04/16/2026
What IF Pests & plant diseases are Nature's way of dealing with sick plants, to get rid of them?
The quest becomes how do we increase the health of our plants?
Turns out healthy plants aren't attractive to pests; they can't use them for food. The higher nutrient density in healthy plants is indigestible to pests, so they move on.
I have mentioned before that we are a "proof of concept" farm. We are taking a different framework in agriculture and seeing what that means. You can find lots of theories online, but how do you back them up? Is there any "proof in the pudding"?
Basically, we are trialing a developing approach to agriculture, here on our small farm called "regenerative agriculture". And asking, does it really make any difference?
Does it change the pest & disease pressures that other local farms and gardens experience? Do the quality of the products grown on the farm using the Regen Ag approach (fruits, vegetables, blooms) show any identifiable difference?
WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
While we have always used organic principles in our landscaping and home food gardens, we took a deeper dive into the problems of industrial agriculture. Organic farming essentially says, "No artificial chemical pest controls".
Level 1: No artificial chemical pest control equals Organic. Eliminate the toxic chemical load poured onto crops that our animals or we eat. This led to the next step.
Level 2: If we strip nutrients/minerals and send them off-farm, we eventually exhaust the soil. We need to replenish the soil. Sustainable Farming.
Level 3: Regenerative Agriculture looks to the principles nature has developed over the last million years. Instead of fighting nature (pests/disease), look at how nature works the system for positive outcomes.
Research conducted over the last 20-30 years has begun to filter into the educational system, giving us better tools for agriculture. With the advent of Blogs, YouTube, podcasts, and webinars, we no longer have to wait for a book to be published to get the information.
Unlike historical studies in agriculture, most traditional research at the university level has been funded by agri-corporations since the 1980's.
We are now able to step outside the corporate model whose underlying interests are more along the line of 'how do I create products I can use to make more money'. A product that can be patented.
Instead, identify the principles that nature demonstrates.
Luckily, today's new scientific technologies allow researchers to conduct in-depth studies at the microcellular level, which we've never been able to do before. In essence, giving them the ability to validate nature's processes.
If you want to learn more, check out HeritageFarmFlorals.com, where I explore how to create healthy plants.
John Kempf podcasts: AEA brings in many different researchers & farmers who are implementing sustainable ag principles.
An excellent overview: https://advancingecoag.com/podcast/podcast-extra-market-differentiation-through-regenerative-agriculture-john-kempf-keynote/
https://advancingecoag.com/podcasts/
Jennie Love is a Regenerative Ag Flower Farmer who has brought in excellent speakers on her podcast: No-Till Flowers
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/regenerative-flower-farming-with-jennie-love-a/id1545850888?i=1000684925080
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-no-till-flowers-podcast/id1545850888
