Whether we are upcycling and utilizing excess food that might otherwise go to waste for the entire end product or not, all the components used for Wildways Botanicals blends are Farm Direct and depend on quality. This makes it important to distinguish which farming practices are being used and what that means to our end products. Some of the popular terms circulating at the moment include Regenerative Farming, Biodynamic farming, and Organic Farming and I thought I would share a little of what I have learned about each of these terms.
In a nutshell, each method avoids synthetic pesticides and harmful chemicals, and prioritizes the long-term health of soil and planet. The methods are all organic farming but regenerative farming takes the most holistic view with principles and practices that enhance and restore strong, healthy ecosystems. Biodynamic farming, pioneered by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s, is a regenerative practice, now seen as beneficial to climate change because it is defined as “rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity.” Steiner believed a harmonious approach to farming would help support plants and animals, while creating nutrient-dense food and emphasizing self-sustainability. Demeter Biodynamic and Processing Standards - Demeter USA (demeter-usa.org)
Regenerative Farming | Biodynamic Certification | Organic Certification |
No tillage/minimum tillage: Instead of adversely impacting soil health by harrowing, shoveling, raking, and hoeing, minimizing this helps protect the soil nutrients and increase its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. | Biological diversity: Biodynamic farms must have a minimum of 10 percent of land as a biodiversity reserve, which helps support wildlife and endangered habitats. | An organic label refers to the way farmers grow and process fruits and vegetables, which includes avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and incorporating more natural approaches such as cow manure and compost. |
Restoring soil and plant microbiome: using cover crops, compost and animal manure, and working crop rotations into the annual plantings help with this restoration. | Focus on fertility: biodynamic farms use a variety of practices such as green manure, rotational grazing, and crop rotation to boost vitality on the farm. | For certification > 95 percent of ingredients used in a product are required to be organic and non-GMO, and animal products cannot be produced using antibiotics or growth hormones. |
Building ecosystem diversity: composting and creating pollinator friendly areas are examples of ways to support ecosystem diversity. | Gentle pest control: Use of pesticides is reduced by learning pest life cycles and timing plantings and mulching, grazing, and crop canopies help manage weeds. | Certification requires maintaining standards, paying certification fees, and passing regular government inspections. |
Well-managed grazing practices: Allowing animals to graze openly, roam freely, and have good pasture rotation helps contribute to insect diversity and soil biodiversity. | H2O conservation: Water conservation is a big part of a biodynamic farm, which often uses solar pumps and wind pumps, protects natural wetlands, and installs efficient irrigation systems. | |
Classic examples of upcycled food products grown nearby on a biodynamic farm are our Wildways Botanicals Zucchini products - Zucchini flour which makes an amazing and healthy sauce thickener, or gluten free baking replacement, and our Zucchini zoodles - Keto, vegan, and gluten free friendly and lasagna or spaghetti substitutes.
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