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Let me be clear: when I speak on "regenerative agriculture"-I'm talking about a systems-scale change in our approach to agriculture.
Not just cover crops, compost, rotational grazing, ad-hoc on one farm.
The whole of regenerative ag is equal to more than its constituent parts
Not just cover crops, compost, rotational grazing, ad-hoc on one farm.
The whole of regenerative ag is equal to more than its constituent parts
When I think of regenerative ag, I'm thinking of an entirely different food system.
- Rewarding multi-functionality vs just yield
- Rethinking ownership of land & resources (cooperatives?)
- Learning from those (largely indigeneous) folx who are already doing these things^
- Rewarding multi-functionality vs just yield
- Rethinking ownership of land & resources (cooperatives?)
- Learning from those (largely indigeneous) folx who are already doing these things^
And even bigger, like:
- Ending perverse incentives for monocrops imposed by big trade orgs & deals
- Rebuilding the land-grant complex to not operate on such a knowledge deficit model driven by corporate interests
- Re-linking rural viability to regenerative production systems
- Ending perverse incentives for monocrops imposed by big trade orgs & deals
- Rebuilding the land-grant complex to not operate on such a knowledge deficit model driven by corporate interests
- Re-linking rural viability to regenerative production systems
And, smaller, farms that have:
- a bunch of different locally adapted crop rotations
- integrated crop-livestock (hello nutrient cycle)
- cover crops + no (or low) till
- consistent monitoring (a girl can dream)
- and are adaptive to both push and press stressors
- a bunch of different locally adapted crop rotations
- integrated crop-livestock (hello nutrient cycle)
- cover crops + no (or low) till
- consistent monitoring (a girl can dream)
- and are adaptive to both push and press stressors
It's unsurprising that often studies don't find big differences in experimental plots differing only by 1-2 practices. What good is cover cropping if you till it up at the end? Not much.
But cover-cropping + no-till + diversification + livestock integration? That's game-changer
But cover-cropping + no-till + diversification + livestock integration? That's game-changer
That's both the beauty & the beast of it.
These systems are hard to do science on! We can't really replicate, control, or measure them at-scale. Which is why there isn't much peer-reviewed literature on regen systems.
But that doesn't mean they don't exist or aren't working.
These systems are hard to do science on! We can't really replicate, control, or measure them at-scale. Which is why there isn't much peer-reviewed literature on regen systems.
But that doesn't mean they don't exist or aren't working.
No, regenerative ag isn't going to single handedly reverse climate change.
But people practicing tried & true regen ag are seeing real-life benefits (and so are some studies). And scientists like me are rethinking scientific approaches to try and understand why.
But people practicing tried & true regen ag are seeing real-life benefits (and so are some studies). And scientists like me are rethinking scientific approaches to try and understand why.
That's why I'm constantly pushing back on the current anti-regenerative ag narrative (looking at you, armchair activists). Because a failure to recognize it for what it is, IS NOT evidence that it doesn't (or won't) work.
Now back to my regularly scheduled cow content
Now back to my regularly scheduled cow content
