We want the highest well-being for each and everyone of us and strive to keep what we offer at the Hub a reflection of this. So, for example, we sprout our nuts and seeds and prioritize using organically produced ingredients. We offer supplements, wellness products and foods that we believe enhance individual as well as the earth's well-being such as raw grass-fed butter, sustainably produced A2A2 dairy and regeneratively raised meats (Lonely Lane Farms meats). We value regenerative, permaculture, organic and biodynamic farming practices. What is organic agriculture exactly? What is regenerative agriculture? What is permaculture? What exactly is sustainable agriculture?
What is organic agriculture?
There are many explanations and definitions for organic agriculture but all converge to state that it is a system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs. It is a system that begins to consider potential environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of synthetic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, additives and irradiation. These are replaced with site-specific management practices that maintain and increase long-term soil fertility and prevent pest and diseases.
"Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfil any specific function within the system." (FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999).
Organic agriculture systems and products are not always certified and are referred to as "non-certified organic agriculture or products". This excludes agriculture systems that do not use synthetic inputs by default (e.g. systems that lack soil building practices and degrade land). Three different driving forces can be identified for organic agriculture:
Consumer or market-driven organic agriculture. Products are clearly identified through certification and labelling. Consumers take a conscious decision on how their food is produced, processed, handled and marketed. The consumer therefore has a strong influence over organic production.
Service-driven organic agriculture. In countries such as in the European Union (EU), subsidies for organic agriculture are available to generate environmental goods and services, such as reducing groundwater pollution or creating a more biologically diverse landscape.
Farmer-driven organic agriculture. Some farmers believe that conventional agriculture is unsustainable and have developed alternative modes of production to improve their family health, farm economies and/or self-reliance. In many developing countries, organic agriculture is adopted as a method to improve household food security or to achieve a reduction of input costs. Produce is not necessarily sold on the market or is sold without a price distinction as it is not certified. In developed countries, small farmers are increasingly developing direct channels to deliver non-certified organic produce to consumers. In the United States of America (USA), farmers marketing small quantities of organic products are formally exempt from certification
Regenerative agriculture (RA) is an outcome-based food production system that nurtures and restores soil health, protects the climate and water resources and biodiversity, and enhances farms' productivity and profitability. It comprises a range of techniques, supported by innovative technologies, which can combat the challenges cause by climate change by restoring the health of soil and protecting the land’s ecosystem. Regenerative agriculture is an evolution of conventional agriculture, reducing the use of water and other inputs, and preventing land degradation and deforestation. It protects and improves soil, biodiversity, climate resilience and water resources while making farming more productive and profitable. Goals of regenerative agriculture
Produce enough nutritious food for the world’s population
Help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Restore threatened biodiversity and enhance natural habitats
Prevent further deforestation and grassland conversion by increasing productivity on existing farmland
Enhance farmer livelihoods.
What are the principles and practices behind regenerative agriculture? The agricultural sector needs to transform, and regenerative agriculture can enable this transition through building up soil organic matter and nurturing its health. But it is not a one-size-fits-all solution – instead, each unique context requires a different set of farming approaches to maximize productivity while restoring soils and biodiversity. Different regenerative practices suit different regions or even individual farms depending on the conditions, although they are underlain by a common set of principles.
Minimize soil disturbance
Principle: Minimizing soil disturbance benefits the soil and the climate
Practice: No-till or reduced-till techniques
When soil is plowed or tilled, it’s structure is damaged, leaving it vulnerable to wind and water erosion and microbial decomposition. Tilling lessens the soil’s ability to retain water, devastating crops during increasingly frequent droughts. Farmers practicing regenerative agriculture greatly reduce or stop tillage and instead plant seeds directly into the residue of the previous crop. With this, the soil contains more organic matter and is less prone to being blown away by wind or washed away by water. Plants in the ground year round
Soil health improves when crops are kept in the ground year-round. Regenerative agriculture farmers plant a different crop immediately after harvest, often alternating cash crops and cover crops. This green cover shades the soil and the roots dig into it, increasing moisture. Diversify crops in time and space
Principle: Diversifying crops in space and time supports resilience, productivity, and diversity
Practices: Crop rotation, interseeding, relay planting and biodiversity strips or agroforestry
Planting the same crops on the same fields, year after year, strips soil of nutrients and allows pests and weeds to flourish. In regenerative agriculture, farmers rotate different types of crops over time. This helps limit pest infestations and nourishes beneficial microbes in the soil with a more diverse diet. Rotating between nitrogen-fixing crops like soybeans and nitrogen-hungry crops like corn can reduce the need for fertilizers.
Interseeding is when cover crops are planted between commercial crop rows
Relay planting means inserting the seeds of the next crop even as the first one is still growing
Biodiversity strips at the margins of fields or trees and shrubs around the boundaries of farmland (agroforestry) create habitats for pollinators and other beneficial wildlife.
