Podcasts about american grassfed association

Wednesday, January 22 -  Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including surveys showing consumption of dairy products is at a record high, especially butter and cheese, new research shows agriculture in America has the potential to be greenhouse gas negative, and why more people are putting solar on their farm. Then, Doug introduces us to Jim Linne, MD, a first generation farmer and owner of White Clover Farm. The farm is family owned and locally operated, and is certified 100% grass-fed by the American Grassfed Association. White Clover Farm tracks their cattle from birth to consumer to ensure they remain a safe and healthy food. Jim has seen first-hand the connection between good nutrition and health, as he practiced gastroenterology for 35 years before dedicating his time to the farm, which he'd purchased in 2005. The property was a former corn and soybean farm and, to minimize soil erosion, all of the fields have been converted to permanent pastures and hayfields. The goals of White Clover Farm are land stewardship, sustainability, regeneration of soil fertility and biodiversity. The health of soils, plants, animals, and people is inextricably linked, and Jim does everything he can to keep the cattle happy and healthy, and without the use of chemicals of any kind on his pastures or cattle. Lastly, Doug opines the provisions for farming and agriculture under the new Trump administration, which actually goes back to his first presidency, as well as the importance of a system that rewards farmers for the value of the work and the quality of the product produced on the farm. Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.comSocial Media: @GoodDayNetworks

Jesse Smith is the Director of Land Stewardship at the White Buffalo Land Trust, which is a global hub for regenerative land stewardship, ecological monitoring and research, education, and more. Jesse brings a unique perspective and a diverse set of experiences to his work in regenerative agriculture– his early interest in architecture led him to pursue an education in design, which then led to a career in product design and visual communication. But over time, he became interested in combining his artistic sensibilities with his love of the land, science, and permaculture, and soon thereafter began his journey in the world of family farming, food production, and education. Jesse is now a leader in the world of regenerative ag, and, as you'll hear, he has a real gift for communicating the art and science of land stewardship.  This conversation was recorded in November of 2024 on stage at the REGENERATE conference– one of the country's foremost gatherings of regenerative agriculture practitioners and thought leaders. REGENERATE is a collaboration between the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association, and the conference attracts fascinating people from all over the world to share knowledge, build community, and create a culture of resilience and regeneration.  Despite sitting on stage in front of an auditorium full of people, this conversation felt much more like a fun one-on-one discussion between two friends. We covered everything from Jesse's winding path into the world of agriculture to some of the more technical details around land monitoring and certifications. We discussed the natural disasters in Jesse's community that highlighted huge problems in the local food systems, which eventually led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust. We discussed how Jesse prioritizes his work when there are so many urgent challenges to address, and he shares his experiences with big business's growing interest in regenerative ag. We talk about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, transforming inspiration into action, advice for building a career in regenerative ag, favorite books, and much more. We also allowed ample time for Q&A from the audience, which I know you'll enjoy. Jesse mentions tons of useful resources so be sure to visit the episode notes for a full list of topics we discussed and links to everything. A huge thanks to the team at REGENERATE for inviting me to the conference, thank you to Jesse for chatting with me and offering so much wisdom, and thanks to you for listening. The episode starts out with an introduction from Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, who is the Executive Director of the Quivira Coalition and a past Mountain & Prairie podcast guest. Hope you enjoy! --- Jesse Smith White Buffalo Land Trust Figure Ate Foods REGENERATE conference Quivira Coalition Holistic Management International American Grassfed Association Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jesse-smith/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - An introduction from Quivira's Executive Director, Sarah Wentzel-Fisher 4:45 - Ed's introduction 8:00 - Jesse's early years and path into conservation 12:15 - Recognizing the community need that led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust 16:00 - How does Jesse prioritize his work at the White Buffalo Land Trust 21:45 - Thoughts on big business's interest in regenerative agriculture 27:05 - The complexity of regenerative certifications 32:45 - Predictions about the future of regenerative certifications 35:30 - Advice for people who want to work in regenerative ag 41:00 - Translating inspiration into action 45:30 - Audience Q&A: How do stories and on-the-ground experiences help to change people's minds? 50:43 - Audience Q&A: Why is the burden on regenerative producers to get certifications to prove that they are doing it correctly? 54:15 - Audience Q&A: Thoughts on the new administration bringing regenerative practitioners into the FDA? 59:20 - Audience Q&A: How do we create more accessibility around regenerative ag? 1:03:10 - Audience Q&A: How does regenerative ag play a role in procurement by institutional buyers? 1:05:00 - Audience Q&A: What is the source of people's disconnection with food and what is one step to bridge that gap? 1:08:20 - Audience Q&A: What are some planning strategies to help balance stewardship and profitability 1:12:05 - Audience Q&A: What is the lay of the land when it comes to certifications across a broad range of markets? 1:16:15 - Jesse's book recommendations --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

This Day in Legal History: First Continental Congress in PhiladelphiaOn September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, marking a pivotal moment in American legal and political history. Delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies gathered in response to the "Intolerable Acts" imposed by the British Parliament. These punitive laws, including the Boston Port Act and the Massachusetts Government Act, were seen as direct threats to colonial self-governance and economic stability. The Congress sought to unify colonial opposition to British rule, beginning with a coordinated response through non-violent means.One of its most significant outcomes was the drafting of the "Declaration and Resolves," a document asserting colonial rights. This declaration rejected British authority over internal colonial affairs, reaffirmed the colonies' right to self-governance, and condemned the Intolerable Acts as violations of English constitutional law. It also set forth a colonial boycott of British goods through the creation of the Continental Association. The First Continental Congress did not yet call for independence but emphasized reconciliation with Britain under fairer terms. However, its convening laid the groundwork for future revolutionary actions and the eventual establishment of the United States.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated its guidance on marketing terms like "grass-fed" and "free-range" for meat and poultry products. The new rules emphasize more robust documentation and encourage the use of third-party certifications to substantiate claims about animal-raising practices and environmental sustainability. This update, however, falls short of satisfying sustainability advocates who call for stricter regulations. The change follows a rise in lawsuits accusing companies of "greenwashing," where environmental claims are made without sufficient proof. Earlier this year, JBS, the world's largest beef processor, was sued by New York's attorney general for allegedly misleading consumers about its sustainability efforts.The USDA's new rules aim to create fair competition among businesses making genuine claims and help consumers trust the labels. However, some, like the American Grassfed Association, argue that these guidelines should be mandatory rather than voluntary. Critics, including PETA, remain skeptical, stating that meat and dairy products can never be truly sustainable. Meanwhile, businesses are awaiting further clarity from the Federal Trade Commission's upcoming update of the Green Guides, which provide broader advice on marketing environmental claims.Scrutiny of Meat Labels Like Grass-Fed Misses Green ExpectationsHarlan Crow, a prominent Republican donor, has refused to provide the Senate Finance Committee with financial records related to private yacht and jet travel involving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The committee, chaired by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), is investigating whether Crow improperly claimed business deductions for personal trips taken with Thomas. The inquiry follows revelations that Thomas took additional undisclosed trips on Crow's yacht. Wyden emphasized that the committee seeks to understand the extent of Crow's undisclosed gifts to Thomas in order to inform potential legislation.Crow's attorney, Michael Bopp, responded by calling the investigation “abusive and unlawful,” accusing the committee of using Crow's friendship with Thomas for partisan purposes. He argued that the inquiry goes beyond the committee's authority and is more focused on judicial ethics than legislative issues. Bopp also dismissed the tax concerns, suggesting that if there were legitimate issues with Crow's business practices, they should have been handled through an IRS audit within the statute of limitations.By way of reminder Harlan Crow, you will remember, is the clown that I wrote about last year and whose dubious financial dealings continue to make headlines. In addition to his close ties with Justice Clarence Thomas, Crow has been linked to offshore tax havens through his company, Crow Holdings, which holds accounts in the Cayman Islands. This is just one example of the ways billionaires like Crow use "cashports"—a term I attempted to coin to describe citizenship-by-investment programs that grant passports from countries like St. Kitts and Nevis, known for their financial secrecy. The term went nowhere but, happily, scrutiny of Crow continues.These cashports allow the wealthy to obscure their assets, evading U.S. taxes and potentially funding criminal activities under the guise of legitimate investment. Tax shelters like these rely on high-profile, quasi-legitimate users like Crow to maintain political and economic standing, despite connections to organized crime and other risks. If we aim to curtail these activities, both transparency measures and strict penalties for tax cheats must be pursued aggressively. Crow's offshore dealings further complicate the public understanding of his financial gifts to Thomas, highlighting the need for a stronger judicial ethics code and international financial transparency.Harlan Crow Rejects Senate Records Request in Thomas InquiryGolden Visas Let People Like Harlan Crow Keep Too Much Hidden (2)In the ongoing legal case against Donald Trump over attempts to overturn the 2020 election, a U.S. District Court hearing will take place to determine the next steps after the Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity. Trump has argued that his actions were part of his official responsibilities as president, seeking to dismiss some charges under this immunity. The court found that Trump cannot be prosecuted for pressuring the U.S. Department of Justice, but other charges, such as using false claims of voter fraud to subvert the election results, remain.Special counsel Jack Smith aims to push the case forward, while Trump's legal team seeks to delay proceedings until after the 2024 presidential election. Trump has also raised concerns about the legality of Smith's appointment as special counsel, mirroring a successful challenge in a separate case involving classified documents. Judge Tanya Chutkan will weigh these competing proposals in deciding how and when to proceed with the case.US judge to weigh path forward in Trump election case after immunity decision | ReutersIn response to the growing homelessness crisis, California cities like Palm Springs are increasingly turning to police enforcement, emboldened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld camping bans. Palm Springs, traditionally known for its progressive policies, passed a law in July expanding police authority to arrest people for sleeping on public property. The city's action reflects a broader trend across California, where 12 cities have enacted similar camping bans, citing the Supreme Court ruling. Despite spending over $20 billion on housing programs, California's homeless population continues to grow, with an estimated 180,000 unhoused residents.Critics argue that criminalizing homelessness is counterproductive. Experts emphasize the need for deeply affordable housing and warn that police crackdowns alienate the homeless, complicating efforts to provide outreach services. Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills supports compassionate enforcement but stresses that the community must take action to address the crisis. Meanwhile, some cities, including Los Angeles, are resisting police crackdowns and exploring alternatives like sanctioned camping spaces. The debate continues as advocates push for long-term solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, such as rising housing costs and wage stagnation.Emboldened by Supreme Court, California turns to police in homeless crisis | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

