March/April 2023 - 9

COVER STORY
do quite a bit for the organic makeup of the soil, and when
combined with clover, really enhances the health and
vitality of the soil.
Putt and his team always knew that clover was good for
nitrogen in the orchard, though they didn't necessarily
understand why. They figured legumes were good for
nitrogen, and a good stand of clover plowed into the soil
would really be great.
" That was a completely incorrect way of thinking, " said
Putt. " Clover's the pump, taking atmospheric nitrogen
and pumping it into the soil. " This is just one example of
misunderstood plant-soil relationships.
Livestock grazing is a fundamental part of regenerative
agriculture, and Putt is looking to see if he can find a fit for
his orchards. But, in the meantime, he's also confident in
how far he can take his trees without it.
" Is my goal to be a 100% regenerative farmer? No. My
goal and focus right now is as healthy of soil as I can
possibly have for as much production as I can possibly
have, " he said. " None of this stuff is based on theory or
conjecture; it's based on someone else's success. And the
nice component of all this is it looks like we're going to
save some money by cutting out some inputs. "
In cutting inputs, Putt is actually attempting to test
his theory of loading the soils. What he means by this is
increasing CECs and organic matter, using cover crops,
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March/April 2023

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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/NNG/march-april-2022
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