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“Dad would always encourage folks to do something. Do something on your farm to learn, and it will grow from there.”
Jay Brandt farmed in Ohio with his father, Dave, who passed away suddenly last year. Dave Brandt’s passing has left a hole in the farming community. On the latest episode of the HAT Soil Health Podcast, Jay talks about his father’s legacy.
“When my dad began farming on his own, he was very concerned about erosion and loss of topsoil. So we began utilizing conservation practices. He noticed the improvement in soil quality and crop performance. So all those practices led and gave Dad the opportunity to share those learnings with other people and to be really an advocate for conservation, for no-till, and those types of cropping systems.”
Jimmy Emmons farms in Oklahoma and joins Jay Brandt on the episode. He says that Dave was a mentor who helped Emmons and countless others improve the soil on their farms.
“He was the pioneer that started it all because nobody was doing that. He was a pioneer in trying to get no-till started with several companies, was a great wealth of knowledge for us. It’s really helped us in our journey.”
Jay says that his father’s challenges helped him empathize with other farmers.
“Dad recognized that as being a young farmer himself who had just lost his father. He knew the pressures of society on performance and what that meant for young people. Also having served in the military through a war effort, he was aware of the challenge mentally. So he was very aware and cognizant of those challenges and wanted to provide that support structure for people so they would have the self confidence to be successful.”
Jay adds that Dave enjoyed talking with other farmers and learning about their successes and challenges.
“Find that kernel, plant that seed, and get it to develop into a crop from that. It was his thing, you know, I’m going to give you the seed and what I’m talking about, it’s up to you to take it home and make a viable crop out of it.”
You can hear the full conversation on the latest episode of the HAT Soil Health Podcast, brought to you by the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, in the player below.