Imprinted in the mind and on the land: identity and farming practices among conventional and regenerative farmers in Kansas

Regenerative agriculture (RA) is a soil-centric, systems-based approach to farming that has been shown to increase biodiversity, sequester carbon, increase water infiltration rates, and improve resiliency to environmental change. However, while there is growing evidence supporting the potential of RA as a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture approaches, our understanding of the cultural dimensions of RA is more limited. Prior research has emphasized the importance of farmer identity for understanding farming practices. This study builds on farmer identity research by examining the relationship between identity and regenerative farming practices. A cognitive mapping exercise was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 19 farmers in central Kansas to analyze how farmers perceive the factors and connections in their farm systems. The results suggest regenerative and conventional farmers differ in the main motivators for their thinking and action as expressed through their views of their farm systems. Regenerative farmers are more internally focused and prioritize ecological factors and connections within their farm systems. In contrast, conventional farmers are more externally focused and prioritize human driven factors. These differences in identity then result in differences in how each group of farmers interpret and operationalize shared concepts and practices within their farming operations.