The Regenerative Ladder

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

For farmers, the move to regenerative practices like no till and cover crops is not as simple as just flipping a switch. That’s why industry leaders like Dawn Equipment CEO Joe Bassett see the transition to regenerative farming as more of a one-step-at-a-time approach.

Bassett… “I postulate this argument as like the regenerative ladder. Farmers are starting here. And then, you know, so many well-intentioned people in the industry are like, 'why don't you just no-till? Why don't you just use this?' And it's like, okay, well you're not empathizing with their real needs as their business. And you're not understanding how they perceive a change to their cropping system. And so let's not try and move them in a big, huge leap all at once. Let's move them in steps along the way towards a farming system that improves the soil over time.”

The ideal system that farmers might reach at the very top of that regenerative ladder is certified organic no till, said Bassett.

Bassett…”That's the top of the pyramid in regenerative farming because you're getting this high value organic crop out of it that is worth more, and you're paying the absolute least into it. Because again, my entire theory was okay, how do we maximize the financial outcome for the end-users? And then that is going to translate into adoption.”

Tune in tomorrow for more details on regenerative transition.