Bulgaria: Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Health & Farmers Changing the System

Send us Fan MailWhat can we learn from farmers and agricultural leaders working to build healthier, more sustainable food systems in Bulgaria?In this Bulgaria recap episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Mike McMahon reflects on his journey through Bulgaria and the farmers, researchers, educators, and regenerative agriculture advocates he met along the way.From Sofia to Plovdiv and the countryside beyond, Mike explores the people and ideas shaping Bulgaria's agricultural future. He speaks with advocates for no-till farming, researchers focused on soil and ecosystem restoration, farmers experimenting with regenerative growing systems, and producers working to reconnect consumers with high-quality local food.The episode highlights the importance of soil health, low-impact agriculture, biodiversity, education, farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, and finding practical ways to make sustainable farming economically viable. Mike also reflects on Bulgaria's agricultural history, including the legacy of centralized farming during the Soviet era and the challenges that followed the transition to a more fragmented agricultural system.Throughout the trip, one theme continues to emerge: farmers around the world may work with different soils, climates, crops, and regulations, but many are asking the same fundamental questions about how to produce food while protecting the resources that make agriculture possible.GUESTS & RESOURCESPetya Ivanova – Association of Bulgarian No-Tillers (ABNT)Learn more about ABNT and its work supporting no-till and regenerative agriculture in Bulgaria:https://abnt.bg/youtubekanal/Ivelin (Ivo) Tonchev – Blizkata FermaLearn more about Ivo and Nearby Farm:https://blizkataferma.com/Asen Nenov – RegeneratiCo-founder and Board Member of Regenerati, an organization focused on regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration:https://regenerati.org/Nikolay Genov – Hrankoop Cooperative / Plovdiv Farmers' MarketAgriculture professor and chairman of the Hrankoop Cooperative:https://www.hrankoop.com/hrankoop/sofia/Philip Harmandzhiev – DamianitzaLearn more about Damianitza and its winery:https://www.damianitza.bg/en/vinarnata/