TRANSCRIPTION 🔗
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,400
Welcome to Regenerative Reflections, a podcast produced in partnership with MU Extension.
2
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:17,600
I'm Makayla Voris, your host from the University of Missouri's Center for Regenerative Agriculture.
3
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:22,420
Our mission is to provide farmers with the research, resources, and connections to implement
4
00:00:22,420 --> 00:00:27,160
practices that improve soil health, crop yield, and livestock systems.
5
00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,320
Today I chatted with Jonathan Kemmerer, a producer part of the FIRST Farmer Cohort of
6
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,680
the Climate Smart Fieldscapes Incentive Payment Program.
7
00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,560
This is one of eight incentive payment programs part of the Missouri Climate Resilient Crops
8
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,960
and Livestock Project, or CIRCL for short.
9
00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:46,260
The CIRCL project seeks to empower farmers and producers to add or maintain regenerative
10
00:00:46,260 --> 00:00:48,600
practices on their operations.
11
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,040
Jonathan spent time living in France and brought this experience to his farming operation.
12
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,160
Let's hear from him now.
13
00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,160
I'm currently at Jonathan's farm.
14
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,160
And Jonathan, so how did you get into farming at FIRST and how did you come into contact
15
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:06,880
with the Center for Regenerative Agriculture?
16
00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,040
Well, I've grown up around agriculture all my life.
17
00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:15,520
My grandpa ran a pig farm and did row crops growing up and we spent a lot of time there
18
00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:16,520
when I was a kid.
19
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:21,320
I became interested in agriculture again later in life in college.
20
00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:25,960
I lived and studied in France for a year in a pretty rural part of France and I saw all
21
00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,960
these, you know, small family farms that were doing really traditional stuff, really high
22
00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:30,960
quality stuff.
23
00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,480
I was really interested in that and later when I was working in restaurants after college,
24
00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,760
I went back to France to learn about wine and food, ended up working on some of those
25
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,320
farms and just became really interested in the difference between making really high
26
00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:49,120
quality food versus commercial mass production sort of thing.
27
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,680
And the chefs back here, they were all really excited about it, really wanted someone doing
28
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,760
something like that in the area and that's kind of what gave me the motivation.
29
00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,720
A friend of mine that I worked with at the winery now works for the extension there and
30
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,560
she's been kind of helping me with resources.
31
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,540
Currently one of our biggest projects at the Center for Regenerative Agriculture is the
32
00:02:07,540 --> 00:02:12,000
Circle project and you are part of the Climate Smart Fieldscapes project.
33
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,960
Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
34
00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:14,960
Sure.
35
00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:19,440
So I'll be instituting three new practices on the farm.
36
00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,320
So one of them is going to be planting about 350 trees or so.
37
00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,360
All native trees and all are going to be fruit or mass-bearing, so it's like mulberries,
38
00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,740
burr oaks, hazelnuts.
39
00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:36,560
So not only will those sort of help retain soil, sequester carbon, they'll also feed
40
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,480
the pigs eventually.
41
00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:44,520
The second that I'm doing is with a cornfield that I grow for the pigs to forage on.
42
00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,200
There's an old technique called hogging down that was really prevalent in the late 1800s,
43
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:50,200
early 1900s.
44
00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:56,840
It's doing minimum till, so instead of tilling the whole field, I'm just tilling little strips
45
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:01,000
or rows where the corn is planted and then leaving the rest there.
46
00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,680
And then I think the third is that I'll be using cover crops in conjunction with that.
47
00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:11,880
So once the pigs have grazed it down, I'll plant nitrogen-fixing things and just cover
48
00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:12,880
crops for the soil.
49
00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,880
When you took me on a tour of your farm, you mentioned that obviously the pigs are your
50
00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,920
main source of income for your farm.
51
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:23,680
What sort of pigs do you have on your farm right now and what are you hoping to do with
52
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:24,680
them?
53
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,120
So the pigs that I raise are Machon pigs.
54
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,680
They're a very old breed, they're very endangered, they were nearly extinct when I started raising
55
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:31,680
them.
56
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:38,200
But I think they have a really incredible potential for regenerative agriculture.
57
00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,840
One of the two main things that are different about them that I think are really beneficial
58
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:48,080
is that they have really large litter sizes and they can digest a lot more fiber.
59
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,080
So with pigs, it's really hard to get around grain feeding with a pregnant sow.
60
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:59,600
They need something like 18,000 or 19,000 calories a day once they're producing milk.
61
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,560
And so if you're
Load full transcript
going to feed that much to a pig, you know, 10, 15 pounds, and you can
62
00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,880
get two or three times as many pigs out of it, that's a much more efficient use of the
63
00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:09,400
grain that you're buying.
