The Importance of Regenerative Agriculture: Growing Food You Can Trust

written by

Nolan Masser

posted on

January 14, 2022

If you’re searching for natural and nutritious food options and ways to lead a healthier lifestyle, you have probably heard of regenerative agriculture. But what exactly does it mean? And why does it matter for you and your family?

Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that involves conserving and rehabilitating the land and food systems. It focuses on essential areas like soil health and biodiversity. Simply put, the farm and environment are viewed as one interconnected system.

At Red Hill Harvest, we practice regenerative agriculture to ensure the best quality food and responsible treatment of our land and animals. After all, we eat everything we grow, and we wouldn’t share anything with you that we wouldn’t eat ourselves!

That’s why we want to give you a glimpse of how we do what we do and what regenerative farming and natural food mean to us.

How We Practice Regenerative Agriculture

Our goal is to use processes, plants, and animals that produce the highest quality products possible. We aim to keep a closed nutrient cycle, meaning we know what is going into our soil, animals, and the food we eat and share with people like you.

We believe in…

Working with the Land, Not Against It

Instead of forcing nature to bend to our will, we use natural processes to produce clean, healthy food. We balance everything we do with a small environmental footprint, starting with the land.

A key piece of regenerative agriculture is soil carbon sequestration. We manage our land so that the soil absorbs and retains more carbon. Carbon is a crucial component of healthy soil, helping to:

  • Improve soil health and restore deteriorated land, in turn boosting agricultural productivity.
  • Make the soil (and therefore, the farm) more resistant to droughts and heavy rains.
  • Reduce the need for fertilizers, thanks to healthier soil–this not only saves us money but means fewer chemicals going into the land!

So, how do we create healthy soil? 

First, we are transitioning from conventional to organic. Currently, 100 of our 550 acres are certified organic, and we convert more of our land to organic practices every year. This means cutting out chemicals and GMOs and ensuring grazing for our animals, clean waters, and more.

We are also moving toward more non-GMO crops and heirloom plant varieties. Heirloom plants are old species that have been passed down through generations without change. They promote biodiversity and help strengthen the food system. They are also more diverse in their sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors, making them delicious and interesting to eat!

Additionally, we are shifting to more natural fertilizers, reducing our artificial fertilizer use every year. Between manure and having our animals graze the land, we have rebuilt the topsoil and replenished its nutrients and water. 

What is topsoil? Topsoil is the top and most important layer of soil, as it is rich in nutrients and microorganisms that help create a healthy home for roots.

Working with the Animals

The other crucial piece to the regenerative agriculture puzzle is healthy, happy animals. 

Two generations ago, all farms had animals freely grazing the land. On many of today’s conventional farms, the animals no longer roam and graze pastures. Instead, they are raised indoors.

At Red Hill Farms, we are reintroducing animals to the land in a way that benefits them and the soil. Our grass-fed beef cattle graze freely on our pastures, enjoying a variety of nutritious grasses and room to roam. We practice rotational grazing, which plays a vital role in soil health by preventing overgrazing and giving each pasture time to rest and recuperate. We will continue adding more livestock in the future. 

Speaking of grass varieties, we add new grasses and forages every year! This diversity provides our cows with nutrient-dense meals and attracts other beneficial creatures like microorganisms, bugs, birds, and mammals.

And since we use natural fertilizers, our animals enjoy clean diets, and our customers enjoy clean healthy food.

Transparency

As a small family-run farm, we always know what is happening in each aspect of our operation–and we’re happy to open our doors and show you how we do what we do! We are passionate about sharing our regenerative farming practices with our community and educating people about wholesome, real food. 

Consider many of the foods you’ve purchased at major grocery stores and retailers. What do you know about where they come from? If you want a healthier diet and lifestyle, you should know what goes into your food and why many conventional farms don’t share what goes on behind the scenes.

At Red Hill Harvest, we believe in what we do because we have experienced the benefits of clean, natural food ourselves. We continue improving the farm and food system for our family, other farmers, and our entire community. 

If you’re ready to taste and feel the difference of sustainable local food grown with passion and responsible practices, shop our selection of grass-fed beef, fresh potatoes, pastured eggs, and fresh cabbage today. Or, if you have more questions about regenerative farming, feel free to reach out to us–we’re always happy to help guide people on their clean food journey!

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Red Hill Harvest

205 Mt. Pap Road, Pitman, PA 17964
570.492.3425

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