things you can do to get started down the road, whether you’re a crop or livestock producer.

As you get started, a couple things to keep in mind: Observational skills are really important. Notice before, during and after you make changes, then use those observations to refine or redirect. Second, start slow. Making drastic changes too quickly can get into you into trouble. This is especially true when you’ve got a production system that’s heavily reliant on chemical inputs and/or you’re implementing an entirely new enterprise.

So let’s dive into some pointers:

• Use the six principles as a basis for all production decisions

  • Minimize soil disturbance

  • Maximize soil armor

  • Maximize biodiversity

  • Strive for continuous living roots

  • Integrate livestock

  • Keep your context in mind

• Know your cost of production and look for ways to reduce it.

• Focus on profit, not yield

ROW CROPS

• Consider alternative crops, especially in low-profit/price years (like 2024 is likely to be)

• Add cover crops and no-till to increase Nitrogen and Phosphorous efficiency by decreasing loss and amount required

• Use check strips to determine your yields with 0%, 25%, 50% fertilizer.

• Integrate livestock, especially in conjunction with cover crops

• Save on seed costs through non-GMO seeds, limiting seed treatments and using some older genetics

• Avoid spraying herbicides just because neighbors are. Increase your tolerance for weeds that aren’t really affecting yields. Target only problem areas

• Scout before spraying fungicides. Leave the pesticides out. Use pollinator plots to balance the insect population

LIVESTOCK

• Know your cost of gain! Know your true cost of production

• Minimize putting up hay. Consider the fully loaded economics of purchasing, instead

• Supplement only what’s needed for minerals

• Calve in synch with your forage availability (both calving and breedback)

• Increase grazing management. A roll of poly wire and some step in posts are one of your best investments.

• Split pastures, add in adaptive grazing a little at a time

• Move to smaller framed cows and breeds adapted to your environment

• Increase your livestock diversity. Sheep are easy to add, often without decreasing cattle stocking density (up to 1 per cow)

• Well managed pasture doesn’t need fertilizer. May need to back off slowly, especially in introduced monocultures.

• Graze for what you want. You can change your plant composition by grazing, instead of seeding (especially true for clover)

• Get more creative with your marketing. Sell breeding animals off the farm instead of the sale barn. Consider harvesting and local sales of cull cows as hamburger

GENERAL

• Buy things that increase your profitability, not decrease your taxes

• Be sure any government assistance programs add to your long-term goals

• Continuing education at least once per year.

To that last point, I want to give a shout out to the Understanding Ag webinars (like this one). There’s a collection of past webinars on a variety of topics, and the new ones just keep getting better and better! The Soil Health Academy 3-day schools are a great immersion. I’m excited to be registered for one in Dyersville IA in June. You can expect a full report when I get back!

There’s an hour or so of Q&A after the formal presentation on this webinar. I’ll leave it to you to listen—there’s some great answers buried in there!