64
00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,080
The other thing that makes the Machons different is that the way they were traditionally raised
65
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:19,200
in China is that their job was to basically convert garden scraps into compost.
66
00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,640
So because of that, they've adapted the ability to consume significantly more fiber and not
67
00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,920
need as much protein as most pigs.
68
00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:31,440
And that means that they can get significantly more of their diet from pasture, as well as
69
00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,600
other byproducts.
70
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,080
So for example, I get spent brewer's grain from a brewery, I get wheat middlings from
71
00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,160
a local flour mill.
72
00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:45,200
And that's able to displace a lot of the grain that I would have to buy to feed the pigs.
73
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:49,360
And I think that they will be much more adapted to eating the fruit and the mass of trees
74
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:50,520
as well.
75
00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,100
So circling back to your three practices that you're implementing, how long have you been
76
00:04:55,100 --> 00:04:57,600
in the Climate Smart Fieldscapes program?
77
00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,200
I believe it's been going on for about a year, right?
78
00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,200
Yes.
79
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:08,880
I was accepted this winter and I just hashed out my plan with my advisor here in the last
80
00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:09,880
couple months.
81
00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:23,800
I'm Kelly Wilson, Associate Director for the Center for Regenerative Ag.
82
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,320
I am jumping in on your podcast listening to share the news that we are opening our
83
00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:32,380
second year application period for Regenerative Grazing, Climate Smart Fieldscapes, and Silvopasture
84
00:05:32,380 --> 00:05:33,380
programs.
85
00:05:33,380 --> 00:05:37,120
I'm joined by our Regenerative Grazing and Silvopasture program leads, Erin Keiley.
86
00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,040
Erin, can you tell us about these programs?
87
00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:41,040
Thanks Kelly.
88
00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:45,160
The Regenerative Grazing program is about encouraging Missouri livestock producers to
89
00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,000
implement adaptive grazing and really focus on the outcomes.
90
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:54,240
So a focus on soil health, increasing biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
91
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,480
Think of it like prescribed grazing, but next level.
92
00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:02,040
Farmers will develop a grazing plan and monitor across the grazing season.
93
00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,720
Using these plans can be super helpful for producers to understand pasture composition,
94
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:12,320
recovery periods, key production dates, and this year, it's especially relevant, using
95
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:17,160
a grazing chart can help farmers understand drought and plan for de-stocking dates well
96
00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:18,720
ahead of the market.
97
00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:24,200
The program pays $50 per acre for a one-year contract, and our farmers will also have access
98
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:29,400
to grazing webinars, field days, and cost share on really robust soil testing through
99
00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,880
SHAC so they can monitor and improve their soil health.
100
00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:33,880
Thanks Erin.
101
00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,560
The Climate Smart Fieldscape program is tailored for small and underserved producers in Missouri.
102
00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,720
Farmers accepted into this program will work with technical assistance providers to develop
103
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,440
an operational plan that includes using three or more Climate Smart practices over the course
104
00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:48,440
of three years.
105
00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:53,160
We are offering a flat payment of $10,000 over the course of that three-year contract.
106
00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,720
In this program, participants will also benefit from being part of a virtual cohort where
107
00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,000
you'll meet with fellow farmers and technical assistance providers every few months on a
108
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,000
virtual meeting.
109
00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,520
You'll also be a partner in education, so lastly you do some type of demonstration activity
110
00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,640
like this podcast over the course of those three years.
111
00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,160
The last program that we wanted to just briefly mention is the Silver Pasture Program.
112
00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:18,760
Here, we are paying $250 per acre for producers to plant trees in pastures where livestock
113
00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:19,760
will graze.
114
00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,840
So if you are a Missouri producer interested in either general grazing, the Climate Smart
115
00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:28,240
Fieldscape Program, or silver pasture, head over to our website at cra.missouri.edu to
116
00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:29,240
learn more.
117
00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:45,000
I think the trees being able to provide cover for the pigs and feed the pigs is huge.
118
00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,800
I mean, pigs are naturally woodland animals, so that is a little bit more in line with
119
00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,500
their natural habitat.
120
00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:58,600
I know looking at the trees that I'm bringing on that are native trees, each one can be
121
00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,920
either food or habitat for over a hundred different insects, and that's one thing that
122
00:08:03,920 -->
00:08:07,040
I've noticed since starting my farm.
123
00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:12,840
My farm was a corn-soy rotation field, so it was bare dirt when I got it, and one of
124
00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:17,320
the things I've noticed over the last five years is that as I see more plant diversity,
125
00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:22,400
I start seeing more insect diversity, eventually more diversity of birds, and it kind of just
126
00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:23,400
goes from there.
127
00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:30,880
So I think some of these initiatives of just bringing a wider range of plant life is bringing
128
00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:36,440
more food and habitat for more other creatures.