In this episode, join Jared Sorensen and Will Harris as they navigate the journey of building a successful regenerative agriculture business.Whether you're a seasoned farmer, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply passionate about creating a more sustainable future, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration to guide you on your journey.ABOUT THE GUEST: Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy.These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before.Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration.Be sure to check out our previous episodes and click on the link to join our Webinar series:  https://www.agsteward.fyi/registration-page--1 or visit our YouTube channel.

SUPPORT HARVEST EATING AND GET A NICE BOX OF GOODIES SHIPPED TO YOU, A STORE DISCOUNT, AND A WARM FUZZY FEELING! Lifetime Supporters get spices, coffee, and access to online courses. BECOME A STUDENT IN THE FOOD STORAGE FEAST ONLINE COURSE Learn skills to turn basic foods into delicious meals all year long. The Food Storage Feast Online Course pays for itself with a bounty of amazing meals, it's the education you can eat! “Food Storage Feast is one of the most important recommendations I can make for your preparedness. Chef Keith has changed my entire perspective on how to really enjoy living off food storage.” -Joel Skoussen, Author Strategic Relocation, Publisher World Affairs Brief Brown Duck Coffee Quackin Blend This is Chef Keith Snow's daily coffee! Very rich and flavorful with a smooth finish, perfect for French press, pour-over, cold brew, or iced coffee-sip it up nice! A premier combination of Central and South American beans. This dark blend is roasted until the surface of the bean shows a hint of natural oil. The mellow smoky flavor with chocolate nuance is superbly aromatic. Post-Roast: Two different coffees roasted and then blended “post roast” create unique flavors. HARVEST EATING SPICE BLENDS ARE NOW SHIPPING Check out our spice master pack containing 6 cans of our best-selling spices, perfect for Christmas gift giving, save $6 dollars and get free shipping. FOOD INDUSTRY AND HARVEST NEWS: Daiya Cheese To Address Texture Issues With New Oat Cream Made Using Fermentation Daiya hopes to address the “inconsistency across the taste and texture,” of dairy-free cheese products. The new oat blend will be featured in shreds, slices, blocks and sticks of Daiya cheese. “Up until now, we know that the #1 thing holding the category back is that it hasn't delivered on consumers' taste expectations,” Melanie Domer, Daiya's chief commercial officer, said in an emailed statement to Food Dive. “Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and as a result, there are high expectations.”  -Source: Food Dive TODAY'S MAIN TOPIC: Imported “Grass-Fed” Beef Sold As Product Of The USA-Legally? American Grass Fed Beef Undercut By Foreign Competition Due To Obama COOL Law. The Grass-fed beef scam. Share of this market was 60% for US Cattle Farmers now 15% due to this law and cheap competition. Read-SCAM Bubba Foods, a Jacksonville, Florida-based company whose products are sold by major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Wegman's, puts its American-made claims front and center. The label on the company's grass-fed ground beef displays a prominent “Product of USA” banner, complete with an American flag—and, if that wasn't enough, the proud phrase “Born & Raised in the USA.” But paperwork filed with USDA, obtained by the American Grassfed Association and shared with me, suggests the product may not be American at all—at least, not in the conventional sense most shoppers would understand. From The Federal Register "We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of certain animals, meat, and other animal products by allowing, under certain conditions, the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from Paraguay. Based on the evidence from a risk analysis, we have determined that fresh beef can safely be imported from Paraguay, provided certain conditions are met..." From White Oak Pastures: Today, thanks to the fact that there is no mandatory "Country of Origin" labeling law, consumers are consuming beef raised and slaughtered in these foreign countries under the guise that it's a product of the USA. Our beef imports come from all over the world, apparently now including Paraguay. Other countries we import from include, but are certainly not limited to: Brazil, Uruguay, Australia, Namibia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Japan, China, and...the list continues. HOMESTEAD TSUNAMI: Crops That Store And Are High Calorie and Nutrient Dense: Potatoes can be stored over winter in a coolbox or root cellar Corn can be dried, frozen, ground, etc. Flint Corn, flour corn, dent corn Dry Beans-On average, you can grow 3-5 pounds per 100 square feet, but with the right techniques and proper use of vertical gardening, you can grow even more. Look for a Mexican variety Jimenez Pole Bean, its a terrific green bean, a shell bean, a dried bean… a large producer if you can find seed. Great video here about succotash. Green beans can be canned, frozen, and eaten all year long. Cabbage can be made into things like chow chow or sauerkraut, with loads of nutrition and flavor. Winter squash have loads of culinary versatility from pies to side dishes soups to stews, and can be canned frozen, or stored all winter in the root cellar Carrots of course are culinary superstars and store well in root cellar or can be frozen or canned. Onions & garlic are easy to grow and store well plus they can be frozen or dried. ECONOMIC NEWS: Recently France & Italy posted prints with deflation or falling prices. Even though we have been battling with inflation here food etc. things like cars, homes, fuel, and recreational equipment are all don considerably, good if you're a buyer, bad if you're a seller. What goes up must come down. PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION: Carbon Steel Pans-if you can get them properly seasoned they are wonderful and perform better than cast iron. I recommend Lodge or any French brand. CLOSING THOUGHTS: Buyer beware, best to shop for beef at local farms or suppliers who are vertically integrated and process on-farm, that is the best scenario. RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE: https://www.stonebarnscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Grassfed_Full_v2.pdf https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/blog/the-usa-imports-more-beef-than-we-export https://www.fooddive.com/news/daiya-revamps-dairy-free-cheese-products-fermentation-technology/701478/ https://thecounter.org/grass-fed-beef-labeling-fraud-country-origin/ Great YouTube channel PBS Food LINKS TO CHECK OUT: Harvest Eating Spices Support Harvest Eating Enroll in Food Storage Feast Brown Duck Coffee About Chef Keith Snow LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: On iTunes Fountain FM Stitcher Radio Player FM Google Top Podcast Audible Podbay

