Operations

Working to slow climate change through regenerative agriculture, one field at a time

Farmers in New York State’s Hudson Valley are using techniques that return carbon to the earth and restore soil health. Restaurants are beginning to embrace the movement as the next step in local sourcing, but is it a silver bullet for the climate crisis?
Common Ground's regenerative farming practices are working to slow the impacts of climate change. | All photos by Pat Dodson

Editor's note: This is the second story in a six-part Restaurant Business series on climate change and the restaurant industry.

Six Dutchess Farm in LaGrangeville, New York, operated as a boutique horse-boarding facility with indoor riding rink and multiple pastures when Jennifer Kouvant arrived in 2008. By 2015, when she and her husband, Hans Li, walked the 12 acres, they could no longer ignore the visible soil erosion from years of horse treading and the decimated orchards that bore very little fruit.

But as rookie farmers—Kouvant worked in food policy and Li in architecture—the couple was desperately in need of mentors to teach them how to restore the health of their land. They found them at Stone Barns at Blue Hill, Chef Dan Barber’s working farm in Pocantico Hills, New York, and at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Organic Farm and Gardens operated by Darina Allen in Cork, Ireland. 

Jennifer Kouvant and Hans LiJennifer Kouvant and Hans Li transformed a sandy horse-riding arena into a flourishing growing environment protected by a high tunnel. 


“Darina is an incredible educator and steward of the land,” Kouvant says. “We learned tons from her approach to caring for the land, listening to the land, giving back and not taking more than you give. The harmony and fullness resonate, and respect for the land, which carries straight into the kitchen and your plates.”

Kouvant enriched topsoil with organic mushroom compost to create healthy soil beds for flowers.


They learned that through diversified livestock and rotational grazing, they could regenerate their soil and put carbon back into the soil instead of into the atmosphere—a move that mitigates climate change. And they discovered the power of pollination. When the couple built a small honeybee apiary on the property, the honeybees began to pollinate the trees and crops and, within a few years, that unproductive orchard yielded an abundance of fruit.

“Over several years, we transferred all the pastures into growing areas or rotational grazing fields for sheep, trying to replace everything with something edible for people, insects and animals,” says Kouvant.

Armed with their knowledge, Kouvant and Li were well on their way to becoming regenerative farmers.

Apiary at Six Duchess Farm

Six Dutchess Farm brought in honeybees to pollinate crops, starting with two hives and expanding to 12. “Beware of any farm where you don’t hear the sounds of birds and bees,” said Kouvant. 


But is regenerative farming a magic bullet in the flight against climate change?

Some say regenerative agriculture is the most important way to mitigate climate change. But others believe big ag and food manufacturers are co-opting the term and watering it down. And, for restaurant operators, the topic can be an especially confusing one because there is no national certification program for suppliers following regenerative practices. 

Advocates like foodservice distributor Baldor Specialty Foods believe “restorative agriculture” is the more- accurate term for smaller farmers and true practitioners. 

Josh Hackler, CEO of Grassfed Culture Hospitality in Miami, focuses on ethos rather than semantics. He operates restaurants including Los Felix and Krüs Kitchen where “the regenerative portion of both menus is about 80%,” he says. “In South Florida, we work with small farmers who employ those practices. At Tiny Farm, we even have our own set of vegetable rows.”

“From a farmer’s perspective, working with Chef Sebastian, Josh and Pili at Krüs and Los Felix is a pleasure and a rarity," said Roberto Grossman of Tiny Farm. "Sebastian has visited our farm more than any other chef, he loves seeing the process and getting involved in our crop planning so he knows what to expect from us. Their love for local, fresh and artisan products is special.” Both restaurants have received a Michelin Green Star for sustainability.

Giving back to the earth

Just like sustainability, there is not yet a standard definition for regenerative agriculture. But there are some general, agreed-upon guidelines:

• Tilling the soil less, or avoiding tilling altogether 

• Planting cover crops or growing a diverse array of crops 

• Managed-grazing practices 

• Targeted (or minimal) use of fertilizers 

The Regenerative Organic Alliance is at the forefront of establishing a certification program and standardizing regenerative farming practices, says Sophie Egan, director of strategy for Food for Climate League. “We do need a unified way of defining this to avoid consumer confusion, avoid greenwashing and help buyers identify and understand supply chain practices,” she says, “but the flip side is that certification can be cost prohibitive for a lot of farmers, and many of them are, in fact, farming in ways … that truly align with the scientific consensus of what counts as regenerative. That’s where direct relationships really matter.”

Certification aside, Six Dutchess Farm is living proof that improving soil health on one small farm can have at least some impact in addressing the climate crisis.

