From Our Experts

In our previous article, we provided an overview list of the many potential benefits dairy farms are observing as they move into regenerative agriculture. Dairy farms are uniquely suited to the principles of adaptive management because they have multiple livestock classes that can utilize a variety of feedstuffs. This provides opportunities for greater plant diversity […]

Farmers often ask, “How can my farm benefit from moving to regenerative agriculture?” We most pointedly hear this from dairy farmers. With a seven-day-per-week workload, dairies have developed schedules designed around getting all the chores done. They feel that unless something offers the promise of additional milk or crop/forage yield, they struggle comprehending how to […]

For the past several decades, the food industry has experienced significant consolidation. This is especially true with the meat processing sector. According to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, about 85% of all fed cattle are purchased and processed by the largest four beef packers in the U.S. That leaves only 15% of the fed cattle […]

In my last post, I wrote about regenerative agriculture’s Christmas gift for all and how the hope of regenerative agriculture provides “Common Ground for Common Good.” I genuinely believe that in this New Year, and on this common ground, sprouts real hope and possibility-IF we resolve to grow regeneratively together. I believe this because every […]

It is depressing to listen to the news these days. All we hear is stories of how tough things are today. From inflation to supply chain issues, to racism to immigration, to crime, society is being torn apart. You would think nothing positive is occurring. We, at Understanding Ag, believe otherwise. We believe that most […]

What are the key factors for building climate resiliency? How can each of us participate in that endeavor? In our October article, we shared examples from the Chihuahuan Desert that illustrated how regenerative practices can significantly improve productivity and resiliency in such an arid environment. We received quite a few comments on that article, but […]

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been an extremely popular agricultural program that has been around for 35 years. Landowners are paid to enroll their land into this federal program to supposedly “conserve” it for the future. To qualify, landowners have to take cropland and plant it to some kind of grass that prevents erosion; […]

There is an interesting and thought-provoking quote from Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher renowned for his natural farming, that is quite pertinent to climate resiliency. The author of The One Straw Revolution, Fukuoka states, “It was in an American desert that I suddenly realized that rain does not fall from the heavens – […]

At Understanding Ag and the Soil Health Academy, we teach a concept called Historical Ecological Context. Basically, the concept involves examining what an ecosystem was like at least 400 to 500 years ago along with the influences on that ecosystem, and then determining what that ecosystem can be like today under regenerative management. We try […]

The Farm Bill’s Impact on Land Prices By Eric Fuchs, Understanding Ag, LLC. I often wonder what the true value of farmland is in the U.S. I hear instances where Iowa or Illinois dry-land farm ground is going for $20K-plus an acre, and I wonder how that pencils out? I saw instances where pastureland in […]

Earlier this summer, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a consultant with Understanding Ag, LLC. As part of my training, I have been shadowing others within the organization as they consult with clients from around the country. Do date, I have had the opportunity to travel to South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. Coming […]

By Allen Williams, Ph.D. Genetic selection is something that is often complicated and confusing for many livestock producers. There are numerous trait measurements that we try to decipher, including breeding values and EPD’s that we pour through and try to interpret. We like to use weighted or adjusted values for various traits. In the past […]