You might have caught on that at YFC, we love food. Like, really love it!
Not just any old food though.
Food that’s grown with love and close to our front doors is the stuff that really floats our boat. That’s because along with food, we all love this crazy planet we get to ride around on, and food - particularly where and how it’s grown - has a massive impact on the planet.
Food....
- is grown on more than 50% of the world's habitable land;
- uses 70% of the world's freshwater;
- is responsible for 78% of eutrophication of our waterways. (Eutrophication is when our waterways start to die because of too many nutrients)
- is listed as a threat to over 85% of the world's species threatened with extinction, and
- accounts for 26% of our greenhouse gas emissions.
We’ve talked about the undisputable link between food and our future many times before, and that’s not gonna change anytime soon - it can’t.
When it comes to reversing a lot of these negative environmental trends and turning food into a driver of positive environmental change, regenerative farming is at the heart of making it happen. Have you heard of it?
Regenerative Farming 101
Ultimately, regenerative farming practices are all about healing top soils, increasing biodiversity and rejuvenating ecosystems damaged by two centuries of European farming practices. It’s the way to go if we want to keep eating the things we love while caring for the planet.
Farmers who use regenerative farming techniques may do some or all of the following:
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Conservation Tilling
This method aims to reduce erosion by protecting the soil surface and allowing water to infiltrate instead of run off
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Pasture-Cropping
Combining cropping and grazing into one land management system where each one benefits the other
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Crop Rotation
This practice involves planting different crops sequentially on the same piece of land to improve soil health, optimize nutrients in the soil, and combat pest and weed pressure
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Water Harvesting
This is simply the collection of water from surfaces on which rain falls - like roofs - then storing this water for later use
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Well-Managed Grazing
Organising livestock to make the best use of the pastures grown and/ or managing the frequency and intensity that livestock graze pasture
Climate Change
Regenerative farming is touted as a way to reduce and build resilience to climate change. That's due to its ability to sequester carbon and rebuild organic matter in soils while also increasing crop yields and boosting farm profitability. Quite simply we've all gotta get behind it!
Regenerative farming and you
If you want to be part of the ‘securing our future team’ (and we hope you do) we’d encourage you to continue to be curious. Learn what you can. Keep asking questions. Get to know your producers and the land around you. Some resources we love include Land to Market Australia and Charlie Arnott - take a peek and see what you think. In a nutshell:
- Favour foods farmed regeneratively
- Eat foods that are naturally in season
- Eat foods grown and made locally to you
Above all, trust that YES! We can make a positive impact on our food future and YES! Starting with what’s on your plate is perfect!
Regenerative farming and YFC
We are committed to supporting our producers to follow regenerative farming practices. Our sourcing policy dictates we only work with farmers and producers who operate with the highest standards of responsibility - to you and the planet.
