Steve Diver, Farm Superintendent at the University of Kentucky’s Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, boasts a rich background in sustainable agriculture. With a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from Oklahoma State University, he honed his expertise while serving as a horticultural and soils consultant in Central Texas. Diver founded Agri-Horticultural Consulting in 2010, specializing in soil analysis and consultancy services tailored to eco-agriculture, organic and sustainable farming, and...

Alpha Lo runs the Climate Water Project and is Co-founder of Regenerative Water Alliance. He’s also a water researcher, writer, and podcaster. With a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of natural systems, Alpha advocates for rewilding initiatives and holistic land management practices to address environmental challenges. Through collaboration and education, Alpha works to promote sustainable solutions that enhance soil health, water retention, and ecosystem resilience. In this...

Brian Magarin has a background rooted in farming, spanning over a decade. Brian's journey has been shaped by hands-on experience and a commitment to sustainable farming methods after first starting in a conventional setting. Through years of trial and error, he has gained valuable insights into soil dynamics, irrigation techniques, and the impact of cover crops on crop and soil health. Brian manages 9,000 acres for Belltown Farms and grows corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. He also operates...

AEA Founder and Chief Vision Officer, John Kempf, gives a quick summary of the success of our first community raise and features six investors who share why they invested in Advancing Eco Agriculture. AEA has raised over $2.2 million thus far during our Wefunder crowdfunding campaign, aimed at expanding our regenerative solutions to support farmers worldwide and enhance our food supply. Hear from investors: Claudia Ben Erin Crampton John Pierce Kate Fileczki Laurenz Von Glahn Paul Ruger ...

Austin Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He is a 7th-generation Iowan whose passion for agriculture comes from the weekends working on his grandpa's farm. He is a Fellow at the Thurman Arnold Project at Yale University. In 2022, he worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to organize a conference at Yale Law School entitled “Reforming America’s Food Retail Markets,” which explored competition issues in the nation’s grocery industry. He is the author of Barons:...

Jean-Martin (JM) Fortier has over 20 years of experience developing, testing, and perfecting biointensive and regenerative growing techniques on his small-scale farms in Quebec that increase the soil’s biology to achieve maximum yields on small surfaces.  Jean-Martin’s mission is to promote the importance of human-scale regenerative agriculture in creating sustainable and resilient food systems. He achieves this goal by sharing his knowledge and expertise with thousands of farmers through...

Taimur Malik founded Drawdown Farm, a regenerative farm in the Thal desert in Pakistan. Taimur engages in various regenerative agriculture practices, including planting diverse crops like bananas, implementing managed grazing trials, and using impact sprinkler systems powered by solar energy. Taimur emphasizes the importance of biological solutions and sustainable farming techniques to improve soil health, increase yields, and mitigate environmental impacts. His innovative approaches, such...

Boe Clausen is a second-generation farmer in Eastern Washington. His parents immigrated from Denmark and established Stokrose Farm in 1981. Initially focused on vegetable seed production, the farm diversified into alfalfa, hay, corn, wheat, and cattle. Boe now manages Stokrose Farm alongside his siblings.  Boe's shift towards foliar applications, reduced nitrogen usage, and strategic nutrient management have improved crop health, reduced disease and insect pressure, and enhanced soil...

Zack Smith is a fifth-generation farmer from northern Iowa. He is the owner and operator of Smith Seed and Agronomy, LLC, and co-founder and CEO of Stock Cropper, Inc. Zack previously worked in seed production and chemical retail as a certified crop advisor and then as a seed rep while farming on the side. He eventually became interested in soil health and started experimenting with strip-tilling and using cover crops, which marked the beginning of his shift towards regenerative...

Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge are co-owners of Many Hands Organic Farm, an organic CSA farm that serves 150 families in Barre, MA. They met while doing community organizing work in Boston, and in 1982, made the decision to move out to the country to raise their kids in connection to the land and grow their own food. Julie and Jack share their farm’s transformative journey from inception to becoming a model of regenerative, organic farming. In this episode, Julie and Jack discuss with...

Nicole Dooling and Michael Frey help operate Mariah Vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge alongside Nicole’s parents, Dan and Vicki. As founders, Dan and Vicki have mindfully tended their land for over 40 years, putting in the hard labor of planting and growing this vineyard from the ground up. Their family and vineyard have thrived due to their dedication, adaptability, and resourcefulness in working with nature. Situated at 2,400 ft elevation without irrigation, they holistically manage their...

Marty Travis, a former furniture maker turned farmer, co-owns and operates Spence Farm in Illinois with his son, Will. Spence Farm grows a wide array of heirloom and native crops, heritage animals, and a huge diversity of agricultural opportunities on the 160 acres. Marty embraced sustainable farming, catering to Chicago's restaurant community. This unique partnership led to a thriving and sustainable business prioritizing soil health, livestock, and community relationships. The farm model...

Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman and the owner of White Oak Pastures, a holistically managed regenerative farm raising cattle, pigs, poultry, rabbits, sheep, and organic vegetables in Bluffton, Georgia.  After graduating college in 1977, Will returned to Bluffton, where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. By the mid-1990s, Will became disenchanted with the excesses of industrialized methods and decided to return to...

Steven Cardoza is a second-generation organic raisin grape grower. His 400-acre farm is south of Fresno, California. His father transitioned from conventional to organic growing in 1998 after discovering some of the inputs he was using were making him ill. Steven took over the business in 2017 with a massive jumpstart on the pathway to regenerative agriculture. Since moving from an organic to a regenerative approach, Steven has changed his management methods to enact many exciting results...

In this special podcast episode marking the launch of Integrity Grown™, AEA’s verification standard, John Kempf shares the heart behind this new brand. John advocates for a shift towards verifying outcomes rather than solely focusing on processes. Integrity Grown prioritizes the verification of outcomes across several key areas: Harvest Quality and Nutritional Integrity: Ensuring the produce meets high quality standards and retains its nutritional value. Harvest Freedom from Toxins:...

Join us in this episode as Amy Williams, who has three decades of clothing industry experience and currently serving as the CEO of Citizens of Humanity, shares insights into the transformative journey toward regenerative cotton. Amy delves into the organization's commitment to sustainability, emphasizing their shift towards regeneratively grown cotton after recognizing the critical role of raw materials in the sustainability conversation. Amy sheds light on Citizens of Humanity's...

Allen Williams is a 6th-generation farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Insights, Understanding Ag, and the Soil Health Academy. He has consulted with over 4,000 farmers and ranchers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and other regions on operations ranging from a few acres to over 1 million. Allen and his colleagues specialize in whole farm and ranch planning based on regenerative agriculture concepts. Their approach creates significant “value add” and prepares the landowner...

Joel Grosbach is a fifth-generation farmer and AEA customer growing dryland and irrigated crops in Southwest Nebraska. Since his area only receives seven inches of average annual rainfall, incorporating regenerative practices such as cover crops, crop rotation, animal grazing, and minimal tillage are critical for water management. Joel grows a variety of crops, including popcorn and dry edible beans, and grows for his neighbor, who owns a seed production business.   In this episode, John and...

It’s the 100th episode of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast! In this special episode, AEA grower James Johnson interviews the voice behind the podcast, John Kempf.  James Johnson is a fourth-generation farmer in New Mexico and the Vice President of Carzalia Valley Produce. When James finally took over the family farm in the early 2000s, the outlook of his operation seemed grim. After many years of trial and error with various farming practices, James met the Advancing Eco Agriculture team...

Dr. James White is a professor of Plant Pathology at Rutgers University. Dr. White obtained an M.S. in Mycology and Plant Pathology from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in Mycology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987. Dr. White specializes in symbiosis research, particularly endophytic microbes. He is the author of more than 180 articles and author and editor of reference books on the biology, taxonomy, and phylogeny of fungal endophytes, including Biotechnology of Acremonium...

Bob Jones is co-owner and chief executive officer of The Chef’s Garden, a family-owned farm in Huron, Ohio, committed to growing exceptional vegetables. Bob leads the farm’s cutting-edge food safety and food quality programs, helping develop the most reliably healthy and nutritionally dense fresh vegetables. The direction of the farm changed in the 1980s from growing conventional vegetables when his brother, Lee Jones, had an encounter with a chef who asked him if their farm could grow...

Austin Unruh founded Trees for Graziers to help farmers establish trees in pastures on a large scale. Austin has worked on over 400 acres for 25 different working farms. Getting trees planted at a large scale and an affordable price led to lots of experimentation to ensure protection and integration into pasture that was minimally intrusive. It’s his goal to make silvopasture as easy and cost-effective as possible for farmers. Trees for Graziers offers everything from planning, planting,...

Paul Greive founded Pasturebird after searching for high-quality pasture-raised chicken to feed his family. Unable to find this chicken in stores, Paul and his family took matters into their own hands, setting out to produce nutrient-dense pasture-raised chicken. In the spring of 2012, Paul's brother ordered 50 chicks, marking the inception of their business. Pasturebird is now the largest pasture poultry producer in the world, with a mission to make nutrient-dense chicken more affordable...

Austin Allred is a dairyman located in the Columbia basin of Washington State and operates Royal Family Farms. His parents started farming 50 years ago, and now Austin, as well as his brothers, own their own operations. Together, their four farms have grown over 1 million tons of potatoes, boxes of apples, boxes of cherries, bushels of corn, and bales of hay, beans, peas, asparagus, and more. Austin’s dairy produces 1 million gallons of milk per month. Fifteen years ago, the family began...