Discerning consumers are interested in the origin story behind their food. Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a powerful approach that aligns perfectly with this evolving demand. We’ll explain the regenerative agriculture fundamentals and provide resources and tips to get started on incorporating ingredients from these sustainable farms.
What Is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management philosophy that prioritizes the health of the soil. Regenerative agricultural practices aim to mimic natural ecosystems. When we support the life below ground, plants are healthier, water retention improves, and carbon sequestration increases. Ultimately, these factors all contribute to a more resilient food system and a healthier population.
In contrast, conventional agricultural practices such as growing the same crop repeatedly and excessive tillage deplete soil nutrients over time. And when soil nutrients are depleted, the crops people rely on grow with lower levels of vitamins and minerals. For instance, a broccoli stalk grown decades ago provided significantly more nutrients than those grown today using conventional farming practices.
Regenerating Our Food System From the Ground Up
Regenerative agriculture encompasses a toolkit of practices that all work in concert to create a flourishing ecosystem within the farm. Below are some key techniques and practices regenerative farms rely on.
Reduced Tillage
Tillage is the process of mechanically disturbing the soil. Minimizing soil disturbance protects its structure, promotes beneficial microbial activity, and enhances water infiltration.
Practices like no- or reduced-till farming leave existing crop residue on the surface, which decomposes and adds organic matter to the soil, thereby supporting life below ground. This microbial activity directly translates to enhanced nutrient cycling, improved decomposition of organic matter, and ultimately, increased plant-available nutrients and better water absorption.
Cover Cropping
Cover cropping is an agricultural practice where plants are grown specifically to cover the soil, rather than to be harvested for food or other purposes.
Planting cover crops between cash crops reduces soil erosion and helps protect soil from being washed away by wind or rain. Cover crops also crowd out weeds, reducing the need for harmful chemicals, and help suppress pests and disease. All of this leads to nitrogen fixation and increased microbial activity. Microbes further fuels decomposition of organic matter, leading to a positive feedback loop that improves soil fertility and structure.
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is a time-tested strategy that disrupts disease and pest cycles, improves soil fertility, and attracts beneficial insects.
By strategically rotating crops from different plant families, we break the life cycles of specialized pathogens and insects that target specific crops. Not only does crop rotation reduce reliance on chemical controls but it also leads to a more balanced and resilient agroecosystem because different crops have different root structures, so they explore different parts of the soil. Deep-rooted crops, for example, can access and utilize nutrients from lower soil layers, making them available for subsequent shallow-rooted crops.
Composting and Manure Application
Returning organic matter to the soil nourishes the microbial community and improves water retention. Composting and manure application serve as the foundation for a closed-loop nutrient cycle within an agroecosystem.
Composting food scraps enhances the breakdown of organic materials, creating a readily available food source for soil microbes. This microbial activity fuels decomposition, leading to the release of essential nutrients in a form readily available for plants to use. Manure application offers similar benefits while also introducing beneficial microbial populations directly into the soil.
Rotational Grazing
Rotational grazing means animals graze on a smaller area for a short time, then move on. It closely mimics natural grazing patterns, promoting the health of both pastures and livestock. By allowing animals to graze on smaller sections of land for short durations, we ensure even distribution of manure across the pasture. This prevents overgrazing, a major cause of pasture degradation, and allows for targeted pasture regeneration.
All of these regenerative agriculture practices offer a holistic approach to improving soil health, promoting sustainable agricultural production, and building a balanced and resilient agroecosystem.
Integrating Regenerative Farming Ingredients
A growing number of forward-thinking foodservice companies, the hospitality sector, chefs, and restaurants are recognizing the value of regenerative agriculture. Companies are also advertising their regenerative agriculture approach on product packaging, to entice customers to select their tortilla chips, oatmeal, and other common products, over their competitors’. Some vegan restaurants are even choosing to sell regeneratively farmed meat now.
To take a closer look at regenerative farming initiatives, resources like the Rodale Institute, The Land Institute, and the Savory Institute provide a wealth of information. You can also connect with local farmers specializing in regeneratively grown produce and meat. If you’re interested in testing the waters, begin by incorporating a few key regenerative ingredients into your menu. This allows you to build relationships with suppliers while gauging customer response. Another way to get started is to simply inquire with your distributor. Many of our distributors are actively building relationships with regenerative farms and can connect you with the right producers and products.
A Regenerative Future
If you adapt regenerative farming ingredients into your menu, be sure to share the benefits of regenerative agriculture with your guests. Concurrently, highlight your commitment to sustainability on your menus, website, and social media platforms to draw new customers in. While people come to the restaurant for the food, they return for excellent hospitality and the values they share with your establishment.
