Mad Agriculture is a Colorado-based non-profit helping farmers across the country transition to and thrive in regenerative organic agriculture. They work from head to heart, poetry to science, financing to markets, and soil to shelf to meet farmers where they’re at on their regenerative journeys. Their four core branches ensure that farmers have the financial (Mad Capital), strategic (Mad Lands), connective (Mad Markets), and creative (Mad Media) support that they need to thrive.

One of our first steps for this project will be to measure how farming oats regeneratively impacts the health of soil and how we can continue to incorporate regenerative grown ingredients here at Purely Elizabeth. We want to know more than just who our farmers are, but how their farming practices impact our food and planet. This three year impact project is set up to answer a number of questions we can’t stop asking:

How nutritious is our food?

We want to start learning about the relationship between the health of our soil and oats by testing nutrient density, soil carbon, soil health and biodiversity.

How do regenerative practices impact the carbon levels in soil?

We will be testing total soil carbon, water extractable soil carbon, and active (POx carbon) to understand the impact. The Active (POx) carbon in soil is highly correlated with total soil organic matter and a leading indicator of soil health.

How healthy is the soil in which the oats are being planted?

We will be producing soil health maps to illustrate soil health variations in the field. This information can help farmers make ecologically-minded decisions around future plantings.

What kind of habitat is in and around these oat fields?

Both wild and cultivated spaces are critical for housing birds and beneficial insects (like pollinators or predators of pests). We want to know how these oats support their ecosystems!

What else are farmers planting on their land?

Crop diversity contributes to soil health, resilience, and supports a larger variety of income streams for farmers. Learning about the oats that we use is critical, but it’s also important to understand the farm as a living system.

How does planting oats contribute to a regenerative farm?

Working with Mad Agriculture to buy oats means their farmer partners are getting technical and financial support for their bigger picture land strategy, ensuring these oats are a part of a larger regenerative system. To evaluate the farm as a system, we will measure external inputs like fertilizers, livestock strategy, water use, tillage frequency, and how often the soil is covered with things like cover crops and perennial grasses. Oats can be a critical component of a diverse rotation, breaking pest cycles and outcompeting weeds, and they are renowned for their ability to pump carbon into the soil through root exudation.

How does this work with Mad Agriculture align with Purely Elizabeth’s values?

Since its inception, Purely Elizabeth has been committed to the healing power of food. We believe there is a direct connection between the health of our farms and the health of our food. Understanding the long term impacts of regenerative agriculture on farm ecology and product quality continues our commitment to regenerative agriculture through farmer partnerships and responsible sourcing practices.

WHY IT MATTERS

We can’t ignore the impact that planet health has on our personal health. A striking example is the link between soil health and food health. A depletion of nutrients in soil, results in a lack of nutrients in our food, along with lower crop yields, less biodiversity, carbon sequestration and so on. Research like this has sparked our passion for regenerative agriculture and propelled our sustainability journey. We know it won’t happen overnight, but we’re committed to this journey and its essential role in helping you thrive.