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INTRODUCTION TO REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

We often hear producers who use cover crops state that they
practice “Regenerative Agriculture.” But what is “Regener-
ative Agriculture?” Regenerative Agriculture is an under- Photo by Gabe Brown
standing. It is an understanding that one must work with
nature instead of against her. The deep, rich topsoil which
once covered a large percentage of North America was the
result of a healthy, functioning soil ecosystem. Sunlight,
water, minerals, plants, mam-
mals, insects, and micro-organ-
isms all working in harmony.

Unfortunately, today much of
the current production model
is about man trying to impose cover crops to our rotation will increase biodiversity, pro-
his will on nature. We have an tect and grow topsoil, pump more carbon into the soil, feed
infiltration problem and we soil biology, and allow the integration of livestock onto
Photo by Ron Sealock a cover crop to build soil ag- cropland. Those who work with nature and follow her prin-
till the field rather than grow
ciples are seeing an exponential increase in the health and
gregates. We see a pest and we
function of their soil, the plants that grow in it, and the an-
spray a pesticide, rather than
providing habitat for predator insects which would kill the imals that thrive on them.
pest. We have low yields, so we add more synthetic fertilizer Perhaps the greatest testament to “Regenerative Agricul-
rather than feeding soil life with diverse root exudates. We ture” is the fact that it significantly improves not only prof-
treat symptoms instead of solving the real problem. itability, but quality of life as well. Those who practice it say

The result is a degraded resource. What was once thick, that it has made farming and ranching fun again!
deep topsoil is now but a mere fraction of what it was. I have Charles Kellogg said it best when he stated, “Essentially, all
the good fortune of being on hundreds of farms and ranch- life depends upon the soil…There can be no life without the
es all over North America every year and I have never been soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.”
on an operation, including my own, that is not degraded. As
producers, we have come to accept that degraded resource. By Gabe Brown • Bismarck, ND
Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health move-
But if we follow nature’s template, using the five principles ment which focuses on the regeneration of our resources. Gabe,
of a healthy ecosystem, we can regenerate our resources. along with his wife, Shelly, and son, Paul, own and operate Brown’s
Photo by Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck.
Those five principles are: Larry Richenburger
1. Armor on the soil surface. To learn more about Regenerative Agricul-
ture, we recommend reading Gabe’s book,
2. Least amount of chemical and physical disturbance “Dirt to Soil”, where he tells the story of
possible. his amazing journey and offers a wealth of

3. Diversity of plants and animals, including insects. innovative solutions to our most pressing
and complex contemporary agricultural
4. Living roots in the soil as long as possible throughout challenge - restoring the soil.
the year. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed
over twenty years of experimentation
5. Animals integrated into the system. and refinement, focuses on regenerat-
These five principles are the same anywhere in the world ing resources by continuously enhanc-
ing the living biology in the soil. Using
where plants can grow. The “tools” we use to accomplish regenerative agricultural principles, Brown’s Ranch has grown
these principles may differ, such as which cash or cover several inches of new topsoil in only twenty years!
crops we grow or which species of livestock we raise, but The 5,000-acre ranch profitably produces a wide variety of
the principles are the same. cash crops and cover crops, as well as grass-finished beef and
lamb, pastured laying hens, broilers, and pastured pork, all
By reducing and eliminating tillage, infiltration rates, water marketed directly to consumers.
holding capacity, and nutrient cycling will improve. Adding

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