What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative Agriculture and Regenerative Ranching refer to farming and ranching practices that improve the land and immediate environment it is done in. This is accomplished in myriad ways, but the overall net effects of regenerative practices sequester carbon and build soil, add nutrients to the soil, increase both water carrying capacity of soil as well as water retention, and increase biodiversity.
The bottom line is that regeneratively farmed/ranched land will be both more productive and beautiful after years of practice. This is obviously in contrast to conventional farming and ranching, which deplete soils of nutrients, reduce topsoil, remove water from land, and are generally monoculture in practice. So-called conventional farming (there is really nothing conventional about it, but that’s a topic for another day!) will reduce both productivity as well as natural beauty of land over time.
Regenerative cattle and bison ranches use techniques like rotational grazing to ensure that any given pasture has ample time to rest. Bison and cattle range on open pasture, evenly distributing manure (full of carbon and vital nutrients) which will feed grasses and retain water the following year. When bison eat grass, they pull blades off of the rooted plant using their tongues. This ensures the rooted plant has plenty of strength to regenerate new blades, and produce seeds for the following year’s grass. Bison saliva even contains enzymes which further stimulate grass to grow back—like a built-in foliar feeding!
To produce food of any kind from a piece of land, we are taking—therefore, at least an equal amount must be given into the system to perpetuate it. In regenerative ranching models, the giving (such as manure, periodic disturbances (from hooves etc.), enzymes encouraging growth, etc.) is inbuilt into the operation, fully taking advantage of natural, pre-existing processes and rhythms. In conventional models, the giving and taking are not really even. Conventional models are pushing us deeper into ecological debt—lands full of corn/soy/wheat today are generally propped up by chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and lab-modified genes. Eventually, that land will need to come off of its dependence on environmentally-harmful chemicals, and the debt will need to be repaid with substantial amounts of time, bioremediation practices, and eventually regenerative ranching practices.
Farming and ranching practices which fall under the umbrella term “Regenerative” are many, and different techniques are warranted in different applications, climates, and situations. The easiest way to define a regenerative practice or operation, in my opinion, is this: the practices/operation must be such that the land they are in use on will be more productive if the practices are done ad infinitum.
100% Grass-fed Bison Liver & Organ Complex is singly-sourced from a ranch that utilizes regenerative practices. We know this because ecologists evaluate the soil and land in question each year, using a process called Ecological Outcome Verification. This means the effects of bison ranching is scientifically evaluated and quantified each year, ensuring ongoing improvement in soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem function.
Key Takeaways
Regenerative Ag. is in sharp contrast to “Conventional” Farming — Regenerative practices improve both productivity and beauty over time
Regenerative practices improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and incorporate local ecology
When we remove nutrients or other components of land from the land, we must add something at least equal in substance. Regenerative practices accomplish this with no or minimal chemical use and get us out of ecological debt
Regenerative ag uses preexisting natural processes and resources to build soil and health for all parties involved—land, animals on the land, consumers of the animals, and the people ranching the land! As win-win as it gets!