Treating the Farm as an Ecosystem Part 2 with Russell Hedrick

In part 2 of this presentation, we hear from Russell Hedrick of JRH Grain Farms in Catawba county, NC. Russell has gone from being a beginning farmer just 5 years ago, to rapidly expanding his grain production operations. He is an advocate of soil health, no till methods and utilizes a diversity of cover crops extensively as he blazes trails of innovation and inspiration for young and older farmers alike.

[@mildredthill2868]

“If there’s ground that’s bare, it gets a seed… If the sun shines on your farm, you can grow a cover crop on it.”

[@wadepatton2433]

I now feel better about the future of agriculture and humanity. This must be the way of the future. Let us reclaim the original soil health of the world for the benefit of all!

[@staninjapan07]

Another almost random click that turned out to be fascinating and rewarding. I have never farmed or grown my own food, and it is unlikely that I will ever farm, although I plan to move to a house with some land around it so I can grow some veg. I have seen a good number of videos of this nature here on YT, and this certainly ranks among those I would recommed. Thank you.

[@staninjapan07]

@@shawnmendrek3544 Given the precarious state of the world's economies and infrastructures at the moment, it may indeed come in handy.

[@staninjapan07]

@@shawnmendrek3544 Too funny.

[@thechaosgardener]

Great information. Thank you. I have been integrating these strategies into my permaculture backyard. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. It works great in Arizona. 2 weeks at over 110 degrees straight and I am the only one im my neighborhood with a green backyard.

[@pedro97w]

Every farmer that takes a check from the government should be required to watch this series first.

[@safffff1000]

They should be required to farm like this before they get a check

[@wallpello_1534]

We just need to stop subsidizing bad farming practices

[@Countryboy316]

Why change when your getting a check anyways. Goveremnt needs cut funding.

[@ncooty]

This guy is straight content, no fluff. Nice.

[@Michael_McMillan]

This is the best channel on KZbin, love these videos.

[@johnmcinnis3676]

Good job Russ! John McInnis

[@gregcrowe8885]

Thank You for helping and your wisdom future generations need more farmers like you.

[@paulbourdon1236]

Brilliant stuff Russell! Thank you! I got a call from our animal control in the middle of an experiment (molecular biologist) my pigs (sow and 7 feeders) were about a 1/4 mile from my farm in someones backyard. Had to drop everything and get back home.:^)

[@admintheparkapp6215]

Thanks for the great content. I live near the Texas coast and we have far too much chemical runoff and have algae blooms like the dreaded red tide. Your good choices and the idea of greater carbon containment is a key to our future.

[@tristanhurley9029]

Amazing and inspiring!

[@kneekho]

It's amazing that this isn't the norm.

[@brianwood8207]

I really appreciate Russels steaight forward approach Great video

[@LITTLEMUSTANGFILLY]

"life's hard, its harder if your stupid. " Boy aint that the truth. Lol.

[@illanaisme]

Brillant!, thank you!

[@rojilander7212]

You have made practical a carbonizing methodology that really works and I would share..fertile natural carbon food and aggregate development ..greatest vetch oat jungle feeding the microbes..awesome field you have done the good work ..a really good power of example that works ! And the grazing ideas... 👍

[@scipioafricanus2]

More farmers need to adopt these practices especially in my county, lol.

[@LITTLEMUSTANGFILLY]

I love these concepts. I really hope they get put into practice more and more. This is really gonna make the world a better place. He's made me like pigs a little more than I use to. Lol.

[@somethingbeautiful2212]

Awesome information ! Thank you 🌠

[@TheBereangirl]

"When the wind blows, sheep die!" Lol...aw...that's so sad. I remember watching an episode of The Incredible Dr. Pol where Dr. Brenda said that when a sheep gets sick it's a 50/50 chance it'll recover, because it thinks, "Oh no, I'm sick, I'm going to die." Is it any wonder that the Lord compares us to sheep?

[@toma4352]

Amen If I get sick, I look at myself to see why this is happening... 9 times out of 10 , it’s because I’m off track !!!

[@TheBereangirl]

@@toma4352 so true...so true!

[@lanceklessigregenerativeag7901]

Great stuff as always from Hedrick!

[@mildredthill2868]

This year and next year, most provinces in Canada are offering a rebate on cover crops if a farmer hasn’t been using them up to now. I believe the Canadian government is doing this to help farmers see for themselves that cover crops are superior to chemical inputs.

[@mildredthill2868]

Then they can save seed for next year and stop wasting money on chemical inputs

[@carolynconnelly3395]

Thank you

[@friendlymeadows6185]

Good all around topic. Love it a lot. Lots of information and much more is explained in a book, Regenerating Farms & Gardens available on Amazon.

[@alan30189]

Great presentation. I never saw a country boy talk so fast! 😂😉

[@diceportz7107]

God I wish I had a way to get the farmers in this area to listen to this! They are tiling and bulldozing the land into submission. It is just sickening.