To begin, Kouvant applied for a USDA grant to convert one outdoor horse-riding arena into a growing area, but it was a no-go. “They told me it was too sandy and worn down to grow anything,” she says. Her solution: She blended mushroom compost with new topsoil and built high beds covered with a 96-foot-long, heat-tolerant high tunnel. 

Jennifer Kouvant in tunnel hoop greenhouse

Kouvant starts with tiny plants called plugs, tilling the soil as little as possible to retain carbon, then enriching what she disturbs. 


“There is no one soil recipe for every farm, but this performs really well for us,” says Kouvant. She germinated tiny plants called plugs in the soil, eventually turning to flowers after discovering that vegetables and berries weren’t a good fit. 

“Once we could see all the parts coming together, we introduced flowers to the mix, both wildflowers for the pollinators to enjoy, and seasonal cut flowers, for our community,” she says. Six Dutchess Farm has built a successful wholesale business selling flowers to restaurants and event planners and direct to customers at farmer’s markets.

“From spring through fall, we grow seasonal cut flowers and foliage, chosen for their beauty and compatibility with our Northeastern climate,” she says. This summer, the first high-tunnel greenhouse was filled with rows of lisianthus in bloom, a rose-like prairie flower that is now cultivated at Six Dutchess Farm. Those rotate with fall dahlias, winter tulips and other blooms, and there’s now a second high tunnel on the acreage.

Lisanthius at Six Duchess Farms

Lisianthus is a rose-like prairie flower that adapts well to the climate in New York’s Hudson Valley. 


Adapting to climate change

Kouvant is currently developing another horse-riding ring into a test area for dahlias. Sunflowers and perennials grow nearby. “We do as little tilling as possible to do minimal physical damage to the soil, integrating compost as we till to enrich what we disturb,” she says. Bone meal and blood meal are the natural fertilizers; no chemicals are used.

The former paddocks are home to Gotland sheep, a Swedish breed that helps repair the landscape through rotational grazing that puts carbon back into the soil. “We move the electric fences every few days for less disruption to the soil,” Kouvant says.  She intends to plant cover crops like mustard seed to protect and nourish the soil and encourage root development. 

Hans Li with sheep

Gotland sheep rotate from pasture to pasture every few days, putting carbon back to replenish the land and restore soil health.  


The couple spent time observing their land before deciding what edible crops to plant. “We’re a microclimate within a microclimate, and since we've been here, climate change has brought a lot of flooding and weather extremes,” she says. 

Six Dutchess Farm originally had a small orchard on the property that yielded no fruit. Kouvant introduced two honeybee hives and planted pollinator crops under the trees. Now the trees produce hazelnuts, Asian pears, chestnuts, quince, pawpaws (a native North American fruit), and jujubes (Asian dates.) Red and black currants, gooseberries, mul and elderflower berries also grow on the property. Sixteen hives now occupy four quadrants on the property, producing enough honey to sell at nearby farmer’s markets.

Pear tree

Several varieties of fruit trees, including those bearing Asian pears, now thrive at Six Dutchess Farm. 


But Kouvant has noticed the impact of climate change in the last few years. “The bees woke up in February this year, and we started the flower season earlier and may end later,” she says. Flooding has gotten worse, and she’s planted sea buckhorn to control erosion and water flow. One year there was a late frost in May. “You never know how the crops will respond,” she adds.

Common Ground Farm in nearby Beacon, New York, has experienced similar effects, according to Farm Manager Rhys Bethke. “Last year was too wet and the year before too dry,” they say. “This past June, there was a heat wave, and the lettuce started to bolt. We had to rush to get it out of the fields. Every year is unpredictable in a different way, which makes it hard to plan.”

As climate change causes temperatures to rise, the insects have more time to reproduce, too, Bethke says. Flea beetles infested some of the crops at Common Ground, while gypsy moths invaded Six Dutchess Farm. Regenerative farmers shun chemical pesticides, but Kouvant found an organic spray that was effective.

Common Ground’s lease requires them to farm regeneratively, and four acres are planted with a variety of herbs and vegetables, including salad greens, sunchokes, cucamelons (a tiny watermelon with cucumber flavor), okra, peppers, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, radishes and winter squash. “As it gets hotter, the growing season gets longer, and we can end the season in December with broccoli, cauliflower, beets, cabbage, chard and kale,” Bethke says. 

It used to snow as early as October in New York state’s Hudson Valley.

tiny watermelon

Cucamelons, a tiny watermelon with cucumber flavor, are one of Common Ground’s vegetable crops. 


Soil prep is key to successful regenerative farming, Bethke explains. “We don’t till very deep, using a disc harrow just to break up the soil and seed,” they say. Shallow tilling helps the soil retain more carbon and keeps it healthier. Organic compost, fish emulsion and/or chicken-feather meal are used as fertilizers. Marigolds are often planted between rows to keep pests away. Physical plastic covers are used for weed and insect control. At Common Ground, no pesticides or chemicals are used.

