• Free Resources
    • Blog
    • Webinar Replay
    • Recommended Books
    • Facebook Group
    • 7 Steps to Healthy Soils
  • Courses
    • All Courses
    • Featured Courses
    • Animal Health
    • Biodynamics
    • Compost and Compost Teas
    • Farming Systems
    • Human Health
    • Soil Health
  • My Courses
  • Members Access PRO
    • Members Perks PRO
    • Farm Tours PRO
    • Gold Nuggets PRO
    • Mastermind Replays PRO
    • Regenerative Soil Mastermind CallPRO

    Shopping Cart

    No products in the cart.

    Sign in Sign up

    Shopping Cart

    No products in the cart.

    • Log In
    • Register
    • Get Started
    • Learn About Soil
      • What’s New
      • Blog
      • Farm Tours
      • Podcast
      • Webinar Replay
    • Buy Courses
      • All Courses
      • Featured Courses
      • Short Courses

    Regenerative Agriculture Is About More Than Just Stewarding The Land, It’s About Equity, Culture, Tradition, Mindfulness, And A Healthier Humanity – Part 1

    In general terms, regenerative agriculture takes a more systems-based, holistic look at the land being stewarded and applies various principles with the goal of making the land more productive and biodiverse over time. In most situations, improving soil health and function is the key to improving productivity and biodiversity. One of the key components of healthy soil is organic matter, which is anything that is alive or was once living, such as a plant root, an earthworm, or a microbe.

    Many of our agricultural lands have much lower soil organic matter levels than they used to have due to degenerative land management practices, which include poor grazing management practices.

    Improving soil organic matter content in our soils can reduce or stop soil erosion, and improve: aggregate stability, water infiltration, water retention, nutrient cycling, plant health, crop yields, crop resilience, biodiversity, and more! More organic matter in the soil also means we are moving carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it into the soil, where it can be a net positive for the planet instead of a net negative as a greenhouse gas.

    There are no hard and fast rules to learning, implementing, or transitioning to regenerative agriculture – the approaches and techniques employed will vary by grower and region. And soil health practices can go beyond agriculture and involve landscapes throughout our non-agricultural lands, whether it is a city park, a front yard, or a school playground. Individuals, communities, and even large cities around the globe have started to wake up to the importance of soil and its critical role in our ecosystem.

    When we are looking at a farm or ranch, however, regenerative agriculture incorporates six key components. The first one is really important and unique to each person, the other five are the principles that are employed depending on your context.

    1. Understand Context: Economic, personal, community, ecological, climate, bioregion, etc.
    2. Minimize Disturbance: This refers to tillage, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and more.
    3. Establish a “Living Root”: Have a plant photosynthesize and pump carbon-based exudates into the soil to feed the soil biology for as long as possible throughout the growing season. Perennials are able to do this well.
    4. Provide Soil Armor: Also referred to as “cover cropping,” bare soil exposed to the elements harms soil health, so it’s recommended to always have some living or dead debris covering the soil.
    5. Integrate Animals: Have one or more types of animals move across your fields if it can work in your context, otherwise known as planned grazing.
    6. Enhance Biodiversity: Add diversity to whatever it is you are growing – this could be planting diverse hedgerows throughout the farm, installing owl boxes, integrating honeybees, or diverse multi-species cover crops.

    Not all these principles must be used at the same time, although they tend to work more effectively in combination.

    To be continued…

     

    Ref: Ref: Karen Rodriguez, Kiss The Ground

     

    Soil Lovers at Soil Learning Center Say:

    We Can Heal The Soil, And In Turn, The Soil Heals Us.

    Download PDF

    🔒 PRO Access Only

    Some content on this page is locked to members only!

    Dig Deeper and unearth your connection to the soil. Soil PRO membership is a revolutionary community that connects you with all things soil-related, from global challenges right down to the soil in your own backyard.

    Unlock the years of video archives, search the vault for "soil-utions", connect with mentors who can help you fast track and join an online community of soil loving enthusiasts on our Mastermind Calls.

    It's non-stop soil learning goodness!
    UPGRADE TO PRO NOW
    Locked

    We acknowledge First Nations owners of Country and their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture across Australia and from all over the world. As Soil Lovers we respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of all the lands on which we work and pay our respects to the Elders past present and emerging. When caring for your land take a moment in stillness to respect the wisdom your land is sharing with us.

    Facebook-f Youtube Microphone-alt

    Latest Soil Blogs

    Worms Are The Answer!

    Super nutrition for revitalised soils

    Support local while you FindGoodFood with tasty new app

    How Brix Meters work!

    Is the food that you are growing or eating bursting with nutrients?

    Why Soil Organic Matter actually matters

    Soil Matters Monthly Newsletter!

    Dig into the most up-to-date news on soil health and regenerative trends – with community tips from top experts and mentors! Sign Up Now!

    Your information is 100% secure. We will NEVER share your information with anyone.

    ©2006 - 2022 All rights reserved​.

    Made with 🤎 Created by Soil Lovers at Farming Secrets.

    Clear Clear All

    Omg... this sale is crazy!

    Days
    Hours
    Minutes
    Seconds

    hurry up and grab these deals:

    • 50% Courses
    • 30% Digital Downloads
    • 30% Memberships
    View all the deals