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southern MN | I’d talk farming with him but I’d let him do his own thing. Could chat about it but do some listening while offering some thoughts as well.
Often times we succeed because we want to and make it work, not because it’s the best path. Human nature is funny that way. He might do better over a decade or two than we do.
It’s funny, reading your list, it seems regenerative ag is not regenerative at all.
Importing manure seems harder on the environment than getting fertilizer. Harder to balance your nutrient needs, robbing other land to fertilize yours, much heavier bulk material to move around.
Less control of weeds and insects leads to poorer crops some years, which requires more land to be farmed to get the same crop.
Cover crops compete for nutrients and sun here in the cold climates; moisture in the dry climates. As often as it works, it also hurts the intended crop many years too. More land needs to be farmed to make up the crop losses.
There are probably ideal locations this program works, and it is a good thing.
As a solution to farming across the entire country, it seems counter productive doesn’t it?
In farming, one size, one idea does not fit all.
I do a small bit of cover crops on my farm every year since I was 8 and was plowing down dad’s clovers in spring. I just spent more on hog manure in 2025 than I ever spent on commercial fert in 2 years. I don’t use as much insecticide and fungus idea as I probably ‘should.’ I grow a couple acres of small grains in an area that is a foolish $$$ choice.
I’m not for or against anyone doing their thing. Lot of folk advising on here about these organic, regenerative, natural, or whatever catch phrase of the day are good people with good ideas that can be and are adapted to farming of all types. Please don’t think I’m being negative to those of you with great advice and thoughts and all here! I learn a lot from those.
I do think it’s kind of funny, and scary, the city folk that sit in their living rooms telling farmers the best way to farm. I think most farmers do the best they can with ‘regenerative’ practices.
Paul | |
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Regenerative Ag
