A hybrid fellow’s forum with Rob Myers, Director of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture from September 27, 2023. Recording available.
About the Presentation
The proposed fellowship will encompass a research assessment of Thomas Jefferson's and George Washington's approaches to farming and their views about how to sustain farming for the future. A central focus of the research will be on Jefferson’s and Washington’s perspectives on the health of the soil, including the use of cover crops, manuring, crop rotation, and crop choice as factors in sustaining agriculture production. They both farmed in an era when many Virginian farmers just depleted the soil, pulled up stakes, and moved further west. Other aspects of their farming system, including the use of slaves, will be addressed. During the time in residence at Monticello, a variety of resources will be utilized for research, including correspondence and papers pertaining to Jefferson’s farming activities and agrarian perspective in the Jefferson Library and University of Virginia library, interviews with Monticello staff, use of the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery and Getting Word resources, and site visits to former fields at Monticello and Mt. Vernon. An expected outcome of the research is the development of a book tentatively titled “Thomas Jefferson and George Washington: Striving for a Regenerative American Agriculture Rooted in the Soil.” Regenerative agriculture approaches, including their historical roots, are currently of great interest not only to farmers and agricultural leaders but consumers as well.
About Rob Myers
Dr. Rob Myers is Director of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture, leading a staff of 10 and managing over $40 million in grant projects addressing regional and national projects on climate change, soil health, and regenerative farming approaches. He also serves as Regional Director of Extension Programs for the USDA-NIFA North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. His professional expertise encompasses sustainable and regenerative agriculture, soil health, conservation, cropping system diversification, and agricultural policy. He is a former National Program Leader for Sustainable Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He has also chaired or served with several national councils and task forces addressing federal conservation programs and agriculture research and education programs. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and was named Missouri Conservationist of the Year in 2018. He grew up on a family grain farm in central Illinois and is still involved in management of that family farm. His Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in agronomy are from University of Minnesota.