Regenerative farming, also referred to as regenerative agriculture, is one of the most talked-about terms across farming right now — and for good reason. At its core, regenerative farming is a combination of different agricultural techniques — such as rotational grazing, land restoration, and cover cropping — that seek to increase biodiversity, enrich soil, restore wetlands, and leave the land better than it was found. This approach is gaining momentum right now, but it’s not new. It’s based on how humans were farming for generations before conventional farming became the norm, and it’s the standard that our family farms at Atkins Ranch is built on.

Thousands of Years of Farming in Harmony With Nature

While the term “regenerative agriculture” is new, the practices that define it are already embedded in the way people have farmed for generations. Indigenous peoples, for example, practiced regenerative farming methods for thousands of years. In North America, many Native American tribes sustained themselves on three vital crops: squash, maize, and beans. These crops are often referred to as the “Three Sisters” and were typically planted together — a regenerative practice known as “intercropping” — so that each crop supported the other. This technique helped to fix nitrogen, retain moisture, and deter weeds naturally.

In the Roman Empire, legume cover crops were grown in vineyards and grain fields to increase soil fertility, suppress weeds, and prevent erosion. Ancient China created the rice-fish system, which integrated rice agriculture and aquaculture. This system raised fish alongside rice, with the fish acting as a natural pest-control system by eating insects and their subsequent waste fertilizing the soil to increase rice production. While sources believe this system began in Ancient China as early as the Han Dynasty, it was adopted in other Asian countries as well.

How Industrial Farming Changed Everything

The mid-20th century saw a defining shift in agriculture known as the Green Revolution, which was driven by an international effort to address global food shortages. It was led by agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and was funded heavily by both the Ford and Rockefeller foundations. This shift introduced high-yield crop varieties, synthetic fertilizers, and industrial farming methods on a massive scale beginning in the 1940s in Mexico before reaching the rest of the developed world and is reported to have saved millions from starvation.

While the Green Revolution succeeded in its initial goal — putting an end to global food shortages and saving millions of lives — it came at an unanticipated cost. The widespread use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides disrupted local ecosystems, contributed to land and soil degradation, and led to a dramatic loss of biodiversity as traditional farming practices were abandoned in favor of industrial ones.

By the 1980s, the consequences of this shift were becoming increasingly apparent. One of the earliest advocates for regenerative agriculture was J.I. Rodale, who founded The Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania. The institute pioneered the regenerative agriculture movement through extensive scientific research on organic and regenerative methods, alongside educating and training farmers in these methods. His son, Robert Rodale, was the first to coin the term “regenerative organic agriculture” and popularized the ideas behind it that came to define regenerative farming practices most commonly used today.

Returning to What Has Always Worked

Regenerative farming is experiencing a powerful global resurgence. Now that we are living in the aftermath of intensive industrialized agriculture — which has led to water pollution, degraded topsoil, climate change, and reduced biodiversity — both farmers and scientists are looking to regenerative agriculture to rectify these negative impacts. Even consumers are showing a higher demand for regeneratively farmed products as the depletion of our ecosystems and farmlands becomes increasingly apparent.

At Atkins Ranch, we have always believed that the best farming is rooted in working with nature, not against it. Our farmers are dedicated to implementing regenerative farming practices across their farms that don’t just maintain the land but replenish it so it can thrive for generations to come. The history of regenerative farming is a long one, and we are proud to be part of its future.