Biological Farming with Gary Zimmer

Gary Zimmer is known as the “father” of biological farming, a system in which farmers work hand-in-hand with nature to create healthy mineralized soils to produce pest- and disease-resistant crops while reducing chemical inputs. Zimmer operates Otter Creek Organic Farm in southwestern Wisconsin, following a rotation of 1 year of corn and 1 year of soil building using a cover crop of cereal rye, alfalfa and four types of clover.

For this Strip-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with Gary to talk about his system of biological farming. He explains why he avoids disturbing what he calls the “middle zone,” where most root growth takes place. He also explains why he focuses on soil building before anything else, how feeding soils is like feeding cows, the differences between green carbon and brown carbon, why it’s important to use neutral pH fertilizers, and much more.