Regenerative Practices
What is regenerative agriculture? Like any term that enters the mainstream and attempts to quickly define or explain a very complicated process, “regenerative” agriculture is a broad concept without any definition, and is the subject of much debate by farmers, politicians, activists, and a large swath of the general public.
To regenerate suggests revitalization, or growth. A return to wholeness, perhaps. Some people weaponize this term; if agriculture is not regenerative, it must be destructive, or be a degenerative process.
Some people link “zero-till” to the term regenerative…in simple terms this is planting a seed into ground without “turning” the soil. Minimal soil disturbance results in less erosion by wind and heat, preserving more moisture for seed of all types. In Saskatchewan, people have been using low disturbance methods since the 1980’s. A revolution for low moisture climates like the Canadian prairies, zero-till came hand in hand with increased pesticides use to manage weeds, as working the soil preserved moisture and undisturbed topsoil space for seeds and weeds alike. Is this practice more regenerative than much of the previous century? Is it less regenerative than pre-agricultural society? A great question, but, as Norm Macdonald said, “Someones gotta feed them hogs”.
Some practices that we implement as good stewards of the soil:
Zero-till seeding.
Annual soil sampling. Including, but not limited to, macro and micro nutrient levels, CEC, or Cation Exchange Capactiy and Organic matter.
Live remote updates on subsoil moisture levels during the growing season.
Variable rate fertilizer applications, variable rate chemical applications.
Wide plant rotations. We have a 4-6 year rotation with 6-8 different crops over the course of the year.
A team of specialists monitoring disease and providing the best solutions to each years unique challenges.
