AgEmerge Podcast 152 and the 2024 Big Soil Health Event

Guest host David Kleinschmidt joined us at the 2024 Big Soil Health Event in Cedar Falls, IA, where we had the privilege of connecting with some incredible attendees.

It was a great event where hundreds of farmers and ranchers from all over the country gathered to learn, share, and encourage each other to continue to adopt soil health strategies. We asked attendees to join us in our “on the road" studio to share their soil health journey.

Below is our BSHE podcast guest list showing where they are from and how you can connect:

• Tony Peirick lives in south-central Wisconsin and he’s the chairman of a farmer-led group in Wisconsin called Dodge County Farmers Healthy Soil, Healthy Water. Tony is also involved in the Fields of Sinsinawa.

• Blake Vince is a fifth-generation farmer from Merlin, Ontario, Canada. Blake will tell you that soil health is the focus of his farm practices. You may have heard Blake speak at other events - his wisdom and perspective on soil health is certainly an encouragement to growers striving to improve their systems.

• Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz operate Stoney Creek Farm near Redwood Falls, MN. They are also the inaugural winners of the Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award. You’ve seen them on Farmer’s Footprint and so many other places. Their story offers so much hope and sage advice to other growers.

• Phil Smith farms in Minnesota and has a great story of adopting a regenerative system on his farm and encourages growers to know it’s never too late to start!

• Adam Chappell is from Cotton Plant, Arkansas. He grows about 2,500 acres of, corn, soybeans, rice, and occasionally cotton. You've probably seen Adam on YouTube and other avenues as he has been very transparent of his soil health journey and practices.

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

BIG SOIL HEALTH EVENT 2024 RECAP

We were excited to be featured in this article by Strip-Till Farmer

Farmers Exchange Ideas, Successes & Failures at Big Soil Health Event

By Noah Newman posted on December 12, 2024 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

Jerry Hatfield. Liz Haney. Roy Pfaltzgraff. Lance Gunderson. David Kleinschmidt. Dan Luepkes. Russell Hedrick. Sarah Martello. Talk about a cavalcade of All-Stars. With heavy hitters like those on the program, we knew this year’s Soil Regen Big Soil Health Event was once again going to be a can’t-miss event. I was lucky enough to be there for some of the action earlier this week in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The great Jerry Hatfield kicked things off with the keynote presentation, discussing some of the “what ifs” of soil health. He challenged attendees to examine and evaluate the performance of each of their fields. Understanding what your baseline is and how you’re moving away from your baseline is the key to moving forward in the soil health journey, he says.  

“One of the most enlightening conversations that I’ve had is with a group of producers in Illinois,” Hatfield says. “I was doing a tour of the state — 5 days, 5 talks, 5 cities. I asked one group if all their fields were making money. They said, ‘We don’t know.’ Your farms are making you money, but are each of your fields — as a subset of that farm — making you money? Why aren’t we examining individual fields for their performance and their efficiency? That’s going to be a critical step as we move forward in soil health.”

Even though Hatfield is technically retired, the former director of the USDA ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment is still learning something new every year. He credits that to the number of farmers who are willing to share information and compare results.

“I’m a firm believer that in a conference like this, that it’s really all about what’s working, what isn’t working and what we have questions about,” Hatfield says. “In the 5 years I’ve been retired, I’ve concluded that every day is a learning experience and that most of what I knew before, I’ve had to reshape in the last 5 years because things aren’t always like they seem. If we’re going to move forward, we’re going to have to figure out how to share those experiences more effectively.”  

Haxtun, Colo., no-tiller Roy Pfaltzgraff embodies that philosophy. He revealed key data and lessons learned from his dryland no-till system and also highlighted “Seeding Circles” — an online community he’s building for farmers to connect and share soil health ideas, experiments and innovations.

“It’s a culmination of everything we’ve done on our farm from when I took over 7 years ago,” Pfaltzgraff says. “I went through the evolution of learning soil health, what worked for me and how I can actually increase my profitability. We were raising crops that were more nutrient dense and better quality. I wanted to realize that quality and be able to monetize the extra effort that I was putting in. We started finding specialty markets and milling our own grains. A lot of farmers want to know how to do it. They want to raise different crops, but they don’t know how to find a market. As farmers, we sometimes feel like we’re competing against the neighbor across the road, but if we talk to someone 500 miles away, there isn’t that competition or risk of being judged. Seeding Circles allows like-minded farmers to come together and help each other.”

David Kleinschmidt helped attendees understand how to get more bang for their buck with cover crops. He says it’s crucial to consider the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio when selecting a species to plant (see video below for a great analogy to illustrate his point). He also explained why he’s considering pairing strip-till with cover crops on his farm. 

