The Calculator is designed to help agricultural practitioners and investors understand the long-term economic impacts of transitioning to regenerative farm management.

Based on our analyses of cash and cash equivalents, fixed income, real assets, public equity, private equity, and venture capital markets, this report concludes with a series of recommendations for investors working within each asset class and for stakeholders such as foundations, policymakers, asset owners and asset managers, and regenerative agriculture practitioners.

The “Soil Investment Guidance Report” aims to support food and agriculture companies to invest in impactful, high-value, and long-term solutions for healthy soils along their supply chains and beyond.

This report identifies finance opportunities and pathways to build resilient value chains for regenerative farms.

This report summarizes the results of a major USDA-funded assessment of the feasibility of developing a new place-based financing district in four states across three regions with very different kinds of farming communities, agronomic conditions, and policy environments.

Recent enhancements within the NRCS practice standards provide opportunities for promoting perennial grains. This document outlines perennial grains practices and current research, and highlights areas of alignment between these practices and NRCS programs.

In this discussion hosted by Regenerative Ag Idea Network Weaver Jahia, Anita Adalja shares their work and experience in farmworker rights, the often overlooked plight of labor abuses on small farms, and their QBIPOC-focused work through the Not Our Farm collective and on Ashoka Farm.

Listen to Michelle Gilman (Food Fluency, REGAIN Network Weaver) and Shelby Geitner discuss the highlights of Shelby’s study of farm-based education in the U.S. and France. 

If selling at least one product or generating income is a goal of your agroforestry practice, then, it’s important to consider how you will market the product(s) you want to sell. Agricultural marketing includes all the activities producers do in order to promote and sell products to consumers.

The degree to which different crops and practices are incorporated into an agroforestry system depends on the site characteristics as well as the values and goals of the people stewarding the land. This makes agroforestry very site specific, and therefore, no two practices or systems are exactly alike.

In the Agroforestry Foundations Online Course, we asked you to reflect on the question, “Why are you interested in agroforestry?”

All ecosystems are complex, including agroforestry systems. They are made up of many organisms interacting with each other and their environment. Through observing and understanding how ecosystems function, people can work with natural processes to design and manipulate ecosystems for desired benefits in ways that are sustainable, resilient, and even regenerative.

This course walks you through the characteristics, considerations, pros and cons, and economics of each of the five core US agroforestry practices and 12 of the most promising crops. Throughout the material, we provide opportunities to pause and reflect on the topics you are learning about as well as your personal preferences and goals.

The Agroforestry Foundations course has been designed to introduce you to a diversity of agroforestry practices, financial arrangements, farm designs and business models while helping you reflect on your own personal values and goals.

In this webinar, Clair Ryan, Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN) Coordinator, discusses MIPN’s work, what dictates plant distribution and spreading potential, climate modeling for the upper midwest, and application for predicting terrestrial invasive plants distribution with EDDMapS. Clair distills EDDMapS modeling methodology and provides a demonstration on how to use EDDMapS to predict range expanding species. She explains how being proactive in detecting these range expanding species is essential to making early detection and eradication …

Erica Hall, Board Chair of the Florida Food Policy Council and longtime advocate for climate justice, social equity, and economic resilience, shares the Florida Food Policy Council’s work in community organizing for climate change resilience.

This four-part series is from a two-day virtual convening hosted by the Pasture Project and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) on grazing public lands.

This 43 page guide introduces the Who, What, and Why’s of rotational grazing. It covers plant growth, animal needs and grazing, setting up a rotational grazing system, and animal health on the pasture. This resource is part of Section 9: Fences, Lanes, Systems, Watering in GrassWorks Grazing Guide, a comprehensive guidebook on managed grazing systems. GrassWorks is a membership organization that provides leadership and education to farmers and consumers for the advancement of managed grass-based agriculture to benefit present and future generations. Learn more about GrassWorks Grazing Guide here. Read the Pastures for Profit: A guide to rotational grazing …

The How Regenerative Agriculture Can Grow series is a collection of five briefs that cover how opportunities for policy reform, investing, training, and marketing can accelerate the implementation of regenerative agriculture practices. Cortney Ahern Renton, Executive Direction of CitySeed, Claire Huntley Lafave, Manager of Client Strategy for Native Energy, and Katie Sierks, Project Manager at Granular, wrote the following featured briefs: The State of Regenerative Agriculture: Growing with Room to Grow More Farmers on the Frontlines of the Regenerative Agriculture Transition So, You’re Thinking of Investing in Regenerative Food Systems. . . Show Me the Money: Making a Downstream Market for Diverse Regenerative Crops The Case for Crop Insurance Learn more about the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative here. Read the How Regenerative Agriculture Can Grow series …

