Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Video Series
Introducing the Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Video Series: Innovating for a Resilient Future
At New Growth Food Systems, we believe that adapting to changing climates is crucial for the success of local farms and the broader community. That’s why we’re excited to share our Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Video Series—a collection of four insightful videos featuring innovative local farmers who are using climate-smart techniques to enhance their resilience and sustainability. These videos highlight practical approaches to farming that benefit the environment, local economies, and future generations.
Each video in the series explores a different aspect of climate-smart farming, offering valuable insights that farmers, business owners, and community members alike can implement.
Video 1: Climate Smart Farming Practices
In the first video, Karin Valez of Wolfe Creek Family Farms, Tom Ruggieri of Fair Share Farm, Jason Hirtz of Box Turtle Farm, and Ryan Tenney of Sankara Farm discuss how they have diversified and adapted their farms to tackle the challenges of climate change. From water conservation using berms and swales to micro-remediation for soil health, these farmers share how they mitigate the risks of extreme weather and build more resilient farming operations.
Key topics include water conservation, sustainable soil health, solar panel integration, and agroecology. This video is a must-watch for those interested in learning how to build a farming model that thrives despite unpredictable weather patterns.
Video 2: Ecosystems Services
In our second video, Tom Ruggieri and Rebecca Graff from Fair Share Farm and Dave Redfearn of Where the Redfearn Grows Natural Farm explore how ecosystem services—such as wildlife corridors, pollinator habitats, and agro forestry—contribute to sustainable farming. By fostering biodiversity and creating thriving ecosystems, these farmers demonstrate how working in harmony with the land can provide both direct and indirect benefits to their farms.
Whether it’s creating wildlife passages or promoting soil micro biomes, this video showcases how ecosystem management plays a crucial role in farm sustainability.
Video 3: Cover Cropping
Interested in improving soil health and suppressing weeds? This third video, featuring Dave Redfearn of Where the Redfearn Grows Natural Farm, Curtis Millsap of Millsap Farm, and Jason Hirtz of Box Turtle Farm, delves into the practice of cover cropping. These farmers discuss how cover crops like cereal rye, buckwheat, and vetch feed soil microorganisms, prevent erosion, and add organic matter, all while breaking soil-borne pathogen cycles.
Farmers looking to improve their soil quality and protect their land from erosion will find this video filled with practical advice and proven strategies.
Video 4: Growing Undercover
What does it mean to grow "undercover"? In the final video, Jason Hirtz of Box Turtle Farm and Curtis Millsap of Millsap Farm explain the benefits of using structures like low tunnels, high tunnels, and greenhouses to extend the growing season, protect crops, and reduce the farm's carbon footprint. These techniques help control the environment for better crop production, yielding higher-quality produce and increasing efficiency.
For farmers aiming to boost production and protect crops from extreme weather, this video provides a roadmap for incorporating "undercover" growing techniques.
Connecting to Resources with the Heartland Regional Food Business Center
New Growth Food Systems is proud to support local farms through business-building connections, technical assistance, funding opportunities, and more. Our mission is to help locally produced food reach more plates in Missouri and surrounding states, contributing to the growth of local economies and communities. One of the most powerful ways we do this is through the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, which New Growth co-directs alongside the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center spans five states—Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Oklahoma—and brings together 34 partners to offer a wealth of resources for food and farm businesses. Whether you're looking for business assistance, technical support, or opportunities to reach wholesale markets, the Heartland Center connects entrepreneurs with the right resources at the right time.
From educational programs to funding opportunities, this partnership is designed to ensure that small, mid-size, and historically underserved farmers and food entrepreneurs can thrive in today’s challenging market. The Heartland Center’s mission is to make locally produced food a major contributor to a resilient, safe, and vibrant food supply that supports healthier communities and sustainable ecosystems.
Key areas of support from the Heartland Regional Food Business Center include:
- Access to funding and grants to help businesses scale and succeed, especially with the Heartland Center's Business Builder subaward program
- Connections to technical assistance and business-building networks to help local food producers navigate market challenges.
- Educational resources tailored to small and mid-size farm entrepreneurs, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed to grow sustainably.
- Marketing and distribution support to get locally produced food on more local plates, in schools, and in nearby regional markets.
By leveraging the expertise of partners across these five states, food and farm entrepreneurs can access a powerful network dedicated to their success.
Watch the Climate Smart Series
We encourage you to watch these informative videos and learn from the expertise of local farmers who are leading the way in sustainable, climate-smart agriculture.
- Watch the Climate Smart Video Series on YouTube
- Explore our Reaching Wholesale Markets for Food and Agriculture Business Playlist
Stay connected with New Growth and the Heartland Regional Food Business Center for more valuable content:
By watching and sharing these videos, you're joining us in the effort to promote resilient farming practices, healthy communities, and sustainable food systems across Missouri and beyond.
For more information, email info@newgrowthmo.org or call us at 417-282-5936.