Renewable Farming

Renewable Farming principles get another boost: Mitch Hora named to Forbes “30 under 30”

Washington, IA ag consultant Mitchell Hora has been honored in Forbes magazine’s prestigious “30 under 30” list for 2022. It’s more than a recognition for a third-generation farmer/innovator. It’s recognition of renewable farming’s potential for social and environmental impact nationwide.

Dec. 21, 2021: By Jerry Carlson   Since 2019, we’ve videotaped and interviewed Mitch Hora at ag seminars. The most current update on Mitch’s surprised reaction to the Forbes honor is a podcast recorded by Brian O’Connor, posted on the No-Till Farmer website Dec. 17.

Mitchell Hora

 

I want to emphasize another significant aspect of the Forbes “30 under 30” honorees. They’re innovators and entrepreneurs under 30 years old in North America, Europe and Asia who are making an impact in certain categories such as social impact, finance, manufacturing, e-commerce and retailing. Worldwide, the list includes 600 honorees for 2022.

A striking aspect of these winners in the United States is their astonishing ethnic diversity. I encourage you to visit the Forbes “30 under 30” web pages and browse the photos, names and accomplishments of these young American men and women. Here’s a sample of names: Ambika Acharya. Gaurav Ahuja. Francesca Aiello. Alex Abramson. Blessing Adeoye. Raymond Wang. Winston Tri. The diversity of these achievers — a wide sampling of most of the planet’s cultural backgrounds — is evidence that America attracts top talents from many nations.

When I was a student for my junior year at Silliman University in the Philippines in 1956-57, I saw a microcosm of this global talent. I was the only American guy in an International Club of university students drawn from many nations: China, Thailand, Europe, South Korea and many others. At that time — 65 years ago — I had hoped that someday, the American Dream would attract the world’s best and brightest, giving America a massive advantage in world leadership. 

I grew up in southwest Iowa where the phone books and graveyards were heavy on Carlsons and Johnsons and Swensons. Precious folks. But their worldview was primarily local. Now, like it or not, we live in a multinational world where Americans have the opportunity to showcase American freedom, human dignity and opportunities.

Mitchell Hora envisions a healthy agriculture nationwide and worldwide. The podcast, recorded at the recent Big Soil Health Event in Riverside, IA, notes in the interview with Brian O’Conner that “we’re making a massive social impact through regenerative ag. Recycling carbon, improving soil health.”

Hora points out that for years, farmers have often been branded the bad guys, lacing foods with toxic chemicals and GMOs. But now, with renewable/regenerative ag, “we can be the good guys, which is far more encouraging for farm families.”

He also sees biological opportunities for reducing farmers’ vulnerability to forces outside agriculture, such as runaway fertilizer prices and crushing regulations. On Hora’s family farm, many acres are farmed with relay cropping, 60-inch rows, cover crops, no-till and other practices which aren’t yet in the list of practices acceptable for crop insurance. But Hora says his goal is to minimize the need for crop insurance. Already, he takes out only minimum coverage, which is “super cheap.”

To keep current on Mitch Hora and his firm, Continuum Ag, I encourage you to visit his website and enter your e-mail for updates. Also there’s a lively background interview with Mitch at this link on Regenfarming.news.

 

Now, for the “rest of the story” on this farming family.  

By Jill Carlson  Mitch and his wife Tympest graduated from Iowa State where he majored in agriculture and she centered on the performing arts.

Seemingly worlds apart? 

No! What could be more synergistic than a discipline like dancing (Tympest owns her own studio) and a life of working in the explosive layers of lively soil microorganisms! For the dancer, every movement is finely honed, bringing joy to those who watch in amazement.

For Mitch, whose wife is always the willing partner in his experiments and testing, it’s all about finely tuning his movements to synchronize with every plant’s need, with every farm implement’s capability. 

For both, the soil responds with ever-increasing abundance, and the children who are blessed with Tympest’s care learn beauty of movement and grace of limb. 

For a glimpse of Tympest’s dance studio based in Fairfield, Iowa, visit this link.

Mitch and his wife Tympest pulling soil samples on a Tennessee farm