What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative Agriculture isn’t a new idea. It’s how farming was done long before the industrial model took over. Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that works with the land. Instead of treating soil as a surface on which to grow crops, regenerative farmers think of it as a living system, one that can be improved over time through the right practices. The goal isn’t just to sustain what’s there, but rather, to leave the land in better shape than you found it.
At the center of it, for us, is the relationship between livestock and the land. Animals and grasslands were designed to work together. When managed well, that relationship is mutually beneficial for the animals, for the soil, and for the food those animals produce.
How it Works
Fresh Grass, Every Day.
Our cattle are moved to a fresh section of pasture every day. This gives them access to the best available forage and gives grazed areas time to rest and recover. As the grass grows back, its root system deepens and strengthens. The land improves with each cycle. It’s a compounding system– the more consistently you do it, the better it works.
The Land Gets Better, Not Worse.
As livestock graze, they fertilize the soil naturally. Their hoof action stimulates latent seeds, and increases plant diversity. A more diverse plant community means a more diverse diet for the animals, which in turn means more varied minerals and nutrients in their meat. The soil, the grass, and the livestock all benefit from each other.
Living the Way They Were Designed To.
Joel Salatin, the farmer and author who first introduced us to this way of farming, talks about letting animals express their nature. He calls it their “chickeness” or “pigness.” Our animals are outside, on pasture, doing what they’re created to do. A diverse diet and the natural sanitation from the sun keeps animals healthy. We raise our livestock without relying on routine medications because animals raised this way generally don’t need them.
There’s also a difference between grass-fed and grass-finished. Some cattle are raised on grass for part of their lives but finished on corn or corn silage before slaughter. Corn makes animals grow faster, but a cow’s digestive system wasn’t built for it. Our beef is grass-fed and grass-finished.
What it Means For Your Food
The way an animal lives has a direct effect on the food it produces. Livestock raised on diverse pastures produce meat that is more nutrient-dense than animals raised in confinement on a uniform diet.
