A conversation with farmer Benedikt Bösel, farmer and regen agronomist Matteo Mazzola and Philippe Birker, co-founder of Climate Farmers. We need regenerative agronomists. Because let’s face it — most farmers trust their agronomist, and the chances that their agronomist is trained in regen are pretty small. We’re moving from the first group of super ambitious, entrepreneurial, and slightly rebellious farmers who have made the transition, to a larger group who want to transition but can take less risk and will need support. So, who do they call when they want to start their transition? Current agriculture schools for agronomists are still very much focused on extractive, highly input- driven agriculture. Farmers often want a checklist and a protocol to “go regen” — but it might be more about asking uncomfortable questions.
So how do we go about changing that? This is three-part conversation today with Philippe Birker, who is setting up the Regen Agronomist Training in Europe, a 6-months intensive training program designed to equip agronomists with practical and theoretical knowledge in regenerative agriculture, with the first pilot happening this year; Benedikt Bösel, farmer at Gut&Bösel, whose farm will serve as a training farm, while sharing his experience with getting help taking his first steps into regen; and Matteo Mazzola, regenerative farmer at Iside, who also works with many others supporting their transition.