[@Simplefng]

All I see is ignorance and complete lack of Earth based empathy. Willamette valley in Oregon is a prime example of this. We need to start taking away farms from farmers who refuse to go to seminars like this ( or at least watch one) They are so focused on production thtya they have no clue how that production works and how they can help it along.

[@diceportz7107]

@@Simplefng If you believe that is true, why don't you farm and show them? Why the need for force? Do you want someone to force you to do what I think should happen? Such as I think that that everyone should donate 10% of their garden produce to food banks. You don't have a garden? Too bad. How would you like that.

[@mildredthill2868]

You need to Join some online farm groups and start posting stuff like this KZbin video. Eventually they start to come around. One thing I’ve found working for me is to have thoroughly researched and educated myself on things and putting them into practice before preaching/teaching to others.

[@mildredthill2868]

@dice portz

[@reneethomson3202]

We just bought a property in Hockley, Tx. It’s not a farm property, but the soil here is awful. The builder of this house had to dig a pond because there is so much run off from the surrounding properties. The next owners dug a ditch. The ditch started off narrow but now it’s starting to widen in some areas. We have 1.73 acres. But most of the back area is used for that run off when it rains. I’d like to correct that if possible. The ground is compacted and won’t grow grass. I would have to till to be able to get anything to grow. If I did till, would I just start with a warm season cover crop? I wish I had more land . All of this is fascinating. Thanks so much for all the info.

[@mildredthill2868]

Plant something, preferably a variety of perennial species native to your area. Native species may take awhile to get growing. So add some annuals to get a quicker start. A mixture of plants will support the soil biology better. I would include some tillage radish or similar plant that can punch down into the soil.

[@kryststar6800]

Nice, Thank you !:)

[@johncourtneidge]

Superb, thank-you from England. I've already covered my new-to-me half alltment with a grazing rye and tares mix from Kings' Seeds. One question, then, for you and Gabe: presumably someone must be growing the cover crops to maturity as mono-crops. Yes? Good/bad? A fair compromise? I guess, for tgem such a monocrop is their cash crop.

[@kevinmcgrath1052]

Very inspiring

[@chancegrady7124]

Thank you Russell Hedrick!! -if you don't mind, what is you cover crop seed mixture at the "10:46" minute in your video? I am sure you have millions of different options. Is there clovers/chicorys/kale/lower establishing food sources in there or is it all the taller variety seed? Also, when was it planted? I am in southern Iowa and looking to plant a large variety in the spring(if the lower establishing sources are able to thrive- run cattle on it for a month in the later winter-before reseeding again.(I already have clover/chicory/alfalfa established in the field) I would plan on inter-seeding everything with a planter, after the cattle are removed.I do not intend to cash crop or harvest any agriculture. I only want to seed in the spring, not in the fall; with the most variety possible.***For instance, how would the germination work it I used your "25:34" minute mark as a 2 year rotation, instead of a 4 year rotation?(Plant the entire left side, CSG and WSG all in the spring and then plant the entire right hand side the next spring)... Thank you!!!

[@Michael_McMillan]

31:20 saving that in case I have questions.

[@KyleTheShaman]

💚

[@expressionoffreedom7165]

Well I certainly only knew about half the needed knowledge.

[@sonnymery4193]

ive been watching lots of videos on reg ag, but what i fail to grasp is how am i supposed to sow seeds into a terminated cover crop mix. how do i make the seeds touch the ground if there is a thick layer of "armor" on top of it?

[@jimdawn6]

you counting cover seed cost?

[@Nurk0m0rath]

I have to admit, with all the good information in talks like this, I find it funny when people still often confuse "we fight this plant" with "this has no use." Pigweed is a non-grain wild amaranth crop, useful for its edible leaves, and can be usefully grazed or used for human salads. It's very strange, as someone still trying to figure some of this stuff out, to compare this almost universal anti-weed attitude with the flippant quote, "A weed is a plant that has mastered every rule of survival except that of growing in straight rows." And then to examine plant data on some of these blatant weeds and discover that they act as nitrogen fixers or dynamic accumulators ... while Elaine Ingham talks about how all weeds get suppressed and eaten in healthy soil, and don't contribute to creating it, like they're somehow fundamentally different from crop and pasture species. I just don't know. I guess this is an issue for Mother Nature herself to sort out as we expand our diversity.

[@Kareefontein]

Would it not be better to graze the cover crops shorter before you plant and maybe not have to plant in such a tall stand? It is impressive though.

[@Kareefontein]

sorry, I commented before watching to the end

[@concordreprisal1585]

Can I come work with you?

[@danieltabakman2794]

is that corn pic real? 23:37

[@ChanceChelios]

What’s his KZbin channel?

[@dominicwalker9947]

Any of these farmers needing workers? Sure would like to learn through experience.

[@JOSEPH-vs2gc]

planer? planEer..oh you mean plAnter?

[@humblehalfacre8464]

Slowwwww down. Take a breath I'd like to process what you say.....

[@chantal215]

you talk too fast!

[@nicholasforti9948]

Amazing video. Who do you recommend I reach out to that can help me do a blend of cover crop for central PA