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What is Regenerative Farming?

It’s not the cow, it’s the how.

In a nutshell, regenerative agriculture is farming and ranching in harmony with nature. 

Our goal is to continually improve the land by focusing on soil and nutrient cycles all while leaving space for wildlife and native plants to thrive.  We choose to follow regenerative practices because of our love for this planet. Not only do we focus on providing high-quality, diverse forage for our cows, but we also use them as a tool to improve our land for wildlife.

The industrialized agriculture system promotes practices such as tilling as well as the abundant use of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers.  This model has resulted in soil devoid of nutrients, the pollution of our waters, a reduction in biodiversity, and leaves little room for wildlife. 

We want to show a different way. 

Mimicking cycles of nature

Some of the richest, most productive ecosystems on the planet are those where herds of large, grazing animals roamed.  The tall grass prairies of the American West were grazed by millions of bison while the Serengeti was home to even more wildebeest.  These animals were always on the move, grazing fresh forage daily, and they stayed in tight groups for safety. 

We strive to manage our livestock in a similar way to help our grasslands thrive. We keep our stocking density high and move our animals nearly every day.  This concentrates their grazing pressure and encourages the trampling of un-grazed forage, which covers and protects the soil. The nutrients not utilized by their digestive system are deposited back onto the land, feeding the soil.We ensure each pasture is recovered through elongated rest periods before bringing cows back to graze. 

With this approach, Habitat Ranch not only improves the quality of our soil and the diversity of our plant life, but we’re also increasing the health and productivity of our livestock.

✓ Improves Soil

Healthy soil is full of life!  Microbes, insects, and fungi work together to break down organic matter, creating nutrients for the plants. Healthy soil also absorbs more water, reducing runoff and making land more drought resistant.  

✓ Nutrient Dense Food

Those healthy soils we talked about? They grow nutrient-dense plants which our cattle spend their life consuming, resulting in a highly nutritious product.  A lifetime spent on pasture means our cows rarely get sick. We never use antibiotics, chemical treatments, or growth hormones on our cows. 

✓ Enhances Habitat

Our practices improve biodiversity and support the reintroduction of native plant species.

✓ Supports your local Farmer

Eating locally not only supports small farmers but also reinvests in your community, improves the food security of your area, and is more environmentally friendly.  Buying direct from your farmer cuts out the middle man, giving you better quality beef for your money and allowing farmers to make a livable wage.

✓ Improves Ecosystem Services

Our practices allow cows to perform their role in the carbon cycle and sequester carbon back into the soil through organic matter.  Over time this improves the soil’s water-holding capacity.  When it rains, instead of running off, the water percolates through the soil, naturally filtering through the ground and eventually feeding back into our watershed.

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