Cedar Meadow Farm - Regenerative Verified

We are excited to announce that Cedar Meadow Farms is Regenerative Verified! It's official.

The Farm

Cedar Meadow Farm is in Holtwood, PA, just a 17 miles south of Lancaster, PA.

It was 1935 that Steve Groff's grandparents purchased the piece of earth that he now stewards and preserves – a legacy that the 4th generation is beginning to manage.

Steve's grandmother was an ardent follower of J.I. Rodale (now the Rodale Institute) and practiced his organic methods in her garden. They didn't make fun of her at that time . . . but neither did they support the methods she used in growing vegetables.

Steve graduated from high school and dove right into his passion for farming. In 1982, he convinced his dad that they needed to eliminate tillage so they wouldn't have ditches in their fields. These needed to be closed in order to harvest the crops in the fall.

In the mid-nineties, Steve realized that they needed to use cover crops to not only further protect their soils from erosion but to ENHANCE the fields with biological diversity.

These practices have nearly tripled their organic matter - some fields are over 6% - and they have lowered the costs of production significantly.

As a bonus, the nutrient density of what they grow has increased, benefiting those who consume our products.

And now, the CBD hemp they are growing in these carefully managed fields really does yield "better oil from better soil!" Other experts have seen our tests and have been amazed at the diversity of other cannabinoids in addition to CBD.

Steve recounts, "I know my grandmother would be proud if she could see what we have done to increase the soil health of this farm over the years!"

Cedar Meadow Farm is easily accessible from Harrisburg, York, Chambersburg, Wilmington, Baltimore, West Chester and Philadelphia.

Find out more about Cedar Meadow Farm

Soil Regen Co-Owner Breaks National Dryland Corn Yield Record

(Hickory, NC) — Soil Regen is proud to share that co-founder and first-generation farmer, Russell Hedrick has submitted an entry of 459.51 bushels per acre to the North Carolina Corn Growers Association. The yield bests the current national yield record of 442 bushels per acre held by Francis Childs.

“The average corn yield for Catawba County is somewhere between 100 and 124 bushels an acre according to USDA NASS data,” Hedrick says, adding that his yield climb didn’t happen overnight. “This all started five years ago when Richard Linton, the previous Dean of NC State University, challenged us to push our yields to see what was possible in our state, chasing 400-bushel corn,” he says. “It’s taken us all five years – we’ve seen some 400s on the yield monitor trying new techniques but seeing a field average over 400 has taken us five.”

Hedrick designs his plots in the fall of the previous season, planting a cover crop mix that would offer both nutrient availability, weed suppression and moisture conservation. In February, Hedrick was ready to pull soil samples. The field of plots was zone tested and the samples were sent to Regen Ag Lab to have PLFA and Haney tests ran. The results gave Hedrick a real-time snapshot of the size and activity of the microbial community in his soils. Hedrick adds “Farmers really need to look at sampling their soils at different depths, deeper then what is currently recommended currently by most universities. Lance Gunderson, President and Co-Owner of Regen Ag Lab, along with Rick and Liz Haney, have spent a lot of time with farmers like myself to explain how nutrients work in the soil and how testing methods have evolved and how we understand them as farmers to make key management decisions.” Prior to planting, Hedrick pulled additional cover crop biomass samples for Regen Ag Lab to run a nutrient analysis, noting that the test became obviously critical in his journey to reach 400-bushel corn about three years ago. Hedrick says that the carbon to nitrogen ratio, even within the residue has a lot to do with nutrient release and tie-up and knowing what nutrients are present doesn’t matter if they aren’t available.

The Haney and PLFA soil testing indicated the nutrients Hedrick needed to grow 425-bushel corn and, while the traditional soil tests indicated a lesser nutrient need, Hedrick says that knowing the “real” numbers needed is what allowed him to achieve 400+ bushel corn. “A lot of the traditional tests are giving false reads and higher or lower nutrient availability numbers; we’ve seen it firsthand. We apply what a test calls for and then our plant tissue tests show deficient. The hot water extraction that Regen Ag Labs offers for some micronutrients and the Haney Soil Test extraction method gives us a lot better read and let’s us dial in what our yield goals are and what is needed to reach those goals. We’re pushing these crops and we have to have accurate numbers to work from,” Hedrick says. “For example, one of the traditional tests I used showed that I had enough Boron available, the hot water extracted Boron test showed we would fall short based upon our yield goal.”

