This is Real Regenerative Farming, in a Nutshell

The term “regenerative farming” is being thrown around a lot these days, yet there is no clear standard of what regenerative really is. It doesn’t help that the movement is quickly being co-opted by corporate agribusiness.

Basically regenerative agriculture is just farming and ranching practices that regenerate and revitalize rather than degenerate and degrade.

Sounds simple, right? If you’re feeling a bit puzzled, you’re not alone.

Here’s a peak at the 5 core principles to truly regenerative agriculture, in layman’s terms. We’ll also check out how major organizations are defining regenerative and why it matters.

Let’s dig in!

Quick & Dirty History of Farming

The term agriculture stems from the Latin roots agr (field) + cultura (growing or cultivation).

It almost goes without saying that agriculture is inherently a natural endeavor (duh!), but also a human endeavor.

It all “began” when nomadic hunter-gatherers settled down and began growing plants and animals for food.

Evidence now shows that the intimate interaction between humans and cultivated plants has evolved for some 20,000+ years.