Soil Notes from the Field: Forage, Festivals & Farmer-Led Curiosity

Dr. Jill Clapperton in her element—the field! From farm visits to farmer workshops, she's gathering stories and soil insights to fuel the next wave of regenerative conversations. 🌾 #

From the "desk"of Dr. Jill Clapperton

I thought it was time for a little update on what I’ve been up to lately—both in the field and on the road.

Regenerative Learning, Aussie Style

I’m thrilled to be heading back to Australia this September to join my colleagues and friends Di Haggerty, Sarah Fea, and Tom Robinson for a set of hands-on field days and workshops that are designed for farmers, agronomists, and consultants who want to dig deeper—literally and figuratively.

There won’t be a PowerPoint in sight—just soil, plants, tools, and conversation. These events are all about farmer-led curiosity, where you can walk the fields, ask questions, and observe real-world “safe-to-fail” trials and demos.

One of the stops will be at Russell from Young Seeds’ property, where the regenerative journey began back in 2021 in a 17-hectare multi-species trial paddock. That collaboration—between Russell, Sarah Fea of Bear Biologics, Dr. Christine Jones, and others—has since evolved into full-scale research supported by coach Sarah Fea of BEAR Biologics, and contributed to cropping resilience case studies and herbicide reduction practice guides across Australia.

I’ll be joining Sarah and others on September 24th in Dalby, QLD, for a field day hosted Bear Biologics, where I’ll share insights on soil biology and how to observe the land in ways that guide action. If you’re a grower or adviser curious about transitioning your system—or just want to expand your toolkit—I hope to see you there. Support and expo opportunities are available—reach out if you're interested to Sarah Fea: sarah@bearbiologics.com.au

You’ll also find me at the Grounded Festival on September 19–20, where I’ll be speaking and soaking in the wisdom of this vibrant regenerative community.

Transitions at Ballet Ranch: Soil Notes from the Field

Back home on Ballet Ranch in South Central Kansas, I’ve been making some big shifts of my own—converting most of our crop fields into forage systems as we work to regenerate the soils and rebuild habitat for native bird populations.

The weather’s thrown a few curveballs—timing has been tight, and the rain has been relentless—but we’re rolling with it.

Sainfoin is a forage plant that produces nectar and pollen for a wide variety of bees.

The annual weeds got a bit out of hand (a “blessing” of rain), so I mulched them—and now they’re feeding and insulating my beautiful stand of Sainfoin, a drought-tolerant, bloat-free forage that’s taking hold nicely. Some days I find myself biking across the ranch to grab the tractor after mowing… and my trusty bike even got a bucket ride back to the barn. The joys of regenerative ranch life!

From Soil to Stampede

This July I’ve also had the pleasure of spending time at the Calgary Stampede with Kiley McKenna and the NuLeaf team, talking to visitors about vertical indoor growing and Harvest Today Grow Walls. There’s been so much excitement around growing food closer to home—and indoors. I love seeing that spark in people when they realize just how much is possible with the right tools and systems.

If you’re heading to the Stampede, don’t miss the RCMP Musical Ride, Team Penning, Chuckwagon Races, and Relay Races—they’ve been my reward after long days on my feet talking soil, systems, and the future of food. We’ve still got a few more days to go, and I’m still going strong!

Exploring the art and science of healthy soil for better food.

Something New Is Growing…

Lastly, I’m excited to share that I’m launching the Jill Clapperton Podcast  very soon. It’s been a long time coming—and it’ll be a space where I get to bring you deeper into the science and stories behind soil health, food quality, and the regenerative path forward.

To catch every episode as it's released—along with curated clips from past presentations, farmer interviews, and expert conversations—be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel: youtube.com/@jillclappertonsoilhealth. It’s your go-to hub for engaging, science-backed insights and inspiring voices working to build a better food system from the ground up.

Thanks for reading my soil notes from the field. Wishing you all a productive and joy-filled summer (or winter, depending on your hemisphere).

See you in the field—or online!

—Jill 🌱