regenerative agriculture

[ ri-jen-er-uh-tiv] [ ag-ri-kuhl-cher ]

noun

1. describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

  • It's All About Soil Health!
  • No-Till or Reduced Tillage
  • Perennial Crops
  • Biodiversity
  • Soil Cover/Mulching
  • Agroforestry
  • Organic Fertility/Composting
  • Holistic Managed Grazing
  • Water Management
  • Ecological Urban Planning
  • Social and Economic Justice

Permaculture Is....

  • a form of regenerative agriculture that is a design system based on mimicking nature. It applies closed-loop, holistic solutions to urban and rural frameworks at any scale.
  •  the combination of the words “Permanent Agriculture” and/or “Permanent Culture”which is the name coined in the ’70s by founder Bill Mollison.
  • earth care, people care and fair share which all fall under one overarching principle called future care. 
  • a system which uses gardens called Food Forests that are comprised of 7 layers (up to 9 layers as it can include fungi and grasses) 

permacultureprinciples.com – Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 AU

The Layers of a Food Forest

| The multi-strata (layered) system of an edible forest garden (illustration by Daniel Larsson).
Water Harvesting

Water Harvesting

  • Swales (trenches on contour) are used to retain water within the permaculture system
  • Rainwater tanks are installed to harvest run-off from roofs
  • ponds and dams
  • Simple underground reservoirs of up to 40,000 litres to capture runoff
  • ferrocement tanks

8 principles that drive refarmers projects

1. We integrate indigenous knowledge in our work.

2. We alleviate poverty and help generate purposeful livelihoods.

3. We provide education that equips people with the tools they need to produce real change.

4. We advocate that food and nutrition security is a human right and our projects assert that right.

5. We honour partnerships and believe that solid change only comes when we work together.

6. We grow regenerative systems.

7. We celebrate water by collecting, storing, cleaning and conserving it.

8. We achieve gender equity using teamwork, open communication, transparency and actively seeking out gender balance.

Partners/Community