At Cinnamon Ridge Farm in Donahue, Iowa, the Maxwells have been practicing regenerative agriculture since before it was cool. Joan Maxwell and her husband, John, operate a modern, state-of-the-art dairy farm with 220 Jersey cows, robotic milking and an on-farm cheese processing facility. Their family-run centennial farm has held a legacy of excellence for five generations.
One key factor that has set their farm apart for many years is their openness to trying new farming practices and technologies. The Maxwells are not afraid to be trailblazers in this regard.
“In the 1980s, we began growing cover crops to produce more feed for our cows, since we needed more feed for our growing herd,” Joan said. “After a few years, we discovered how the soil was improving, showing less erosion and a return of earthworms.”
In addition to implementing cover crops, the farm utilizes various other sustainable farming practices, including no-till, reduced-till and split nitrogen applications.
“We are continuously evolving and improving our farm by challenging ourselves to think outside the box,” she said. “Thinking creatively and defying the status quo is what helps us figure out successful, sustainable solutions for problems that arise on the farm.”
Joan and her family share their passion for sustainable farming with the community by offering on-farm tours to the public. This allows community members to experience sustainable farming and see the impact these practices are having on creating a more sustainable food system for future generations.
“On our farm tours, our visitors are eager to learn what’s happening in agriculture,” she said. “Many people come with a bias, but very few people come with an agenda. They genuinely want to learn the reasoning behind why we do what we do.”
Farm visitors are often surprised by what they see, how different farms are from what they might’ve looked like 50 years ago and how transparent we are, she explains.
“Some people are surprised to learn that we operate our farm like a business and are amazed at how well we take care of our cows,” she said.
Questions like these reveal just how removed many people are from agriculture, including our policymakers, who have the potential to impact day-to-day farming operations.
Joan is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge of modern agriculture with lawmakers and recently took part in a visit to Washington, D.C. with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.
“Politicians need to hear directly from farmers about how policies impact our farms,” she said. “They hear general information all the time, but they want to know the specifics.”
To Joan, it is critical to be united on priorities that support farms of all sizes and those down the supply chain.
“I appreciate all that Edge does in Washington, D.C. by bringing together the voices of farmers and processors and sharing our messages with legislators and their staff," she said. "It’s crucial for them to see that we are unified in our support of initiatives that will improve agriculture and the entire food supply chain."