Recently the Carbon Cowboys posted a video of DF Fyfer explaining how the changes in breeding goals for cattle breeds have, over the last few decades, shifted the economics of beef production against the farmer and in favour of the feedlots. "The sister of the ideal feedlot steer may not turn into the ideal cow to farm with...
Our rural communities are being gutted. 54% of maize farmers and 56% of beef farmers have gone out of business in the last 14 years. Our current view of the role of agriculture is creating an unsustainable future. That future can be altered by taking a broader view of agriculture that includes soil health and its associated benefits.
In July this year I had the privilege of accompanying Peter Byck to Danie Slabbert's farm in Reitz in the Free State. Peter Byck's is the "wrangler" behind the Carbon Cowboys research, which has returned some incredible results from their multi dimensional study comparing regeneratively grazed farms with their conventional neighbours. Since...
George Mossop was born in Greytown in 1861, he was orphaned, and at 14 years of age he set off with Boer biltong and hide traders to hunt the large herds of antelope that still remained on parts of the Highveld. At 17 his adventures continued when he joined the Light Horse Infantry to go and fight in the...
Wow what an amazing two weeks. It was truly a privilege to take the Byck family - including ouma and two teenagers - and the Carbon Cowboys' Roots So Deep science documentary on a South African Roadshow.
In May this year we held the first RegenAg SA Regenerative Grazing Day in Graaff Reinet. It was a remarkable success with 80+ people gathered together to hear 5 farmers tell the stories of their personal paths to being regenerative grazers. There are many routes to this destination and we need to hear from more farmers how...
One frequently made comment is that Regenerative Agriculture has no official definition and consequently corporates can make any claims they decide on in saying they are being regenerative. While this is true it is not at the core of the regenerative greenwashing problem. Regenerative Agriculture is many things to many people but any definition...
Two weeks ago the man who some describe as a founding father of Regenerative Agriculture was in South Africa giving a number of Master Classes. It was a privilege to sit for two days and listen to a man who has a global following but doesn't want to be guru; who has enormous experience but admits he doesn't know all...
Last week we had the privilege of travelling to a number of regenerative farms in the Eastern Free State. To arrive at a regenerative farm, at the end of a long dusty road, having driven past innumerable hills and valleys of overgrazed veld and moeg geploeg fields of bare earth, the soil turning to dust and blowing off...
Last week with much excitement we broke the shackles of Covid and for the first time since 2019 the 2022 Landbou Weekblad Regenerative Agriculture Conferences took place. Once again the small maize belt towns of Reitz and Ottosdal became the focus of the latest research and experimentation in the field of regenerative production.
