Nature Tripping Episode 30 - Regenerative Farming and Life in the Soil
Jo and Cathy meet Bailey for an introduction to Regenerative Farming and a discussion about the experimental field work he has been doing with the University of Oxford on the impact of different types of grazing management on biodiversity.
Three different scenarios - conventionally grazed pasture, mob-grazed pasture, and passive restoration (where land is left untouched) - have been monitored for all sorts of biodiversity, with Bailey’s focus on the life beneath our feet. Soil might look pretty dull, but in fact it’s alive with invertebrates, and is a vital component of ecosystems. Can listening to it provide important information on soil health? If so, what does a robust experimental method for doing that even look like? Bailey has some of the answers… and the sounds.
Photo by Bailey of Regenerative Farming site
Resources on Regenerative Farming:
British Ecological Society report - Regenerative Agriculture in the UK - An ecological perspective