During the webinar, Grant Ballard discusses federal crop insurance policy changes, new products crop insurance agents promote, litigation, and consequences for organic production. Grant represents ranchers and farmers in the areas Federal Farm Programs, Crop Insurance litigation, contract law, environmental law, and governmental compliance investigations as a partner with Ark Ag Law, PLLC. The National Agricultural Law Center, host of the webinar, is an independent agricultural and food law organization that serves the public through plain language resources in 50+ topic areas, state law compilations, and more. View the webinar …

Haley Nagle, Outreach & Education Specialist and Data Analyst with COMET Farm Team, and Lynette Niebrugge, Associate Director of Education and Training with Carbon Cycle Institute, cover carbon farming basics, how to use COMET-Tools, and using COMET for planning. Carbon farm planning is an approach to enhance on farm carbon capture. COMET-Tools consider on farm greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) and how different conservation practices may impact whether the landscape is a source or sink. The COMET-Tools can inform implementation of farming practices that enhance carbon storage. Watch the webinar here. View the COMET-Planner and COMET-Farm …

Anchored in practice driving federal policy, the document describes how the agriculture sector can be reimagined to prioritize the environment, science, public health, and social equity. Through five chapters, this document builds from the ground up, beginning with prioritizing soil health and progressing to equitable land acquisition. Read the report here. Learn more about Day One Project …

Through 18+ interviews on the status of agriculture policy, the Policy Working Group examines challenges and opportunities for adopting policies that would support a transition towards regenerative agriculture. However, policy is not the only driver for agriculture reform. As such, policy decisions must be informed by the climate, economics, culture, and racial equity to make meaningful adjustments away from the status quo and towards regenerative agriculture. Read the report here. Learn more about Funders for Regenerative Agriculture …

This webinar series consists of three sessions: (I) Highlights from Farmer-led Projects Across Wisconsin, (II) Engaging Diverse Audiences in Cover Crops, Soil Health, and Conservation Education, and (III) Research Highlights on Cover Crops and Conservation from Across the State. Each has lightning-style talks that highlight the work and lessons learned from watershed groups, farm networks, land conservation departments, and more. View the webinar collection here. Learn more about CCROP …

The Expanding Regenerative Grazing is an interactive resource that uses maps of land use, nutrient loss, and farm trends to show some problems of conventional agriculture and offers regenerative grazing as a solution. Regenerative grazing reduces nutrient pollution, improves water quality, and helps the farmer. View the Story Map here. Learn more about Pasture Project …

Ear to the Ground Podcast, hosted by Brian DeVour at the Land Stewardship Project, covers family farming, regenerative agriculture, regional food, and local democracy through conversations with farmers, scientists, land professionals and advocates. In this episode, Dayna Burtness from Nettle Valley Farm talks about their three year incubator program’s “informed sink or swim” approach. Dayna and graduating incubatees talk about how the incubator program can serve the land and beginning farmers. Additionally, lessons learned, like the importance of setting expectations through a written document and having an off farm mediator to help resolve conflict, from the first incubator program are discussed. Listen to the podcast here. Nettle Valley Farm is featured in Ear to the Ground 261 and in a magazine article, Hatching Farms and Community, with Practical Farmers of Iowa Listen to more Ear to the Ground Podcasts here. The podcast is also available on numerous streaming …

Grass Based Meat Marketing is a series of three short Soil Builder Videos featuring three farms experiences with beef and goat direct marketing. Building Relationships and Running a Business at Wholesome Family Farms in Southwest MN Raising and Selling an Exceptionally Good Product at Earth Be Glad Farms, Fostering Connection in a Digital World at Cylon Rolling Acres This series is within Land Stewardship Project’s Soil Builder Videos, short videos that highlight what farmers are doing to build soil. View the full video collection …

Wondering if wind and solar energy are right for your farm? Or how to go about installing and producing renewable energy on a large scale? This 32 page guide introduces Minnesota’s law, what you need to know when working with developers, and more. View the guide here. Learn more about Farmers’ Legal Action Group …

From planting garlic to pastured turkeys, SFA’s Dirt Rich podcast brings warm conversations with farmers and land professionals about research, on farm experiences, and food. View the podcast archive …