White Oak Pastures is a sixth generation, 156-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia. It's also the home of Rancher Will Harris who runs an expansive, zero waste production system with the animals he pasture raises and butchers on the farm. White Oak Pastures produces grass fed beef, lamb, goat, and Heritage pork, and pastured turkeys, chicken, duck, geese, and more. Will is a vocal and passionate champion of radically traditional farming as the path to regenerative land management, humane animal husbandry, and revitalizing rural communities. This is the second time we've spoken with Will Harris. The first time came right on the heels of a really interesting national meeting held in Tennessee on regenerative farming, where I became very impressed with Will and the work he's doing. He was kind enough to join us for a podcast at that time. Our discussion today happens to coincide with the release of a book that Will has written entitled, "A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food.” Interview Summary I really would love to dive into the meaning behind the title of your book, and what you wrote about. But let me ask you a few lead-in questions. Many years ago, you made a profound change in the way you approached ranching and farming. What convinced you back then that this kind of change was necessary? And tell us what you did if you would. My dad ran the farm before me. He was born in 1920, took over the farm post World War II, 1945. He was the generation that really industrialized, commoditized, and centralized the farm. It went from being the really typical 19th century farm under my great-grandfather and grandfather, to being a monocultural cattle operation. My dad was very, very good at it, a great cattleman. He ran the farm profitably. And all I ever wanted to do was come back and run the farm as a monocultural industrial cattle operation. I just loved it. I went to University of Georgia in 1972 and majored in animal science with the intention of coming back, and I did. And I loved it. You know, we weren't wealthy people, but we made money every year. We paid taxes every single year. And I was happy for a long time. But, in the mid-nineties, the excesses of that industrial monocultural model, became displeasing to me. When it started, it happened fairly quickly, and I decided to change. I did not have a goal to move towards, I just knew what I wanted to move away from. I started moving away from it almost 30 years ago, and I've been moving away from it ever since. I'd love to follow up on one thing that you mentioned, and it's the generational nature of kind of farming overall, and your farm. Several years ago, I did a tour of farms in Eastern North Carolina, and I was really impressed with how important the family aspect of that was. Could you just tell us a little bit about that? What does that mean to you and six generations? That's really impressive. The family aspect of it is a blessing and a curse, but it's been a blessing for us. This is just the way it is. My dad was an only child, and I am an only child. So, the passing down of the asset, the farm, farmland was very easy for us. I'm reminded that the old European way of all the assets going to the eldest son was certainly not fair, but I think that went a long way towards ensuring that the asset was passed down and kept intact, as opposed to dividing it up equally among the two, three, four, six, seven siblings. I have three daughters, two of which have come back to the farm. And I will leave the farm to those two daughters. So, our farm is unusual. And it's five, maybe six generations old, but it too will cease to be at some point. That's the way it is. There are other people that want to start farming, that need the opportunity. So this, it's just a good healthy, natural business system. You referred to the farm as an asset, but I have a feeling it's more than that. I mean you could be passing down to subsequent generations a service station, or a convenience store, or a dry cleaner or something like that. But I have a feeling that the fact that you're passing along something that is tied to the land, it just has so much more meaning. Tell me if I'm wrong. No, you're exactly right. But I put a finer point on it. There are not many non-depreciating assets. Land is a non-depreciating asset. I guess gyms are a non-depreciating asset, probably art. There just aren't many assets that don't have a finite life for them. But land is one of them. It's perpetual. And I would argue that the herds also are perpetual. Certainly, the individual animal in the herd has an expected lifespan, but the herd itself is perpetual. My cattle herd literally goes back genetically to the cattle my great-grandfather brought here 150 years ago. So, when you take that perspective, it turns the asset that you inherit or build up or however that goes, it turns it into something very, very special. And I think it should be treated that way. So, let's get back to the farm itself. What have some of the effects been on your land, of the practices that you use on the environment, and also on the food you raise? How do you work to achieve zero waste production? And what do you mean by that? Well, the impact on the land has been incredible. When I started changing the way I farm, which means principally giving up tillage, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and grazing my animals differently and having a broad spectrum of species of animals on the farm, it changed dramatically. My land went from a half a percent organic model - point five, one half of one percent - to five percent. A 10X increase, okay? It's incredible. And just to talk about the water holding capacity, I don't want to go too far down that hole, but 1% organic matter generally holds 27,000 gallons of water per acre. So, when you go from a half percent to 5%, a 10x increase, you can see what that does to the water holding capacity. The change is just as dramatic in terms of microbial life, and other aspects of soil productivity. So, it is incredible what it does. As far as the animals go, I had a monoculture of cattle, but I had a lot of them. And I always believed that our animal welfare was just great. I mean, I thought it was fine until I had my eyes opened and I realized that keeping them well fed, watered, in comfortable temperature range, is not good for the welfare. I thought it was, but it's not. It's also incumbent upon the herdsman to give the animals the opportunity to express instinctive behavior. Cattle were born to roam and graze, not stand in a pen and eat out of a trough. Chickens were born to scratch and pick. Hogs were born to root and wallow. And in the industrial model, those species don't get to do that. So, that's a beautiful thing to me. And then the environment, you know, I really believe that we're sequestering a lot of carbon. You mentioned zero waste. And when I say zero waste, I don't want people to think that there's never any plastic that's hauled off from here. Certainly, there is. But we slaughter our animals here on the farm, we've got a pretty big slaughter plant for red meat and poultry for private farm abattoir. And it generates about seven tons a day of packing plant waste. That's the term USDA uses. We compost that and make just wonderful compost that we reapply to the land. And it's just, it's just a beautiful thing. That is beautiful. So, let's talk about the zero-waste concept. When people hear that, I think some people think that it means you don't waste any parts of the animal when it's being turned into food for human consumption. But you're talking about more than that. And you mentioned the carbon sequestration in the soil. Can you explain what that means and how that fits into the zero-waste idea? I will but let me also address the fact that it does mean what you said. It does mean using all the animals. We render the fat into the lard and tallow, which we sell or make soap out of. The hides go to make raw hide pet chews, or I send it away to be turned into leather. We have a shop where we make leather goods. I can go on and on about the things we do to not waste. We grind the bones that are not marketable as soup bones. We grind them and apply them to the land as well as a source of calcium and phosphate. So, zero waste takes a lot of different ramifications to achieve that. And as for the carbon, you know, the carbon in our soil, the organic amount I mentioned earlier? Having increased this so dramatically is yet another way of not emitting. A company called Quantis, an environmental engineering company, did a lifecycle assessment on our farm several years ago. It's called LCA. And it's actually on my website, https://whiteoakpastures.com. And it shows that we sequester carbon. It's 3.5 pounds of carbon to sequestered soil for every pound that we put up. So, it's certainly doing positive things, we believe, for the environment. That's so important, because otherwise that carbon would be up there in the atmosphere, creating a lot of damage that people know about. So, the fact that you're drawing it down, and sequestering it in the soil is doing a really good turn for our environment overall. Tet me say also, I love your website, https://whiteoakpastures.com, because it tells the story of what you do, it provides some history and resources about the farm, but also you have a lot of really pretty amazing products that you sell. And so, it's nice to know that these things are available to people who might be interested in buying the products for your farm. It is so interesting and frustrating to me that a certain brand of environmentalist has identified cattle as being the primary culprit in climate change. And of course, it's simply not true. It is not fair to brand cattle with that claim, that, you know. If you want to blame the cattle feeding industry, confinement feeding industry with that, then I support it. But the way we raise cattle not only does it not contribute negatively, but it's also part of the cure. And that's, it's just so unfair. Let's think about the radical change you made in the family's farming practices. Tell me how risky this was? I mean, how risky was it to you in terms of your reputation, your place in the community with other people that may have been continuing to use all kinds of industrial farming and ranching methods, and financially, how risky was it? That's a great question. And when I give the answer, I certainly don't sound very smart. Because there was a lot of naivety in the decision I made. I really did not understand how much risk I was taking on. I should have, in retrospect. I was just a little reckless. But I always ran the farm, and I'd always made money. I was going to change the way I run the farm, and I assumed it would continue to make money, but it didn't. I was adding value to the product I was producing, grass fed beef, that I was not able to extract from the market at that time. Partially because I didn't have processing available, and partly because grass fed beef had not come into its being in the consumer community. So, we had some pretty tough times, but we made it through it. And my timing going in the grass-fed business in that mid-nineties to early two thousands was so, so lucky. And I really, really do mean lucky. Today, I don't think we would've made it. There's too much imported grass-fed beef. That is labeled as "Product of the USA." The market has tightened and tougher because of that. We made it then, but I don't think we would make it today. What does that say for farmers today who might be considering making the kind of changes that you made many years ago? Well, I don't like reporting this, but I've gone from really being a recruiter urging people to embrace this kind of agriculture to really warning people, "Be careful." I don't recommend people not do it, but I really do focus on them being careful. And we sat up a 501 C3 called Center for Agricultural Resilience to help people learn the things that we've learned, so that they won't make a mistake. I really want people to farm this way. And my goal is not to grow White Oak Pastures. White Oak Pastures is as big as I ever wanted it to be. I never really intended it to be as big as it is. Growth is not important to me and my family. We've talked about it, and we're in agreement on that. But I do want to see regenerative food production grow. The way we farm is very cyclical, as opposed to the industrial food market, which is very linear. The food product system is very linear. And linear systems scale up really well. Cyclical systems, I think they kind of have a maximum level at which they perform well. And I think we're at it. So, my goal is not to grow White Oak Pastures bigger and bigger. Again, as a family, we've talked about it and decided not to. We don't want a business so big that we've got to hire a CEO to run it for us. We sell $25 million worth of products a year. And that's enough. It's bigger than we intended it to be. Given that you said that it's not risk free to make this kind of change, and that people need to go into it with their eyes open, it seems to me, that there's a lot more attention now and awareness of regenerative agriculture. People in the general population know about it much more than they did even just a few years ago. And you have, you know, movies about it and television shows, and you have big institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation investing in it. I see that as a positive sign. I don't know if you do as well. But are there other things that can be done to create more inducements to farmers to make this change? Are there policies, for example, that might be put in place that would be helpful? Well, and that is opposed to the multinational food corporations. There re only a handful of them, that are feeding the entire planet. And they're very linear, and there are many, many, many unintended consequences to their production system. It's really adverse to the environment, the land, the water, the atmosphere, the animals, and rural America. I can go on that on. So, let's dive into that just a little bit. What can consumers do? Where do they look for their food? What do they look for? Where can they buy things? What can they do to help? The things you said are certainly great positive signs. They're very, very, very good. But unfortunately, big food has focused on this market. And engaged in very, very talented, skillful greenwashing that tricks the public. And that's the impediment and that's the problem. I just don't know how it's going to come out. I used to believe that I was an early innovator in this new way of producing food that was better for the land, and rural America and the environment, and the animals. I was happy about it, very satisfied in it. And I still hope that's the case. But new, young, or old, a person who is moving from industrial commodity agriculture into what we do today, has a harder go of it than I had 20 years ago, because of greenwashing. From the consumer perspective, it's a lot better today. There are a lot more people talking about it, and a lot more general information out there among the public. But the multinational corporations that are tricking people, they're just very successful. When I called my book "Return to Giving a Damn," that was what I was referring to. That the consumer has got to educate themselves and see where their food actually comes from. There are more opportunities to do that, I know. Where I live in North Carolina, there are a number of butcher shops around. And some of them in particular make it very clear that they're sourcing everything from local farms, and they talk about how the animals are raised, and they're tied into the kind of thing that you're talking about. So, it's nice that there are more such opportunities out there. And butcher shops seem to be one good place to go if you're a person who consumes meat. That's a good question. And I think that the more locally you can shop, the better. We sell food online, and we ship to 48 states. And I don't want to. Now I appreciate everybody that's been buying from us. I'm grateful for it. Thank you. But I really want to sell my products to people in my geography. And I want people in the Pacific Northwest and the New England, and the other areas of the country to have producers, that they support, that are local to them, local food systems. I'm happy to sell anybody anywhere, but I'd really rather to help somebody get started. I will just say that. It's nice that you offer your foods for sale online, because that does give people the opportunity to buy some of the things that you raise, and be connected with the story of the food that you've told us all about. That is very pleasing to hear. Say just a little bit more about greenwashing. How does it take place, and how can consumers know that it's occurring? The way for consumers to avoid greenwashing, is also to know as much as you can about who you're buying your food from. I hope the kind of education that you're doing, things like joining us, and writing your book will alert consumers to these kind of practices, and hopefully there will then be demand on legislators, change the way they write the laws to prevent this kind of stuff. But boy, it takes time, doesn't it? Greenwashing is messaging. Big multinational food companies and Ag companies hire brilliant marketers to convey the message they want to convey to consumers about how the food is produced. And I mean, it can be as simple as industrial milk having these beautiful barns and meadows, and cows on the carton too, some really technical things that are done. But it allows industrial food to be sold under the guise of being very green and humane. Big multinational food companies can import grass fed beef from 20 countries. Uruguay, New Zealand, Australia, being the three biggest or almost prominent. And sell it as American grass-fed beef. Literally and legally label it "American grass-fed beef." If the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered in one of those other countries, it can be brought into this country and legally labeled by USDA, "Product of the USA." And that is the epitome of greenwashing, and it's so very wrong. But it is allowed if any value was added here. And that changed from when I first started selling grass fed beef in the early 2000's. That's not the way that rule read, the rule changed, and this was not an accident. So, let me ask a final question then regarding that. Are you optimistic? If you look at the current generation of young people, do they care more about these things than what used to be the case? And do you think that leads to some optimism about what might occur in the future? Well, it does, and there's so much money behind it. I think if the food production system in this country changes, it won't be changed by Big Ag, it won't be changed by the Department of Agriculture, it won't be changed by land grant universities. It'll be changed by consumers, and what they demand. You know, it's so nice to hear that from you. And consistent with my own experience, you know, in the classroom, you know, I've been teaching people for many years. The most recent generations of young people seem very motivated around these issues, and informed and passionate. And I see that as a very positive sign for the future. So, I'm glad your opinion on this and mine converge. And there's reason I think to be hopeful for the future. So, Will listen. It was wonderful speaking to you, and the first time we did a podcast. And equally wonderful today. So I'm really grateful you could join us. And good luck with your work. And it's clearly inspired. There is no doubt there's more enthusiasm and optimism among young people. In fact, we have an intern program. We only take six per quarter four times a year. And we get 20 something applications for the six openings every quarter. And it's incredible. And we don't push it, we don't advertise it, because I just can't have any more than that. But the number of young, smart, enthusiastic people that come through here, most of them do not come from agricultural backgrounds, is very, very heartening. That part is just great. So, many of our young people that came through here, have gone on to do really, really good things in other places. I'm very proud of them. Bio Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset.

