At Rafter W Ranch, we believe that keeping ourselves and our families in good health requires nutritious food, a healthy environment, and that all three are inextricably connected. Luckily, this means that making the right changes in one of these can positively affect all of the others. This is why we have made it our mission to produce the most nutritious foods possible and fight global warming. To combat climate change, scientific organizations around the world are looking for ways we can capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it away for good. Keep reading to find out how we do this in our own backyard.
How does vegetation sequester carbon?
Quite simply, plant growth requires carbon, and as long as it’s in the plant or soil it’s out of the atmosphere. We all know that plants store carbon in themselves, but they also store carbon in the soil with the help of fungi and a plethora of microscopic organisms. When this biome is functioning properly, 40%-60% of the carbon in green leaves can be transferred to the soil. Mismanagement of soil releases this carbon and damages the complex soil ecosystem that stores the carbon.
Industrial grazing vs regenerative grazing
Industrial grazing not only encourages the slow deterioration of pasture and its carbon sequestration ability, it requires the use of feed that is mass produced with the addition of fertilizers and chemicals. This adds to atmospheric carbon levels via production, processing and transport.
Regenerative mob grazing on the other hand encourages pasture growth, promotes soil health, naturally sequesters carbon in the soil, and eliminates the need for fertilizers and pesticides which produce more carbon emissions themselves.
Regenerative mob grazing is the way forward
The majority of the world has agreed we are at a turning point in the fight against climate change, and it is clear that industrial grazing has no role to play in that fight. Regenerative grazing provides a logical path to carbon sequestration while producing enough food to feed the world into the future. Join us in this future by buying sustainably raised animal products.