Episode 104: Introducing Integrity Grown™ with John Kempf
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Release Date: 02/09/2024
Episode 115: Covering Ground: How Cover Crops Can Change Your Farm with Brian Magarin
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Brian Magarin has a background rooted in farming, spanning over a decade. Brian's journey has been shaped by hands-on experience and a commitment to sustainable farming methods after first starting in a conventional setting. Through years of trial and error, he has gained valuable insights into soil dynamics, irrigation techniques, and the impact of cover crops on crop and soil health. Brian manages 9,000 acres for Belltown Farms and grows corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. He also operates his own farm, growing organic corn, soybeans, and small grains. In this episode, Brian and John...
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Podcast Extra - AEA's Regenerative Future: Hear From Our Investors
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
AEA Founder and Chief Vision Officer, John Kempf, gives a quick summary of the success of our first community raise and features six investors who share why they invested in Advancing Eco Agriculture. AEA has raised over $2.2 million thus far during our Wefunder crowdfunding campaign, aimed at expanding our regenerative solutions to support farmers worldwide and enhance our food supply. Hear from investors: Claudia Ben Erin Crampton John Pierce Kate Fileczki Laurenz Von Glahn Paul Ruger To invest in AEA and a regenerative future, please visit our Wefunder page: About John Kempf John...
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Episode 114: The State of the American Food System with Austin Frerick
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Austin Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He is a 7th-generation Iowan whose passion for agriculture comes from the weekends working on his grandpa's farm. He is a Fellow at the Thurman Arnold Project at Yale University. In 2022, he worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to organize a conference at Yale Law School entitled “Reforming America’s Food Retail Markets,” which explored competition issues in the nation’s grocery industry. He is the author of Barons: Money, Power and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry, which illustrates the...
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Episode 113: The Economics and Ethos of Market Gardening with Jean-Martin Fortier
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Jean-Martin (JM) Fortier has over 20 years of experience developing, testing, and perfecting biointensive and regenerative growing techniques on his small-scale farms in Quebec that increase the soil’s biology to achieve maximum yields on small surfaces. Jean-Martin’s mission is to promote the importance of human-scale regenerative agriculture in creating sustainable and resilient food systems. He achieves this goal by sharing his knowledge and expertise with thousands of farmers through the Market Gardener Institute. JM’s multifaceted roles range from CEO to technical specialist,...
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Episode 112: Transforming Arid Landscapes with Taimur Malik
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Taimur Malik founded Drawdown Farm, a regenerative farm in the Thal desert in Pakistan. Taimur engages in various regenerative agriculture practices, including planting diverse crops like bananas, implementing managed grazing trials, and using impact sprinkler systems powered by solar energy. Taimur emphasizes the importance of biological solutions and sustainable farming techniques to improve soil health, increase yields, and mitigate environmental impacts. His innovative approaches, such as using biologicals and adopting holistic land management practices, demonstrate his commitment to...
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Episode 111: Questioning Farm Management Traditions with Boe Clausen
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Boe Clausen is a second-generation farmer in Eastern Washington. His parents immigrated from Denmark and established Stokrose Farm in 1981. Initially focused on vegetable seed production, the farm diversified into alfalfa, hay, corn, wheat, and cattle. Boe now manages Stokrose Farm alongside his siblings. Boe's shift towards foliar applications, reduced nitrogen usage, and strategic nutrient management have improved crop health, reduced disease and insect pressure, and enhanced soil fertility. In 2022, he grew 250-bushel corn with only 20 lbs of nitrogen. In this episode, Boe and John...
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Episode 110: Stock Cropping and Regenerative Innovation with Zack Smith
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Zack Smith is a fifth-generation farmer from northern Iowa. He is the owner and operator of Smith Seed and Agronomy, LLC, and co-founder and CEO of Stock Cropper, Inc. Zack previously worked in seed production and chemical retail as a certified crop advisor and then as a seed rep while farming on the side. He eventually became interested in soil health and started experimenting with strip-tilling and using cover crops, which marked the beginning of his shift towards regenerative agricultural. Zack recently developed a system called “stock cropping,” a regenerative farming system that...
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Episode 109: From Urban Organizers to Organic Pioneers with Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge are co-owners of Many Hands Organic Farm, an organic CSA farm that serves 150 families in Barre, MA. They met while doing community organizing work in Boston, and in 1982, made the decision to move out to the country to raise their kids in connection to the land and grow their own food. Julie and Jack share their farm’s transformative journey from inception to becoming a model of regenerative, organic farming. In this episode, Julie and Jack discuss with John: Their journey from community organizing to farming and urban to rural living The financial and...
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Episode 108: Increasing the Nutrient Density of Wine Grapes with Nicole Dooling and Michael Frey
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Nicole Dooling and Michael Frey help operate Mariah Vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge alongside Nicole’s parents, Dan and Vicki. As founders, Dan and Vicki have mindfully tended their land for over 40 years, putting in the hard labor of planting and growing this vineyard from the ground up. Their family and vineyard have thrived due to their dedication, adaptability, and resourcefulness in working with nature. Situated at 2,400 ft elevation without irrigation, they holistically manage their vineyard using organic and regenerative farming practices. In 2020, Mariah Vineyards partnered with the...
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Episode 107: Sustainable and Profitable Agriculture with Marty Travis
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Marty Travis, a former furniture maker turned farmer, co-owns and operates Spence Farm in Illinois with his son, Will. Spence Farm grows a wide array of heirloom and native crops, heritage animals, and a huge diversity of agricultural opportunities on the 160 acres. Marty embraced sustainable farming, catering to Chicago's restaurant community. This unique partnership led to a thriving and sustainable business prioritizing soil health, livestock, and community relationships. The farm model evolved to support individual families in response to the Covid crisis and the closing of most...
info_outlineIn this special podcast episode marking the launch of Integrity Grown™, AEA’s verification standard, John Kempf shares the heart behind this new brand.
John advocates for a shift towards verifying outcomes rather than solely focusing on processes. Integrity Grown prioritizes the verification of outcomes across several key areas:
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Harvest Quality and Nutritional Integrity: Ensuring the produce meets high quality standards and retains its nutritional value.
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Harvest Freedom from Toxins: Guaranteeing that the harvest is free from harmful substances such as molds, mycotoxins, toxic elements, and pesticides above defined thresholds.
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Soil Health and Ecosystem Regeneration: Promoting practices that foster soil health and contribute to the restoration of ecosystems
Moreover, Integrity Grown assesses farming processes within the broader context of regenerative agriculture. Practices like tillage, limited livestock incorporation due to regulatory constraints, or the necessity of pesticide applications are evaluated on a spectrum, considering the specific farm and crop context.
Integrity Grown extends its evaluation to the relationships between supply networks and farmers. It emphasizes the importance of developing synergistic relationships with growers, empowering them as stewards of the land, and ensuring fair compensation for producing exceptional quality.
Through Integrity Grown, AEA aims to redefine agricultural standards by prioritizing outcomes, promoting regenerative practices, and fostering mutually beneficial relationships within the agricultural supply chain.
You can learn more about Integrity Grown here.
About John Kempf
John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow
Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
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VIDEO: To learn more from John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: https://youtu.be/n9U6GwbYPDk