Regenerative agriculture is gaining attention under the umbrella of climate change. Often cited as a new trend, a Native American farmer in South Dakota says these techniques have Indigenous origins, and she’s helping to keep them alive.
Kelsey Scott is an Indigenous farmer near the Cheyenne River Reservation who acknowledges others are getting credit for the work of her ancestors.
“It’s not something that’s brand new, it’s just something that’s getting marketed.”
Scott’s farm uses rotational grazing for cattle to help maintain a healthy soil. She likens it back to when herds of bison would avoid land the animals had previously grazed.
Scott suggests her business is an expression of resiliency that existed in agricultural production prior to colonial impact. She adds the movement needs to keep an open mind about current conditions, as well as the past.
“In order to be the best land steward that you can, you have to get curious about what has happened on that land.”
Because Scott doesn’t use chemicals, she says the animal waste can naturally fertilize the land in the way bison used to, allowing her farm to provide more– and healthier– options directly to local Natives.
A researcher with the Rodale Institute says regenerative agriculture only accounts for 10% of farms and ranches today, but the numbers are slowly increasing.
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