Folks worry that farm animals like cows, sheep and goats are major contributors to climate change. When they burp, they expel methane into the air. They require a lot of land and water to raise.
Farmers who raise their animals using regenerative agricultural practices show that, in fact, these animals do so much to help reverse climate change! They actually help to sequester carbon in the soil. If you think of grass as a solar panel, grass needs to be growing to capture sunlight and pull carbon from the air and put it into its roots. When it gets too tall, or if it is cropped to short, it will stop doing this. Farm animals eating the pasture grasses and plants are, in effect, pruning the landscape. Then the animals rotate to another field, leaving the first field to rest, recover and continue to pull carbon from the air and into its roots. This process actually enriches the soil on a continuous basis.
Photo courtesy of Barnyard Organics PEI
Did you know that 70% of the earth’s land is not suitable for growing crops? If we use this land for raising farm animals rather than just letting it sit, the animals will help the earth to regenerate, becoming lush and more vital.
What about the argument that raising animals requires a great deal of water? True enough, but so does growing crops like almonds and cotton.
When animals are pasture-raised, their excrement contributes to soil microbiology. You will find methanogenic bacteria in animal excrement and rumen. This bacteria breaks down methane in the environment. In a pasture that has had 100 cows grazing in it, you will find more than enough methanogenic bacteria to handle whatever methane is released into the atmosphere from these same cows. And, as gardeners know, manure increases the soil’s biodiversity and ability to support vigorous growth in plants. The healthier the grass that animals feed upon, the less water they will actually need to drink!
Photo courtesy of Island Hill Farm PEI
So far, we have only been looking at the “eat and get rid of waste” cycle of regenerative farming. Now let’s look at some other benefits. A farmer has raised sheep. These sheep are pasture-raised on land that is not suitable to raise crops. Their grazing habits, excrement and rumen all contribute to a healthier soil. Then we shear the sheep. This wool can be used for clothing which does not need to be washed as frequently as petroleum-based fibres like acrylic. At the end of its life, wool clothing is compostable, unlike its petroleum-based counterpart which will be in landfill for generations to come. Wool that is unsuitable for clothing can be used for insulation, blankets, rugs, upholstery. Using wool in your home is so much safer than acrylic and nylon. If there is a fire, petroleum-based fibres emit all sorts of highly toxic gasses like hydrogen cyanide. If your polyester clothing catches fire, it will melt onto your skin, causing far worse burns than other materials like wool. You can make polyester fibre more fire-retardant with the use of chemicals. I don’t know about you but I would rather avoid all sorts of chemicals in my home or next to my skin. While wool, if burning, will produce some hydrogen cyanide, it is more likely to resist burning and will often self-extinguish.
Photo courtesy of Blomidon Farm PEI
Let’s not forget about wool pellets that are used in your garden to replace chemical fertilizers. They add all sorts of nutrients back into your soil, reduce your need to water by an average of 25% and even repel pests like slugs! Chemical fertilizers, on the other hand, can contribute to soil acidification, reduce organic matter and humus content. This can lead to more pests and even the release of greenhouse gasses! And we can’t overlook the danger of chemical run-off into our waterways, resulting in fish kills.
Let’s strive to move away from petroleum-based fibres, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides and look to the natural resources gifted to us by Mother Nature to help reverse the damage we have caused the earth. We have the ability to help the earth heal so that she will be here to enjoy for generations to come!
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