Op-ed: Why Most No-Till Agriculture Is Not Actually Regenerative
I sat down to write this piece after a five-inch April snowstorm gave our newly planted wheat fields their first drink of the season. Wheat is one of five crops we raise on our farm just outside Belgrade, Montana, that work in rotation to help build our soils, minimize weeds, and produce high yields—all without using expensive and toxic synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.
https://civileats.com/2025/05/08/why-most-no-till-agriculture-is-not-actually-regenerative/
Demand for organic products continues to increase
Alexander Schultz of Argus Media said that the growth for organic food has been increasing since 2014 but spiked during the pandemic in 2020. In 2014, organic food sales were only $35 billion a year but grew to $65 billion a year in 2024.
https://agupdate.com/farmandranchguide/news/crop/article_91b67905-2a94-4a03-b663-568aedf6f523.html
Why Is Organic Milk More Expensive Than Regular, And Is It Worth It?
It’s important to understand that organic milk is more expensive because it boils down to how the cows are treated and how much it costs farmers to maintain them. According to the USDA, “organic milk must come from a certified organic cow,” which has a special certification that farmers must purchase from the USDA. To be considered truly organic, cows cannot have antibiotics of growth hormones, and must eat “100% organic” food from grass/land that has not been treated with fertilizers, pesticides, or anything of the kind. The cows must have access to open plains for a minimum of 120 days out of the year and if the cow gets sick, needing antibiotic treatment, it’s no longer considered “organic.” The maintenance of this, from the certification to the organic feed to the altered infrastructure, comes out of the farmer’s pocket.
Happy Dirt triples production in three years
“We’ve focused on local and regionally grown organic produce since our founding in 2004,” Bayor said, adding that over the past three years they have tripled output. “We offer both wholesale and local programs. Our wholesale program includes up to 60 items throughout the season, grown primarily from our own farmers and a few trusted partners. Our local program supports independent stores, restaurants, home delivery services and box programs, offering nearly 500 items tailored to those customers.”
https://theproducenews.com/organic-produce-summit/happy-dirt-triples-production-three-years
