EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF AG

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https://soilhealthlabs.com/podcast/ep-27future-of-ag-beck/

To most farmers in South Dakota, Dr. Dwayne Beck needs very little introduction, Dwayne is the manager of the Dakota lakes Research Station near Pierre, SD and has been an influential force in promoting no-till farming and an awareness of soil biology with farmers. While Dwayne has written a good bit on no-till farming, he is in his element at Dakota Lakes with farmers, doing things like turning on the pivot irrigation system, putting 2” of water on the n-till ground and immediately following the pivot with producers so they see that on this land, infiltration happens so fast that they can keep their shoes clean!  We got together with Dwayne in the fall of 2021 to talk about Dakota lakes and specifically his interest in integrating livestock into cropping systems.  This has been a dream of his for some time, but it was made a reality through a gift of the Howard Buffet foundation.  Dr. Dwayne Beck is a natural storyteller and in this podcast, we get a 30,000 ft view of how Dakota Lakes is working on re-integrating livestock into cropping systems and why these things are important – Dwayne is open about failure and successes “it says research on the gate” is one of his expressions and he shares both with equal candor.  Most of Dwayne’s principles are illustrated with a story of some sort or another and we end the discussion with why we often need a “brain transplant” or an attitude shift to “see” or benefit from out of the box thinking.

Rather than rehash Dr. Beck’s Pedigree, we are providing some links to those of our listeners who don’t know him as well:

No-till on the plains – Dwayne Beck Bio – https://www.notill.org/dwayne-beck

SD Hall of fame – the legacy of Dwayne Beck – https://sdexcellence.org/Dwayne_Beck_2007

Dakota Lakes Research Farm – https://www.dakotalakes.com/

Dakota Lakes Virtual Field Day – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc66Z_FEyOM&list=PLTZDoxH1GkisubbRzKxg2XA_PIzzPE8PM&index=1

“Reversing Soil Degradation with Dwayne Beck” on the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast: https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/2020/11

South Dakota NRCS: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/sd/

Ample Wildlife

Just like people, wildlife needs food, shelter, and water not just to survive but to thrive. The farming practices we follow at Dakota Lakes nurture a robust ecosystem that provide for the needs not only of the deer and pheasants that are popular with local hunters and nature enthusiasts but also a diverse range of species that ideally keeps pests at bay naturally without the need for intensive pesticide intervention.

Healthy Food

Much of the nutrient acquisition in plants is mediated by microbes, so soils that are home to a rich diversity of microbial life are better equipped to provide plants with their required nutrition effectively and efficiently. Recent studies have shown foods, including meat, grown under regenerative farming practices contain higher levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than those grown under conventional farming practices. While the science behind these studies is complex and sample sizes are small and highly variable, preliminary results suggest that regenerative practices can enhance the nutritional profile of many of the foods we eat.

Clean Water

Carbon is one of the best water filters known to man, and regenerative farming practices like no-till, cover crops, and livestock integration help to maintain or even increase soil carbon levels. Plants serve as natural “carbon pumps,” bringing carbon in from the atmosphere by way of photosynthesis and feeding it to soil microbes in the form of exudates. In addition, plants take up and hold onto nutrients that are mineralized in the soil, so keeping living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible goes a long way to preventing nutrient runoff into local waterways.

Living Soils

By following diverse cropping rotations, keeping a living root in the ground as much as possible, integrating livestock, maintaining good soil armor, and keeping soil disturbance to a minimum, we are nurturing the soil microbiome and providing favorable conditions for the bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, insects, earthworms, and other living creatures that call the soil their home. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can contain billions of microbes and our goal is to promote a natural, balanced environment that allows them to thrive.