A Beginners Guide to Regenerative Agriculture: Growing with Nature

The Chef’s Garden has long embraced regenerative farming practices to enhance the environment, improve soil health and deliver superior product quality to our customers. While we’ve been committed to regenerative agriculture for years, there’s now a growing movement to adopt these methods across the agriculture community. 

We’re proud to have earned the Regenified Certification, a seal and product claim from the first third-party regenerative program to be recognized and accepted by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services for single and multi-ingredient products.

Being at the forefront of innovation in agriculture has always been a strength of ours – whether driven by intention or discovered through serendipity. We’re excited to share our Beginners Guide to Regenerative Agriculture with you. Whether you’re curious about what makes our product naturally better, a farmer looking to learn more or in the restaurant industry seeking to learn about the benefits of sourcing regeneratively-grown vegetables, you’ve come to the right farm to see how it’s done!

What is Regenerative Agriculture and Why Does it Matter?

By now, you may be wondering, what is regenerative agriculture and what makes it so important?

Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming practices that works towards rebuilding the soil for improved ecological and environmental health. Soils for Life puts it in the simple terms of aiming to rehabilitate, enhance and work with ecosystem processes rather than against it for the ultimate soil health. 

To some, soil may just be dirt, to others it’s the home for living, breathing things to grow and flourish. When we take care of the soil, it takes care of us. A major principle we live by on the farm is: Healthy soil. Healthy crops. Healthy people. Healthy planet. – this is what makes regenerative agriculture so important.

Degenerative Agriculture: How it Harms the Soil

To truly understand regenerative agriculture, it's essential to recognize what it's not: degenerative agriculture. Degenerative agriculture encompasses farming practices that harm the environment and deplete soil of vital nutrients, undermining the long-term health of our ecosystems.

This degradation often occurs in conventional farming systems, which rely heavily on high chemical and energy inputs to maximize crop yields. These methods prioritize the short term and efficiency in farming at the expense of long-term environmental health.

Conventional large-scale farming frequently involves several degenerative practices, including: 

• Continuous production of a single crop with no rotation (Monocropping)

• Heavy use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides

• Intensive tillage

• Bare fields from absence of cover cropping

The 6 Principles of Soil Regeneration in Action at The Chef’s Garden

Regenerative farming is guided by six core principles that promote the efficient use of natural resources while restoring the land. At The Chef’s Garden, we wholeheartedly practice each of these principles to grow exceptional products for the culinary industry and to leave the Earth better than we found it.

1. Know your context

Understanding your land is the foundation of regenerative agriculture. While these principles can be followed in any order, this one should always come first. A farmer must know their soil type, how it interacts with the local climate and the long-term goals for how the land will be used. This knowledge influences every decision, from what to plant to how to nurture the soil.

2. Minimize soil disturbances

Remembering that soil is more than just dirt and instead a living ecosystem, this continues to put things into perspective. A good, healthy soil that is left undisturbed sets a foundation for a farm and what it grows. When soil is left undisturbed it supports the beneficial microorganisms that live in the soil, and naturally builds and retains essential nutrients.

3. Increase biodiversity

Doing the same thing over and over again gets old fast – just ask your soil! When you plant the same crops year after year, the soil gets fatigued causing diminishing soil health and quality. 

That’s why we like to keep things interesting. In regenerative farming, that means practicing crop rotation. One season it might be lettuce, the next it’s carrots, all in the same field. Each crop draws different nutrients from the soil and gives something unique back in return.

Crop rotation not only boosts soil health, but it also disrupts pest and disease cycles making it a win-win. Some pests and diseases love to settle in when things stay the same, but they can’t get comfortable when you switch your crops up.

4. Protect the soil

When land is not being used for a farmer's main crops, it should never be left bare and vulnerable to environmental conditions. That’s where cover cropping comes in. During the off-season, crops like clover or rye are planted to act as a natural shield for the soil. These cover crops help prevent erosion, enrich the soil with nutrients and increase the soil’s biodiversity, all while preparing the land for future growing seasons. The Chef’s Garden plants a cover crop mix of 14 species to maximize the nutrient input and protect our precious soil.

5. Maintaining living roots in the soil

Living roots in the soil is essential for soil health because they photosynthesize energy from the sun that gets transferred into the root systems, then into the soil. When roots are not present the organic matter still continues to metabolize which then releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse gases. By maintaining living roots all year-round, we can support and strengthen the soil’s structure and vitality.

6. Integrate Livestock

Livestock plays a critical role in regenerative farming. At The Chef’s Garden, we’ve dedicated a 60 acre section to our permaculture operations, with a portion of it being used to integrate pasture raised cattle, poultry and pigs into our regenerative farm. Through grazing patterns, these animals naturally fertilize the land and stimulate plant growth. 

Why our Regenerative Products are Better: Nutrients!

Healthy soil is the gift that keeps on giving. Our in-house Research Team has tested our vegetables and found them to be significantly more nutritious than what you’ll find at the grocery store. And here’s the best part… those nutrient-rich veggies don’t just nourish your body, but they also taste sensational! We’ve got flavor and quality like nowhere else!

How You Can Support Regenerative Agriculture and Make an Impact

Every choice we make impacts ourselves and the world around us. If you’re a farmer looking to make a sustainable switch in the way you farm, consider adopting these regenerative practices. Or, if you’re someone who wants to support the Earth, or just enjoy some amazing vegetables, support our small family farm! 

The Chef’s Garden is always working in a positive direction, shaping not only the culinary industry, but the environment along with it. Help us make a difference and buy The Chef’s Garden veggies today!