Grassfed, grass finished, pasture raised are all terms you see on meat and dairy packages these days. But what do they actually mean? Can they be trusted? Michael dives into this question with Carrie Balkcom the executive director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the nation's singular independent certification program that confirms livestock are fed only their natural diet for their entire lives.

AGA's virtual event on the topic of tallow and skincare, featuring experts like Natalie Castillo of Bello Tallow and Brittney Wilverding of Ancestral Skincare Co. During the event, our speakers cover a range of topics related to tallow, including what it is, its benefits as a skincare ingredient, its history, and its sustainability as a natural skincare option. We also discuss how chemical skincare products have outpaced natural alternatives, and what we can do about it, along with highlighting the perks of being an AGA-certified tallow producer. Learn more about American Grassfed Association and our approved products at https://www.americangrassfed.org/ Learn more about Bello Tallow at https://www.bellotallow.com/ Learn more about Ancestral Skincare Co at https://www.ancestralskincare.co/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grassfed/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grassfed/support

Join Coach JVB and Sunday Farms founder Charlie Iscoe for round 2 of understanding meat jargon and decoding the butcher counter. Learn why meat terms are relevant for your health, how to understand why pasture-raised + grass-fed and organic practices are important, and more on all things meat! Links for this episode:Use the code STRONG for 25% off each of their first 2 orders with Sunday Farms Check out Sunday Farms on IG: @sundayfarmsco  Get Your Perfect Sports 20% Discount here by using coupon code JVBSave $100 off Your MAXPRO Fitness hereApply for the STRONG Formula Certification Program WORK WITH A TEAM STRONG GIRLS COACHSTRONG Fitness Magazine Subscription Use discount code STRONGGIRL  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating  and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser and Castbox.  Resources:STRONG Fitness MagazineSTRONG Fitness Magazine on IGTeam Strong GirlsCoach JVB Follow Jenny on social media:InstagramFacebookYouTube 

The topic of how to feed upwards of 10 billion people with the least amount of deforestation and pollution is complex and layered. There's clearly big issues within the standard industrial farming system, and in this conversation four guests get into what they believe is the best way to farm to feed the world, both on a small and large scale.  Speaking for the regenerative ranching positition is Will Harris and Jason Rowntree.  Will is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. He uses regenerative farming methods where he was born and raised at White Oak Pastures. Will has been recognized all over the world as a leader in environmental sustainability and is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association.  Jason RownTree is a professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University where he holds the Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professorship for Sustainable Agriculture. Rowntree's research focuses on identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazing land and other agricultural systems.  Speaking for the regenerative plant agriculture position is Nicholas Carter and Jimmy Videle. Nicholas is an ecologist and co-founder of plantbaseddata.org, a library of peer-reviewed articles and summaries on the evidence to shift to plant-based diets. His thesis focused on the global estimates of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to animal agriculture, and has since written reports and articles on biodiversity loss and food systems.  Jimmy Videle is a professional farmer, activist, consultant and researcher. He lives on a small-scale veganic farm in Québec and has been growing his own food and homesteading for over twenty-five years, with experience on eleven organic and permaculture farms around the world. This episode covers: What the best type of agriculture is to feed the world without destroying the planet The differences between regenerative ranching vs regenerative plant agriculture What they improve on the environmental metrics and if it is scalable Regulation and accountability (or lack of) within the regenerative label Soil issues, what causes it and how do we fix it? Is buying local food a way to reduce your environmental footprint? Is there enough land in the US, or globally, to support meat demands if we switched to grass fed/finished beef? If it's unrealistic to expect people to reduce their meat and dairy intake Where most methane comes from and If there is such a thing as carbon negative beef Allan Savory and his claim that holistic grazing can reverse climate change  Sponsors: Branch Basics | Get 15% off all Starter Kits (except the Trial Kit) https://links.branchbasics.com/ellen15 SafeSleeve | Get 10% off your order with code ELLEN10 https://www.safesleevecases.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=EllenPod Anima Mundi Herbals | enter the code ELLEN20 for 20% off https://glnk.io/nr9jm/ellenfisher See Nicholas' timestamped references here WHERE TO FIND WILL HARRIS https://whiteoakpastures.com Instagram WHERE TO FIND NICHOLAS CARTER plantbaseddata.org Instagram WHERE TO FIND JIMMY VIDELE YouTube WHERE TO FIND ME ⁠My birth course⁠ ⁠My ebooks⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Watch the podcast