“I think we can increase our nutrient use efficiency with strip-till while maintaining good soil armor,” Kleinschmidt says. “We’re basically checking all those soil health boxes, and we’re minimizing disturbance. There’s nothing in the soil health principles that says eliminate disturbance, it’s about minimizing disturbance.”  

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the entire 3-day conference, as I had to book it back to Lessiter Media headquarters to take care of some business in the office. But I was able to catch the inspirational Leopold Conservation Award presentation before I left. Charles City, Iowa, no-tiller Wendy Mariko Johnson was honored as the 2024 Iowa recipient of the prestigious award. Wendy no-tills 1,000 acres of corn, soybeans and small grains. She also established prairie strips, grows cover crops and hosts 60-inch corn research trials. 

“When I came back to start farming in 2010 (after a career in California’s fashion industry), I knew it was going to be a fight against consolidation,” Mariko Johnson says. “I pushed back on the notion that I must get bigger to stay in the business of farming today. How I’m pushing back is through conservation. 

“Taking care of land is incredibly fulfilling and meaningful. It’s a constant celebration of life. Land has a voice. All we have to do as farmers is to be able to listen to it and it guides our way.”

Click here to read more about Wendy’s operation.

The knowledge picked up at conferences like the Big Soil Health Event is priceless, especially for a rookie like me who’s relatively new to the world of conservation ag. Let’s keep learning and networking next month at the 2025 National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. I hope to see you there!

VIEW THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

https://www.striptillfarmer.com/blogs/1-covering-strip-till/post/5766-farmers-exchange-ideas-successes-and-failures-at-big-soil-health-event?utm_source=omail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=deu&utm_content=stf&oly_enc_id=2804A7452578C6V

A Celebration of Community, Flavor, and Sustainability

Soil to Plate at Odd Fellow Hall

At Soil Regen, we believe that food is more than just sustenance; it's a bridge that connects us to each other and to the land. Every meal tells a story of tradition, culture, and the environment from which it comes. 🌾 This philosophy is at the heart of our upcoming Soil to Plate event, where we invite you to explore the profound connection between the food on your plate and the soil that sustains it.

On November 6, 2024, we’re gathering at Odd Fellow Hall in Wichita, KS, for an evening that showcases the best of local and regenerative farming. This event features a four-course meal crafted by talented chefs Julian Lars Langston and Gerard Rodriguez, who have masterfully paired each dish with locally sourced, regeneratively grown ingredients. Central to this evening is special guest Gail Fuller from Fuller Farms, a pioneer in regenerative agriculture and a provider of the exceptional beef that will highlight the menu.

Why Farm-to-Table Matters in Regenerative Systems

Farm-to-table dining isn’t just a trendy catchphrase—it’s an essential part of a sustainable and regenerative future. In a regenerative system, the relationship between the farmer, the land, and the community is strengthened through mindful stewardship and responsible practices. By prioritizing local, sustainably grown food, we support farmers like Gail Fuller, who use innovative approaches to nurture the soil, improve biodiversity, and create resilience against environmental stressors.

Gail’s journey is a testament to how regenerative agriculture can transform a conventional farm into an ecosystem teeming with life. His farm, Circle 7 by Fuller Farms, emphasizes soil health through no-till farming, diverse crop rotations, and cover cropping. By integrating livestock such as cattle, sheep, and poultry, he enhances nutrient cycling and soil structure—practices that have significantly increased the farm’s organic matter and reduced its carbon footprint.

The Deeper Connection

When we share a meal, we share a piece of our heritage and open doors to understanding and empathy. Moreover, food connects us to the land. The ingredients we use are gifts from nature, cultivated by farmers who work tirelessly to bring them to our tables. By appreciating where our food comes from, we develop a deeper respect for the earth and the people who nurture it. 🌱👩‍🌾

Farm-to-table dining plays a critical role in this cycle by encouraging consumers to become more aware of their food choices. When people experience meals that are thoughtfully prepared from local, regeneratively sourced ingredients, it sparks conversations about sustainability, health, and the interconnectedness of our ecosystems.

Join Us in Honoring the Land

Soil to Plate is more than a dinner—it’s a movement that celebrates the bonds we create through food and honors the land that sustains us. By attending, you’ll not only enjoy a unique culinary experience but also hear from Gail Fuller himself as he shares stories and insights about regenerative practices and their impact on farming and community building.

Join us in celebrating this powerful connection between the soil and our plates. Come ready to be inspired, enlightened, and well-fed. Let’s deepen our collective respect for the earth, champion the hard work of farmers, and savor the flavors that only regenerative farming can provide. 🌿✨

Register today at https://www.agsoilregen.com/event-info/soil-to-plate-exclusive-dinner-event