How It Works
How can we fix the soil? What is regeneration? This page explains the challenges of soil degradation, the importance of soil health, and the principles guiding our practices at Kabu Homestead.
The Problem: Degraded Soil
Our soils are in crisis. We often think of soil as just where food comes from, but it's so much more. Soil provides vital ecosystem services, like water filtration and climate regulation. Soil also supports biodiversity, especially insects which are a vital link in the food chain. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately 33% of the world's soils are already degraded, and over 90% could become degraded by 2050. The causes are complex, but a major culprit is poor soil management stemming from conventional agricultural practices. Intensive tilling, overuse of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and monoculture cropping deplete the soil's organic matter, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss. In addition, these destructive practices release the vast amounts of carbon stored within the soil, contributing significantly to climate change. Soil degradation's consequences ripple outwards, devastating ecosystems. Agricultural runoff contaminates rivers and oceans, creating lifeless dead zones. Declining farmland fertility fuels deforestation as we clear more land for production. Eroded soils, unable to absorb water, exacerbate flooding and make it hard for underground aquifers to recharge. This degradation weakens our ecosystems, reduces agricultural productivity, and threatens the delicate balance of our planet.​
The good news is that solutions exist. Farmers and communities around the world are rediscovering time-tested practices and innovating new ways of growing food. They are actively participating in the food system transformation by embracing sustainable methods like (in no particular order):
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organic farming
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permaculture
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natural farming
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agroecology
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biodynamic farming
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syntropic farming
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regenerative agriculture
These diverse approaches share a common thread: a commitment to building healthy soil, protecting biodiversity, and creating a more sustainable food future.
Soil Health
Soil health refers to the soil's ability to support a diverse and thriving biological community, which in turn ensures the soil's capacity to function optimally. One of the functions of healthy soil is nutrient cycling. Let's take a closer look: Imagine sunlight hitting a plant leaf. Here, light energy is converted into chemical energy, a simple sugar called glucose. This glucose is a building block for plant growth, but a portion is shared and released through the root tips, nourishing a bustling community of bacteria and fungi. Nothing is for free, however. The microbes diligently gather essential nutrients, exchanging them for the plant's sugary offering. Fungi, in particular, weave intricate mycelial networks, transporting water and nutrients throughout this underground universe. The bacteria become a food source for larger microbes, which are then consumed by nematodes (microscopic roundworms) and microarthropods (tiny insects). This dynamic food web ascends through the ranks to earthworms and insects, and eventually to birds and small animals. These creatures leave behind their animal droppings, a treasure trove of nutrients. This "waste" is a feast for other soil dwellers, who break it down further, liberating the nutrients for plants to absorb. The plants utilize these nutrients for growth and are consumed by grazing animals or return to the earth after releasing their seeds at the end of their life cycle. This nutrient cycling affirms the importance of biology for healthy soil. In this self-sustaining ecosystem, life is intricately connected, fostering vitality and abundance. We too are connected to the soil, and its good health ensures that it will sustain us for generations to come.
The Six Principles of Regenerative Agriculture
By embracing these principles, farmers become stewards of the land, playing a vital role in restoring soil health, protecting our environment, and building a more sustainable food system for future generations.
1. Minimize Soil Disturbance
Reducing or eliminating tillage protects soil structure, preserves organic matter, and supports beneficial soil organisms.
2. Maintain Soil Cover
Keeping the soil covered with plants or mulch protects it from erosion, regulates soil temperature, and provides habitat for soil life.
3. Keep Living Roots in the Soil
Maintaining living roots in the soil year-round provides a continuous source of food for soil microbes, enhances nutrient cycling, and improves soil structure.
4. Diversify Plant Species
Growing a variety of crops or incorporating cover crops increases biodiversity, improves nutrient cycling, and enhances ecosystem resilience.
5. Integrate Livestock (where appropriate)
Managed grazing can stimulate plant growth, enhance nutrient cycling, and improve soil health (this principle is context-dependent and may not be applicable to all systems).
6. Context
This overarching principle recognizes that regenerative practices must be adapted to specific environmental conditions, climate, soil types, and local contexts. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Successful regenerative agriculture requires careful observation, experimentation, and a deep understanding of the local ecosystem.​
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Source: Understanding Ag website
Soil Health Check Up
Soil health can be assessed many ways—from counting earthworms to examining root sheaths (soil that clings to roots), which reveal the vital connection between plants and microbes. You can even learn a lot by observing the weeds and insects in your garden. Let's take a closer look at two of the methods we use:
1. The Microscope
A microscope allows us to see the tiny world of soil life, particularly beneficial microorganisms like fungal hyphae. These thread-like structures play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and building healthy soil structure. A thriving microbial community signals biologically active soil that supports plant life.
2. The Light Refractometer (BRIX Test)
The BRIX test measures the glucose content in plant sap using a light refractometer. This simple test reveals how efficiently a plant is photosynthesizing—converting sunlight into energy. A higher BRIX reading means the plant is producing more sugars and nutrients, indicating strong plant health and, by extension, healthy soil.​​
Light Refractometer
Resources
Thought Leaders
Dr. Elaine Ingham Soil Food Web School
Gabe Brown TED Talk 2024
John Kempf
Dr. Christine Jones
Dr. David Johnson and Hui-Chun Su Johnson
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Resources​
Kiss the Ground Non-profit promoting regeneration and soil health. They produced a film titled, "Kiss the Ground" (2020)
Permaculture Research Institute
Acres USA
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YouTube Channels & Podcasts
Regenerative Gardening with Blossom & Branch Farm
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast with John Kempf
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Book
Building Soils for Better Crops (2021) by Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es - Available as a free PDF download from the SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) website.
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Examples of Regenerative Agriculture
​Apricot Lane Farm​​