How I Built This with Guy Raz How I Built Resilience: Loren and Lisa Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch
Jan 28, 2021
Loren Poncia, a fourth-generation cattle rancher, and his wife Lisa, a savvy business partner, have turned Stemple Creek Ranch into a carbon-positive operation. They dive into how consumer demand is propelling sustainable farming forward, especially during the pandemic when they pivoted to online retail. The couple also discusses the complexities of balancing their roles in both love and business, while advocating for transparency in food production. Their innovative practices represent a transformative shift in the agricultural landscape, emphasizing sustainability and regenerative farming.
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Bison Inspiration
- Loren Poncia learned about regenerative farming by observing nature.
- He saw how bison regenerated soil by grazing, stomping, and fertilizing.
Carbon Sequestration
- Stemple Creek Ranch is carbon neutral, or even carbon positive, by focusing on soil health.
- Healthy plants capture sunlight and pull CO2 from the atmosphere, storing it in the soil.
Soil Aeration
- Stemple Creek Ranch uses innovative techniques like planting chicory and maintaining worm farms.
- These methods aerate the soil naturally without plowing, which releases carbon.