South Otago dairy farmer Mark Anderson talks about his passion for the environment and the experiences – in New Zealand and overseas – that led him to begin exploring regenerative farming practices four years ago. These include seeing the impact of farming on the rivers that border his family's farm, recognising the unsustainability of Southland winter cropping practices, and hearing about changes in the oceans impacting his father-in-law's commercial fishing operations.
Mark also touches on the link between soil health, food quality and human health, with challenges to his own health adding to the drive to produce healthier food from healthier natural systems. With detail of the positive benefits on soil function, how Mark is monitoring progress, and the power of being supported by like-minded farmers, it's a conversation that covers a lot of ground.
Enjoy the episode!
Conversation timeline:
00:00:41 - Introducing Mark Anderson
00:01:55 - Catalysts for the change to regen
00:04:43 - Burn-out in the dairy industry
00:07:10 - Changes to our oceans and rivers
00:11:18 - Nature-based solutions
00:14:27 - Farm history, setup and overview
00:20:14 - Learning regen
00:23:48 - The power of a supportive community
00:25:50 - Working with nature not against it
00:28:57 - Farming as an art form, not just science
00:31:59 - Catching the emergent wave
00:35:25 - Being in the black to be green
00:37:05 - Measuring progress with soil fungi
00:42:09 - Rebuilding the natural cycles
00:49:52 - A new definition of success
00:54:52 - Starting the regen journey
