Groundswell: A festival for regenerative agriculture

Fantastic day at Groundswell learning about regenerative agriculture.

My first thoughts were just how big it was. I didn't know too much about “regen”, so I went there to learn the basics and decide for myself if it was a fad, or if it will be part of the new wave of agricultural practice. Judging by the passion and knowledge shown by the thousands of people there, I can safely say it's here to stay!

Anne Biklė defined regenerative as "Renewal or restoration of a body, bodily part or biological system after injury as part of a normal process". The context being that since WWII agriculture has focused on maximising yields in linear systems, but in the process has caused an over-reliance on chemicals, rather than nurturing the biology of our soils.

Fly2Feed founder David Tavernor at Groundswell Farm - the festival for regenerative agriculture

Joel Williams dug deeper (excuse the pun) and identified the 3 principles of RA:

👨‍🌾 Zero tillage and soil disturbance

👩‍🌾 Permanent soil cover (crop residue and living roots)

🌾 Plant diversity (rotations and intercropping)

Overall, the event has opened my eyes to the world of regen ag and what it means. If we can make this method of farming profitable, then we can continue to produce food but not at the detriment of the environment and planet.