The 62-Year-Old Soil Champion

At 62, Robert Dohal brings decades of farming wisdom to Slovakia's agricultural landscape. A graduate in zootechnics from the University of Agriculture in Nitra, he comes from a long line of farmers. Both of his grandfathers worked the land, giving him deep agricultural roots. Since 2010, he has managed Poľnohospodárske Družstvo Krakovany, a 634-hectare cooperative farm in Slovakia's Pannonian Basin near Piešťany.

What makes Robert remarkable isn't just his farming success, but his role as an educator and thought leader. As Chairman of the Slovak Association of Regenerative Agriculture (SARP), he lectures at schools, high schools, and universities across the country. "We need to teach the truth about water, soil, and health from an early age!" he insists, believing that soil literacy must begin in childhood and continue across generations.

No-Till Philosophy Backed by Results

Robert's approach to the 634 hectares his cooperative rents is uncompromising: no tillage whatsoever. "We don't plough, we don't disk, we don't skim, we don't compact, we don't roll, we don't subsoil," he explains. After gradually reducing chemical inputs over several years, the farm now operates without fungicides, insecticides, or synthetic fertilizers.

It was only three years ago, when Robert encountered lectures by Gabe Brown that he realized his methods aligned with regenerative agriculture principles. The results speak for themselves: infiltration capacity reaches 250-300 mm per hour compared to just 30-50 mm per hour on neighboring conventional farms. His soils retain 1,000 cubic meters more water per hectare annually than surrounding farms, while material input costs have dropped by 60 percent. Yet yields for main crops like maize and durum wheat remain above regional averages.

Big Picture Thinking: Beyond the Farm Gate

Robert's vision extends far beyond his cooperative's boundaries. His mission centers on teaching people about the critical importance of soil and how to save it. "The soil is not being degraded because it is getting warmer, but because the soil is being destroyed." This system's thinking drives his educational mission.

"People talk a lot about environmental problems, but they have no idea that the biggest problems are caused by the way we produce, process and distribute food," Robert explains. His critique of agriculture is direct: modern industrial farming as taught in schools and universities is part of the ecological problem, not the solution. "Agriculture needs innovation. I don't mean innovation in technology at all, but innovation in our heads."

Leading Slovakia's Regenerative Future

Through SARP and his educational work, Robert champions what he calls a necessary paradigm shift in agriculture. He envisions farming as stewardship rather than exploitation, where the focus moves from short-term profits to long-term soil health. His cooperative demonstrates that this isn't just idealistic thinking - it's profitable and practical.

Robert's ultimate goal is systemic change in how society understands food production. At 62, he represents proof that it's never too late to lead change in agriculture, combining decades of farming wisdom with cutting-edge regenerative practices. His message resonates with urgency and hope: "Let's save the land for our children's children."