Episode 119: Empowering Generational Family Farmers with Corwin Heatwole

Corwin Heatwole is a 6th-generation farmer and the visionary founder and chairman of Farmer Focus. Starting his journey at age 23 with a 300-bird organic farm, Corwin's commitment to high-quality, humanely raised chicken quickly expanded his operation to 3,000 birds within a few months. This growth led to the transformation of Shenandoah Valley Organic into Farmer Focus in 2014, where Corwin began partnering with other growers to meet increasing demand.
Farmer Focus is dedicated to empowering farmers through fair compensation, support for transitioning to organic and regenerative agriculture, and a strong emphasis on sustainability and transparency. Their mission is to enhance soil health and farmer profitability while ensuring responsible farming practices.
In this episode, Corwin and John discuss:
The successful business model of Farmer Focus
How regenerative agriculture improves soil health and boosts farmer profitability
Strategies for sourcing grains from diverse regions to mitigate risks and stabilize supply
The importance of scientific research in shaping policy decisions
Corwin’s advocacy and legislative efforts
The impact of farming practices on vulnerable communities and ecosystems
Collaborative conservation projects with local communities
About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition - a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: www.advancingecoag.com
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VIDEO: To learn more from John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: • How regenerative agric...

[@marynunn1708]

Beautiful story of God’s grace on and through a humble and gifted servant. Thanks so much to you both!

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

The soil, animal, human health topic would be a great interview series.

[@charlespaynter8987]

What an inspiration! This is the direction that food and farming should be taking. This will repair the nutritional value of food and our health and add value to rural communities who are key in the cycle of life

[@C.Hawkshaw]

Great great interview!

[@tubenotter]

Great inspiration for many farmers, Corvin, thank you! Local partnerships, mutually beneficial and more fun. There should be more people working in the rural as John points out - those can be customers to each others, too. This fits exactly to my own work towards clustering market gardens, allow me a plug: the book "Garden Communities" by Andrew Toth and myself, Ralt Otterpohl (lots on Regenerative AG in my YT channel: search NEXUS lectures). Love aea, John.

[@denniskemnitz1381]

I BS degreed in food chemisty usn discharged1977...currently wanna farm regenerative organicly. Got dryland farm dirt.... attempting organic methods on 80 A. Wanna rotate and sequester and harvest a bumper organic/crop. Currently seems difficult getting results using organic regenerative methodology...Dennis

[@denniskemnitz1381]

We are havi g fu n here in ks ...Dennis