As American farmers face the harsh realities of climate change, including extreme heat, drought, heavy rains, flooding and erosion, regenerative agriculture has become a focus for the agricultural community.
This innovative approach promises not only to improve soil health, but also to provide economic opportunities through “carbon farming.”
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is an agricultural approach that focuses on enhancing and restoring the health of soils, ecosystems and the environment while producing food. It goes beyond sustainable practices that aim to maintain the status quo by actively improving the land.
The key principles of regenerative agriculture are:
Minimize soil disturbance: Reduce tillage and avoid heavy machinery use to maintain soil structure and health. Keep soil covered: Use cover crops, mulch and crop residues to protect soil from erosion, regulate temperature and retain moisture. Maintain living roots in the soil: Plant cover crops and perennials to keep their roots in the soil all year round. This supports soil microbes and improves soil health. Integrate livestock: Use managed grazing to increase soil fertility, suppress weeds and enhance biodiversity. Reduce external inputs: Minimize the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and instead rely on natural processes to maintain soil health and productivity.
By implementing these practices, regenerative agriculture aims to sequester carbon in the soil, improve water retention and infiltration, increase biodiversity, and build a more resilient food system.
Financial and practical challenges
Despite the potential benefits, many farmers are hesitant to participate in carbon market programs, with studies finding that low carbon prices and extensive paperwork are deterrents.
But a recent study published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values reveals that financial barriers aren't the only problem.
Many farmers see improving soil health as a pathway to reducing their reliance on agrichemical companies' products and advice and improving their quality of life.
“Farmers are really looking to get off the treadmill of high-input, high-yield commodity agriculture,” said Suzanne Friedberg, a geography professor at Dartmouth College and co-lead author of the study.
Insights from the field
The study is based on interviews with more than 80 farmers in Kansas and Nebraska, exploring their experiences with regenerative agriculture practices.
Managing farms ranging from hundreds to thousands of acres, these farmers shared a range of experiences, from those who have recently started farming to veterans with more than 20 years of experience.
Recent adopters cite high input costs, concerns about soil erosion, and success stories of other farmers as motivations for exploring soil health, and they often begin their journey by attending field days and conferences.
As they introduced new practices, they developed new ways of thinking and relationships.
“Farmers who practiced regenerative agriculture often talked about how much attention they paid to the interactions between the different organisms in their fields, including cover crops, earthworms, and especially soil microbes,” Friedberg noted.
The social dynamics of regenerative agriculture
Below-ground microbial activity not only increases soil fertility, allowing farmers to use less fertilizer, but also helps reduce erosion, conserve water, and sequester carbon.
But practices that benefit soil microbes have sometimes caused tensions with neighbors and landowners.
“Farmers told us that when they stopped tilling and started planting multiple cover crops, they started getting strange looks from local coffee shops because their fields looked messy,” Friedberg explained.
These tensions highlight the importance of support networks among regenerative agriculture farmers, with many joining informal “support groups” to share experiences and tools.
“Farmers who saw regenerative agriculture as a way to increase their personal freedom also recognized that this freedom depended on the support of other farmers,” Friedberg said.
Personal Fulfillment and Carbon Programs
Farmers are also excited to have birds and wildlife back in their fields, and find their daily work more enjoyable and interesting.
Those who applied to carbon programs preferred programs that didn't require long-term commitments or major changes in practice.
One farmer described the extra income he receives from carbon farming as “beer money.”
The future of carbon agriculture
Around the time the Dartmouth study was completed, in 2023, a USDA-funded “climate-smart” commodities project was launched to expand carbon farming opportunities.
These projects are often led by large food and agriculture companies and offer financial incentives for adopting regenerative practices, but widespread farmer participation depends on how well these projects align with farmers' values.
“When farmers talk about the return on their investment in regenerative agriculture, they're not just talking about money,” Friedberg emphasized.
In summary, while the economic benefits of regenerative agriculture are significant, many farmers are drawn to these practices for the broader improvements they bring to their lives and communities.
A focus on soil health not only helps farmers cultivate the land, but also promotes more sustainable and fulfilling agricultural practices.
The full study was published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values.
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