“So, I think it’s a fear-based argument to say that we have to stay just the way we are, because it couldn't be any different and it couldn't be any better if we did it any other way.” “And commercial, large scale growers are recognizing this too.”
“Large-scale production needs to be run in a different way,” he said. Jason says what’s most significant about the data is that it’s showing the effects of monoculture on soils. “What are the levels of phosphorus and nitrogen? And what is the effect of putting a chicken on that land versus the effect of putting a grazing animal, like a ruminant on that land?” “You can think of it spiritually, but you can also be like, what is the soil test telling you?” He said. It’s about understanding why some of the older practices worked and what new practices, seeds, and technologies will work best in the future. “It uses the wisdom of the past, but technology is going to help us understand it more deeply in the future.”įor example, Jason uses digital sensors in the coolers he uses for genetic seed trials. “This style of agriculture, whether we call it organic, regenerative or I’d say soil-based, thoughtful, agriculture… it doesn’t exist in a bubble of the past because it’s actually a responsive-style of agriculture.” He challenges the notion that regenerative agriculture is about returning to the traditional, pre-industrialized ways of farming. that's where we see the value in the non-profit structure.” Stone Barns is where “the wisdom of the past” meets the opportunities of the futureĪccording to Jason, what sets Stone Barns apart from other farms or research centers is that it’s focused on combining the technologies of the future with a deep understanding of the past. “And so we can play a role in being able to test genetics, but we're doing it at spacing that a farmer would actually grow these. “So maybe the university is testing something out, but they're testing it out with spacing that no farmer would actually use,” Jason said. Stone Barns also works with universities that, for example, have come up with new seed genetics, but don’t quite have the capacity for in field testing. “If we try to stick a farm into the economic system right away in all its possibilities, it doesn't work because there's so many different enterprises that need to be accounted for”, he said. Stone Barns can research seed varieties and soil health practices without being “strangled” by economic conditions or rigid farming policies. Given Stone Barns is non-profit owned by the Rockefellers, it has been criticized for not being a ‘real’ farm that has to deal with market pressures.īut Jason argues that’s precisely how Stone Barns is able to contribute to advancements in farming. Being a non-profit gives Stone Barns a license to experiment “It’s to try to help facilitate and take actions that may not actually be taking place in the current farming landscape,” he said. Jason advocates for what he calls “soil-based agriculture” - practices based on the principles of regenerative and organic farming. Jason explains that Stone Barns is focused on experimenting with alternative approaches to farming that challenge assumptions about how agriculture should be done. “I could keep coming back - and I didn’t have to quit my job to do that.”īut it’s not just exposure to current practices that places like Stone Barns can offer. “I don't think I would have driven four hours all those years ago to go look at a farm and have that same connection,” he said. Jason has an economics degree and stumbled upon agriculture after a chance trip to Stone Barns, where he was able to learn about farming and then volunteer on weekends, before officially joining the team. Jason Grauer himself is an example of why having a farm that actively welcomes visitors located close to a big city is so important.
Places like Stone Barns have been criticized for giving people a false sense of what farming is by presenting an idyllic, small-scale operation that’s separate from the commercial realities of large-scale farming. Stone Barns provides exposure and accessibility to farming He says the Center’s mission is a lofty one: to change farming and the entire food system.īut can a small, non-profit farm actually influence farming practices across the US when it’s so divorced from the pressures and realities of commercial farming? Here are 3 reasons why, Jason Grauer argues, Stone Barns is playing a vital role in transforming our food system. He left a career in asset management to follow a passion for agriculture and seed genetics at Stone Barns. So What? we spoke to Jason Grauer, the Crops Director at Stone Barns.
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