Soil health is integral to the quality of our food, the viability of our regional food economy and the ongoing health of our planet.
Soil Is Everything
The health of our communities, our planet and our bodies depend upon how we treat our land. Industrial agriculture comes with consequences. It produces greenhouse gas emissions and causes environmental degradation that harms our changing planet. We can address climate change from industrial farming and ranching by using regenerative agriculture practices. More than ever, we need to work our land in ways that support and build healthy communities.
The answer? Regenerative agriculture. This powerful mode of agriculture uses practices to maximize the health of our soil, water and ecosystems. By managing farm and ranch land in ways that nourish rather than deplete, we rebuild our soil, capture carbon, retain water and even bolster biodiversity.
Put simply, regenerative agriculture is a way of farming and ranching that rebuilds soil health, increases carbon capture, improves water efficiency and promotes biodiversity. We are 100% behind it, and we’re just getting started.
How Does Regenerative Agriculture Work?
- – Minimizes Soil Disturbance
Through no- and low-till practices root systems are protected, water retention improves, and soil more easily captures carbon.
- – Incorporates Cover Crops
The use of cover crops provides extra ground cover, boosts water retention and soil fertility, and protects crops from pests.
- – Lessens the Use of Pesticides, Herbicides and Chemical Fertilizers
By using adaptive grazing and cover crops we reduce the need for harmful inputs, we strengthen photosynthesis, improve overall soil health and rebuild organic matter.
- – Integrates Forward-Thinking Livestock and Crop Management
With adaptive grazing, and regular crop rotation, topsoil rebuilds, soil fertility improves and we get much healthier soil.
- – Promotes Biodiversity
Regenerative agriculture and crop rotations creates resilient crops and supports and conserves diverse habitats and ecosystems. Yes, please!
How Does Regenerative Agriculture Help the Planet?
- – It protects and restores farm ecosystems, microbiomes and biological diversity.
- – It increases soil’s overall ability to capture carbon.
- – It improves water quality and retention, increases drought resiliency and bolsters plant survival.
- – It promotes animal welfare.
- – It produces nutritious, higher quality nutrient-dense products. Because the better it’s raised, the better it tastes.
Home on the Ranch
Carman Ranch’s network of nine small Pacific Northwest family ranches is leading the way in regenerative agriculture. By rotating their herds through pasture, they allow the topsoil to recover the minerals and nutrients that healthy grass needs to grow—and healthy cattle need to graze on. We were happy to support their efforts toward Regenified verification with a grant that helped them reach a landmark goal toward a more sustainable food system.
Dairy Done Right
As one of Oregon’s premier dairies, farmer-owned Tillamook County Creamery Association has been making the creamiest, dreamiest dairy products for over 100 years with a commitment to sustainability. And we teamed up with this fellow B Corp and Zero Foodprint to create a riparian forest on regional dairy farms within TCCA’s co-op. By replanting unvegetated ground with native species, the project will sequester carbon, protect and improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Let’s Do This Together
We partner with local suppliers identifying ways to remove barriers, sponsor projects and source more regenerative agriculture certified products. It’s how we build a more sustainable food economy.