December 2022 - 18

Thoughts on regenerative agriculture
By William J. Lamont Jr.
Professor emeritus of vegetable crops,
Penn State University
Over the years regenerative agriculture
has been defined in many ways, and its
definition continues to evolve with time,
practices and research. The concept of
regenerative farming is not new and is
indeed centuries old.
In talking with growers and leaders
in the field of regenerative agriculture,
I find that there
are many types
of regenerative
farms, but they
all seem to
follow some
basic principles.
They first seek
to minimize the
disturbance of the
soil. They seek to
focus on keeping
the soil covered
with vegetation and natural materials
through mulching, cover crops and
pastures. Regenerative agriculture
farmers seek to increase plant diversity.
This is an essential component in
building healthy soils that retain excess
water and nutrients and is beneficial to
wildlife and pollinators. The farmers try
to keep living roots in the soil as much
BOB
JONES JR.
as possible to ensure that fields are
never bare.
This can be accomplished by farming
practices such as planting winter/
summer cover crops or having land
in permanent pasture. Keeping living
roots in the soil helps stabilize the soil,
thus retaining excess water and nutrient
runoff. A final goal is to integrate animals
into the farm as much as possible
which may or may not be feasible in
many operations. Manure produced by
livestock can add valuable nutrients to
the soil, reducing the need for fertilizers,
and increasing soil organic matter.
Healthy soils capture large amounts of
carbon and water and reduce the amount
of pollution.
So why is regenerative agriculture
important today?
Multiple studies have analyzed nutrient
data over the past 70 years and have found
a startling decline in the vitamin and
mineral content in fruits and vegetables. By
looking at data from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, one study concluded that
since the 1950s there has been a decline
in the amount of protein, calcium,
phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin
B2) and vitamin C in 43 varieties of
vegetables and fruits! The study's author,
Dr. Donald Davis, estimates that this is a
direct result of two factors:
* Breeding crops for parameters such as
size, growth rates and pest resistance,
and not being concerned with
nutrition and flavor; and
* The depletion of minerals in the soils
that most of our fruits and vegetables
are grown in.
Steve Groff, author of the popular book
" The Future-Proof Farm, " is considered
one of regenerative agriculture's original
innovators and a spokesman for the
system around the country and beyond.
He has certainly embraced the value of
regenerative agriculture and husbandry of
the soil using the principles outlined above.
He has taken it a step beyond just saying
that his soil is healthier, and is seeking to
prove it is more nutrient-dense and thus
healthier for the consumer. " Nutrient
density " is a general term encompassing
many components, from minerals to
vitamins to organic compounds.
The problem as Groff sees it is that
current measurement methods are labJoin
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based, expensive and time-consuming,
and measure a single or a small number
of nutrients. In a recent conversation,
Groff told me that he is continuing
to work with the Bionutrient Food
Association to produce a device capable
of measuring nutrient levels in produce
just by scanning fruits and vegetables
with an instrument or maybe via a
smartphone. He also prefers " nutrient
richness " instead of " nutrient density. "
Groff envisions a fast, inexpensive, fieldbased
device - the Bionutrient Meter - to
measure a broad range of nutrients of
interest in crops.
Another big proponent of regenerative
agriculture is Bob Jones Jr., who with his
brother and family run Farmer Jones Farm
at The Chef's Garden, in Northern Ohio.
The family has been involved in agriculture
for six generations, focusing on vegetable
production for more than 40 years with
four generations of the Jones family
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December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2022