What Is Regenerative Agriculture?

Sustainability is no longer enough. After decades of industrial farming, we’ve lost too much topsoil, too much water, and too much resilience in our food systems. To fix that, we have to go further — toward farming practices that actively restore the land rather than simply maintain it. That approach is called regenerative agriculture.

At its core, regenerative agriculture works with nature instead of against it. The focus is on rebuilding soil health, improving water retention, and supporting a balanced ecosystem. Healthy soil produces healthier plants and animals — and in turn, healthier food for people.

The Five Principles of Regenerative Agriculture

1. Keep the Soil Covered
Bare ground is damaged ground. A living cover protects soil from erosion, buffers temperature, slows rainfall, and feeds the soil biology beneath the surface.

2. Encourage Plant Diversity
Nature doesn’t do monocultures. The more plant species in a pasture or field, the more resilient the ecosystem becomes — supporting insects, microbes, and wildlife.

3. Maintain Living Roots Year-Round
Through photosynthesis, plants pull carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into sugars that feed soil organisms. Keeping roots alive in the soil keeps that cycle going.

4. Integrate Livestock Thoughtfully
Grazing animals are essential to healthy grasslands when managed carefully. Their movement, manure, and grazing pressure all help cycle nutrients and stimulate plant growth.

5. Disturb the Soil Sparingly
Some disturbance can stimulate life in the soil, but constant tillage breaks down structure and kills microbial life. The goal is balance — a rhythm of activity and rest.

Healing the Land

Over the last century, heavy tillage, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides have left many landscapes depleted. Regenerative practices can reverse that damage. By rebuilding the soil’s ability to hold water and store carbon, we help restore balance to the land and strengthen local food systems.

How You Can Help

One of the simplest ways to support regenerative farming is by buying directly from farmers who practice it. Every purchase helps maintain land that’s managed for health — not just for yield.

At Tyner Pond Farm, we follow these principles on our pastures every day. By keeping our cattle and chickens moving, protecting living roots, and avoiding chemical inputs, we’re doing our part to rebuild the land beneath our feet.