From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – Farmers are in the most stressful profession in the U.S., said Dr. Elizabeth Heilman, an ecologist and co-owner of Regenerative Wisdom Agricultural Consulting Service. Anyone in a high-stress profession is more apprehensive toward change because it feels threatening.
According to Heilman, social and emotional factors play a role in a farmer’s willingness to experiment with regenerative agriculture. However, she mentioned that regenerative practices can aid a farmer’s sustainability and profitability in the longterm.
“Right now, there is a study across the state of Oklahoma, and it showed on average that only 18% of rain was going into the soil and being used by plants,” Heilman said. “When we think about a drought, we have to ask ‘how much rain is coming down and how much we are using.’” Heilman emphasized the role of social factors in farmers’ ultimate decisions. “A lot of farmers live in very tight communities and don’t want to be the outsider and don’t want to do something strange,” she said. “It is really normal for farmers and ranchers who are trying a new practice to feel scared and literally shake when they are drilling their first cover crop.”
For farmers who are apprehensive to regenerative agriculture due to social pressures, Heilman recommends implementing them on small portions of land or out of the public eye. “It is important for farmers to work with other people who are in about the same place as they are and maybe get one person to help them out,” she said. “They will have a chance to share what feels scary, try out new ideas, and talk to each other. In rural America, we don’t spend enough time together, so it is really important to get a support network of people you know.”
Heilman added that visiting with other farmers who are implementing regenerative practices and attending Natural Resources Conservation Service events would be beneficial. “These are actually times to start this because you are going to have a lot more moisture in your soil. You don’t have to pay for fertilizers, so your prices are going to be a lot lower. You have more control over your operation when you are making it healthier and healthier,” she said. “That is the idea of regenerative agriculture and rotational grazing is you are making your land healthier and healthier, and you are going to have more success.”