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!

regenerative farming

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February 22, 2025: Price Increase

As you can see from the title, we are raising our prices. This decision was challenging and carefully considered over the past three months. As I’ve mentioned before, one of our core values is transparency, and part of this value involves being upfront about matters we find difficult to share. Here’s what you need to know - Beginning next Saturday, February 22nd, we will implement an average price increase of 23% on all our Grass-fed Beef products. Some cuts of beef will significantly increase, while others will experience minor or no changes. What brings on this price increase? Butchering Cost - As you probably know, most companies' labor costs have increased dramatically over the past few years. Butchering is a very labor-intensive task, and the price of that labor is high, especially for the local, family-owned butcher shops that we choose to support. Packaging - In late spring of 2024, we paid $20 per insulated cooler. In 2025, we are paying almost $23 per insulated cooler, a 14% increase in just 10 months. Cattle Prices -  This is the most significant price change and the largest driver of the price increase. This humongous price leap is primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2020, many processing facilities closed for a few months. This simple shutdown risked overloading the delicate system with an unmanageable number of cattle. Ranchers saw this and quickly culled their herds and stopped breeding more animals. Alongside a drought in the West, the US Beef Herd is the smallest it's been since 1951. Since raising a cow from calf to finish weight takes almost three years, we have yet to see the numbers return. The unbalance of supply and demand has caused our replacement cattle prices to skyrocket to record numbers. For instance, in 2020, cattle feeder prices were around $1.08/lb. (These are 500# animals brought to our farm for us to take to finish weight) Now, in 2025, the price is $2.68/lb—quite a significant increase. How you can save There are still plenty of ways to save. First, we will postpone all price increases until next Saturday. This way, you can stock up on our Grass-fed Beef at its current price. Bulk Bundles - We will still offer bulk bundles crafted to save us money because of packing efficiencies and overstocked items. As you are a valued partner of our farm, we will continue to pass these savings on to you. Sales - Stay alert for sales and offerings throughout the year. We have a sale planned for almost every month! Refer a friend - We want you to share our products with the world! Use this link to refer friends and get $20 in-store credit when they place their first order!  We truly do appreciate your support of our farm. If you have any questions about this price increase, please do not hesitate to contact us! We pride ourselves on providing your family with delicious, healthy, and, most importantly, trustworthy food, and we would love to continue to do so for many years to come! Your Farmers, The Red Hill Harvest Family