AGA Producer Profiles: Kinloch Farm Family owned since 1960 and located in The Plains, Virginia, Kinloch Farm represents generations of organic practices and shared values in protected open space, land and wildlife conservation, and regenerative farming. Watch this full video to learn more about their story, and how they produce some of the best American grassfed certified products in the USA. In this Producer Profile, the American Grassfed Association takes a closer look at AGA certified producer Kinloch Farm. To learn more about AGA, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/ To inquire about your ranch becoming AGA certified, contact aga@americangrassfed.org or michael@americangrassfed.org To become an AGA Certified Producer, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/become-a-certified-producer/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grassfed/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grassfed/support

AGA Producer Profiles Mulvey Gulch Ranch Mulvey Gulch Ranch is a family-owned and operated grassfed ranch in the heart of Montana. Watch this full video to learn more about their story, and how they produce some of the best American grassfed certified products in the USA. In this Producer Profile, the American Grassfed Association takes a closer look at AGA certified producer Mulvey Gulch Ranch. To shop Mulvey Gulch Ranch's AGA certified products, visit: https://mulveygulchranch.com/ To learn more about AGA, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/ To inquire about your ranch becoming AGA certified, contact aga@americangrassfed.org or michael@americangrassfed.org To become an AGA Certified Producer, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/become-a-certified-producer/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/support

Today on the Naturally Inspired Podcast Will Harris is joining us. Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset. Please welcome Will Harris to the Naturally Inspired Podcast.

In this episode, Michael Payan, Marketing Director at American Grassfed Association, sits down with Wayne Knight, the Executive Director at Holistic Management International. Wayne discusses HMI and how they can help grassfed producers with their most important needs as well as an upcoming Holistic Management in Practice workshop from November 7-11th, 2022 in New Mexico. More information on the workshop can be found at https://holisticmanagement.org/holistic-management-in-practice/ Also mentioned is our upcoming REGENERATE conference in Denver, Colorado from November 2nd to 4th, 2022. For more information on REGENERATE, visit https://regenerateconference.com/ To learn more about AGA, please visit https://www.americangrassfed.org/ To learn more about HMI, please visit https://holisticmanagement.org/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/support

We want to welcome Will Harris to the Co-Movement Gym Podcast. Will is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, in Bluffton GA, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy.These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before.Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics, He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. White Oak Pastures has been highlighted on NBC news, Forbes, CNN, The New York Times, Good Morning America and has been mentioned many times on the Joe Rogan Podcast. Their products are sold online through their website and at Whole Foods. I personally visited White Oak Pastures in February and toured the 3000 acre farm, I had two amazing home cooked meals at their general store, and engaged in a warm conversation with Will's daughter Jenni. This farm has a remarkable story, one I am very excited to dive into on todays podcast with Owner Will Harris.  Will Harris Links: https://whiteoakpastures.com/https://www.instagram.com/whiteoakpastures/?hl=enSponsors:NativePath:Follow the link below to see all of NativePath's Pure Grass-Fed, Organic, Clean Supplements and use the CoMo15 code at checkout for 15% off!https://www.nativepath.com/Lombardi Chiropractic:https://www.lombardichiropractic.com/Mention the Co-Movement Gym Podcast when scheduling your initial appointment for 50% off Initial Consultation and X-Rays! Suttmeier Law Firm:http://suttmeierlaw.com/Mention the Co-Movement Gym Podcast for a FREE Initial Consultation!Redmond: redmond.lifeOur team at Co-Movement Gym has used Redmond's Real Sea Salt, Seasonings, Re-Lyte Electrolyte drink and other products for years! This is a U.S. company whose products are simple, clean and taste great. Support them by using the link above or entering the code CoMo15 at checkout and you will receive 10% OFF your order!Reach out to us at info@co-movement.com or visit our website co-movement.com and learn more on how we can assist you in achieving your maximum health and fitness potential!Check out our main website www.co-movement.comCheck out our Video Podcast Clip on our YouTube Channel Co-Movement

In this Producer Profile, American Grassfed Association interviews Sarah Gleason, AGA Certified Producer and founder of Gleason Bison in Colorado. To learn more about Gleason Bison, visit: https://gleasonbison.com/ Colorado residents, to shop Gleason Bison, visit https://gleasonbison.com/marketplace/ To learn more about AGA, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/​ To find an AGA producer near you, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/aga-membership/producer-members/ To become an AGA Certified Producer, visit: https://www.americangrassfed.org/become-a-certified-producer/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/american-grassfed/support

One of my favorite podcasts of all time today with Carrie from Richards Grassfed Beef. Carrie owns and runs a 5 generation ranch in NorCal that has returned exclusively to Regenerative Farming. I don't get “star-struck “ often but I am humbled and marveled by what Carrie, her family and everyone involved with the project are doing … for the welfare of the animals, for the planet, for the health of us humans, and for the future of the farming community. The podcast will be launched this weekend. We talk all things regenerative farming; what it is, how it works, why it's important, and hear Carrie's amazing story. As with all good change it happens with awareness, education, and understanding so please listen and spread the word! The right choices are never the easy choices but they are the choices that change the course of things for the better. This is a topic that doesn't get the attention it deserves because it doesn't have the money behind it that other “solutions” do … but this is a genuine and bold movement that deserves far more media than it gets. Richards Grassfed Beef is certified by the American Grassfed Association and is the first beef company on the west coast to receive the Savory Institute's Ecological Outcome Verified certificate. Richards Grassfed Beef's mission is to provide the highest quality grass-fed beef to their customers and do so in the most transparent and sustainable way possible. Our animals are never fed grain, corn products, given antibiotics or growth hormones. Richards Grassfed Beef ranches are dedicated to providing the highest quality care for our animals to reduce stress and ensure proper care and feeding:Cattle are grass-fed and grass-finishedCattle are born and raised on our family ranchesPastures are never artificially fertilizedCattle are never fed hormones or antibioticsCattle are not taken to feedlots to be “finished,” – they fatten on natural grassConnect with Carrie and Richards Grassfed BeefRichards Grassfed Beef InstagramWebsitePharos Mountain Lodge InstagramWatch Kiss The Ground DocumentaryWatch Biggest Little Farm Documentary Use promo code Pharos15 for a 15% discount on all Richards Grass-Fed Beef ProductsWelcome to the Pharos Fit Podcast. Please make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening to this show and if you loved this show please leave us a 5-star review in the iTunes store. It is the currency of podcasts and it really goes along in helping us grow our show and impart our values for anyone who wants to live every day reaching for their absolute best self.If you are in Los Angeles swing by our gym at 1316 Glendale Blvd in Echo Park.Check out our website here for class times and follow us on Instagram for more fitness-related content See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Edible-Alpha® podcast #99, FFI farm financial consultant Andy Larson interviews Larissa McKenna, humane farming program director of Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT). Founded in 1982, this Chicago-based nonprofit holds the vision that all food-producing animals be raised in a healthy and humane manner and that everyone has access to safe and humanely produced food. FACT offers grants, scholarships, mentorship and webinars for farmers nationwide to give them the skills and resources to raise animals on well-managed pasture-based systems. Though not a certifying agency, FACT helps farmers take steps toward particular production principles. As Larissa explains, these include ensuring that animals, at minimum, get adequate space, access to the outdoors, clean water and air, the opportunity to express natural behaviors, and natural, healthful diets. Also, antibiotics should be used only when disease is present. As more consumers are learning about the variation in animal production methods, they are increasingly demanding humanely produced products. FACT helps educate shoppers about packaging labels and claims—which ones are meaningful, which are not—to guide their purchasing decisions. Larissa walks through some of the most reliable third-party certifications, such as Certified Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane and Animal Welfare Certified and the American Grassfed Association's standards. Such certifications can aid farmers' business by boosting brand awareness, opening grant opportunities and, of course, improving animal welfare. However, certification isn't always the goal of the farmers Larissa works with—and that's perfectly OK. FACT's mission is to help them improve their production methods, and different farmers have different starting points. For example, some are moving from conventional confinement systems while others come to FACT with some humane practices already in play. Regardless of specific circumstances, Larissa lauds the farmers' innovation, creativity and cost-efficiency in figuring out ways to improve their systems. There is often a strong economic case for making these changes to complement their multiple environmental and animal-welfare benefits. Lastly, Andy and Larissa discuss FACT's myriad offerings, including webinars and trainings covering topics such as grazing management and livestock protection, as well as grants for on-farm improvement projects and scholarships for outside education. And in response to farmer demand for more business- and finance-related assistance, FACT is now teaming up with FFI to offer free boot camps and webinars starting this fall. Our mutual goal in providing these valuable opportunities is to help livestock and poultry farmers' businesses thrive, so learn more and apply today!

