PLENTY Spring 2020 Plenty Spring 2020-WEB | Page 28

turkeys, corn, wheat, vegetable gardens and several
of healthy ecosystems, chemically in balance and
thriving apple and peach orchards, along with a black-
physically able to infiltrate and hold water, withstand-
smith’s shop, carriage house, barns, poultry houses,
ing wet and dry years alike without damage. Many of
spring houses, kitchen houses, corncribs, and several
the principles he espoused during the short 18 years
quarters, home to the enslaved people who worked
he owned this farm—rotation and diversity of crops,
the land. Peter, the first president of the Maryland Ag-
green manures, incorporating animals—are echoed in
riculture Society, was learning from the Quaker farm-
the principles of soil health promoted by the regen-
ers of Maryland and Pennsylvania
erative movement.
(and possibly from the ancestral
As farmer who has called myself
Today, I realize that
knowledge of his own enslaved
“organic” and “sustainable” for the
gardeners and farmers) about
last 20 years, I first heard the term
these soils have even
innovative ways of caring for the
“regenerative” with deep
health of his soil, including green
annoyance. What was this new
more potential: to use
manures, crop rotations, and the
holier-than-thou label with a
the
photosynthetic
power
diversification of crops in what
vague definition and preachy
was then termed “scientific farm-
proponents? Why did we need a
of these plants to draw
ing.” Peter, along with other local
new way to think about how we
down atmospheric
farmers, was also a huge propo-
wanted to farm?
nent of fertilizing with imported
Over the past year or two, I
carbon and store it,
Peruvian seabird guano, despite
have come to appreciate the term
mitigating and possibly
the abundant and diverse manure
“regenerative” as deeply meaningful
his own farm produced.
and wildly inclusive—a tiny mar-
even reversing agricul-
Peter’s scientific interest in
ket garden or a large-scale grain
ture’s carbon emissions.
rebuilding his soil after genera-
farm can each be regenerative; a
tions of less thoughtful manage-
dairy farmer in Vermont or (yes) an
ment is reflected today in the
almond farmer in California can be
ideas of regenerative agriculture: rebuilding our soil
regenerative; a farm that produces beef or walnuts (or
from where it is today to a state that may be even bet-
beef AND walnuts) can be regenerative. The principles
ter than it was in Peter’s day, filled with active biology,
are simple and intuitive, and were as well known in
producing a diversity of thriving crops in a variety
John P.C. Peter’s day as they are now. The practices
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