Regenerative farming update

In the words of Mike Taitoko of Calm the Farm “regenerative farming globally is a freight train that has left the station – and is only going one way”. It seems like there is growing momentum that will shift farming away from extractive industrial farming. Here are some highlights from the last few months.

Regenerative Agriculture white paper

Gwen Grelet and Sam Lang led the development of a white paper for the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) Regenerative Agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand – Research Pathways to Build Science-Based Evidence and National Narratives. Gwen worked hard to ensure a range of views were expressed in the white paper. Here she is talking about the paper on Sarah’s Country.

LAke Hawea is New Zealand’s First Carbon Zero Certified Farm

Environmental certifications provider Toitū Envirocare calculated the farm’s 2535 tonnes of CO2 (and CO2 equivalents are more than compensated by the 3966 tonnes of carbon sequestered by tree planting and regenerating bush. Read more about it and see a short video about the farm on the Toitū Envirocare website.

This is a good news story, but it could be so much better in three ways:

1. Carbon sequestered in the soil could be included.
2. 1800 of those 2535 tonnes are attributed to methane. Walter Jehne told us last year that actively growing pasture transpires, producing hydroxyl that oxidises methane (see below).
3. Farms supporting a healthy hydrological cycle are supporting cooling (read more here).

Calm the Farm

Calm the Farm was launched last March and is already making a big impact, adding to the visibility of regenerative farming. Its May newsletter reported a recent visit of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other cabinet ministers to the Norsewood dairy farm of Calm The Farm pathfinders, Russell and Charlotte Heald, to discuss the benefits of regenerative farming. Here is a case study of the Heald Farm. Scroll down the video about the farm and the stats about the achievements flowing from their transition. Over time, Calm the Farm will create a bank of data proving the value of regenerative practices.

Here is a link to the Calm the Farm email newsletter.

Regen Documentaries

A New (Re)Generation by Kiss the Ground was released on 8 May.

And in case you missed it, here the Massey farm from Australia.