Will Harris is the owner of White Oak Pastures, a nearly 5,000 acre farm in southern Georgia that raises 10 species of livestock and produces organic vegetables and honey. He is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866.After graduating from the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture in 1976, Will returned home to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle with pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, and a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. Over the years Will grew disenchanted with industrialized agriculture, beginning with concerns over animal welfare. In 1995, he made the decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before.Since Will has abandoned intensive agriculture in favor of a wholistic system, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. He served as President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics, is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association, and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration.Head over to White Oak Pastures to learn more and to order their various animal products.

The best solutions for land use deliver multiple outcomes - especially in places where land is relatively scarce and expensive. What if we could combine the farming of electricity from the sun with land management that regenerates the soil and produces high quality nutrition? ffinlo Costain talks to Trent Hendricks and Sophy Fearnley-Whittingstall. Trent is from Cabriejo Ranch in Missouri, USA, where he produces lamb and beef with certification from the American Grassfed Association and the Allan Savory Land to Market programme. Sophy lives in Wiltshire and provides community engagement and communications advice for the UK solar industry. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/farmgate/message

Carrie Balkcom grew up on a cattle ranch in Florida. In 2003 she returned to her roots when she became the executive director of the American Grassfed Association at its founding--and she's been there ever since. AGA certifies pasture-raised livestock--and not just beef--and they help producers develop and sustain regenerative practices for the sake of the animals, the land, and the consumer.

Agriculture is a complex natural system. Keep the culture in agriculture Dirt's under our fingernails, soil's under our feet. Associate professor of Animal Science (Michigan State University) and C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture , Dr. Jason Rowntree coordinates Lake City and UPREC AgBioResearch and Extension Centers where he addresses economic, environmental and social complexity in agriculture. He studys how grazing livestock can improve land and mitigate climate change by capturing carbon and providing other ecosystem services. He strives to increase local food systems that strengthen local communities. He is former chair of the Grassfed Exchange, a leading U.S. grass-fed beef educational organization, serves on the board of the American Grassfed Association, is an accredited Holistic Management Educator and is an advisor of Standard Soil, a startup corporation that aims to meet the nation’s growing demand for grass-finished beef while restoring the ecosystems they manage. Jason's objective is to develop low-cost, low-input beef production systems for the Upper Great Lakes. His research and extension focuses on forage utilization of grazing beef cattle, extending the grazing season and forage-finishing. Another facet of his work is to improve economics of small and medium size beef producers through local and regional beef production and distribution system development. Bovine tuberculosis is a challenge to northern Michigan beef cattle producers, and they aim to develop holistic approaches to beef cattle and white-tail deer management through selective forage plot establishment, hay feeding and fencing strategies. Lake City Research Center - https://www.canr.msu.edu/lakecity/ AgBioResearch Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center - https://www.canr.msu.edu/uprc/ "Soil carbon storage informed by particulate and mineral-associated organic matter." MF Cotrufo, et. al - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0484-6 "Simulating measurable ecosystem carbon and nitrogen dynamics with the mechanistically-defined MEMS 2.0 model." Yao Zhang, et. al. - https://bg.copernicus.org/preprints/bg-2020-493/ "Ecosystem Impacts and Productive Capacity of a Multi-Species Pastured Livestock System." J. E. Rowntree, et. al. - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.544984/full

Thanks for joining us today, we always enjoy visiting with all our guests on the podcast and Monte was particularly excited to speak with our guest today, Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. Will has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. As a fourth-generation cattleman, he and his family were raising livestock in the typical conventional methods, but in the mid-1990’s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They’d created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Today, we get to journey with Will to understand the mindset, work, and fortitude it takes to risk it all and successfully implement these farming practices. It’s a great conversation, enjoy! WILL HARRIS BIO: Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset. REFERENCED LINKS: One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoQWLK8-CYE Carbon Footprint Evaluation of Regenerative Grazing at White Oak Pastures: https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf Grassfed Exchange 2016 - Peter Byck & Will Harris “A Georgia Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Q-GuTn3WU Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm We’d love to hear from you!

I recently aired the Sacred Cow film for select members of the American Grassfed Association. After the film, I was joined by Carrie Balkcom, Dr. John Ikerd, and Greg Gunthorp to discuss regenerative livestock, restoring our soils and repairing our climate, and the nutritional status of our planet from an environmental, sustainable, and ethical perspective. Enjoy this replay of the live Q&A session where we answer many of your most pressing questions. Be sure to check the American Grassfed Association and my colleagues Carrie Balkcom, Dr. John Ikerd, and Greg Gunthorp. Enjoy the show! This episode brought to you by DrinkLMNT who has an exclusive deal for my listeners. Visit this page to learn how you can get a sampler pack for only $5.

Tre' has over 25 years of senior-level experience as an executive and consultant in a variety of industries on six continents and 35+ countries. He has worked directly with executives at several Fortune 1000 organizations in addition to multi-stakeholder cross-sector projects that involve government, communities, industry, and NGOs. Significant experience in food and agriculture providing advisory and operational support from farm to table. Working directly within the food supply ecosystem supporting the design and connection of farmers to distributors to Restraunteurs. Food brands and organizations include General Mills, EPIC Bars, Applegate Foods, Woods Hill, Africa Centre, Adelita, House in the Wild & Pier 4. In addition, he serves on the board of the American Grassfed Association.Tre' is the Founding Partner of nRhythm which created the Regenerative Framework. This framework takes a holistic, living systems-based approach to organizational design and management. Tre and Drea talk about how to use this framework within a hospitality context. Connect with Tre:https://www.nrhythm.co/FB & IG - @nrhythm.cohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/nrhythm/Connect with Dreawww.wearepreshift.comFB & IG - @wearepreshifthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wearepreshift

Misty West Gay is a mom, poet, gardener, herbalist, and regenerative rancher. She and her husband Jonathan own Freestone Ranch in northern California. They are a certified Fibershed Climate Beneficial Producer and are a member of the American Grassfed Association. Misty is also a member of the Sonoma County Food System Alliance. Following a stint doing Internet software production and technical writing, back when those things were fun, she circled back to her first loves: poetry and trees.Highlights of this episode include:1. Her journey from working in software tech to becoming a regenerative rancher.2. Why scalability and growth mindset may be problematic for a regenerative ag.3. Fragile food systems and mobile harvesting units.4. Why the size of our communities disrupts coherence and interrelational integrity and sense-making.5. Why restoring the relationship to animal harvest is vital for true connectivity and animal welfare.

What looks like ‘healthy' in the produce section at your local supermarket might not be what it seems… The label of “free-range organic” isn't really enough. And some of the foods you're buying might be killing you… The mass-produced farming industry is deceptive—if they can get away with fooling you through great marketing and a pretty package, they're going to take every opportunity. If you want the most nutrient dense, nourishing, environmentally friendly foods, then you've got to go to the source. Evgeny Trufkin, author of Anti-Factory Farm Shopping Guide, joins me in this episode to talk dirty foods and dangerous farming practices. Not only is he going to expose some of the biggest misconceptions, myths, and malpractice that end up on your plate, but he's going to give you some simple solutions as well. Click play to learn all about it! Want better a better food source? Check out American Grassfed Association and Eat Wild to get started. Catch the next episode LIVE this Monday only at the Million Dollar Body group on Facebook. To tune in, visit n8trainingsystems.com/group What you'll find inside this episode… Decode deceptive labels! But WHY exactly are pesticides and fungicides harmful? Do farming practices affect the nutritional profile of your food? Grassfed? Organic? Free range? What do these all REALLY mean? Simple solutions to big problems—what to do instead! Big brand supermarkets—are they all the same?

Will Harris, a sixth generation farmer, followed in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, his great-grandfather, his grandfather, and his father before him. He also went to school for agriculture and he implemented everything he was taught there on his family’s farm. But after 20+ years of doing this on his family’s farm, White Oaks Pastures, he had a gut instinct that this wasn’t the way to run things, despite everything he had been taught in school. He followed his instincts and radically transformed his family’s farm going back to the methods his great-great-grandfather used. And now Will Harris uses a regenerative agriculture approach on his farm, which benefits his animals, the environment, and the people on the farm and in the local community surrounding it. Will explains why that is in this episode with Dr. Anthony Gustin and he also dives into how his farm went full circle -- from using industrialization and commoditization after WWII to taking a humane animal husbandry approach and focusing on environmental sustainability. You’ll also hear more about how this approach isn’t the most profitable and why that doesn’t matter to Will. Will also describes the issues he faced early on and why he continues to hit roadblocks despite doing the right thing. If you’re not familiar with the term “greenwashing,” you’ll also discover what that is, why it’s so detrimental, and how big corporations are continuing to deceive people. On top of being a sixth generation farmer, Will has become a leader in the humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability space.  He’s the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics and the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association. Will was even selected as the 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia. And the reason he’s held such prestigious honors is because he’s not profit-driven, which you’ll hear more about when you tune in. Will cares about keeping mother nature happy along with making sure his animals and the people surrounding them are taken care of properly. When you tune in, you’ll discover why regenerative agriculture is so beneficial for the animals, the environment, and the people surrounding it. Check out the episode now to learn more!

