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Buchs's avatar

I suppose you mean this old guy . Just got out of the garden .

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Rock star!🥳

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Briar Albaugh's avatar

Beautiful! I am learning about how to do all of this in my Sustainable Ag program at college! It’s a fantastic way to work with the plants and animals opposed to working against them.

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

That's exactly it!🙌

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Mary Leicester's avatar

Excellent work, and a fascinating, thorough read. Love what you do.

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Thank you, Mary! And thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

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Alexander Verbeek's avatar

Excellent article. Thank you!

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

You're very welcome!

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Charlie Dice's avatar

Great read! As someone who's grown up in agriculture and worked in it the past 30 years, I'm glad to see the industry continue to trend towards regenerative practices. Due to the world's population size, we still have a need for some conventional methods in order to properly feed everyone. But that doesn't mean we can't, and shouldn't, be more conscious of our impacts.

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B Page's avatar

How did you learn what to do as it relates to regenerative agriculture…especially 10 years ago when it seems the focus was less on such practices? This was very insightful and inspiring for me as a would be farm owner someday.

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Been farming since I was 16 (turning 45 this year), and always a passionate and studious student. I've studied agriculture from many angles. Learned from reading, watching and working with other farmers. But I also worked 5 years at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, where I was shoulder to shoulder with a company full of farmers.

I was already aware of and using many of the methods outlined by RA when I became aware of the actual term for such pursuits and was simply glad to have a classification for my preferred method of farming.

But I suppose the short answer would be that it came incrementally.

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B Page's avatar

So awesome!!!! Truly sounds like you’ve had some great experiences. Thank you for sharing.

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Suzan Erem's avatar

Excellent explanations! Greetings from a perennial farmer in Iowa!

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Hello Iowa! Nice to see a fellow farmer!!

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J. Thomas Dunn's avatar

Excellent piece. Thank you

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

My pleasure!

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J. Thomas Dunn's avatar

I'm sure you're aware, but Regenerative Agriculture is the #11 most impactful solution to global warming.

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Buchs's avatar

Hmmm. Sounds a lot like Rodales organic gardening 1969.

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Like I said, not new methods. Just a new label. Those old timers knew what they were doing and paved the way for generations to come. Really, that's what farming is. Values and methods passed down from one generation to the next.🙏

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Jan 24Edited
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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

This makes me wish I had a tractor, lol.

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Viviane Morrigan's avatar

Seems very logical. Is RA use biodynamic principles?

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

There's some cross-over for sure, but I think biodynamic is big on working within moon-cycles and maintains a closed system, whereas I won't say no to free manure or other outside inputs.

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Nick Coleman's avatar

Thanks for this very clear explanation Sam. Wow, It seems that what we "dog and a stick" farmers like myself have been doing it right all along! Great that they have thought up a more complementary label for us and the go-ahead farmers are catching up.

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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

You guys paved the way! More and more of us are jumping on the bandwagon.🙌

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Jan 25Edited
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Sam(antha) M. Burns's avatar

Yes! Joel Salatin is a hero. As is Elliot Coleman. But you're spot-on when you cite Salatin's mentors.

Many of the methods we tout these days are not new, but have been lost, forgotten or disregarded with the rise of modern and industrial agriculture.

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