Author: Laura Priest

‘FILLED WITH POSSIBILITIES’ – TEACHER SAYS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IS AN AFFORDABLE APPROACH FOR RANCHERS

The first day of class with his freshman students at Chadron State College, Dr. Ron Bolze writes the “Dr.” prefix on the board, draws a circle around it, and then a line through it.

“Just call me Ron,” Bolze said. “We don’t need to trouble ourselves with titles.”

What Bolze does want students to focus on in the range livestock production classes he teaches is the vast potential of his students and how to look at agriculture differently – in a regenerative, open-minded way.

In his nine different courses at Chadron State, Bolze said in almost half of them he spends the first month, about eight lectures, on regenerative agriculture.

Read more at the Midwest Messenger

MIDLANDS VOICES: THE SECRET IS IN NEBRASKA’S TOPSOIL – AND REGENERATIVE PRACTICES

“Just as the soil is itself under threat, so is the Nebraska way of life. It seems there is nothing left for these industrial ag corporations to take but our souls.” — The RegeNEration Proclamation

As a Nebraskan attending college in the northeast, I am often faced with questions like “Where even is Nebraska?” and “What’s notable about Nebraska?” I usually give them the spiel about the College World Series, Warren Buffett, perhaps the Reuben sandwich and, if I’m lucky, I can convince them that I drove a tractor to high school.

Of course, I can’t talk about Nebraska without mentioning the abundance of corn after which our state is nicknamed. But what will we name our football team when climate change-caused drought and wildfires strip our state of viable topsoil and, consequently, the golden corn we grow? Climate change is already affecting Nebraska growers. It’s past time for our farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture practices.

Read more at the Omaha World-Herald

CYDNEY FRANKLIN AND NANCY WILLIAMS SHARE THEIR VISION FOR THE GREENHOUSE AT THE HIGHLANDER

A North Omaha urban agricultural facility that’s gone unused since it was built four years ago will finally be activated thanks to local Black women-led nonprofits Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp. and No More Empty Pots. 

The greenhouse was constructed by Seventy Five North as part of its mixed-use Highlander Village in 2018. The ag space was to be a key cog in the complex’s Highlander Accelerator at 2112 North 30th St. The Accelerator offers educational, health, food and other resources for residents. Urban farm nonprofit Whispering Roots signed on as the greenhouse tenant with a much publicized plan for doing aquaponic and hydroponic growing at scale. That original plan did not come to fruition due to a timing issue, according to Franklin.

The prospect of finally bringing life to this long idle, two-level, 17,500 square foot resource is satisfying for all involved. There’s no lack of interest in it and recent outreach to donors and residents confirms strong buy-in from stakeholders, Seventy Five North President-CEO Cydney Franklin said. 

Read more at NOISE!

NEBRASKA ENTREPRENEURS MAKE SUNGLASSES WITH HEMP-INFUSED PLASTIC

In a basement here, and in a garage in Lincoln, two brothers are taking small steps to rid the planet of a glut of plastic refuse.

Andrew Bader, and his younger brother, Steve, make sunglasses and other products out of plastics infused with hemp fibers using high-tech 3D printers and an injection molding machine.

They say using a plant-based and biodegradable form of plastic in their Hemp3D business is as much about improving the environment as it is making a cool, marketable product that could provide full-time jobs for two farm boys looking for an alternative to growing corn and soybeans.

“The world is saturated with oil-based plastics. If we can get something that degrades faster in wider use, our world might be greener and our future a lot brighter,” said Andrew Bader, 26.

Click here to read more on the Omaha World-Herald

TOPSOIL PROTECTION SHOULD BE STRESSED IN NEXT FARM BILL, U.S. HOUSE AG PANEL TOLD

Farmers and academics at a hearing this week stressed the need for members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee to support regenerative agriculture farming practices in the upcoming farm bill in order to protect topsoil.

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chair David Scott said he held the hearing Wednesday to discuss ways policymakers and the Department of Agriculture could help farmers incorporate regenerative agriculture practices. That investment in soil health would curb climate change and prevent a food shortage, the Georgia Democrat said.

Regenerative agriculture occurs in farming and grazing practices that focus on rebuilding organic matter in topsoil, restoring degraded soil biodiversity and improving the water cycle. All of these mitigate climate change by growing plants that capture carbon dioxide and move it into the soil. 

“Conventional agriculture models are degrading American soil,” Jeff Moyer, the chief executive officer of Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, said. Rodale was a pioneer in organic farming.

Click here to read the article on The Nebraska Examiner!

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE GAINING STEAM IN NEBRASKA

For the last generation, sustainability has been the buzzword around agriculture. Now, a growing chorus is calling for a focus on “agricultural regeneration.” It’s about reclaiming the health of the soil, making our regions more food independent, and keeping our young people on the land, said Graham Christensen, the president of GC Resolve who lives near Oakland.

GC Resolve is a communication and consulting company that is working to build resilient communities. Its focus is on environmentally and economically sound principles related to agricultural production.

They emphasize erosion control, on-farm fertility, re-establishment of local & regional markets for increased food security, soil health and reduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s also about generating greater opportunities for young people to get into farming. As the average age of farm operators increases, and land is auctioned to the highest bidder, more and more ownership is transitioning to large corporations, including foreign investors, Christensen said. That is not in the best interest of our national security, or of the younger generation, he said.

Click to read article in North Platte Telegraph!