Talking dairy with Mark Anderson

South Otago dairy farmer Mark Anderson talks about his passion for the environment and the experiences – in New Zealand and overseas – that led him to begin exploring regenerative farming practices four years ago. These include seeing the impact of farming on the rivers that border his family's farm, recognising the unsustainability of Southland winter cropping practices, and hearing about changes in the oceans impacting his father-in-law's commercial fishing operations. Mark also touches on the link between soil health, food quality and human health, with challenges to his own health adding to the drive to produce healthier food from healthier natural systems. With detail of the positive benefits on soil function, how Mark is monitoring progress, and the power of being supported by like-minded farmers, it's a conversation that covers a lot of ground. Enjoy the episode! Conversation timeline: 00:00:41 - Introducing Mark Anderson 00:01:55 - Catalysts for the change to regen 00:04:43 - Burn-out in the dairy industry 00:07:10 - Changes to our oceans and rivers 00:11:18 - Nature-based solutions 00:14:27 - Farm history, setup and overview 00:20:14 - Learning regen 00:23:48 - The power of a supportive community 00:25:50 - Working with nature not against it 00:28:57 - Farming as an art form, not just science 00:31:59 - Catching the emergent wave 00:35:25 - Being in the black to be green 00:37:05 - Measuring progress with soil fungi 00:42:09 - Rebuilding the natural cycles 00:49:52 - A new definition of success 00:54:52 - Starting the regen journey