Imagine being a fourth-generation owner of a business and deciding to completely change things to upend tried-and-traditional ways of doing things in favor of something brand new, untraditional, and potentially pretty risky. Such is the story of our guest today, farmer Will Harris. About Will Harris Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman from White Oak Pastures Farm in Bluffton, Georgia, the same land his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised on this farm, Will left to attend the University of Georgia School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. He returned to Bluffton after, where he and his father used traditional practices, but later, Will changed things in a very big way. He's been recognized around the world for his pioneering work. Will is past president of the board of directors of Georgia Organics, is the beef director of the American Grassfed Association, and was named Businessperson of the Year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Interview Summary Will, I'm really pleased to have you join us and would like to begin by asking this question: what was it that made you believe things needed to be done differently? First, Kelly, thank you for having me on your show today and just allowing me to be here. I was a very industrial cattleman for 20 years, and for the most part really enjoyed it. It was high-input agriculture, confinement feeding, lot of hormone implants, sub-therapeutic antibiotic high-concentrated grain feed. I really liked it. It was sort of like a contest for me to see if I could do better next year than I did last year. But you know, along the line, I became increasingly aware of the unintended consequences of that kind of farming, because I didn't like what it was doing for my land and my animals and my community. So I started rethinking through this, and we got where we are pretty gradually. It took 25 years to get here, and we're still changing. I'd like to ask you in a moment about what your model to farming is, but first, could you paint a picture of your farm for us? How big is it, and what do you raise? And then we can talk about your approach. One of the pastures is 3,200 acres, currently. We're multi-generational. I'm the fourth generation. My children are here, two of my children and their spouses. They're the fourth. They have had three grandchildren that are the fifth and the sixth generation on the farm. We pasture-raise cows, hogs, sheep, goats, and rabbits. And we hand-butcher them at a USDA-inspected slaughterhouse that I built here on the farm. We pasture-raise chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, and ducks. And we hand-butcher them in a separate slaughter facility. We raise pastured eggs, organic vegetables, honey. We try to operate as a zero-waste facility and farm. We make pet treats out of organs that are not for human consumption, leather products out of our hides. We currently have 165 employees. We're the largest employer in the county. We have a store. My farm surrounds the little town of Bluffton, Georgia. We now have six cabins for lodging, a restaurant, and a general store. Well, it's pretty amazing to hear the number of things that are being raised on your farm. And I know that's part of the integrated approach that you take. Can you explain how that works? We call it stacked enterprises. Nature abhors a monoculture. No nowhere in nature will a monoculture resist. We found it necessary to rethink symbiosis that comes from different species living together, benefiting from the existence of another. Could you give an example or two, Will, of how the different species interact in positive ways with each other and are necessary? Yeah. My favorite one is: raise goats and hogs. Very different species but they're both... I consider them to be forest creatures. One year, I weaned my baby goats and didn't have a good place to put them, so I put some of them in a forest paddock with the hogs and some of them by themselves in another forest paddock. I noticed that the goats that were in with the hogs looked better, and the goats were doing better than the goats who were not with hogs. Those with the hogs really looked good. The reason both those species looked better when they were together, the hogs were eating a lot of different plant species out in the woods. There's a lot of plant species that the hogs just won't eat. But the goats were eating virtually everything, and they were defecating, and the hogs were eating the goat feces. And I think the hogs looked better because they were getting nutrition out of that goat feces that was lacking in their diet otherwise. Hogs are supposed to do that. But if there's only hogs out there, they don't have the opportunity. So that explained to me why the hogs looked better, but it didn't explain the goats. What was happening is the hogs, in eating that goat feces, was breaking the lifecycle of the barber's pole worm, an internal parasite of goats. The way that works is the adult worm is inside the goat in the intestine, sucking blood and spewing eggs. The eggs are evacuated from the system when the goat defecates. The egg pupa climbs up a blade of grass and the goat reinfects itself by eating the neonate. But when the hogs at the goat feces before the worms could hatch, it broke it so the goats were more parasite-free. Beings are not meant to live in isolation from other species. Well, that's an impressive example. What about an example of how the animals are interacting with the soil and the land? So, on our 3,200 acres, it consists of a 1,000 acres of land. It's been managed holistically with a lot of animal impact for the last 25 years. We farmed like everybody else, but then for 25 years, we've been doing, I think, kind of doing it right. Organic matter on that land has gone from less than one half of 1%, 25 years ago when I was farming industrially, to over 5% today. And that was made possible by this animal impact. The other 3,200 are bits of land that's contiguous to my home farm, and the longer I've managed it holistically with livestock, the more the organic matter has increased, again, from a half percent to over 5% in a 20-year window. Organic matter is not the only thing that matters in the soil. There's microbial activity and water percolation and other things. But organic matter is a really good indicator of soil health, so that it makes it crystal clear that the longer the soil is managed without chemical fertilizers, without pesticides, without cultivation, but with a lot of animal impact, it just gets better and better and better. So let's talk about the cattle for a minute and discuss how the cattle that you raise are different from those raised with traditional feedlot methods. They're different in many ways. A happy animal is an animal that is well fed in a reasonable temperature environment and, most important, allowed to express instinctive behavior. In industrial confinement, livestock for production does not allow that. Hogs are meant to root, and walled-up chickens are meant to scratch and peck. Cows were meant to roam and graze. Those are instinctive behaviors, and when the animal is not allowed to do those things, it undergoes a lot of stress. Our cattle are never fed grain, never given sub-therapeutic antibiotics, hormones, dot, dot, dot. They grow more slowly. It takes us two years to get an animal up to about 1,100 pounds as opposed to industrial production, where in 16 months you can get them up to 1,300 pounds. Our animal have two tenths of an inch of back fat. They're very athletic. A confinement feedlot animal may have almost an inch of back fat, and it's an unnaturally obese creature that would never exist in nature. If I decided to not slaughter one of my cows which we do the mama cows and the bulls, they would live to be 20-something years old in that pasture. The confinement feedlot animal that's eating corn and soy out of a trough gaining three pounds or four pounds a day would die if they were left in that environment for a prolonged period of time. They would die of all the diseases that kills us. Just obesity, heart failure, dot, dot, dot. Let's talk about, if you would, the impact of this approach to farming and raising the animals on the environment. And I'd like to talk about a study that you were involved with. I know that you collaborated with some researchers to test the impact of your farming methods on your land. I know that study, which has now been published, found some pretty remarkable things. Could you explain? Yeah, it was really remarkable. I was not surprised at the results, but I was delighted to have those things validated scientifically. I knew that our land was being improved dramatically. I see it every day. I've been in the pasture this morning. But my knowledge and understanding was anecdotal. "Here's what I see and observe and recognize." But to have an environmental engineering group, called Quantis, from Minneapolis come here and scientifically sample and test, validate my observations was really great. It just felt vindicating. And what they found is that my farm sequestered well over 900 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in our soil in 2017. That is to say 900-something tons of greenhouse gases were breathed in by photosynthesizing plants and put into the soil in the form of roots and decaying vegetative matter and animal feces. That greenhouse gas that was floating around up there, creating global warming or environmental change, was put back where it belongs, in the soil where it does good things. It encourages microbial growth and acts as a sponge to hold water. You don't get flooding; it increases your productivity of my land for my animals. So very, very pleased. By the way, that study is on our website. That's WhiteOakPastures.com. Thank you for describing that. Let's put those numbers in perspective, if you would. So there's a lot of concern, obviously, in the popular press and also amongst some scientists about the environmental climate change impact of raising animals traditionally. So the amount of carbon sequestered, how does that compare to what would have happened if these animals were raised using traditional methods? And as I understood from the study, the beneficial impact of the sequestration pretty much offset entirely the impact of the animals that they would have been having otherwise. Am I right with that? Yeah, yeah. In fact, our cattle sequestered 3.5 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent for every pound of beef that I produced. The same environmental engineering outfit, Quantis, that did our lifecycle analysis, that's what you call the test I was referring to, did a lifecycle analysis on a production system on one of the vegetable-meat substitutes. In both cases, they were paid to do disinterested third-party research. They found that we sequester 3.5 pounds and they actually emit 3.5 pounds. So you would have to eat a pound of my beef to offset the damage from eating one pound of Impossible Burger. That's pretty incredible. It is pretty incredible. And one thing that I was really happy about when I saw that study is that with all this speculation about the benefits of this approach to farming, somebody came in and did an objective test, which was really nice. And, boy, those results were very impressive. Thank you for letting the scientists come in and do those kinds of tests, because then that really creates credibility for what you've and others have observed anecdotally. That was very forward thinking. Thank you for doing that. One of our customers, a big food company, offered to pay for it because they wanted to see if we were doing the things that we allege we were doing. And the deal was they would pay for the study and I'd cooperate, provide the land, and we'd both own the data. And I agreed to do it, but I had a little bit of a pause [inaudible 00:15:14], a little concern. I don't understand scientific method. I'm a farmer, not a scientist. But I did agree to do it because I felt a little bit challenged. It came out with the compelling results that we just discussed. Really glad I did it, but I was really concerned about it going in. You're courageous to have done that. Not everybody would. So do you see the regenerative, holistic approach becoming more widespread, and what do you think the future might bring? I hope so. But to be honest, I'm not real optimistic about it. It should. It's the right thing to do. I don't know where we'll wind up if it doesn't. But that decision will be made by consumers. Farmers will not be able to afford to choose to do this and then sell their product into conventional markets, commodity markets. I don't think that our government has the will/courage to require it. So it's in the hands of the consumer. The consumer will decide. Wendell Berry says something to the effect that the consumer votes with his dollars every day on how they want to be. This is a prime example of that. The people that buy product from me and people like me... In "product" I mean beef, pork, poultry, eggs, vegetables and so on. The people that do are sophisticated consumers that have studied the food production system and made some choices about the land management system they want to support, the sort of rural America they want to see reinvigorated, and the welfare of the animals that go to make the food. And they choose to pay a little more for the source, the production system, which satisfies these decisions that they feel strongly about. I don't know how many of those people there are out there. I go to Walmart and I see a lot of people that I don't think care too much about those things. I think there's a lot more of them than there are my customers. So consumers will make that decision, not farmers. So while I think you might've just answered my last question, but let me go ahead and ask it anyway. How can people go about supporting this work? If people want to see farms like White Oak Pastures survive and prosper and be replicated, then they got to buy from farms like White Oak Pastures. And I'm not just asking for the business for me. There are people all over the country doing good work. But this kind of farming is not highly scalable. White Oak Pastures will never be a Fortune 500 company. It'll never be a scale like Tyson or Cargill or JBS, but it is highly replicable. There can be a White Oak Pastures in every county, every agricultural county, in every state in the union. So it just depends on what customers want. If consumers want high animal welfare, regenerative land management, building wealth in rural communities to be a thing, they need to find a person that's doing it and support them.  

