Dryland Farmer Seeks to Heal Decades of Soil Damage

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After returning to his family's dryland farm in Mansfield, Washington, after 20 years away, Douglas Poole realized the land had been damaged by decades of intensive farming practices used by his grandfather and father. Poole is now on a mission to heal the soil and implement more sustainable farming methods to revitalize the farm's ecosystem.

Why it matters

Poole's story highlights the challenges many multi-generational family farms face in transitioning to more regenerative agricultural practices that can restore soil health and biodiversity. As climate change and unsustainable farming take a toll, farmers like Poole are seeking ways to heal the land and ensure its long-term viability for future generations.

The details

When Poole returned to the farm, he saw that the soil had been depleted and damaged by years of intensive tillage, chemical inputs, and monoculture cropping. He is now implementing a range of regenerative techniques, including no-till farming, cover cropping, and diversifying his crop rotation, in an effort to rebuild the soil's organic matter and microbial life.

• Poole returned to his family's farm in Mansfield, Washington, after 20 years away.
• Poole's grandfather and father had worked the land for over 70 years.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Poole plans to continue experimenting with regenerative farming techniques over the next several years to see which methods are most effective at restoring the health of his family's land.