Have you ever heard of Regenerative Agriculture? Don’t worry, most people haven’t! But Regenerative Agriculture (also called Climate Smart Agriculture) has HUGE potential to help fight climate change.
The key is to think of a farm as an ecosystem. Regenerative Agriculture is about farming and ranching in a style that nourishes both people and the earth, leaving our land, waters, and the climate in better shape for future generations. This isn’t a new idea – Indigenous communities have been farming in harmony with nature for thousands of years! Now, eco-conscious agriculture and food production companies are using these practices to help protect the planet.
The #1 rule of Regenerative Agriculture is to put soil health first. One way that farmers do this is by feeding the soil with nutritious compost. Composting is a way to recycle food and other organic waste into valuable fertilizer that is good for soil and plants. Anything that grows decomposes eventually; composting just speeds up the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (like worms) to do their work. This results in decomposed organic matter that is rich in nutrients. In fact, farmers have nicknamed it “black gold”!
Some of you may have composting bins at home. If not, you can learn how to make one in this Creative Corner, and make some black gold for your plants and gardens this summer!
Earth Rangers will be exploring the topic of regenerative agriculture a lot more in the next few months, including the launch of our brand new Future Farmer Mission this summer. In the meantime, test your compost knowledge with this YES/NO quiz!
How did you do? Let us know in the comments below!
I got a 10 out of 10 on the quiz
9/10 I got all the questions correct but I don’t compost at home so yeah