Understanding context and establishing baselines are critical for developing systematic approaches to change for the right reasons. Rick Clark of Clark Land & Cattle and Farm Green Consulting is a fifth-generation farmer who farms 6,000 plus acres of certified organic crops in Warren County, Indiana. In addition to cash, oilseed, and cover crops, Rick raises cattle and sheep using his system of regenerative organic stewardship with no tillage. Through the years, Rick has worked to reduce synthetic inputs on his farm and focused on the return on the investment of any input and how that affects overall profitability.

In talking with Mary, Jeff, and Eric, Rick is adamant that farmers need to understand their context (i.e., geographic, financial, emotional, etc.) and establish sound baselines for every aspect of the farm operation. Regenerative agriculture is a journey and not a destination: you have to start slowly, keep working at it, and plan accordingly.  

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. 

For additional thoughts and resources from Rick Clark on regenerative organic no-till farming, please visit https://www.farmgreen.land/. Other resource people that Rick mentioned included Gabe Brown of Brown's Ranch and John Kempf of the Regenerative Agriculture podcast. 

To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. 

As always, we encourage you in your commitment to building soil health; understanding the context of your farm, garden, and community; and joining the 4 The Soil movement. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.