Lauren Dunteman

Benefiting our farmers, crops, livestock, and the soil beneath our feet through restorative agricultural practices.

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In many of today's agricultural practices, soil is turned over to loosen it up and to knock over weeds before seeds are planted. As the plants grow, pesticides and herbicides can be used to kill off weeds and bugs that impair crop growth. The issue with these practices is they can quickly degenerate the soil quality at a pace faster than nature can repair it. 

 

Healthy soil is full of root structures that sequester carbon. It contains microbial and fungal growth that break down organic matter and help plants take up nutrients. The relationship between these roots and micro-organisms helps create soil structure that is porous, allowing water to percolate in instead of flooding on top. Retained water in healthy soil can help plants survive times of drought throughout the growing season.

 

The practices of conventional and organic agriculture destroy this soil structure. Turning over the soil disturbs this network. Soil without organic matter (roots, decaying material, and microorganisms) becomes hard and compact, has little ability to absorb and maintain water, decreases greatly in nutrient capacity, and erodes easily. 

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The problem is, our farming practices are creating dirt, which is dead, instead of soil, which is full of living organisms. Having grown up on a farm, I recognize the various reasons that farmers till the soil, use chemicals, and decrease biodiversity on their farms. In many ways, farmers are not to blame. Our current markets demand manipulative and extractive practices. Farmers function on such tight margins that they often have no capacity to greatly alter their practices. Click here to see how I'm combatting this in my masters program.

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Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that gives soil its life again. Below are many examples of how this is accomplished:

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• Cover crops (crops grown to cover the soil) are used! 

  • They provide root-structures to capture water and aerate the soil. Often times, cover crops decrease the likelihood of invasive weeds growing. Additionally, they prevent erosion by holding the soil in place. Many cover crops can add nutrients to the soil that the crops we eat need.

• Rotational grazing is utilized

  • In pastures or orchards where grasses and cover crop grow, rotating livestock through converts organic matter above ground (ie, grass) into manure, thus fertilizing the soil.

• Compost is applied

  • Compost is a concentrated mixture of microorganisms and the organic matter that they've decomposed. As a result, not only is compost is extremely fertile, but it contains the life necessary to continue to increase soil organic matter (very important!) in the future.

    • Curious how to make your own compost? Check this out!

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Why should we care?

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We cannot sustain our food system on degrading soil. Great historic civilizations of our earth have collapsed upon the degradation of their soil - the could no longer grow food. According to scientists, at the rate at which we are degrading out top soil, we only have about 60 years left. In many places across the world, between 17 and 5 inches remain; 4 are necessary for most plant growth.

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THIS is why I am working to be a professional in sustainable food systems.

We must change the system of which our farmers are bound.

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The important part: how can you help?

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This issue is rooted in a broken system that is governed by corporate control, the "need" for cheap food, capitalist regimes, and extractive values. Combatting systemic problems can feel very intimidating to approach as an individual. But there are ways that you can play a part! See below:

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• Read this transformational narrative that highlights barriers to a shifted agricultural paradigm

• Create and distribute compost.

  • Compost immediately sequesters carbon in the soil and gives the land the microorganisms it needs to regenerate​

• Buy grass fed beef and pasture raised pork and poultry.

  • Many people go vegetarian out of environmental or ethical concern. If you'd like to keep eating meat, sourcing animals raised in a regenerative way (ie, ones not raised on corn and soy) is a good way to lessen the environmental impact of animal agriculture.​ If you're buying pasture raised livestock, it is more likely that you're supporting agriculture that prioritizes environmental health

• Support organic farmers (but recognize that organic farming is NOT the solution)

  • Organic farmers don't use synthetic chemicals, and that is important for biodiversity and soil health. BUT, organic farmers may rely on soil tillage to manage weeds, thus destroying soil structure. My point: be critical about who you are sourcing from​.

• Lastly, look for "carbon sequestering", "climate beneficial", or "regenerative".

  • While these have yet to be certifications (and I would argue there are flaws in certification processes), they likely serve as an indication that the methods used to create that food or clothing were used to benefit climate and soil health.​

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