The drought monitor report as of Feb. 27 is easy this week as the entire state is unchanged. There is a chance for storms Sunday. If these above normal temperatures continue, we will need precipitation to at least maintain current conditions, however, with none of the state in extreme or exceptional drought we are in fairly goof shape overall compared to the last several years. The six to ten-day outlook (March 5 to 9) indicates a 50 to 60% chance of likely above normal temperatures and 33 to 50% chance of above normal precipitation. The eight to 14-day outlook (March 7 to 13) indicates a continued 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal temperatures and a 40 to 50% chance of above normal precipitation.
A growing topic of interest in the agricultural community from producers to government agencies is regenerative agriculture (RA). While not exactly new, it is gaining steam as producers try to find ways to deal with a changing climate and extreme weather. So, what exactly is RA? RA is “new” but also an old concept. It would be nice to provide a succinct definition, however, it’s not that easy. RA is a management system but also a philosophy. It deals not only with the whole ecosystem and really a whole world view of agriculture. Also included by many is dealing with the social inequalities in American agriculture, particularly regarding people of color. Let’s see today if we can provide a working definition of RA, why it matters, and next week, how to implement it. Remember, there are different definitions depending upon your perspective.
• RA seeks to link together all aspects of food production from farm to take and have them work together, not simply as a linear supply chain. It is to benefit and improve people’s lives and the earth as a whole. RA recognizes differences by region, climate, soil type and rejects a one-size-fits-all production system.
• RA recognizes the degradation of soil and the entire ecosystem from many of our modern, large scale production practices, what many term “industrial” agriculture. The goal is to improve/restore soil and ecosystem health while providing for fairness and equality in food production. The basic idea is to work with and not against nature. RA recognizes the challenges associated with climate change and that restoring soil/ecosystem health, is key to coping with climate change.
• It’s fair to say the number one priority is restoring soil health. A major key, which was discussed in the last two columns is the soil microbial community. While not eliminating them, RA strives to minimize the use of synthetic inputs, especially pesticides. The goal is to return the biological diversity of the land while producing agricultural products in sufficient quantity to feed the world.
• As part of this, a major goal is to improve the lives of those in rural areas. This includes improving economically, physically, and from a mental health perspective.
Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.