“Crop rotation is also important to soil health,” Bethke says. “Tomatoes are planted in a different place every year, as they are very big users of nutrients. And we always cover crop fields as we rotate, using a combination of grasses and purple flower to add nutrients back.” Seeded cover crops in walkways also act as “living mulch” to keep weeds out.

Tomato Plants in hoop house

Rhys Bethke, farm manager at Common Ground, uses natural mulch to control weeds between tomato plants. Seeded cover crops in walkways add nutrients back to the soil. 


Connecting restaurants with regen farmers

Common Ground has a huge presence at the Beacon Farmer’s Market, and while the farm used to sell to restaurants, it now focuses on selling directly to consumers, pick-your-own CSAs and education.

So how can restaurateurs and chefs identify and source from regenerative farms when there’s no certification program yet?

“The best way is to develop direct-sourcing relationships with farms just as you would for organic and local … tour the farm and see for yourself,” says Egan of Food for Climate League. While regenerative farming does have additional criteria, she refers to it as “organic plus.” 

Common Ground CSA

Common Ground has a CSA program to bring regeneratively grown vegetables to consumers.


Clare de Boer, chef-owner of Stissing House, a 120-seat fine-dining restaurant in the Hudson Valley town of Pine Plains, New York, says regenerative practices are built into her operation. “We’re smack in the middle of farmland, and the whole reason most people come up here [from New York City] is to experience the beautiful countryside, so it's not something we've really ever had to think twice about,” said de Boer.  

She buys pork from a local farmer who uses his pigs to till and regenerate the soil and a mill that grows grain as a cover crop. The mill then stone grinds the grain, and de Boer uses it in baked goods. “They rotate the grain crops, so we don’t always know what we’re getting but we buy what they have,” she says.

De Boer has also worked with Six Dutchess Farm, purchasing Kouvant’s flower displays and bouquets for Mother’s Day pop-up events earlier this year.

Cut flowers for restaurants Six Dutchess Farms

Kouvant’s sells her flowers at Farmers’ Markets and directly to restaurants, including bouquets for Mother’s Day pop-ups at Stissing House.


While Stissing House is surrounded by rich farmland and a growing number of eco-conscious farmers, not every restaurant has that advantage. “I’d encourage operators to talk to their distributors and find out if those type of products are available, just like local and organic products,” says Egan. Demand from buyers can encourage increased supply, she believes.

When the supply chain broke during the pandemic, local and regional systems stepped in and gained in importance. Now more of those organizations are working to increase the visibility of and access to regenerative farmers. 

The Common Market is one such organization that connects family farmers with wholesalers around the country; they then sell to restaurants and larger institutions. Direct relationships with the farms provide insights into growing practices from the time the seeds go into the ground. FreshPoint, a division of Sysco, currently has identifiers for local and organic produce sources on its website and is working toward adding regenerative labeling. The Regenerative Organic Alliance is another resource with an ever-expanding database.

But food grown regeneratively is usually higher priced. How can operators, running on razor-thin margins as it is, justify paying more—and perhaps get customers to pay more, too? 

Taste and nutrition are potential selling points, says Egan. The Nutrient Density Alliance, a nonprofit working to advance and educate consumers on the nutritional benefits of foods grown regeneratively, has scientists looking into the taste benefits as well. 

“The hypothesis is that greater nutritional content can translate to greater flavor,” says Egan. “In my mind, it’s similar to the way peak-season produce tastes better because there’s less time for the nutrients to degrade. It’s just my hunch, but it may link back to soil health. If there are more nutrients in the soil, then the food grown will be more nutritious and tastier.”

If scientists can prove this, and restaurants can communicate this, it would be a big win for regenerative agriculture, she believes. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned at Food for Climate League, it’s that climate change is not a top driver of food choices. Taste, cost and health come first,” says Egan.

Not a panacea

Egan also cautions against thinking that regenerative farming on its own can solve the climate crisis.

“It’s just one tool in the toolbox … one of a number of related climate solutions. It is an important piece of the puzzle for the huge role food and agriculture must have in addressing the overall climate challenge but it’s not a silver bullet,” she says. 

There’s still a lot of research being done, and the science shows that the role regenerative farming plays in carbon sequestration is helpful in mitigating climate change, but some scientists warn it’s unclear how much carbon can be captured, how long it stays stored and how to access it. It’s important not to get carbon tunnel vision in terms of how we evaluate potential climate solutions, Egan says.

Nevertheless, “there’s a ton of other reasons to still go forward with expanding regenerative agriculture, from soil health to water conservation, biodiversity, habitat, nutrition and even flavor,” she says. 

At Krüs Kitchen in Miami, about 80% of the menu features ingredients sourced from regenerative farms. | Photo courtesy of Krüs Kitchen

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