Caring for the Land
We’re learning to farm with a longer view.
The land is the reason we can do any of this in the first place, so taking care of it has always mattered to us.
As the farm grows, we’re paying more attention to how our livestock, pasture, soil, native plants, water, and wildlife all fit together. Some of the practices we’re using today have been part of the farm for years. Others are things we’re actively learning and working toward.
We don’t want to use the word “regenerative” as a catch-all. We’d rather explain what we’re actually doing and be honest about where we’re still learning.
Rotational Grazing
Our pigs are pasture-raised, and we rotate them through different areas of the farm rather than keeping them in one place.
Moving the animals gives pastures time to recover and allows us to manage the land with the animals in mind. We’re continuing to learn how timing, rotation, and stocking levels affect the health of both the pasture and the animals.
Chickens + Chicken Tractors
Our chickens are another part of the system.
We use chicken tractors to move them across the land, giving them access to fresh ground while allowing us to intentionally place them where they can contribute to the health of the soil.
It’s one more way we’re learning to work with our animals instead of treating every part of the farm as a separate system.
Bringing Native Plants Back
We’re planting more native species around the farm and paying closer attention to the plants that naturally belong here.
Some of the plants we grow for Meadowlark Made also have a place on the farm, and we’re excited to grow more of what we use ourselves. At the same time, we’re bringing in native prairie plants for the benefit of the land, pollinators, and wildlife. We love the idea of plants earning their place twice over, in the apothecary and in the ground.
Protecting the Land Around Us
Our farm is about eight acres, and we’ve started leasing another 20 acres surrounding it with the goal of getting that ground out of conventional pesticide use and reducing spray drift around our farm.
It gives us the opportunity to manage more of the land ourselves and, over time, improve its health through different soil-building practices. We’d eventually love to have a few cows on some of that ground, but we’re not rushing it. Soil comes first.
Rebuilding Soil Health
One of our biggest goals is to improve the health of the soil itself.
We’re experimenting with different crops and cover crops, using natural soil amendments, and have been using worm tea to support the biology in the soil.
As we begin working with the additional acres, we’ll be able to put more of these practices into place and see what works best for our ground. We want to build soil that is alive, productive, and able to support healthy plants and pastures for years to come.
Learning More About Water
Water is something we’re paying much more attention to, especially with the water challenges Iowa is facing.
We’re looking at how water moves across our land and what happens when we get heavy rain. Healthier soil, cover crops, deeper-rooted plants, and better pasture management can all help slow runoff and allow more water to soak into the ground. As we work on those things, we’re paying attention to what makes a difference here on our farm.
“We don’t have a perfect formula, and we’re not interested in pretending that we do. Farming is always changing. What works on one piece of ground may not work on another, and improving the land takes time.
For us, regenerative agriculture means continuing to pay attention, trying better practices, learning from what happens, and leaving the land healthier than we found it. That’s the direction we’re headed, and we’re excited to keep working toward it.”
— Heather Scar, owner of Meadowlark Farm in Iowa
More from Meadowlark
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