129
00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:42,000
One is that with more cover crops, with added trees, you're going to be able to sequester
130
00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,680
a lot more carbon in your soil.
131
00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:48,920
That's going to help you provide more nutrients to the plants that you're growing to feed
132
00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:49,920
the animals.
133
00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:55,040
It's going to produce more nutrient-dense forage for the animals.
134
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,400
Higher organic matter in the soil is also going to help you retain more moisture when
135
00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:04,160
it rains, and that will help you, for one, take in more moisture when you get a heavy
136
00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:09,160
rain event, but also allow it to retain more moisture so that when you have droughts, you're
137
00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:10,760
not suffering as much.
138
00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:17,720
And at the same time, I think the trees are a really great way of feeding the pigs, because
139
00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,320
they're deeper-rooted systems.
140
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:24,560
I know out of the last five years, I would say three of them, I've had a really hard
141
00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:28,600
time establishing winter crops, just because we're not getting a lot of rain.
142
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,640
I mean, last year is a great example.
143
00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:36,080
I planted my fall and winter cover crops in August, and we didn't get any significant
144
00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:41,360
rain until maybe mid-October, and that was not enough time to establish the cover crops
145
00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,360
before winter.
146
00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:49,440
Whereas the trees I have, like the baroques, persimmons, they're dropping in the fall and
147
00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:55,600
the winter, and they would be able to withstand that kind of drought and still produce.
148
00:09:55,600 --> 00:10:01,120
What would you say to a farmer who maybe has never done any regenerative agricultural practices
149
00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,120
before, and kind of wants to get into it, but doesn't know where to start?
150
00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,820
I think working on an operation can be a huge help.
151
00:10:09,820 --> 00:10:15,160
I would also encourage people to work on an operation that is actually a for-profit farm.
152
00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:21,320
There's just a big difference between something that actually has to function as a business
153
00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,840
versus something that's grant-funded or is a passion project.
154
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:32,040
There's just different constraints on resources that I think are incredibly important to understand.
155
00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:37,600
But I think also just having experience of doing the day-to-day work is really important.
156
00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,600
I think people forget how much of a skill agriculture is.
157
00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:48,640
You know, I feed pigs with double the efficiency that I used to just because of figuring out
158
00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:49,640
different efficiencies.
159
00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:55,080
You know, like I said, with this kind of agriculture not being standardized, there's a ton of different
160
00:10:55,080 --> 00:11:00,640
ways that you can house pigs, transport them, load them up for the butcher.
161
00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,640
I mean, all of those things, they can take you 20 minutes or they can take you two hours.
162
00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,320
It's really only through working on an operation that you can kind of figure out those efficiencies
163
00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:11,320
that are really important.
164
00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:18,880
I would say the other thing is being a part of your local food, whatever it is.
165
00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,220
I think before you start a business, you need to understand what the demand is, what it
166
00:11:23,220 --> 00:11:28,800
is that people are actually looking for, what they're willing to pay for it, who's out there
167
00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,920
doing it already, what isn't being produced that people are interested in.
168
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:40,700
I mean, you can't have a farm without a market of end consumers.
169
00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:45,320
And so just kind of getting a foot in the door there and knowing what you're going to
170
00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,640
do with your product when you sell it is huge because I've seen.
171
00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:55,960
I think that, to me, seems to be the biggest mistake that people make in this type of agriculture
172
00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,000
is they think that all they have to do is produce something.
173
00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:05,080
And I don't think that they allocate enough time towards actually selling it.
174
00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:11,120
I don't think they think that, well, for example, I probably spend as much time in a given week
175
00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:16,520
marketing and selling my pork as I do actually producing it.
176
00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:20,120
And I think people don't allocate that time.
177
00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,160
They think that all they have to do is produce it and then it moves out the door.
178
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:29,360
So yeah, having a solid background and experience in the actual agricultural production and
179
00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:35,300
then also understanding your local marketplace and what is needed, I think are the two most
180
00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:37,840
important things.
181
00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,160
A big thank you to Jonathan for letting me come out to his farm and chat.
182
00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:45,680
Again, I'm Mikayla Boris, your host from the University of Missouri's Center for Regenerative
183
00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:46,680
Agriculture.
184
00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:51,140
If you have questions, comments, or any thoughts on this podcast, let us know by visiting our
185
00:12:51,140 --> 00:12:56,080
website at cra.missouri.edu and go to the podcast page.
186
00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,440
You can also find us on social media at MU Regen Ag.
187
00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,920
And also don't forget to leave us a rating wherever you're listening.
188
00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,300
This podcast was produced in partnership with MU Extension.
189
00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:09,920
The music you're hearing is called Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw, and we snagged it
190
00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,680
from the Free Music Archive.
191
00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:14,760
Watch out for another regenerative reflection, and we'll see you next time.