This post will delve into our methods and explain the reasons behind our commitment to practicing regenerative agriculture, despite the additional expenses, time, and effort involved. Regenerative agriculture is crucial for creating a sustainable permaculture system. To begin, let's define permaculture as the intentional design and upkeep of agricultural ecosystems that function harmoniously through ethical farming and grazing techniques. Regenerative farming employs permaculture principles to undo the harm caused by conventional farming practices and climate change. A key principle is cooperating with nature rather than working against it. Be prepared to challenge your existing knowledge of gardening and animal husbandry.
Carbon sequestration in regenerative agriculture involves the capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide and its storage in the soil. This is achieved through methods that boost soil health and increase the presence of organic matter. Practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, crop rotation, and agroforestry are key in fostering carbon sequestration. For instance, cover crops safeguard the soil from erosion, enhance water retention, and contribute organic matter through decomposition. Through minimized soil disturbance via reduced tillage, regenerative agriculture preserves soil structure and microbial activity, crucial for carbon capture and storage. These approaches not only aid in combating climate change by lowering greenhouse gas levels but also enhance soil fertility and resilience.
The advantages of carbon sequestration in regenerative agriculture go beyond environmental benefits. Enhanced soils with organic matter result in higher agricultural productivity and sustainability. Farmers adopting regenerative practices frequently experience increased crop yields and decreased dependence on artificial fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in cost savings and healthier food production. Moreover, carbon-enriched soils exhibit improved water retention, boosting resilience to drought and severe weather conditions. As regenerative agriculture gains recognition for its role in combating climate change, it presents a hopeful strategy for establishing a sustainable food system that serves the environment and agricultural communities alike.
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility by preventing nutrient depletion and promoting the growth of future crops. For instance, nitrogen-fixing plants like peas and beans absorb nitrogen from the air with the help of beneficial bacteria. This nitrogen is then stored in their roots and released into the soil, benefiting other plants in the garden. By fostering healthier soil, biodiversity not only enhances plant vitality but also reduces pest damage and enhances overall ecosystem functioning. The initial development of GMOs aimed to address nutrient-poor soils and provide sustenance to populations in developing countries. However, it is believed that prioritizing soil health would have been a more effective approach.
Having nitrogen-fixers is not the sole requirement for enhancing soil health. It is crucial to incorporate organic matter to nourish the soil. Unlike conventional farms that rely on chemical fertilizers for soil nutrition, adding organic matter like compost and plant litter can enhance the soil's ability to retain and provide essential nutrients to plants. The use of chemical fertilizers not only negatively affects the soil's pH level, increases pests, and harms beneficial organisms, but also hinders plant growth. This approach seems counterproductive, doesn't it? Composting plays a vital role in regenerative farming. Allowing manure and plant materials to decompose generates the necessary fertilizer for crop growth. By including food scraps in composting, waste can be repurposed into plant nutrients. In contrast to costly chemical fertilizers, utilizing food waste and manure not only saves money but also represents a more efficient and environmentally friendly option. Riggin Farm exclusively relies on compost, water, and sunlight to cultivate produce, except for our aquaponic and hydroponic gardens, which will be discussed later in this post.
Integrating livestock to farming operations yields two main commodities: animal products and manure. Meat, dairy, & eggs are the foods produced from livestock, but every other part of the animal can be utilized to eliminate waste from the operation. Bones can be used to make delicious and nutritious stocks and soups. Fat can be used for cooking, making soap, and numerous other purposes. Hides, skins, fur, hair, and feathers can be transformed into footwear, upholstery, gloves, coats, and even drum heads! Organs can be eaten or used as food for carnivores and omnivores as long as you feed them to a different species. Any of these animal by-products can even be composted but take a little longer to break down than manure and plant matter.
Traditional livestock farming is often viewed as inhumane, leading many to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle upon witnessing the practices involved. Our objective is to encourage these individuals to consider ethically-sourced animal products as an option. The majority of farm animals endure a life of suffering. Much like humans, they require exercise, a nutritious diet, sunlight, minimal stress, affection, and social interaction to thrive. By offering ample pasture for grazing and foraging alongside their peers, these essential needs can be met. We ensure our animals receive daily care and view us as part of their extended family. Few experiences rival the joy of a 500+ lbs pig eagerly approaching for belly rubs.
