Next Monday and Tuesday, February 19 and 20, Missouri State University’s Darr Agricultural Center will host a conference dedicated to regenerative agriculture. Organizers of the Farming and Ranching for the Future event hope to educate attendees on developing healthy and sustainable soil practices.
Liz Haney is a soil scientist and co-owner of Soil Regen, along with farmer Russel Hendrick. They educate and consult farmers and are the principal organizers of the event.
Liz described regeneration agriculture as “working with nature, to try and mimic what nature does through natural systems the best we can.” She added that while the term may be newer, the practices are not, she said, “they may not have been calling it regenerative agriculture forever, but regenerative practices go back to pre-industrial revolution.”
Haney said there are a wide variety of potential practices a farmer may implement.
Soil Regen works with farms directly and organizes events like this conference to help transitions to regenerative practices that are not just better for the soil and product, but also increase return on investment.
Haney said that any agricultural operation, large and small and at home, can implement and benefit from at least one regenerative practice. Next week’s conference will feature local, regional and national speakers addressing issues relevant to ranching, row crops, cover crops, wildlife management and more.
She said the practices can be suited to any operation and the regenerative agriculture “mind-set” encompasses everything to do with agriculture.
Hany said the main reason that she had the “ah-ha moment and got into it is this solves so many problems,” she explained, “it solves carbon sequestration, it solves water quality, ground water and stream run-off, it solves nutrient density of our food, which is an issue a lot of people don’t pay attention to. It encompasses everything.”
You can register for the Farming and Ranching for the Future conference now and day of, find more information on the event and on regenerative agriculture practices at agsoilregen.com