What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative Agriculture takes its cues from nature.
It's all about farming in sync with nature and using the plants and the animals to heal the environment and produce healing food for people. It's the restoration of God's world by using God's design.
Regenerative Agriculture sounds interesting doesn’t it? What is in need of regenerating? Does that mean what we have been doing is detrimental? I’m sure you’ve heard about all the global climate change talk these days. Seems like you hear about it everywhere… Most people are focused on carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels saying it causes the atmosphere to warm, the oceans to rise from melting ice, more violent weather, and increased droughts. That may be a little bit of the issue, but I’m not so sure since carbon dioxide is plant food. From my years of observation being a full time farmer, I think we have larger issues that the majority of people are unaware of.
Watch this video to see the global climate issues from the view of a regenerative farmer.
So what are we to do?
Do we keep supporting these detrimental farming practices that are destroying our world? Or, should we support our regenerative farmers in their efforts to restore our environment back to health? Think about the massive impact farming has on the earth. Billions of acres across the globe are managed by farmers. Farmers are in control of the climate whether they like to admit it or complain about it.
Watch this video to see how farmers can heal the world with plants.
But it costs too much!
Sure, you can find cheaper food at the grocery store… but it’s not high quality. I have learned to look at my life holistically. I was raised to shop for the cheapest things growing up. I carried this into my adult life. It wasn’t until I came down with cancer, and went through a lot of cheap, poor quality clothes and tools that I started questioning this world and its systems. I realized quality matters a lot. All food is not created equal. All clothes are not created equal. All tools are not created equal. I have found that I’m better off spending more money on quality stuff that keeps me healthy, safe, and lasts a long time rather than buying the cheapest stuff that makes me sick and wears out quickly.
I have not stepped foot in a gym in over 15 years, yet I’m stronger and faster with more stamina than I was when I was working out all the time. It all happened when I started eating high quality food. Quality food is what makes you healthy, not running around in circles or lifting extremely heavy objects for no other reason than just to say you did. Imagine how much better and more exciting your life would be if you quit throwing your time and money away at the gym and bought high quality food from your local regenerative farmer. Imagine a life without all the pills, supplements, and doctor visits due to eating poor quality food.
Food quality is the number one factor in health, strength, and vigor. Poor quality food makes you sick. High quality food makes you healthy. High quality food costs more, but it’s worth it! Farmers know this. Most doctors won’t tell you this because it doesn’t make them money. You being sick makes them money. Selling you pills makes them money. You spend the same money regardless how you eat. You just divert money from the farmer doing things right and give it to the doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and gyms when you choose to eat cheap, poor quality food.
You are going to get back a lot of time, energy, and quality of life when you choose high quality food. I speak from experience. Watch this video to see how God broke me of my love affair with my money.
This is the crux of regenerative agriculture.
The Bible says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV. I have come to realize that this world is more spiritual than physical… the spiritual world is what animates the physical world. This Bible verse has intrigued me as a farmer, “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:19-24 NIV.
That's an interesting verse to ponder what it means. My farming journey has opened my eyes to this world being more spiritual than physical.
Watch this video to get a better understanding of what I’m talking about.
If you've been inspired, do something about it! Please support your local regenerative farmer! Click the button below to be part of the movement today. We cannot survive without you.