Aside from poor living conditions, farm-raised animals are typically administered hormones, vaccines, and other medications & supplements to ensure they survive until slaughter. Confinement restricts their movement, resulting in a more tender meat but also raising concerns related to health issues, akin to those caused by a sedentary lifestyle in humans. Coupled with an unhealthy diet and selective breeding, these animals reach market weight quicker than pasture-raised and heritage-breed counterparts. Conventional breeds also are more likely to have deformities and health problems due to breeding for carcass weight instead of health. While animal products are generally high in saturated fats, pastured animal meat, dairy, and eggs, although still containing saturated fats, have lower overall fat content and significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, along with various other beneficial nutrients. This is analogous to the superior nutritional profile of wild-caught fish compared to most farm-raised fish. It is worth noting that not all farm-raised fish fall under this category, but we will delve into this further later on.
At Riggin Farm, we combine modern farming technology with natural methods. Hydroponics and aquaponics are two technology-driven techniques we employ. Hydroponics involves growing plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil, using either stagnant water or circulating systems with pumps. While some farms use chemical fertilizers in the water, we do not. Aquaponics, a type of hydroponics, uses aquatic animals to provide nutrients to the water. Balancing the waste load with plant growth can be challenging in aquaponics, but we manage this by transferring nutrient-rich water to our hydroponic systems. By feeding the fish, we indirectly nourish the plants, creating a simple form of permaculture suitable for small spaces. For more information, watch our YouTube videos showcasing our aquaponic system.
Our aim is to minimize waste and the dependency on external sources for seeds and animals. By cultivating a surplus of crops, we not only have enough food for our own consumption and sale at the farmers market, but excess allows the harvesting of seeds and the ability to handle some pest damage. Allowing annual plants and herbs to go to seed at the end of the season provides us with a sufficient seed supply for the next year. Our pigs and chickens happily consume strawberries containing slugs, benefiting from the extra protein. Thoughtful animal breeding helps cut down on the expenses, time, and effort required to acquire high-quality livestock from other farms, while also preventing the introduction of diseases that could harm our existing animals. The farm's sustainability and profitability hinge on producing ample food for our family, customers, and livestock.
Aside from chemical fertilizers, conventional farms also use pesticides and fungicides to reduce crop loss. Although effective, these substances lead to contamination of both the food and the ecosystem. Merely washing the surface of fruits and vegetables does not eliminate the chemicals absorbed by the roots and present in the cells of each piece of produce. According to a 2022 report by the USDA, strawberries, spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens in the US contained the highest pesticide levels compared to other produce. Among these, the three greens were found to have 103 different types of the 210 pesticides commonly used in crops. Pesticides are inherently toxic as they are designed to harm living organisms, thus introducing poison into our food, polluting the soil where crops are cultivated, and leading to the absorption of these chemicals by future crops. While fungicides are generally considered less harmful than pesticides, a 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine indicated that some commonly used fungicides are carcinogenic and have been banned in the EU. Whether the US will follow suit remains uncertain, as profitable farms are often prioritized for increased tax revenue.
Is it time to make the switch to USDA Certified Organics? Not so fast. While most fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides used on these crops are organic in nature, some are derived from synthetic chemicals. Although they are considered safe for consumption in small amounts and are unlikely to cause harm to the general population, prolonged exposure to these substances by farm workers can pose risks. Is it justifiable to endanger the health of those laboring in the fields? Nearly half of the USDA approved organic pesticides did not meet the safety standards set by the European Union.
After being harvested, both organic and conventional produce undergo the same handling and treatment processes. Fruits are typically picked before reaching full ripeness, then subjected to temperature control measures to prolong their shelf life during storage & transportation from the farm to the distribution center and eventually to the supermarket. Processed produce may also undergo additional chemical processing at various facilities. When organic and conventional produce from other countries is imported to the US, it goes through additional steps before reaching store shelves. All produce imported to the US must undergo pest treatment, which may involve fumigation with methyl bromide, cold treatments, and/or irradiation.
Industrial farms supplying our grocery stores cannot be profitable if they follow the safe practices of small regenerative farms like ours. To access safe, nutritious, and delicious food while benefiting the local ecosystem, consider growing your own or buying from a reliable local farm. We recognize that most people lack the time and space for complete self-sufficiency, and that's why you can trust Riggin Farm to provide the best for you and your family.
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