Optimize application of biological and chemical inputs
Principle: Reducing biological and chemical inputs
Practice: Precision agriculture
Data-driven precision farming is a key part of regenerative agriculture. Farmers use digital tools, like soil-scanning sensors, to create detailed field maps and tailor applications of crop protection products and fertilizers. This leads to using only the optimal amount and the right type of product needed for a productive crop. Integrate livestock when possible
Principle: Livestock can help create a virtuous circle of soil health
Practice: Managed grazing
Livestock – cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs – are walking bioreactors, transforming plant material into rich organic matter through manure production. Whenever it is practical to integrate livestock into crop production, there are a range of benefits including increased fertility and improved soil structure. Grazing cover crops or crop residue at the end of the season helps prepare the land for the next round of seeding, without tilling. https://www.syngentagroup.com/en/regenerative-agriculture
What Is Permaculture?
Permaculture is an approach to agricultural design that focuses on whole systems thinking, as well as using or simulating patterns from nature. The term originated from David Holmgren in 1978, but the practices of permaculture date back much further. Permaculture has 3 core tenants:
Care for the earth. In other words, help all life systems continue to exist and multiply. Because if we don’t have a healthy planet, humans can’t exist at all.
Care for the people. Allow people to access resources they need to survive.
Fair share. You should only take what you need, and reinvest any surplus. Any extra can go forward to helping fulfill the two other core tenants. This includes returning waste products back into the system so it can be made useful again.
Conventional agriculture tends to work against nature, instead of with it. We tear up whatever natural ecosystem was on the land before, and turn it into a blank slate that we can plant crops or raise livestock on. But there’s another way. By using principles of permaculture, you’re working with nature, instead of against it. That means that you can let nature do most of the work for you.
The 12 Principles of Permaculture
David Holmgren’s original ideas regarding permaculture can be broken down into twelve design principles. 1. Observe and Interact Take time to observe nature before making any decisions or changes. Often just by observing, we can get a lot of insight into how to design our farm or garden to suit what’s already there. 2. Catch and Store Energy In nature, resources tend to come in peak periods. We get a lot of sunlight in the summer, but much less in the winter. In some places there are rainy seasons some of the time, and droughts other parts of the time. Permaculture is big on capturing resources like rainwater or solar electricity so they can be used later as needed. 3. Obtain a Yield Make sure you’re being rewarded for the work that you’re putting in. After all, you probably aren’t farming just for a hobby. You want to get food, an income, or something else in return. You can’t work on an empty stomach. 4. Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback Hold yourself accountable, and also be open to suggestions and critiques from others. If there is something you’re doing that’s inappropriate for your situation, you want to know about it, so your systems can function well. 5. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services Nature has an abundance of renewable resources that we can make use of. We should prioritize those, and try to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources. 6. Produce No Waste Being “zero waste” is a big trend right now, but really it all started with permaculture. If we value all of the resources that we have available and use a bit of ingenuity, we can make sure that nothing goes to waste. 7. Design From Patterns to Details Take a look at nature and society. You can usually observe patterns in things like how beehives are organized, the design on a snail shell, or other things to give inspiration for your designs. You can borrow from these designs and add some details and flair of your own. 8. Integrate Rather Than Segregate Permaculture is all about having things support each other and work together, instead of having everything exist as an island unto itself. By pairing different plants, livestock, and other objects together correctly, we can take advantage of relationships they can have with each other. 9. Use Small and Slow Solutions Permaculture isn’t about making big changes overnight. Making gradual changes and working with slow systems makes them much easier to maintain. Plus they tend to have a more sustainable outcome. When it comes to permaculture, slow and steady wins the race. 10. Use and Value Diversity Where conventional farming is all about monoculture and many farmers traditionally only grow one or two crops, permaculture is big on diversity. A diverse system is much less vulnerable to threats like pests, diseases, and other problems than a homogeneous one. Don’t put your eggs all in one basket. 11. Use Edges and Value The Marginal Where two different things meet is usually where the most interesting stuff happens. It’s usually the most productive and diverse part of the whole system. 12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change Change is inevitable. By making careful observations and then stepping in at the right time, we can make a positive outcome based on changes instead of negative ones. https://grocycle.com/permaculture-farming/
What exactly is sustainable agriculture?
It is farming that meets the needs of existing and future generations, while also ensuring profitability, environmental health and social and economic equity. It favours techniques that emulate nature–to preserve soil fertility, prevent water pollution and protect biodiversity. It is also a way to support the achievement of global objectives, like the Sustainable Development Goals and Zero Hunger. Does sustainable agriculture really make a difference to the environment? Yes. It uses up to 56 per cent less energy per unit of crops produced, creates 64 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions per hectare and supports greater levels of biodiversity than conventional farming. Why does sustainably produced food seem more expensive? It may be more costly because it is more labour-intensive. It is often certified in a way that requires it to be separated from conventional foods during processing and transport. The costs associated with marketing and distribution of relatively small volumes of product are often comparatively high. And, sometimes, the supply of certain sustainably produced foods is limited. Why are some foods so much more affordable–even when they require processing and packaging? The heavy use of chemicals, medicines and genetic modification allows some foods to be produced cheaply and in reliably high volumes, so the retail price tag may be lower. But this is deceiving because it does not reflect the costs of environmental damage or the price of healthcare that is required to treat diet-related diseases. Ultra-processed foods are often high in energy and low in nutrients and may contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer. This is particularly concerning amid the COVID-19 pandemic; the disease is especially risky for those with pre-existing health problems. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/beginners-guide-sustainable-farming