Brad Heins, researcher with the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, discusses the potential to offset fossil fuel dependence via ground mounted solar panels as shade for cattle. The project explores energy audits, solar for co-location with livestock and agriculture, and education for farmers and industry professionals. Facilitated by Karl Hakanson, the webinar is followed by a Q&A session. Read Agrivoltaics to Shade Cows here. View the SFA youtube channel …

The Cover Crop Decision Tool helps you decide what cover crops to plant based on your location, goals, and other crops planted. The MCCC hosts webinars to further explain how the tool works and how to use it on your farm. Learn more about the MWCC here. Use the tool …

Guided by steps taken by successful existing producer-led groups, the roadmap provides nine sections on how to establish a farmer-led watershed organization that works towards shared goals such as improved water quality and soil health. Read the roadmap …

The guide emphasizes the how visual assessments on farm are useful in gauging potential for erosion and is broken into three categories: no signs of erosion, moderate signs of erosion, and substantial signs of erosion. These walkovers can be used in addition to models on erosion potential. The guide includes decision trees beginning with the questions: (1) Does water come together/concentrate and exit the field? and (2) Are there any of the following signs of erosion: soil-covered plants, firm and crusted soil, ditches, rills? These questions guide adjustments that can be made to limit erosion. Learn more about Discovery Farms Wisconsin, a farmer-led research and outreach program focused on the relationship between agriculture and water quality. View the Walkover Guide …

In planning the 2022 MOSES conference, climate change was identified as a major concern for farmers. This three part series includes talks on climate change adaption from the 2017, 2020, and 2021 MOSES Conference workshops. Build Resilience with Soil Biology with Dr. Kris Nichols. In part 1 of the series Dr. Nicholas, then chief scientist at the Rodale Institute, discusses soil regeneration, cost of building health soil, and on farm work for soil health. Resilient Soils with Dr. Jessica Gutknecht and Dr. Lauren Snyder. Dr. Gutknecht, science advisor at the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and Dr. Snyder, soil ecologist at the University of Minnesota, discuss how essential soil structure and water-holding capacity are in withstanding extreme weather events in part 2 of the series. Keynote Conversation from the 2021 Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference. Connected by their approaches to the challenge of farming and climate, Jim Goodman (National Family Farm Coalition), Erin Schneider (Hilltop Community Farm, Wisconsin), and Lea Zeise (Intertribal Agriculture Council) discuss solutions to this great challenge. These podcasts are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. View additional podcasts from MOSES and available streaming platforms here. Learn more about MOSES …

Barriers to land access are laden with interconnected challenges of climate change, food sovereignty, structural racism and discrimination, cost of living, and public health. However, resistance to inequitable practices and the opportunity for reform are substantial. The Land Policy Report sheds light on the importance of land access and lays a policy driven path forward governed by 15 principles and numerous key actions. Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here. Read the report …

The Racial Equity Toolkit (1) introduces the toolkit and the vast systems of racism in our agriculture system, (2) offers guidance on organizing around and having conversations about racial justice, and (3) exhibit examples of direct action such as allyship, resource sharing, and reparations. Each avenue for transformative action includes valuable resources to help you and your community take action. Notably, the toolkit structures conversations around specific questions related to thirteen informational books, podcasts, and other materials. Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here.  Read the Toolkit …

Why work with a land trust to preserve or access farmland? And, how do we navigate the creativity AND limitations of easements on farmland? Farm Commons talks with Ian McSweeney, Director of Agrarian Trust, to answer these questions with explanations on how land trusts work, what agricultural easements are, and how the Agrarian Trust supports land access for the next generation of farmers. Learn more about Farm Commons and view additional podcasts. Listen to the podcast …

The Farm Commons team discusses inequities in who has access to land, who owns the land, and strategies farmers and farm-advocates pursue to secure land that honors how they want to farm. With a focus on reducing barriers to entry, they dive into the legal mechanics of farm land gifting, crowdfunding, cooperatively purchasing land, and long term leases. Learn more about Farm Commons and view additional podcasts. Listen to the podcast …

The NRCS Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART) streamlines and simplifies conservation planning so NRCS staff can inform farmers, ranchers, and landowners on how to implement and fund their conservation goals. This guide provides conservationists with the pertinent information they need to understand how the new tool works and how it is used. Download the guide here or access it online here. Learn more about the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition …

This collection of current programs and policies breaks down who is eligible, success stories, application information, resources, and history. Originally released in 2014, the guide is continuously updated to ensure farmers, advocates, entrepreneurs, researchers, and rural and urban community groups have the resources they need to build a more sustainable ag system. The Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs seeks to support farmers in navigating federal programs around the following topic areas: Beginning & Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Conservation & Environment Credit & Crop Insurance Food Safety Healthy Food Access Local & Regional Food Systems Organic Production Renewable Energy Rural Development Sustainable & Organic Research The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also features a reference sheet of programs discussed, glossary and acronyms, and additional resources. Access the guide here. Learn more about the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition …

Developed by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance with assistance from the Illinois Department of Agriculture and University of Illinois Extension, this guide informs farmers and producers on the federal, state, and local government regulations that apply to direct farm marketing. The guide includes (1) general overview, (2) key regulatory points, (3) specific food regulations, (4) a checklist for farmers and growers to consider before selling farm products directly, and (5) a state and federal resource section. Download the guide here. Learn more about the Illinois Stewardship Alliance …

Antonio Alba Merez is the Program Director for the Community Land Share, Community Connector, and Neighborhood Garden initiatives. In this call, Antonio and his colleague Lina Nyaronge share how these programs work to address food insecurity and land access in Northfield, MN.

The Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe Webinar Series is a collection of monthly webinars talking all things soil health. Each webinar consists of a main presentation and a short Q&A session after. Researchers from Michigan State University, University of Nebraska, Kansas State University, and more discuss soil in terms of health, carbon storage, digital agriculture, regenerative beef production, and policy. View the webinar catalog here. Learn more about Soil Health Nexus …

Doing your due diligence is a common practice when purchasing property, but as Rachel Armstrong explains, it is just as important when signing a lease for farm land. Rachel Armstrong is the founder and Executive Director of Farm Commons, a nonprofit specializing in farm business law that offers support to farmers and ranchers in building legal resilience. Learn more about Farm Commons here. Learn more about the Quivira Coalition here. Watch the webinar recording …

Rachel Armstrong, founder and Executive Director at Farm Commons, discusses the importance of establishing the right business structure and writing the proper organizing document for your farming or ranching operation. The webinar features the nuances between a LLC and corporation, advice on how to build legal resiliency, and bonus content about anti-corporate farming laws, when to consult a separate business structure, and trusts vs business entities. Learn more about Farm Commons here. Learn more about the Quivira Coalition here. Watch the webinar recording …

The Key Perennial Crops infographic acts as a guidebook for top tree crops in the Midwest. The Savanna Institute characterizes 12 tree crops, each equipped with an introduction, management, livestock integration & food safety, harvest, markets, and an economics case study. Tree crops described include: Cider Apples Aronia Black Currant Black Walnut Chinese Chestnuts Hazelnut Saskatoon, Serviceberry, Juneberry Asian Pear Elderberry Honeyberry, Haskap Northern Pecan Pawpaw Access the guidebook here. Learn more about the Savanna Institute …

This collection of infographics describes five USDA recognized agroforestry practices: windbreaks, silvopasture, riparian buffers, forest farming, and alley cropping. Each infographic outlines the benefits, challenges, and frequently asked question associated with the selected practice. Learn more about the Savanna Institute here. Download the infographics …

Trevor Russell and Erin Meier share their work on the Mississippi River Restoration & Resilience Initiative (MRRRI). MRRI works to advance river-related policy and funding opportunities at the federal level by aiming to strengthen community resilience to climate change and reduce flood risk by restoring floodplains, riverine wetlands, delta and coastal wetlands, and backwaters.

Teresa Opheim, Project Director of Climate Land Leaders with Sharing Our Roots, shares her work to bring landowners together to help tackle the climate crisis by establishing conservation goals for their land.

The Savanna Institute partnered with Farm Commons, Wisconsin DATCAP, and Midwestern farmers to develop the Managing Food Safety Liability Risks when Integrating Livestock with Specialty Crops guide. This guide details three strategies to reduce food safety and liability risks and suggests a fourth strategy to build a legal framework that prioritizes food safety while considering farms that utilize agroforestry or mixed crop livestock operations. Additionally, the guide summarizes how featured farms implement harvest and worker training, exclusion periods, record keeping, and preserving farm flexibility. Download the Guide. View additional resources on Food Safety in …

The online course introduces the history of agroforestry, agroforestry practices, and farm planning. The free course consists of two lessons: What is Agroforestry and Foundations of Agroforestry Planning. Sign up for the Agroforestry Foundations …

An interactive map that spans Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin details precipitation, runoff, detachment, and hill slope soil loss at user selected time intervals. View the Interactive Map Visit the Daily Erosion Project …

This sixteen part “how-to” video series facilitated by Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color farmers and land stewards details soil carbon, ways to honor the land, seed keeping, and more. Read more on the Soul Fire Farm website.  Follow the playlist on …

The policy brief discusses how systemic racism within the agricultural sector excludes Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and strategies for addressing longstanding …

Bob Micheel, Monroe County Land Conservation Department Director, shares his work on the Climate Change Task Force with Monroe County in Wisconsin.

