AGRICULTURE the atmosphere . The program is primarily funded by the state ’ s California Climate Investments and received more than $ 50 million in funding from 2016 to 2019 .
Soil Born Farm ’ s Youth Garden introduces thousands of visitors each year to practices such as no till , the use of cover crops and planting habitat for wildlife , which help control agricultural pests , and integrating animals such as chickens into the management of a regenerative agriculture farm .
works for me , and try to incorporate those ideas I ’ ve learned gradually because it doesn ’ t help me to fail at a large scale and ( have ) the business go under .”
But incremental changes can drive economics . While Harrison says what a farm does from a practice standpoint has to justify the action from a financial perspective , building the soil ’ s biology , adding organic matter and disturbing the soil as little as possible can exponentially increase a plant ’ s photosynthetic capacity .
“ That ’ s pure solar energy ,” he says . “ We ’ re creating better conditions for that plant to thrive , and then it ’ s gonna produce more heads of broccoli , more pounds of tomatoes per plant , and that ’ s more money in our pocket without adding anything additional in terms of an outside input that ’ s going to cost us money .”
But a sweeping transition to regenerative agriculture will require more science-based research and resources that support farmers such as education and financial incentives . Those efforts are gaining momentum .
Sara Tiffany , director of ecological farming at Community Alliance with Family Farmers , completed a four-year study in 2020 among small-scale farms that practice no-till and other regenerative agriculture methods . Rigorous data on soil health was collected , and farmers ’ experiences were documented throughout the project to evaluate the implementation of biointensive no-till practices . Tillage is a heavily ingrained agricultural practice that loosens the soil , making it easier to work , and is a primary method of controlling weeds . But dragging blades through the soil destroys microbial communities and soil structure , releases sequestered carbon , and makes soil vulnerable to erosion .
Analysis of the data will help inform how effective practices are , says Tiffany , and will help tell the comprehensive story that complements a farmer ’ s experience . That ’ s important because the same practices implemented at different farms can have different outcomes based on variables such as climate , soil type , irrigation and farming methods .
California ’ s Department of Food and Agriculture sponsors the Healthy Soils Program that provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who implement regenerative practices that improve soil health and sequester carbon , which reduces greenhouse gases in
Improving the bottom line too
While carbon sequestration is only one of the benefits of regenerative agriculture , the topic receives much of the attention for its role in addressing human-made climate change by removing carbon — a greenhouse gas — from the atmosphere and trapping it in the soil . According to an article published by the Earth Institute at Columbia University , soil contains more than three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and more than four times the amount of carbon in plants and animals . With improved agricultural practices , soil has the capacity to trap the amount of carbon produced by global transportation each year . That matters because reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is how to keep the Earth from warming to a point when fundamental processes of life begin to break down .
“ If we ’ re really , really concerned about carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases , it ’ s not going to be solved by small farms producing local produce ,” says Runsten . “ If we want to make a difference , we need to address the land in ( large-scale production ) crops and work with almond growers , walnut growers and wine grape growers .”
Of more than 9 million irrigated acres of agriculture in California , Runsten says over 2 million are nuts and more than half a million are grapes . And while he believes those industries are interested , more financial incentives are needed .
For example , Runsten says it can be difficult for some almond growers to see the value in devoting acreage to hedgerows that provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators when they could use that acreage to grow more almonds . But almond production is dependent on bees , and Runsten says beekeepers are giving growers discounts to plant and maintain habitat for the bees , “ so sud-
52 comstocksmag . com | May 2021