GALLO’s Post

We need to change from a focus on yield( bushels per acre) to net profit per acre. Farming is a business. We don’t accurately measure a business on gross sales and we shouldn’t measure a farming business like that. Less inputs on a regenerative farm equals a more profitable farm even if there is a slight yield decline in the first couple years as you build soil organic matter.

🥔 There is now a common recognition that food is a soft point at the heart of our efforts to transition to ways of living which are truly sustainable. In Irish history, food holds meanings which run deeper than our conscious memory. Walking in the Irish mountains, you may come across small parallel ridges in the Earth. These old potato drills hold memories of the struggle for food and survival during the hardships of the 1800s. Our language is limited in its capacity to convey this meaning of food beyond sustenance.   🤝 The article linked below speaks of ‘radical collaboration’. But it is radical only in its contemporary context. We each hold the history of working together for a common purpose in our cells. This is the perspective which forms the ground of Bioregional Weaving.   🐄 In the greater Waterford bioregion our Bioregional Weaving Lab is working as a partner in the Climate-KIC Flagship titled ‘A new normal for sustainable dairy’. Since the beginning of the ‘activation phase’ in September 2023, the Irish weaving team has been visiting farmers and other stakeholders in the region and hosting online gatherings and workshops.   👩🌾 On December 6th, BWL hosted a workshop in the Copper Coast Geopark visitor centre, with the intention of co-visioning the future of the dairy system in the Waterford Bioregion. 13 stakeholders attended, bringing energy and wisdom from their respective life experiences and expertise. These were mostly dairy farmers from Waterford, Cork, and Wexford, as well as retired or ex-dairy farmers, and representatives from organisations such as the Local Authority Waters Program.   🌱 In this short time, our connections and understandings have deepened. Our intention is to carry forward with the deep contributions made by all that we have met and spoken to. There are already many ideas in action and emerging. This collective work feeds into the overall intention of the BWL in Waterford, to “build a resilient food system that supports thriving landscapes, seascapes and communities”.   👉 If you are interested in learning more or engaging, please reach out to Ali Crighton (ali@bwl.ie) or Sarah Prosser (Sarah@bwl.ie). https://lnkd.in/dFG2g5WK    #BWL #Waterford #dairy #ClimateKIC

Check out this article featuring NEDPA director Shane St. Cyr and Jon Rulfs of ADK Farms that highlights dairy industry challenges resulting in consolidation and opportunities for dairies to continue to be leaders in environmental stewardship. https://lnkd.in/eumBQNFf

This is what happened when our World of Regeneration sweepstakes winners, Roni and Justyn, crashed our Leadership Team meeting during their prize winning trip to our farm in Richvale, CA. Roni: “We didn’t realize that all of this stuff happened right here.” Justyn: “Everything that you guys do from beginning to end is insane” Craig Stevenson (our CEO): “It might be, actually”. If doing the “INSANE” thing means doing the right thing, then we’re all in…always!” #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #organicrice #organicfarming #organicfood #familybusiness #cpgbrands #LundbergFamilyFarms 

When raised by farmers, our earliest lessons in leadership, stewardship and life in general occur with the rhythms of the seasons. It turns out, even in a season of loss the learning continues. https://lnkd.in/e5xHqx87

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE NEXT FARMER OF THE FOODSHED https://lnkd.in/eMWyTAJf Each year, members of the Future Harvest community work together to nominate and award a “Farmer of the Foodshed” in the Chesapeake region and honor them at our annual conference. These farmers are leaders in the field. They are environmental stewards, who have shown longevity and continue to invest in the health of their land and community. They are the farmers that our beginning farmers aspire to be, and we are thrilled to recognize their contributions with this award. Eligibility Requirements: This farmer should be exemplary in at least three of the following criteria: - Profitability; strong business acumen - Environmental stewardship - Longevity (how long they have been farming) - Contributes to their community - Innovative - Shares knowledge with other farmers The awardee must be a Future Harvest member at the time of the award, and unless there are extenuating circumstances, be able to attend the conference in College Park, Maryland January 18 – 20, 2024. The awardee may not presently be on the Future Harvest Board of Directors or part of a farm owned by a board member or a coworker of a board member. #fhcasa #farmer #farmerawards #stewardship #leadership

Regenerative farming practises offers effective solutions to counteract the negative effects of the farming phase of food production! Today conventional farming practises causes around 30% of all greenhouse gases and is one of the main reasons why biodiversity is declining and not least threatens access to clean drinking water on a large scale! The scientific evidence and farmer testimony is mounting, we have every reason to reconnect with the farm and the soil and learn what is the difference between conventional and regenerative farming practises!

Modelling great leaders and their leadership traits is a great way to develop your own leadership skills. The visionary, Dr John Gladstones AO, a recognised agronomist whose work has had a profound impact on Western Australian agriculture and the development of the Margaret River wine region, is one such leader. See the article, below, to learn 6 of the Leadership traits that he embodied.

I 💕 this series (more than the previous two). However, I struggle to conflate this Clarkson with the gas-guzzling, climate-sceptic Clarkson of other media. 10m wide hedges with large buffer strips. Regen ag. Nature-friendly management. Love of wildlife. High welfare pigs and cattle plus tears when they hurt. Clarkson could be the UK’s most effective mainstream advocate for wildlife, the environment, and sustainable ag. However, I fear he may continue trumpeting an anti-progressive narrative for lucrative, right-wing columns, despite practising the opposite. I hope the progressive attitudes depicted in Clarkson's Farm are real, and that it will permeate his other media. It reminds me of my first graduate job, in change management consultancy, where I was taught the value of converting your greatest detractors, who often become your greatest advocates. Fingers crossed Clarkson goes on to preach what he practices 🤞 It would be a welcome change to those who preach sustainability whilst practising the opposite. #regenag #sustainability #naturepositive

One of the things our members love most about Rotary is the ability to make an impact near AND far. We can make lasting changes in our communities while contributing to projects that impact others around the globe. Learn more about Rotary's current projects around the world: https://loom.ly/soJdvp4