Actual applied nutrients totaled 310 pounds of applied nitrogen, 140 pounds of phosphorus, 40 pounds of potassium and 100 pounds of sulfur. Hedrick also applied boron, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, humic acid, fulvic acid, and sugars in a precision application. Hedrick used a full-flex corn variety, planting a full-season 116-day variety, AgVenture 9916 and tested different populations throughout his farms, from 32,000 to the 45,900 plants per acre that achieved the record-breaking yield. “I think a lot of the success of our farm has been from the farmers and friends across the country who have invested their time and knowledge with me. Our group of farmers share their information with each other to push each other to minimize failures, or as Rick Clark calls them - Learning Opportunities,” Hedrick says.

“We at Soil Regen are focused on implementing farming practices that aren’t solely focused on yield and are intent on return on investment. The field days, conferences, and webinars that we produce across the country allow us the opportunity to learn and share how others are changing the farming techniques and utilizing new technologies that aren’t in mainstream agriculture. I have focused on these avenues, especially soil health, and the yield has steadily followed. For any farmer, return on investment…dollars per acre rather than yield per acre…should be the goal. This year, my cost per acre were a little under $1000 and my net per acre on $8.50 corn was well over three grand an acre.” To learn more about Hedrick’s road to 459-bushel per acre corn and the soil health journey that has paved, make plans to visit this year’s Big Soil Health Event, December 6-7, 2022 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Events, Events, EVENTS!

Spring is upon us, and we’ve got some great events to keep you occupied well through the start of summer! Soil Regen will be hosting a number of upcoming events with a variety of topics including digital tools, soil testing, agriculture and brewing, management, and direct marketing. Find the one (or all) that fits your operation, and we will see you there!

Regenerative Verified Webinar - Mitchell Hora

Are you looking to learn more about soil testing, how you can use digital tools to understand your soil’s health, and learn how you can increase your profitability by taking care of your soil? Join Soil Regen as they meet with special guest Mitchell Hora to discuss these related topics and show you some helpful tools that you can use for your own operation. This event will be held online on March 28th, from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Central. You can register for this FREE event here.

Farm to Brew

Farmers, growers, supporters, beer drinkers, community… everyone is invited! We will see you at Textile Brewing Company in Dyersville, IA to learn about agriculture and it’s connection to the brewing industry. With The Big Show on WHO Radio, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Indigo Ag

, Soil Regen, Regen Mills, Sand County Foundation and ISU. Learn about the Regenerative Verification, THE BIG SOIL HEALTH EVENT, and the Iowa Leopold Award! This event will be held on March 30th, 2022 from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. You can register for this event here.

Regenerative Verified Webinar - Russell Hedrick

Join Soil Regen as guest Russell Hedrick talks with us about using soil testing on his farm, nutrient management plans, farm management, direct marketing, and how to break the corn and soybean records utilizing regen ag in your own state. This FREE webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 13th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Central time.

Regenerative Verified Webinar - Adam Daugherty

In our final webinar of the Regenerative Verified series, Soil Regen will be joined by guest Adam Daughterty of the NRCS, where he will share his incredible knowledge about cover crops, soil testing, and regenerative ag management. This FREE webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 27th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Central time.

Farming for the Future

Join in an interactive experience with leading soil health experts and regenerative ag farmers to find solutions on your operation. This two day workshop will feature Rick Haney, Rick Clark, Adam Chappell, Lance Gunderson, Russell Hedrick, Jimmy Emmons, and Liz Haney as they discuss SHOP TALK! Farming for the Future will provide detailed information on advanced ag techniques, soil health testing and interpretation, and soil carbon and nutrient cycling. This event will be held in person at the Shady Villa Hotel in Salado, Texas on June 1-2. You can purchase tickets and register for this event at the link listed here.

Beyond the Yield

Brought to you by Regen Ag Lab and Soil Regen, Beyond the Yield brings you THE ENTIRE REGENERATIVE JOURNEY. From soil testing, to practice implementation, to marketing…… how do you actually make it happen. Join us to find out how! This event will be held June 27th - 28th in Kearney, Nebraska. You can purchase tickets and register here.

Soil Regen is proud to provide these events to the public and teach others the importance of regenerative ag practices. For more information on Soil Regen and our upcoming events, please visit our website listed below.

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Soil Regen

Your soil health legacy starts here

https://www.agsoilregen.com/