July 2026 Newsletter

Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening Farm Resilience - Executive Order

The “Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience” executive order (EO 14414) directs USDA, HHS, and EPA to significantly expand support for regenerative agriculture, voluntary conservation practices, and precision ag technologies as part of the Make America Healthy Again agenda. It instructs USDA to maximize and scale the existing Regenerative Pilot Program, build public‑private partnerships, and link soil‑health practices to emerging biofuel and clean fuel markets. The order also tells EPA and HHS to streamline approval of safer crop protection tools, develop new methods to evaluate cumulative chemical exposure in the food supply, and fund research and prize challenges aimed at reducing reliance on conventional ag chemicals while protecting human health. Overall, the policy frames regenerative practices as a pathway to better soil health, stronger farm resilience, and increased profitability for American farmers and ranchers.

While the order is relatively short, and a bit vague in parts, it overall feels like a step in the right direction, if only for more public awareness.

Source: Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening Farm Resilience

Kansas State University Runs Regenerative Agriculture Research

Kansas State University is partnering with the Kansas Soil Health Network to run on-farm regenerative agriculture research trials with seven farmers across the state. The project tests practices like reduced tillage, continuous living roots, diverse rotations, residue cover, and livestock integration to rebuild degraded soils and boost productivity. Early economic findings indicate that farms with higher soil health scores tend to be more profitable, largely due to lower input costs rather than higher yields.

I won't say the conclusions drawn here are news to anyone reading, but it's good to see more research at the land grant universities promoting regenerative agriculture.

Source: Kansas State University Regenerative Agriculture Research

Goats saving the Great Plains

KCUR’s Harvest Public Media story follows Great Plains ranchers whose prairies are being swallowed by trees and woody shrubs, despite years of herbicide, mechanical clearing, and prescribed fire. To fight back, they’ve added meat goats as a second enterprise, using the animals to aggressively browse invasive woody plants, open up more grass for cattle, and turn brush control into a new source of ranch income. Multi-species grazing with goats can be both a profitable business move and a practical conservation tool for protecting the remaining prairie grasslands.

Here's a great example of having the animals, goats in this case, work for you by doing what they love. A true win-win.

Source: Great Plains ranchers embrace a new landscape with goats