Regenerative agriculture is a series of farming practices that protect and improve soil quality. The ground is always left covered (to avoid soil erosion and water, microbe, and earthworm loss) and no chemical sprays are ever applied (herbicides, insecticides, pesticides).

Common methods utilized in regenerative agriculture are:

• No-till vegetable production in raised compost beds

• Permaculture orchards with a variety of complementary species

• Rotational animal grazing

• Utilization of compost and mulch

• Selection for hardy animals suited to the local climate

In summary, regenerative agricultural practices are designed to work with natural systems, rather than work against them, and improve the quality of the soil and environment. There are no waste products in regenerative agriculture. The true wealth and health of a community comes from the quality of its soils.

Industrial agriculture applies the factory production model to farming where inputs (seeds, synthetic fertilizers, diesel fuel, heavy machinery, etc.) are brought onto the farm and used to produce food, most commonly grain and animal products such as meat and milk.

The industrial model uses inputs to create outputs, and during this process, creates waste products.

In industrial animal farming, animals are kept in confinement, either in large pole barns or outdoor lots. Confinement is unnatural and unhygienic and forces industrial farms to rely on vaccinations, drugs, and antibiotics to prevent their animals from dying from disease. Industrial chicken farms, for example, must cut the beaks off their chickens because the unnatural conditions stresses them and would lead to cannibalism.

In industrial crop farming, large sections of land are tilled which exposes the soil to the sun and air. This exposure leads to soil erosion, water loss, and kills important microbial life and earthworms. Industrial farms compensate for this loss by purchasing patented GMO seeds and pouring water, fertilizer, and chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides into the ground.

Because industrial farms work against natural processes, they are left with large quantities of waste (such as animal manure, synthetic waste, and toxic chemicals) that pose an environmental hazard and contaminate soils and water sources.

Large industrial farms are forced to increasingly rely on debt and larger and larger scales to stay afloat. This has led to handful of large corporations taking over our food supply.

No, our farm is not certified organic by the USDA.

The USDA organic designation began in the 1990s and became standardized in the early 2000s. It was meant to denote that products are free from synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides. antibiotics and is non-GMO but does not carry a guarantee.

Third-party inspectors (contracted by the USDA) visit farms to check for any banned substances and to review farming practices before granting the farm an organic designation. Participating farms must pay hundreds to thousands of dollars a year to obtain and maintain USDA certification.

However, products labeled as organic are not regularly tested and fraud is commonplace. Organic producers are not allowed to claim any safety, health, or nutrition benefits from their products.

The Great Organic Food Fraud

The USDA’s Meaningless Organic Label

The USDA Can’t Stop Organic Food Fraud

While our farm is not USDA certified organic, our practices are natural and we have a full transparency policy. Anyone is free to schedule a visit (contact@rmdy.farm) to see our farm and how we operate.

There are no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, antibiotics, vaccines, or GMOs on our farm.

Our animals are raised on pasture and moved daily to avoid parasites and disease. We purchase non-GMO grain for our chickens from the Brown City Grain Elevator in Peck, Michigan while our sheep eat exclusively grasses. In winter, our chickens are moved to a greenhouse with a deep bedding system and our sheep are fed hay. Our crops are grown using compost and wood mulch.

Our chickens are raised naturally without the use of antibiotics or drugs of any kind.

We buy non-GMO grain locally from the Brown City Grain Elevator in Peck, Michigan.

During the Spring, Summer, and Fall they are on pasture and moved to new grass daily and are able to eat grass, seeds, flowers, and insects.

During Winter, our chickens are moved to a greenhouse to protect them from cold winds. We utilize a deep bedding system of straw that is applied each week. This deep bedding system maintains hygiene, keeps the birds safe, and ends up becoming amazing compost.

Our sheep are raised on pastures and moved daily during Spring, Summer, and Fall. Daily movement is crucial to prevent overgrazing, protect the soil, and to prevent the sheep from ingesting parasites. The land is allowed to rest and recover for 30+ days after grazing.

We do not use any antibiotics or drugs of any kind on our sheep.

During Winter, our sheep are fed local hay when the pastures lay dormant due the cold.

We grow our crops in 30-inch beds of compost that is de-weeded weekly. Mulch is used between rows to absorb water, prevent weeds, and eventually decompose and fertilize the soil.