On April 23rd, we officially launched our #PlantChange regenerative agriculture program with a tree-planting day at two of Utopihen’s pasture raised farms. While planting trees may seem like a small act, it has a bigger impact than you might imagine.
WHY TREES?
All About Riparian buffers (a.k.a. stream buffers) & Regenerative agriculture
Farms in Lancaster County and surrounding areas (where Utopihen’s pasture raised farms are located) are one of the biggest polluters of the Chesapeake Bay. By planting riparian buffers along farms’ streams (hence the name “Stream Buffers”), we can help control soil erosion, nutrient leaching and run-off from our farms. This means cleaner water going downstream and, eventually, into the Chesapeake Bay.
Additionally, planting trees is critical for combating climate change and more.
For example, we planted some of the trees in our pastures. This will create more shade and shelter for our hens, and also increase biodiversity on the farms, furthering carbon sequestration while reducing soil erosion.
We picked up the trees early in the morning at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Center and, by the end of the day, we had planted a total of 60 indigenous trees between both farms:
- 40 Red Oak Trees
- 10 Norway Spruce Trees
- 10 White Pine Trees
In planting these trees, we were able to give back to nature and help repair the land we love so much. It was a lot of work, but we had fun, and it felt good knowing we were making a difference.
“Here at Utopihen Farms we care about sustainability and we know you do too. We all depend on this beautiful planet, so we need to learn how to be better stewards the land.” — Rodney Nolt, President/COO
Enjoy watching the video and hearing firsthand from our #PlantChange UtopiFAM team about our tree-planting adventure:
P.S. The scientific community has identified improving soil health as vital to helping solve our current climate and key to a healthy planet. So, as part of our journey to create a better world together with you, we rallied behind National Soil Health Day by signing Acres U.S.A. Soil Health Day resolution to dedicate every June 23rd as the day to recognize the importance of our soils and the scientific community behind the effort to improve it. You can learn more about the resolution and sign it here.
