What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Bottom line, this means NO MORE TILLAGE of soil. High quality soil has distinct qualities: high levels of organic matter, water holding capacity, and beneficial soil organisms. Tilling the soil degrades soil structure and promotes erosion and kills the network of life in the soil.

In 2019, the original Farm Manager CJ Ames attended a no-till workshop at Singing Frogs Farm in California. After learning about, and seeing firsthand, the destruction that occurs with tillage, the decision was made - Matsuda Farm would become strictly no-till. There are trade-offs when using no-till practices. More labor hours are required to run the farm due to more hours spent weeding, prepping rows to direct seed or transplant, and more time dedicated to problem solving. We aren’t able to control weeds by tilling them into the soil. We aren’t able to break up the compacted soil with a tiller. We are willing to work harder if that means we are building better soil and growing food for our community in a responsible manner.

Mother Earth is very modest, never wanting to be bare. One of the best ways to protect our soil is by keeping it covered. You cannot build soil if it is being washed away by heavy rains or blown away in the dry summer winds.

In the dark, cold, and wet months in the PNW, we are limited in the diversity of food we are able to grow. In the sections of the farm where we aren’t actively growing food, we use cover crops and silage tarps to protect the soil. Cover crops are a great way to maintain soil structure, prevent erosion, and build nutrients in the soil. In the sections we aren’t using cover crops, we use silage tarps to keep the soil protected. When we are ready to plant the next crop we remove the tarp, spread a layer of compost, and plant into the rows.

After we have harvested a crop, we need to “flip the bed” and get it ready for either cover crops or the next rotation of produce. The quick and easy thing to do would be to pull the entire plant and root system out as one or use a tiller. These methods are contradictory to Regenerative Agriculture and soil building. Instead, we use garden loppers and cut the plant stalk just under the soil level, leaving the root system intact. This will help to maintain the soil structure and give the worms and microbes something to continue to feed on (and hopefully away from the newly planted, delicate roots of the next crop!) and continue to hold moisture in the soil. We do this with all of our larger crops and have seen amazing results with soil structure and pest management.

Biodiversity is important on a farm, not just above the ground, but below the soil as well. Every species of plants has different root systems. These root systems are what give our soil the structure and biodiversity it needs to retain moisture and nutrients.

Matsuda Farm is a mixed vegetable row crop farm. We grow produce for the local school district, food banks, and other underserved communities. We work with these partners to find out what foods are difficult to access, culturally relevant, and most needed by their customer base. Using this information and crop rotations, we strive to maintain as much biodiversity on the farm as possible. We also know that is not where our biodiversity should end though. The use of seasonal cover crops increases our biodiversity while helping to build soil and capture carbon.

Biodiversity is not only important IN the soil, but when managing natural wildlife habitat around the farm. Working together with the Vashon Garden Club we have a dedicated pollinator row. This row is planted with both annual and perennial plants that attract beneficial pollinators. We have seen over the years that this small section on the farm has increased our yields, with no need for additional amendments or fertilizers. We also work with King Conservation District to maintain the riparian area around our 3 million gallon irrigation pond that was started by Yonechi Matsuda in the mid 1950’s. Planting and maintaining a diverse population of native plants has increased not only the wildlife around the pond but the drainage and water-holding capacity of the pond as well.

The last pillar of regenerative agriculture deals with the many benefits of livestock on a farm. Using livestock to rotationally graze pastures has incredible benefits to the environment and soil. The animal’s manure will decompose on the field to put nutrients back into the soil. Grazing also adds value to the cover crops being used, because they are what the livestock are grazing on, creating a dual benefit.

Currently, we are not using livestock at the farm. We understand the importance of adding this pillar of regenerative agriculture and want to add it in a sustainable and responsible way. We are getting horse manure from a long-time supporter of the land trust. This manure helps build our compost system. We will continue to gather information and resources on the benefits and challenges of integrating livestock into the farm.