What is “Regenerative Farming”?

#MyCraftBeef   

What Our Ranchers do to Protect and Preserve The Environment.

This is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts and a core foundation of The Craft Beef Company – the use of Regenerative Agriculture practices. Sexy, right?? Okay, maybe we like it a bit more than most folks but maybe you’ll come around to our Team after this Blog ?.

We’ve all heard of “sustainable” but very few of us have heard this new buzz word of “regenerative”. What do these words actually mean? Are they different? And is one really better?? I will do my best to explain it and then leave it for you to decide.

Sustainable – “Able to maintain at a certain level or rate”. This means that despite our human and cattle activities, we maintain the land and environment at a “certain level”.  We also talk about Financial Sustainability. This is really important for long-term success of farms and is key to being able to pass it on to another generation. If it isn’t financially sustainable, the next generation will not likely take it over. Sustainable is good… don’t get me wrong. But it is also subjective. What I consider “sustainable” may not be what you consider “sustainable”. What is that “certain level” that we are comfortable with our farm health remaining at? So, we need to take our actions a step further.

Regenerative – “natural regenerative processes”. “It is characterized by increasing topsoil (the part of the soil with the most nutrients for plant growth), increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystems, supporting carbon sequestration, increasing resiliency to climate change and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. (Wikipedia)”.

Regenerative Agriculture always says “we can improve”.

(Steer on a winter grazing poly-crop at WR Grazing, near Irricana, AB. This steer is contributing to the soil by adding manure, which is natural fertilizer and organic matter.)

As an Agricultural University student back in the day, we were taught that it takes a million years to create an inch of topsoil. What we have found through regenerative farming is that we can add topsoil much much faster than that by using smart grazing systems and by using special groups of plants very intentionally.

(A protected, fenced off fish and wildlife habitat at Grazed Right)

Our Grass-Fed-and-Finished Beef producers are selected for their great ecological practices because as a Beef industry, we want to sequester carbon, increase topsoil production and protect natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats. We can do all that by using beef livestock as a way to turn back time for our planet.

(Machine taking soil tests for carbon sequestration project at WR Grazing, Irricana, AB)

So, what makes our ranchers special??? Their beliefs and conviction in raising great beef in the right way, in order to benefit all of us.

#BeefYouCanFeelGoodAbout

To learn more, check out our “Regenerative Agriculture” section and also look for the “Our Farms” section to see what all of our producers do.

Trish