This episode is the second of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.Kara works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas. The conversation took place at the recent 2019 Regenerate Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted by the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association. There may be a bit of background noise, but the conversation is well worth it.In the last episode, Kara and Fred talked in-depth about the importance of the quality and diversity of foods for animals and humans, and how important the relationships between particular foods are. Be sure to check out that part of the conversation if you haven't yet. Today's episode begins with pasture management and covers a wide range of practical and philosophical areas.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org.ATTRA Resources:A Talk with Fred Provenza, Part OneSoil Health Innovations ConferenceLivestock and PastureOther Resources:Quivira Coalition websiteHolistic Management International websiteThe American Grassfed Association websiteBehavioral Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management websiteNourishmentThe Art and Science of ShepherdingIs Grassfed Meat and Dairy Better for Human and Environmental Health? Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!Southwest Regional Office: Website / FacebookWestern Regional Office: Website / FacebookRocky Mountain West Regional Office:

This episode is the first of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.Kara works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas. The conversation took place at the recent 2019 Regenerate Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted by the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association. There may be a bit of background noise here and there, but the conversation is worth it.Kara and Fred talk in-depth about the importance of quality and diversity of foods for animals and humans, and how important the relationships between particular foods are.Be sure to come back next week for the second part of the conversation, when the discussion begins with pasture management and covers a wide range of practical and philosophical areas. You'll be sure to enjoy it.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org.ATTRA Resources:Livestock and PastureOther Resources:Quivira Coalition websiteHolistic Management International websiteThe American Grassfed Association websiteBehavioral Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management websiteNourishmentThe Art and Science of ShepherdingIs Grassfed Meat and Dairy Better for Human and Environmental Health? Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!Southwest Regional Office: Website / FacebookWestern Regional Office: Website / FacebookRocky Mountain West Regional Office: FacebookGulf States Regional Office: Website

We see labels everywhere, to the point of immunity. Not that we're immune to their effects, but definitely to their presence. We see a label, like "USDA ORGANIC" or "CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF", and we assume it means they are healthy for us. We feel like we've connected the mental dots. But we haven't. Labels haven't been around forever. Only since meat could be shipped nationwide year-round, which was 1867, did consumers begin to lose touch with their food supply. Leapfrogging to today, and we have no idea where 99% of our food came from. We go further to assume some things are inherently "pure", like wine, and couldn't possibly be contaminated with anything. A man named Rudy Kurniawan exploited this trust, and pumped over $550 million dollars of fake wine onto the marketplace before he was arrested in 2012. Oh, and one study found that 90% of french wines contained traces of insecticides. Labels don't have to be misleading though. Some labels don't just tell you what ISN'T in the meat, they also are affirming of good agricultural practices. I got to interview CARRIE BALKCOM, Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. If you think I'm nuts, listen to her. She's been doing this for nearly 20 years. And she knows her stuff. Special Guest: Carrie Balkcom.

Did you know that labor union contracts help protect slaughterhouse workers’ health and safety? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dennis Olson, Senior Research Associate and Policy Analyst for the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union. Olson describes how labor unions in poultry slaughterhouses help uphold safer line speeds. He also describes the Center for Good Food Purchasing (https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/) which uses collective buying power to drive market shifts towards fair labor practices, local economies, environmental sustainability, sound nutrition and animal welfare. Finally, Olson discusses the demise of Country of Origin Labeling and the loopholes of the “Product of USA” label. If you support fair meat labeling, a comment period on Product of USA labels is open until August 17, 2018. Learn more through the Organization for  Competitive Markets (https://competitivemarkets.com) and American Grassfed Association (https://www.americangrassfed.org/news/ ); comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FSIS-2018-0024 Related website:  http://www.ufcw.org">www.ufcw.org

This week we welcome Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures, to talk with us about what it means to be a good steward of the food we buy and consume. We had so much fun spending the day with Will and the rest of the crew at WOP.  Will Harris is a fourth generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990's Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association, and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset. http://www.whiteoakpastures.com

Carrie Balkcom Is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the National, multispecies entity organized to protect and promote Grassfed and pasture based farmers and ranchers. AGA is the leader in pasture based production and the oldest grassfed certification in the United States. AGA certifies ruminants and dairy. Heritage Radio Network On Tour is powered by Simplecast

Guest Carrie Balkcom, Executive Director for the American Grassfed Association, and Certified Executive Chef, based in Denver, Colorado, defines grassfed standards, and describes how consumers can navigate meat labels in the marketplaceAmerican Grassfed Association

This episode is the first of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.Kara works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas. The conversation took place at the recent 2019 Regenerate Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted by the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association. There may be a bit of background noise here and there, but the conversation is worth it.Kara and Fred talk in-depth about the importance of quality and diversity of foods for animals and humans, and how important the relationships between particular foods are.Be sure to come back next week for the second part of the conversation, when the discussion begins with pasture management and covers a wide range of practical and philosophical areas. You'll be sure to enjoy it.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org. ATTRA Resources: Livestock and Pasture Other Resources: Quivira Coalition website Holistic Management International website The American Grassfed Association website Behavioral Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management website Nourishment The Art and Science of Shepherding Is Grassfed Meat and Dairy Better for Human and Environmental Health? Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website. You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page. Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website. Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages! Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

This episode is the second of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.Kara works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas. The conversation took place at the recent 2019 Regenerate Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted by the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association. There may be a bit of background noise, but the conversation is well worth it.In the last episode, Kara and Fred talked in-depth about the importance of the quality and diversity of foods for animals and humans, and how important the relationships between particular foods are. Be sure to check out that part of the conversation if you haven't yet. Today's episode begins with pasture management and covers a wide range of practical and philosophical areas.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org. ATTRA Resources: A Talk with Fred Provenza, Part One Soil Health Innovations Conference Livestock and Pasture Other Resources: Quivira Coalition website Holistic Management International website The American Grassfed Association website Behavioral Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management website Nourishment The Art and Science of Shepherding Is Grassfed Meat and Dairy Better for Human and Environmental Health? Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website. You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page. Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website. Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages! Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook