Regeneration is about working with nature to grow great food. It encourages us to be curious about how and why natural eco-systems work, then applying those principles and practices to the farm. Every farmer will have their own definition of regenerative practices, because every farm and region is different. But there are five broad principles that underpin the regenerative agriculture:

1. Keep the soil covered. We see our soil as a living thing – shading it from the sun and rain or clothing it in mulch helps maintain the abundance of microbial life within.
2. Minimising soil disturbance. Keeping tilling (the act of turning the soil ahead of planting) to an absolute minimum allows soil fungal and other networks to grow – enabling more life and health.
3. Diversity. This is our favourite one! Just like people need a diverse diet to stay healthy, our soil, animals and regenerating forests need a diverse range of plants, roots and microbes to thrive. Diversity is strength in a natural ecosystem.
4. Maintain living roots. The place where roots and soil meet (the rhizosphere) is an incredible spot. Roots and soil microbes have a symbiotic relationship, passing minerals between each other for shared health. We maintain living roots as much as possible by minimising spray-use or tiling.
5. Integrating livestock. Animals have a critical role to play in a healthy farm eco-system. Used correctly, they spread fertilise, trample plants into the soil as mulch, spread seed and do dozens of other actions that support eco-system health.

A great place to learn more about regenerative agriculture in the New Zealand context is https://www.quorumsense.org.nz/

At Danbri, we’re redesigning the farm for long-term ecosystem health and regeneratively grown food by:

• Fencing off and tree-planting streams, wetlands and steep slopes.
• Reseeding our flatter paddocks into multi-species diverse pastures for improved soil and animal health.
• Redesigning flatter paddocks from pasture into ‘tree alleys’ – an intensive land-use model where pasture and food-forest systems work together for soil, stock and biodiversity health.
• Redesigning stepper paddocks from pasture in ‘silvopasture’ – a mix of grasslands and shade trees for improved soil, animal and biodiversity health.
• Experimenting with new animals – like cockerels – to naturally fertilise paddocks and control insect pressure.
• Using only biodynamic and other naturally sourced fertilisers.
• Strictly limiting animal antibiotic and other medicinal use.
• Strictly limiting pesticide and herbicide use.
• Pest and predator control to help support native birds.
• Reducing cattle numbers to limit soil damage in winter and reduce our farm’s methane emissions.

We're committed to farming in a way that protects and enhances the land we work on. Right now, we're in the process of identifying the right regenerative certification framework for Danbri Farm - one that reflects our farming practices and our long-term goals. In the meantime, we’re focused on low-impact, small-batch production and continuous improvement, and we’ll share more as this journey unfolds.

We think farming animals is a privilege and take our responsibility to care for them seriously.

They have constant access to clean water, diverse feed and shade & shelter. They have the space to express their innate nature – from naturally raising a calf, to slowly grazing outdoors and forming natural herd hierarchies.

Our aim is to ensure our animals die on the farm they live on. That they never have to go on a truck or experience the meatworks. We are working with Earth First® - a certified mobile abattoir - to kill and process our animals to best-practice standards, on the farm. Then working with Mapari Meats who are top class butchers to deliver our meat boxes directly to you.