Building Organic Matter, Storing Carbon, Combating Drought [This article was previously published in the spring issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] by Kestrel Burcham, JD, Farm and Food Policy Analyst & Jennifer Hayden, Ph.D, Communications and Development Director at The Cornucopia Institute Source: USDA Many of the soils in the U.S. are depleted— unproductive, eroded, lacking microbial… Read more »
Search Results for: regenerative agriculture
Regenerative Agriculture and the Dawn of Planetary Engineering
Huffington Post J.S. McDougall Source: Nicolas Raymond Regenerative agriculture is the dawn of planetary engineering. And that’s great news for the future of the planet. Here’s how I know. We have five hay fields on our farm. They are the kind of rolling, green, and gorgeous fields that are typical across Vermont’s pastoral green mountains…. Read more »
How Regenerative Organic Agriculture Can Save the Planet
EcoWatch by John W. Roulac John W. Roulac [Editor’s note: This article is part two of a two-part series. Read part one.] We now know that 20-30 percent of manmade greenhouse gases in the atmosphere comes from industrial agriculture. Petrochemicals are for cars, not for the soil. By dumping ag chemicals onto our soils, we disrupt nature’s delicate… Read more »
Taking Back ‘Regenerative’

What Consumers Need To Know Regenerative is the new sustainable. It’s a word that’s simultaneously powerful and completely meaningless—a signifier of innovation employed by truly organic farmers and a ploy to deceive consumers concerned about agriculture’s ecological footprint. The Cornucopia Institute is particularly concerned with messaging on regenerative practices in agriculture and is committed to… Read more »
Regenerative Organic Certification is Coming Soon
Source: USDA, Flickr Despite recent news that studies show organic food is worse for the environment due to land-use concerns, real organic farming is based on regenerative principles. Researchers at the Rodale Institute have shown that if all farms and ranches used regenerative organic techniques (practices premised on supporting soil health), global carbon emissions could… Read more »
Biopesticides Show Promise for Modern Agriculture
Cornucopia’s Take: Medical cannabis use has brought more attention to the issue of pesticide residues. People with compromised health want to ensure they are not subjected to toxic residues on the plant, and some companies have stepped in to offer effective pesticides in the form of living microorganisms and natural chemicals. These biopesticides are often… Read more »
‘Regenerative Organic’ Label Coming Soon
Cornucopia’s Take: In response to the co-option of the word “sustainable” and the increasing threats to the integrity of the organic label, Rodale and a coalition of farmers, ranchers, nonprofits, scientists, and brands are creating an “add-on” certification. The ‘Regenerative Organic Certified’ label will go beyond the current organic standards to ensure that consumers have… Read more »
The Case for Soil in Organic Agriculture
Cornucopia’s Take: Organic soil-based farmer Dave Chapman of Long Wind Farm offers this update on keeping the soil in organic. Public comments to the USDA are due by 11:59PM (ET) this Thursday, March 30. The Battle for Soil in Organic Agriculture Long Wind Farm by Dave Chapman Dave Chapman testifies at the spring 2016 NOSB… Read more »
NOSB Oral Comments, Fall 2022
DAY 1: October 18, 2022 Jennifer Tucker: Gives introductory remarks; Nate Powell-Palm will be directing the comments as Board chair. Starts with a role-call of the NOSB. https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb/current-members Nate: Goes over PPM rules for public comment. Refrain from making any personal attacks or remarks that might impugn the character of any individual. Kiki Hubbard –… Read more »
NOSB Oral Comments, Spring 2022
Day 1: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 (12:00 PM ‐ 5:30 PM Eastern Time ET) NOSB Member Participants: Rick Greenwood, Jerry D’Amore, Kimberly Huseman, Mindee Jeffery, Nathan Powell-Palm, Wood Turner, Amy Bruch, Brian Caldwell, Carolyn Dimitri (delayed in joining), Logan Petrey, Kyla Smith, Liz Graznak, Allison, Johnson, Dr. Dilip Zandwani, Javier Zamora. A current list and… Read more »