Applying Regen Ag to Your Home and Garden

You've probably heard the term "Regenerative Agriculture" popping up lately. It sounds cool, but what does it really mean, and how can this benefit your own growing?

At its heart, Regen Ag is a way of farming that works with nature's forces to revitalize soil, heal landscapes, and create vibrant living ecosystems without the use of industrial methods like pesticides and monocropping. This is the opposite of conventional industrial farming (Big Ag). Instead of relying heavily on artificial chemicals and tilling that can weaken the soil, regenerative methods focus on building up organic matter, encouraging a rich web of microbial life, and creating a farm or garden that's more resilient and self-sufficient. 

The 5 Core Tenets of Regenerative Agriculture

1. Minimizing soil disturbance through no-till practices preserves soil structure and fungal networks, enhancing water retention and carbon storage.

2. Keeping soil covered with plants or mulch prevents erosion, conserves moisture, and provides consistent organic matter for soil biology.

3. Increasing biodiversity via crop rotations and livestock integration fosters resilient ecosystems that naturally suppress pests and diseases.

4. Maintaining living roots by planting crops year-round feeds soil microbes through root exudates, continuously building soil organic matter. This is similar to keeping soil covered, but the main goal here is to focus on the health of roots and the ecosystems they create.

5. Integrating managed livestock grazing mimics natural cycles, stimulating plant growth and cycling nutrients back into the land. This is another great reason to choose Pasture Raised products like cheeses or meats from animals who graze large landscapes. The animals are happier, the products are tastier, and the land benefits over time.

Ultimately, these five practices work in concert to "regenerate" depleted soils, helping them to become resilient living ecosystems teeming with life.

Applying Regenerative Principles to Your Home Garden and Indoor Plants

So how does all this apply to your home garden? While the size and scale of growing is different, the core principles remain the same. Let's bring those same powerful ideas right into your home: to your backyard, patio containers, and even your indoor houseplants.

1. Minimize Soil Disturbance
Avoid tilling or frequently repotting. Soil is a living ecosystem — breaking it up harms microbial and fungal networks that take time to grow and mature.
- Outdoors: Gently aerate with a broadfork; top-dress with compost instead of tilling.
- Indoors: Refresh pots with compost or vermicompost on top; avoid unnecessary repotting. Don't throw away that good soil each year, amend it!

2. Keep Soil Covered
Bare soil erodes and dries quickly. Mulch protects and feeds the underground world.
- Outdoors: Apply 2–3 inches of straw, leaves, or wood chips to garden beds.
- Indoors: Use a thin layer of coco coir, pebbles, or leaf litter to retain moisture and reduce soil exposure.

3. Increase Biodiversity
Diversity above ground supports balance and health below ground.
- Outdoors: Mix flowers, herbs, and vegetables; include native plants to support pollinators.
- Indoors: Try "companion potting" by grouping plants with similar light and water needs in the same container, such as combining a snake plant with a ZZ plant, or pairing ferns with peace lilies, to create a thriving mini-ecosystem.

4. Maintain Living Roots
Continuous root presence sustains soil life and prevents nutrient loss.
- Outdoors: Sow cover crops like clover in empty beds during the off season.
- Indoors: Keep fast-growing ground cover plants (e.g., creeping thyme) in larger pots, or use living mulch like moss.

5. Integrate Nutrient Cyclers
Return organic matter to the soil to complete the cycle of life.
- Outdoors: Use chickens or goats to fertilize and aerate; compost kitchen and yard waste.
- Indoors: Add worm castings or animal manure to potted plants every season or at least once a year if you can. Your houseplants will love the extra nutrients and you'll see a noticeable boost in their vitality.

Even in the off season we can learn more about what makes plants happy and healthy. If you're only growing indoors right now, take time to experiment with some of these Regenerative principles. And have fun doing it!