In 2019 I was commissioned to write a song for the Land Stewardship Project and their Soil Builders program.
One song became six. Click and listen.
1. Back to Soil
2. Got Cover Crops
3. A Little Better
4. Dead Dirt’s Coming Back
5. Boundless Earth
6. Six Feet Deep
For the commission, Doug, my LSP liaison, gave me a few brochures, a few talking points, and offered to connect me to some farmers to interview. It was all a plunge into the amazing world of Regenerative Agriculture. What an eye-opener! Knowing nothing about farming, much less regenerative ag, I went to a field day in Mower County to hear farmer Tom Cotter talk about his work. About 25 farmers (and me) showed up. Amazing set of practices he’s blending together: no-till, no plow, cover crops 24-7-365, innovative grazing techniques, mycorrhizal fungi, science, ecology, joy, health, honesty. These farmers, doing what they’re calling regenerative agriculture, seem to have re-imagined their work as building soil for the long term, which not only leads to healthier food and better yield, but helps fight climate change by storing carbon in the soil. Next I went to visit another farmer from around Cannon Falls, Kaleb Anderson. A super fun conversation that further opened my mind to the really exciting work these folks are doing. He recommended a book called, Dirt to Soil, by North Dakota farmer Gabe Brown. So I read that, too: kind of a regenerative ag bible. And on and on.
The first two songs, with video by LSP, were recorded in 2020; the other four in 2022. All with with the band Six Feet Deep.