Dr. Randy Jackson of University of Wisconsin-Madison through key questions related to regenerative ag and soil carbon – what are the opportunities to build soil, what are the challenges, and how do we shift away from paradigm of soil mining?

Marshall Johnson shares Audubon’s pioneering work on the market-based Conservation Ranching Program which brings farmers, ranchers, retailers and consumers together with grasslands, herds and birds into win-win alignment.

Jared Luhman discusses SFA’s new Technical Assistance for Grazing Program. The program will provide one-on-one training for a cohort of 30 farmers in Minnesota to help them begin, improve upon, or expand their grazing enterprise

Green Lands Blue Waters, along with co-hosts RuralAdvantage and Savanna Institute, discuss examples of leveraging NRCS funds to implement and support Continuous Living Cover (CLC) practices like perennial forage and alley cropping.

Dr. Jonathan Lundgren discusses his research and education programs on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems.⠀

Meghan Filbert of Practical Farmers of Iowa shares their approach to the 2021 event season

Dr. Jasmine Dillon and Dr. Megan Machmuller get in the weeds of soil carbon science and the potential for regenerative grazing to sequester carbon.

The pasture management course is a training program in basic cool-season pasture management and guides the creation of a personalized pasture management plan.

A guide to facilitating conversations about topics related to racial equity.

This resource library consists of grazing resources curated by UW Madison Division of Extension.

Meghan Filbert, Livestock Program Manager at Practical Farmers of Iowa, shares best practices for hosting virtual field days!

This calculator is appropriate for cow-calf, stocker, finishing, or direct market enterprises and includes five year cash flow projections and a value calculator for purchase and sales decisions. It is designed for beef but can be modified to be appropriate for any pasture-based animal production.

Justin Pepper, formerly of the Audubon Society, details how conservation organizations can use grazing to further their goals and why it is such an effective conservation tool.

This video tutorial series on grazing cover crops features a set of 14 videos with expert tips and advice from farmers and adaptive grazing expert, Dr. Allen Williams. The videos cover everything from the benefits of cover crops to fencing and watering systems to animal nutrition when grazing cover crops.

In this Fencing 101 video series, fencing expert Kent Solberg, with help from organic dairy farmer Kevin Jahnke, describes the principles and pitfalls of energized fencing in a series of 13 practical how-to videos.

This video tutorial series includes a set of 35 tutorials from adaptive grazing expert Dr. Allen Williams on topics such as assessing the degree of finish of cattle, determining optimal stock density, and what to do about endophyte-infected fescue

The report explores the market, benefits, and barriers related to grass-fed beef production, outlining a clear way forward for transitioning acreage to more sustainable management.

This report details the results of a four year research project on the economic and soil health benefits of livestock grazing on cover crops

Integrating cattle grazing on winter cover crops can provide significant soil health and on-farm economic benefits. This project studied three years of cover crop and livestock integration on 8 cooperating farms in Minnesota and Iowa.

This webinar, a collaboration between the Pasture Project and Delta Institute, digs into the report “The State of Grass-Fed Value Chains in Illinois” and discusses the continuing work to advance grass-fed value chains in the state.

Dr. Allen Williams, one of the foremost experts on grass-fed genetics, developed this comprehensive guide to selecting cattle genetics for a grass-fed program.

Read Pasture Project’s how-to guide on grazing cover crops, focused on helping farmers get started with the practice to leverage soil health and economic benefits through winter livestock grazing.

This webinar discusses common myths about grazing cover crops. Meghan Filbert (Practical Farmers of Iowa) presents information from recent grazing cover crop field trials and the experiences of farmers using the practice.

This paper explores the current state of cattle grazing for beef and, to a lesser extent, dairy production in Illinois resulting in grass-fed and grass-finished products that serve markets in and beyond the state.