Roy Pfaltzgraff, the proud owner of PFZ farms in Haxtun, Colorado, is one of the leading regenerative farmers in the United States. Agriculture has been an essential part of human existence for thousands of years. How farms operate has a significant impact on the health of the planet and the health of the people who end up eating the food grown on the farm.
Around the Industrial Revolution, standard farming practices started to negatively impact the health of people as well as the overall well-being of the environment. Roy Pfaltzgraff believes that understanding the issues associated with industrial agriculture can help educate anyone on the necessity of regenerative farming practices.
Industrial agriculture practices have been associated with:
- Excessive Water Consumption
- Lessening Biodiversity in Both Plants and Animals
- Polluting Soil, Air, and Water
- Decreasing the Nutritional Value of Our Foods
As society learns more about the adverse outcomes associated with industrial farming practices, Roy Pfaltzgraff is proud to say that more farms are turning to regenerative farming practices. These practices are not new; instead, they revert to many of the principles used in agriculture centuries before the Industrial Revolution. The methods of a regenerative farm put nature first. For example, industrial farming may have heavy machines tilling soil and chemicals spread throughout the ground to create larger fruits and vegetables. Regenerative farming practices focus on caring for soil by incorporating natural materials like cover crops and carbon based materials. Roy Pfaltzgraff notes that regenerative farmers understand that the best way to improve the health of their soil is to plant a diverse array of plants and have livestock that rotationally graze the fields when possible. Manure of healthy livestock adds several valuable nutrients to the earth, reducing the need to utilize artificial fertilizers.
While there’s no denying that the Industrial Revolution helped people in countless ways, it hurt the agriculture business by decreasing the quality of farming practices. While previous generations may not have been aware of the environmental and health risks of industrial farming, the modern farmer has access to much more information. As more farmers shift their farming practices, there will be a more significant impact on combatting the effects of climate change. Roy Pfaltzgraff knows we all must do our part to make the most of our planet’s resources. While many resources have been wasted over the years, there is still time to diminish the effects of climate change, and regenerative farming helps by lowering the carbon footprint of the agriculture industry.
Roy Pfaltzgraff is always proud to spread awareness of the benefits of regenerative farming practices. Farmers play a pivotal role in protecting animals, people, and the environment. However, they can only do their part when the public is willing to seek out products that originated from a farm practicing regenerative farming. Ultimately, the people who support regenerative farms by purchasing their goods are helping create a better future for generations to come.
