If you asked average Americans where their food comes from, the majority would likely just say the grocery store. Meat comes neatly packaged in cellophane, and vegetables are frozen and ready to be microwaved. The world today is far removed from the means of food production, where the customer at the end of the chain knows nothing of the process or consequences of what they consume.
Most people have turned a blind eye to this, unwilling or unable to comprehend their diet’s impact on the rest of the world. Even those who want to consume their food responsibly find it’s not always easy to break free of the cycle.
Hays Family Farm in Bainbridge, Indiana, serves as a ray of hope in a world overrun with monoculture farming and industrial meat production.
They practice regenerative farming, a method dedicated to improving soil health, biodiversity and sustainable land use. The farm is a family effort, run by John Hays, his wife, Jenny, and their children and grandchildren.
“Conventional farming has become a sea of monoculture crops and killing anything standing in the way of maximum production,” John Hays says. “Regenerative agriculture is about fostering life in every way you can imagine, both in the soil and above the soil. That changes the way you see things. Now we can see so many exciting opportunities for the future of agriculture and life overall on this planet. People have such an amazing opportunity to positively affect society and the ecosystem, which is very motivating.”
Hays did not start out in regenerative farming, however. He began in commercial agriculture, seeing firsthand the damage it can do to the land and the animals that feed us.
“I have been farming for 40 years and have been involved in many different types of operations from extensive home gardening, commercial pig production, row crop farming and commercial hay production, to now regenerative farming, raising grass-fed/grass-finished beef, pastured pork, pastured chicken and pastured eggs,” he says.
Hays’ experiences in the commercial agriculture industry gave him a wealth of knowledge to draw upon, but he knew there had to be a better way to do it.
“At a very young age, my first influences were my mother, grandpa and uncle,” he says. “Although regenerative agriculture was not even a term back then, they instilled the importance of taking care of the soil, and that has always been a concern for me. Much later in life I read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and became aware of the regenerative movement, and began looking deeply into what was going on there. I also quickly became aware of what Gabe Brown was doing, and since then Understanding Ag has been a huge influence on me. My biggest influence of all to starting managing in a regenerative way was my observations over the years that what I was doing was in fact not helping the soil. It was taking it backward. I began searching for answers and they began exposing themselves the more I searched.”
The mission of Hays Family Farm has always been health: health for the soil, health for the crops and animals that nourish us, and health for the consumer.
“Hays Family Farm’s vision is to regenerate health from the ground up, and our mission is to help you eat healthy,” Hays says. “We started Hays Family Farm to offer our community a local source of healthy foods while having a positive effect on the ecosystem we are part of and responsible for stewarding.”
Hays Family Farm proudly offers a wide variety of all-natural, 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef for sale. They also sell pasture-raised pork, chicken, eggs, and even all-natural honey. If that isn’t enough, they even deliver their products around the greater Indianapolis area.
With the farm’s competitive prices, there’s never been a better time to consume responsibly. While the savings are great for any budget, the real benefactor is the customer’s health.
“There is lots of exciting data becoming available about the nutrient density of foods raised under regenerative practices,” Hays says. “We are seeing research data being put together under the leadership of Dr. Stephan Van Vliet at Utah State University that shows meats raised under truly regenerative systems are much more nutrient dense, and contain many times more phytonutrients than conventionally raised meats. Eating these healthier foods will have a very positive effect on our personal health. Regenerative farming can improve not only the health of our soils, but the health of our lives.”
With the coming of the new year, the Hays family will take over management of an additional 150 acres of land and continue to expand their regenerative operations. In addition to the actual farm work, the Hays family also seeks to educate the community on the benefits and methods of regenerative farming. They offer various classes and seminars throughout the year for anyone who wants to learn more.
