Regenerative agriculture on john’s farm
Regenerative Agriculture – a term we are hearing and reading about more and more. The definition is a mouth-full: a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems focusing on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting bio-equestration, increasing resilience to climate change and strengthening the healthy and vitality of farm soil.
Have you wondered if John’s Farm practices regenerative agriculture? The answer is YES! For the past 25 years (before some of these terms became the buzz) John’s Farm has been managed in such a way as to regenerate plants, improve soils, and grow healthy animals. Here are just a few of the ways we are accomplishing regenerative agriculture as per the definition:
Topsoil regeneration – planted grass on fields showing stress and erosion from cropping. Walk fields/pastures to remove Canadian thistle/wild rye that compete with grasses and crops for moisture and become invasive.
Increased biodiversity – kept bird nesting areas intact; planted grasses which provide additional nest/protection for birds. Refrain for use of synthetic chemicals/fertilizers in fields, pastures, and boundaries to allow for growth of broad-leaf plants protecting beetles, butterflies, mice and more.
Improving water cycle – eliminated synthetic, commercial chemicals/fertilizers thereby clean run-off into streams. Maintain waterways to inhibit erosion.
Enhancing ecosystem services – provisioning healthy plants to feed healthy animals to produce healthy food.
Supporting bio-equestration – sustainable, organic crop/livestock practices.
Increasing resilience to climate change – grass, wheat and trees take-in carbon.
Strengthen the healthy and vitality of farm soil – microbial organic inputs, cover crops, crop rotations, water conservation.
We are vested in our generational heritage and committed in practicing regenerative agriculture to, day-by-day, repair and rebuild our farm to better serve future generations.
