David Pearson, president of Joseph Phelps Winery in Napa Valley, speaks at the World Living Soils… (+) Forum in Napa.
2012 Mark J. Sebastian
According to Regeneration International, regenerative agriculture aims to reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity, thereby reducing carbon emissions and improving the water cycle. Refers to agricultural and grazing practices that result in both. (Note: The company says that while there are many different definitions of regenerative agriculture, it considers that definition to be the “principal definition.”)
Recently, French beverage giant Moët Hennessy organized an event that addressed regenerative agriculture in terms of the work done by farmers, scientists, and researchers to improve soil and the environment. These efforts result in healthier food and wine.
The event, called the World Living Soils Forum, was held in Napa Valley, California and Arles, France, and featured numerous experts in the field speaking about their research and efforts in the field. I was able to watch videos of the speakers in Napa and their comments were interesting.
The seminar was moderated by David Pearson, CEO of Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, Napa Valley. Founded in 1973, Phelps Winery has been one of the region’s premier producers for decades, most famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, which is expressed as the main variety in its most iconic wine, Insignia. Several years ago, Moët Hennessy purchased the winery, and today Phelps continues its fine tradition as one of Napa Valley’s most exclusive and respected wineries.
Mr. Pearson has worked hard to make the winery one of Napa Valley’s leaders when it comes to regenerative agriculture. Sheep graze on the estate’s vineyards, providing natural fertilizer and other benefits such as reducing the need for chemical or natural weeding by eating weeds in the vineyard.
One of the key topics of the seminar was how the wine industry can take advantage of regenerative agriculture. Commenting on this, Professor Christina Lazcano of the University of California, Davis, said, “The wine industry is well-positioned to tackle big questions… sense of place is well understood… and land and land… I also have a good understanding of the connections between People, crops, the environment, and how they all interact with each other. I don’t think many other products have something like that. ”
Speakers (L-R) at the World Living Soil Forum in Napa Valley: Christina Rezcano, Adam Keeper,… (+) Anna Brittain, Daphne Amory
2012 Mark J. Sebastian
Unlike other agricultural products, consumers taste the fruits of their labor in the vineyard, says Adam Keeper, CEO of Agrology, a company that provides research on the subject to farmers and producers. He said he would visit the winery for the sake of wine. “We joke with our customers that no one ever comes to a corn tasting event in the Midwest,” he said. “We want to see how it’s made and we’ll build the whole holiday around that.”
Mr Keeper believes this is a huge advantage for wineries in leading the way to healthier vineyards. “We really lean into this and use it to our advantage in furthering the cause of regenerative agriculture and consider our ideas of where this movement should go and help the public move in the right direction. It gives us an opportunity to make sure we’re making progress.’
Regeneration consultant Daphne Amory spoke of living systems that continue to weave together, support each other, and work together in interconnectedness. “We’ve spent so much time looking above ground that we’re starting to understand what’s underneath,” she said.
Anna Britten, executive director of Napa Green, a sustainable wine program that works with wineries in Napa Valley, spoke about the commitment needed for growers and growers. “It’s about building increasingly self-regulating farm systems that require less and less human intervention.” It’s not just about regenerating the system, it’s about regenerating the social system that we have to take care of.”
Oliver English, CEO of Common Table Creative, also spoke at the event.
Photo by Oliver English
A second set of speakers also covered the theme of living soil and regenerative agriculture. Judith Schwartz is a writer from Vermont who wrote about economics before turning her attention to soil. She wondered why the value of nature is zero, especially when compared to wealth. She regards soil as a very important theme. “Food is only as healthy as the soil in which it grows.”
She talked about being a journalist and how inspiring it is when people welcome her into their world and talk about their work. “People want to tell stories (about how) they improved their soil,” she said since 2013, when she wrote her book “Cows Save The Planet: and Other Imposable Ways of Soil to Healing the Earth.” You mentioned how things have changed. She says that back then, very few people talked about soil, but today the climate movement is very strong. “I think of regenerative agriculture as improving the soil…There is always disturbance in nature…When we interact and create disturbance, it is a regenerative disturbance. In some cases, it is a regenerative disturbance.”
Common Table Creative CEO Oliver English talks about his multi-layered career, from chef to filmmaker. One of his latest films, a documentary called Feeding Tomorrow (currently available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube), explores how food is treated in many different ways around the planet; It tells the story of how things have to change if there is more food. Habitat should be preserved.
At one point, English decided that filmmakers needed to talk to more farmers about their work. He was so inspired by their vision. “Farmers need to become celebrities.” In the movie Feeding Tomorrow, he did just that. “Our intention was to highlight the role of farmers in a society that celebrates the restoration and regeneration in which they participate…tying together all of the great work that has been happening on farms around the world in recent years. ” In English, it means “sharing stories that people can relate to and connect with emotionally.”
The third speaker on the panel was Jesse Smith, Land Stewardship Director for the White Buffalo Land Trust. The White Buffalo Land Trust is a company and movement that serves as a global hub for several issues including regenerative agriculture, ecological monitoring, and enterprise development.
Smith, a native of Santa Barbara, Calif., said that while he was working in Bordeaux, he and his wife would drive around Bordeaux and parts of France, where he candidly explained how certain regions were associated with certain foods. He also introduced me personally. “Every small town, each little region based around wine, bread and cheese, had its own culture expressed,” he compared it to driving through California. In his words, “From Sacramento to San Diego, there was beauty, but not every place had this uniqueness.”
Smith started a farm called Regenerative Earth Farm with others in the early 2010s because he wanted the same experience he saw in France. Here they made organic artisan cheese, raised heritage breed pigs, managed an orchard and started an organic garden. White Buffalo is engaged in a variety of initiatives, including the production of specialty ingredients. “What we are working on through our education and training programs is increasing the ecological literacy of our communities.”
Let’s give the last word in English about the positive efforts brought about by regenerative agriculture. “The most flavorful fruits and vegetables come from the healthiest soils, from the most biodiverse regenerative farms. So if we’re going to talk about food, let’s talk about taste, let’s talk about nutrient density, let’s talk about human beings. Let’s talk about health, and let’s talk about food and how this movement is fun.
“Through the food we eat and the food we support, we participate in the stewardship of our planet.”
