So I learned a new word today. Nope, I’m not talking about Regenerative Agriculture, I’ll get to that in a minute.
I was looking at my daily inspirational quote and clicked on ‘Do you know these words?’ I found one that hit home.
Argillaceous:(Of rocks or sediment) Consisting of or containing clay.
We have a lot of clay in our soil.
So, it occurred to me today, I have been a regenerative farmer, due to my argillaceous soil, long before the phrase was hip.
Red & pale brown the clay seems to go forever; it holds water and makes it incredibly difficult for the roots of our tender vegetable plants to grow deeply and fully into the earth. Because of this, the plants cannot tap into & fully utilize all the vital nutrients in the soil.
So we have spent over a decade regenerating our soil to make a plant-friendly, nutrient-rich pliable medium.
We are confident in the nutrient density of this good food we grow.
What is regenerative farming and why is it important?
Regenerative farming
Caring for our land is at the heart and soul of everything we do as we grow vegetables slowly and gently in full accord with nature. We use special techniques to create healthy soil—in which to grow healthy crops that provide maximum flavor and nutrition.
For a more technical answer, regenerative agriculture is an umbrella term for the farming practices and principles that enrich the soil and the ecosystem where our crops are planted and grown.
It goes beyond sustainable farming, which aims to maintain the status quo, to regenerative strategies that leave the soil in even better shape.
I can say with confidence that our soil is in better health today than it was 10 years ago.
Cover crops are crucial to this type of farming—they are crops strategically planted in a field for a reasonably short amount of time. Then, the cover crops—often some sort of mixture of oats, rye, buckwheat, forage radish and legumes—are harvested and worked into the soil.
Ya know those pea shoots you love so much? Additionally, they double as a cover crop!
Cover crops accomplish two major things: feeding the soil and controlling weeds.
After we incorporate the cover crop into the soil and prep the bed, we allow weeds to germinate.
Sometimes we tarp the beds so weed seeds germinate and then die off from lack of light.
Alternately, before the weeds emerge from the soil, we shallowly tilth the ground. Why? To disturb the weed hairs. It’s merely a disruption of the top 1-2 inches of soil, because going deeper would only bring up another round of weed seeds. We don’t let the weeds emerge, either, because they’re more difficult to kill.
It’s a delicate dance, for sure, but a key element of regenerative farming—and, because we do this step properly, the white root hairs of weeds simply desiccate in the wind or under our tarps. This process is also repeated a couple of times, and then we’re ready to plant our crops in rich and healthy soil.
If you think this process involves a whole lot of steps to take with plenty of physical labor involved, you’re right. So, why do we do all this?
In short, this is what eliminates the need for chemicals.
And chemicals prevent a plant’s ability to uptake nutrients and phytochemicals (the good stuff).
We don’t go for minimum standards, where we till and dump chemicals onto the soil. In fact, we never settle. We produce tasty, healthy, nutrient-dense, farm-fresh vegetables while also protecting our land for future use.
That’s regenerative farming.
Soil is not dead. Soil is ALIVE! It has its own ecosystem and, the more vibrant we keep it through our farming techniques, the tastier, healthier & more nutritious our crops will be.
In a nutshell here’s how we farm:
- We plant seeds in soil that’s been enriched by cover crops and compost for the vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and more that we grow.
- The sun provides nutrition for these crops through the miracle of photosynthesis, while water provides hydration.
- At the peak of flavor, we gather the fruits of the harvest.
- We make these farm-fresh vegetables and more available to you to create delicious and nutritious meals. (Here’s more about our weekly delivery boxes that are delivered near you.)
- Then it’s time to plant cover crops again, to make our soil even healthier.
Weekly Delivery Bags & Boxes
If you’re looking for local farm-fresh vegetables to help you in a specific way, consider joining us for weekly, peak of the harvest deliveries of :
- low carb vegetables
- vegetables to contribute to liver health
- vegetables to support hormone health and wellness
- immune support vegetables
- vegetables to support gut health
- vegetables to contribute to brain health
- heart-healthy vegetables
- vegetables for a cancer-prevention diet
- vegetables to include in an autoimmune diet
- vegetables for preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum
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