What are the 4 Principles of Regenerative Agriculture?

Aside from our commitment to animal welfare, our focus on regenerative agriculture is the most important tenet of our business. There have been so many advancements in agriculture in the last few decades, and many of these have contributed to more food being able to reach more people, which is a great thing. However, the agricultural industry has a negative side as well, namely, its impact on the environment. 

Key Takeaways

• Regenerative farming goes beyond conservation and sustainability to actually leave land better than it was found, and it can even rehabilitate land degraded by monocropping or intensive grazing.
• The first principle is reducing synthetic fertilizers, which harm the soil microbiome, make soil dependent on chemicals, and build up in the atmosphere and water supply over time.
• The second principle is decreasing or eliminating tillage, which reduces erosion and keeps carbon retained in the soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
• The third principle is promoting biodiversity through methods like cover cropping, since a healthy soil microbiome is as essential to crops and livestock as a healthy gut is to the human body.
• The fourth principle is responsible livestock grazing, where animals are moved frequently to fresh pasture so the land can regenerate, improving water retention, reducing erosion, and boosting plant and insect biodiversity.

In the past, farmers used sustainable methods as a matter of course. Farming was done on a much smaller scale, and it was imperative that the land be nurtured and sustained because frankly, when the land was depleted, so was the possibility of obtaining a crop or profit from the land. When society switched to industrial farming practices, a lot of the practices used by small scale farmers were forgotten in favor of large scale industrial methods. Monocropping (growing one crop on a large scale - think corn, wheat, and soy crops) became a way for many industrial farms to maximize their profits. The problem with monocropping is that it disregards methods such as crop rotation and companion planting that help to nourish the soil and reduce or eliminate the need for weed killers and pesticides. 

The good news is that as society shifts once again to a more conscious form of consumerism, agriculture too has recently begun to shift back to practices used by these small farms back in the day, and by indigenous cultures for hundreds of years before that. It’s becoming clear that industrial farming methods aren’t sustainable, the industry is slowly but surely beginning to shift back to the sustainable farming practices of our ancestors. 

What is Regenerative Farming?

Regenerative farming is a process that goes beyond conservation and sustainability, to actually leave land better than we found it. Not only is regenerative farming a beneficial practice overall, but it can also be used to rehabilitate overprocessed land that has previously been used for monocropping or intensive grazing. If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve likely seen our before and after pictures of our Pasturebird land - showing how degraded and barren it was before we started using the principles of regenerative agriculture to turn it into the lush and flourishing pasture land it is today.

The 4 Basic Principles of Regenerative Farming:

Reduce use of synthetic fertilizers: The use of synthetic fertilizers can negatively affect the microbiome of the soil, and interferes with the soil’s ability to absorb nutrients. Conventional agriculture relies on synthetic fertilizers to produce more crops at a faster pace, to keep up with the high demand of industrial agriculture - but soil that has adapted to synthetic fertilizer becomes dependent on that fertilizer, rather than working with the surrounding ecosystem to maintain soil biodiversity. When synthetic fertilizers are used long-term, they build up in the atmosphere and water supply, and result in crops dependent on chemicals rather than a healthy ecosystem to grow.

Decrease/eliminate tillage: Regenerative farming promotes soil diversity and reduces erosion by reducing the amount of disturbance in the soil. As a result, rather than releasing carbon into the atmosphere, it is more efficiently retained in the soil, and can actually impact the environment in a positive way by helping to reduce global warming and climate change. 

Promote biodiversity: Just as a healthy gut is vital to a human body’s overall health, a healthy soil microbiome is imperative to the growth of healthy crops for human or livestock consumption. Soil biodiversity is the life that exists within soil, and is made up of the soil’s microbiome, along with fungi, insects, worms, and insects. The soil microbiome is essentially the “gut” of the land. When soil is depleted, overgrazed, or has a disturbed microbiome, its biodiversity is affected, and when the soil isn’t healthy, the crops or livestock grown on that soil will suffer too. By using methods such as cover cropping and reducing or eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which can deplete the soil’s microbiome, regenerative agriculture fosters biodiversity and reduces soil erosion, resulting in healthier soil.

Responsible livestock grazing: We’ve spoken before about how important responsible grazing practices are to our mission here at Pasturebird. When land is overgrazed, it becomes barren and eroded, which can contribute to water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and low nutrients in new forage. By moving animals to new pastureland more frequently, the land is allowed to regenerate before being grazed on again. Aside from being healthier for the grazing animals since the pastureland is full of fresh growth rather than depleted soil, allowing soil to regenerate before being grazed on again contributes to increased water retention, reduced erosion, healthier pastureland, and plant and insect biodiversity.

Regenerative Agriculture is a Crucial Part of Pasturebird

Pasturebird is a perfect example of the transformative “powers” of regenerative agriculture. Over the last few years, we’ve worked in tandem with the land to improve the organic matter of our soil, which includes capturing 25 million more gallons of water each year than 5 years ago (the previous soil erosion caused massive water runoff rather than absorption). Through these methods, we’re able to sequester more carbon in the soil, purify and replenish the water in our aquifers, support the health of our pasture raised chickens, and produce a wholesome, nutrient dense product for our consumers.

Regenerative agriculture might sound like a new catchphrase.  But in reality, these methods have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  When you support farms like Pasturebird, you’re supporting the valuable core principles of regenerative agriculture, and helping to lower the negative impact of industrial agriculture. Agriculture isn’t going anywhere - it is vital to the health of living beings worldwide.  And while “industrial agriculture” leaves much to be desired, agriculture as an industry is here to stay and the key to aligning environmental sustainability and agriculture is for farmers to find a better way to farm, and for consumers to support those farmers so they can continue that important mission. 

If you’re eager to support more companies like Pasturebird, our partner Land to Market makes it easy to find and support companies and farms that follow the principles of regenerative agriculture. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 principles of regenerative agriculture?

The four core principles are reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers, decreasing or eliminating tillage, promoting biodiversity, and practicing responsible livestock grazing. Together these methods rebuild soil health, retain carbon, support a thriving soil microbiome, and allow land to regenerate over time.

Why are synthetic fertilizers harmful to soil?

Synthetic fertilizers negatively affect the soil's microbiome and interfere with its ability to absorb nutrients. Over time, soil becomes dependent on the fertilizer rather than working with the surrounding ecosystem to maintain biodiversity. Long-term use also causes these chemicals to build up in the atmosphere and water supply, producing crops that depend on chemicals rather than a healthy ecosystem.

How does reducing tillage help the environment?

Reducing or eliminating tillage promotes soil diversity and reduces erosion by minimizing soil disturbance. Instead of releasing carbon into the atmosphere, the soil retains it more efficiently. This means low-till and no-till practices can actually have a positive environmental impact by helping reduce global warming and climate change.

Why is biodiversity important in regenerative farming?

A healthy soil microbiome is essential to growing healthy crops and livestock, much like a healthy gut is vital to the human body. Soil biodiversity includes the microbiome along with fungi, insects, and worms. When soil is depleted, overgrazed, or chemically disturbed, its biodiversity suffers and so do the crops and animals raised on it. Practices like cover cropping and avoiding chemicals foster this biodiversity.

What does responsible livestock grazing involve?

Responsible grazing means moving animals to fresh pastureland frequently so that no area is overgrazed. When land is overgrazed it becomes barren and eroded, contributing to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By rotating animals and allowing land to regenerate before being grazed again, farmers increase water retention, reduce erosion, and support healthier pasture with greater plant and insect biodiversity.