A chat about regenerative farming

Going vegan or vegetarian is often cited as one of the most powerful things that you can do as an individual to reduce your environmental footprint. But with less than 20% of the world adhering to a plant-based diet, how can the billions of meat-eaters on our planet make a difference?

The answer may be supporting regenerative and migratory farming practices. We sat down with Charlie Iscoe, co-founder of Sunday Farms to learn more.

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): How did you stumble upon regenerative agriculture and rotational grazing?

Charlie (Sunday Farms) My wife, my brother and I have been “conscious foodies” for a little while now – always trying to eat local and organic foods whenever possible. As we all became dissatisfied with meat available at grocery stores and butcher shops, we started going straight to the source and buying from local farmers raising animals the right way – out on pasture and consuming their natural, chemical-free diets.

Originally, we were looking for this quality for its superior taste and nutritional profile. But as we started learning more about some of the processes on these farms (like rotational grazing), we began to appreciate the powerful benefits these regenerative practices have on the environment.

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): For those that are less familiar with the terms, could you maybe break down what the terms rotational grazing and regenerative farming mean?

Charlie (Sunday Farms): Regenerative agriculture describes a variety of farming practices that actually improve the land, rather than degrade it like most of conventional agriculture. These practices rebuild soil organic matter and restore degraded soil biodiversity, which improves soil health and, as a result, actively draws carbon out of the atmosphere to store (or “sequester”) in the soil. Because regenerative agriculture can actually remove carbon from the atmosphere, it is widely regarded as one of our best tools in the fight against climate change.

Rotational grazing involves dividing pastures into multiple parcels (“paddocks”), and actively rotating herds through them in order to prevent over-grazing. As the herd grazes, they leave behind their waste and trample it + other plant matter into the ground, creating a rich organic fertilizer for the soil. Recently grazed paddocks will then be given time to recover and absorb the nutrients left behind before being grazed again.

In stark contrast to factory farming, which destroys soil health with over-grazing and heavy use of chemical inputs (leading to carbon being released into the atmosphere), rotational grazing builds soil health over time, leading to carbon being pulled out of the atmosphere! Simply put, rotational grazing works with nature by promoting an age-old symbiotic relationship between animals and the earth. It's a beautiful relationship, and one that our environment depends on.

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): Is regenerative farming & rotational grazing a new practice, or has it been around for some time?

Charlie (Sunday Farms): Far from it! In many ways, these practices have been around for ages (such as planting cover crops or composting), and are a return to how things used to be done before the age of industrial agriculture.

Rotational grazing, in particular, is simply a practice that mimics migratory herds. Think of bison on the prairie grazing a large field, and then being chased off by predators, trampling their waste into the ground as they leave. This relationship has been around for centuries and is what rotational grazing effectively recreates.

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): Factory farming is well documented to be both harmful to the environment and can often result in the unethical treatment of animals. How is regenerative farming different?

Charlie (Sunday Farms): Unlike factory farming, regenerative agriculture works with nature rather than against it. Whereas factory farming uses chemicals and techniques that destroy soil health, regenerative agriculture rebuilds soil health over time. The impact on the environment couldn’t be more different – factory farming is well understood to be one of the biggest contributors to climate change, whereas regenerative agriculture is one of our greatest tools in our fight to reverse it.

Factory farming is well understood to be one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Regenerative agriculture is one of our greatest tools in our fight to reverse it. {{Charlie Iscoe, Co-Founder of Sunday Farms}}

Similarly, factory farming gives no consideration to animal welfare. Animals are often packed indoors in inhumane conditions (often in cages), where they are prone to stress and disease. They are commonly pumped full of growth hormones (to unnaturally expedite growth) and antibiotics (to prevent outbreaks) in order to maximize yields and profits.

In contrast, regenerative farms raise animals outdoors in their natural environments and allow the animals to live out their natural tendencies. For example, cattle graze freely on grass (their natural diet), chickens peck and scratch for bugs, and pigs root around and wallow in mud (their favorite activities!). Animals grow at their natural pace without growth hormones, and the natural environments are less stressful and far less prone to disease. This process is typically only done on small-scale farms and requires a longer period (and more expense) to raise animals vs. conventional livestock.

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): What do you think the future holds for the livestock industry, and how is Sunday Farms hoping to change the narrative?

Charlie (Sunday Farms): I think some of the trends you’re currently seeing will continue and new ones will emerge. For example, I think the trend of declining consumption of factory-farmed meat will continue. A number of consumer surveys clearly illustrate why this is happening – consumers are increasingly concerned about (i) the negative impacts of factory-farmed meat on their own health; and (ii) the destructive impact of factory farming on the environment.

What we’re hoping to do at Sunday Farms is help people understand that there is a far better way to enjoy meat. Giving up meat and instead turning to the countless faux-meat options to save your health and the planet is misguided. Many of those faux-meat brands simply use GMO-soy (which kills soil health), tons of chemicals, and a lot of energy to manufacture their products – none of which are improving your health or healing our soils.

Instead, we want people to understand that pasture-raised meat from regenerative farms helps solve the two pain points consumers have with factory-farmed meat. For all the reasons mentioned, pasture-raised meat is a critical component to improving soil health and helping fight climate change. It’s also significantly healthier for you than factory-farmed meat (and GMO + chemical-loaded faux-meat!). On that point, we’ve actually had our meat lab-tested vs. store-bought meat and the results speak for themselves.

As if that wasn’t enough, pasture-raised meat tastes better too! Similar to how wine adopts the qualities of its grapes and the soil they’re grown in, pasture-raised meat is more complex with deeper flavors that carry the characteristics from the land the animals graze on. Once you try it, it’s hard to go back!

Jeff (Mammoth Climate): If there was one message that you wanted to convey to consumers, what would that be?

Charlie (Sunday Farms): Like almost everything in life, not everything is black and white.

Conventional wisdom today seems to suggest that “all meat is bad”, but the truth is there are plenty of people making positive change in an otherwise brutal industry. It’s true, at least 90% of the meat our society consumes is ruining our health and the environment. That’s why at Sunday Farms we work exclusively with small-scale regenerative farms that care deeply about animal welfare. We’re here to help create a better food system – a system that benefits individuals with more nutritious food; a system that supports local communities by supporting small-scale farms with integrity; and a system that helps heal our environment with the support of regenerative agriculture. It’s truly a win-win-win!

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