Field Work

Gabe Brown didn’t grow up on a farm. But today he’s way into regenerative agriculture. On his farm and ranch just outside of Bismarck, North Dakota, Gabe does no-till, cover crops, and a mini-version of mob grazing. He’s also one of the founding partners of Understanding Ag and the author of “Dirt To Soil: One Farmer’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.”

Robert Bonnie grew up on a Kentucky farm. Today, he’s one of the most powerful people in agriculture, serving as a top USDA official in the Biden administration. One of the initiatives he’s working on is the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a $1 billion program aimed at reducing the ag sector’s carbon footprint.

Farmers in 14 states have planted more than 14,000 acres of prairie strips to ease soil erosion. On this episode, Lisa Schulte Moore of Iowa State University explains the science behind planting native grasses and plants. “Prairie strips are oriented perpendicular to that flow of water,” she says. “It's really about slowing that water down, allowing it to infiltrate.”

Tara is a fifth-generation dairy farmer and environmental scientist. She earned her degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona and has spent the last nine years working as an environmental scientist on dairy farm projects throughout the southwest.

Field Work is supported in part by the Walton Family Foundation, working for solutions so nature and people can thrive together.

Washington County, Iowa, has consistently been one of the highest performing counties for cover crop acres in Iowa.