What is Regenerative Farming

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January 19, 2024

What's regenerative farming and what does it mean for you?

In all the farm tours that I lead, I love to ask this question to the audience....

And to be honest...most don't really have a definitive answer or potentially never heard of the word.

That's totally ok...I personally never heard of the word until probably 2016.

It's somewhat a new buzz word being thrown around in the media and agriculture right now.

The book definition: "Regenerative" typically refers to processes, systems, or practices that aim to restore, renew, or replenish resources or capabilities, often emphasizing sustainability and resilience. In various contexts, it can involve environmental regeneration, economic regeneration, or even regeneration of tissues or cells in biological systems.

Once you read the definition is seems pretty self explanatory.

I like to simplify it even more "Make something better than what it was before".

Regenerative agriculture is a fundamental shift in how we approach farming.

An approach deeply rooted in principles of sustainability, biodiversity, and ecological stewardship. At its core, regenerative farming is about nurturing the land, fostering resilience, and creating a more harmonious relationship between agriculture and nature.

Nutrient Dense Food

So, what does this mean for you, as a consumer?

For starters, it means that the food you put on your table is more nutrient dense because the practices nourish the soil from which it came from through practices like cover cropping, crop rotation/diversity, minimal tillage, livestock integration, etc. We're rebuilding soil health, restoring organic matter, and enhancing the nutrient cycling.

The result?

Nutrient-rich, flavorful food that's not only better for you but also better for the planet.

Clean Food

I think the amazing part about regenerative farming practices are they go beyond just what happens on the surface.

By promoting biodiversity and creating habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife, we're fostering a more resilient ecosystem. One that's better equipped to withstand pests, diseases, and the unpredictable challenges such as extreme climate changes. With the biology in mind, all of this promotes natural solutions over synthetic inputs.

So you can trust that regenerative products are free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Nature has shown us it abhors synthetic chemicals!

Environmentally friendly

Moreover, regenerative farming isn't just about the present.

It's really a mindset shift about investing in the future.

Unlike modern industrial agriculture practices (including some of organic) that have been focused on short-term gains with little forethoughts of the long term environmental impacts.

Regenerative practices sequester carbon in the soil. This actively mitigates climate change and works towards a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Community Innovation

Again, going back to the basic definition that I gave early, "make something better than what it was before."

It embraces a mindset of continuous learning and innovation. We're constantly striving to improve our practices to reduce our environmental footprint, improve the nutrient density, and promote an ecological relationship with nature.

It's find the balance of nature and humans working together.

So, when you choose to support a regenerative farmer like us, you're not just buying food.

You're investing in a vision of agriculture that's regenerative, resilient, and truly sustainable.

You're supporting a community of farmers who are passionate about the land, dedicated to their craft, and committed to leaving the world a better place than they found it.

Thank you for your support, your trust, and your commitment to a healthier, more sustainable system by supporting our regenerative family farm.

Blessings,

Farmer Joe

"Air-chilled" chicken: another marketing gimmick?

Air-Chilled vs. Water-Chilled: The Truth About Chicken Processing, PAA, and What Really Matters As consumers become more educated about food quality, one topic has begun circulating online in the health space: air-chilled chicken. New marketing language like “air-chilled” is showing up on grocery store packaging everywhere. While the intention behind asking these questions is often good, the conversation has become oversimplified from our point of view. At Wanda Farms, we believe transparency matters more than trends. Our chicken is water-chilled using a USDA-inspected cold water system with a peracetic acid (PAA) antimicrobial rinse. (We aren’t trying to hide anything.) However, when you keep reading, you'll learn why the air-chilled label has taken off, what actually impacts food safety and quality, and how we’re thinking about processing decisions with research instead of just chasing the latest marketing claim. Why Air-Chilled Debate Exploded The last several years, there’s been a growing push toward “air-chilled” poultry showing up at higher-end grocery stores and specialty butchers. Shoppers see the word on a package next to a premium price tag, and it’s easy to assume it means cleaner, safer, or healthier chicken. Consumers, as they should be, are mainly concerned about how their food is processed. “Air-chilled” feels like a shortcut to less-processed, more natural chicken, especially compared to a method that involves a “chemical rinse.” But removing water immersion from the process does not automatically create a safer or healthier bird. PAA: The First Line in Food Safety One of the most common concerns surrounding water-chilled chicken is the antimicrobial rinse itself. That concern is understandable. Nobody wants to feel like their food was doused in chemicals. That said, here’s what’s actually true: PAA (peracetic acid) is effectively a combination of vinegar and peroxide, breaking down into acetic acid, oxygen, and water residue. It’s USDA-approved and used at tightly controlled, low concentrations. It’s USDA Certified Organic-compliant, which is why it can be used at our Certified Organic processing facility. It’s one of the most common tools in U.S. poultry processing for reducing Salmonella and Campylobacter loads. This distinction matters far more than simply choosing air over water. Understanding what PAA actually is, and why it’s there, eliminates a lot of the chemical and environmental concern consumers associate with the word “rinse,” while still allowing our processor to meet strict food safety standards. (FYI: we only use USDA-inspected processors, always.) The Real Issue: Air-Chilled ≠ Automatically Safer Much of the air-chilled preference stems from a legitimate texture and quality discussion, not necessarily a food safety one. What Air Chilling Actually Changes Air-chilled birds are cooled with circulating cold air instead of being submerged in a communal chill tank. This typically means: Less retained water, so less purge in the packageBetter browning and skin crisping when cookedLess cross-bird contact during chilling All legitimate, real differences. Air-Chilled Is Not the Enemy: The Framing Is. There’s a growing misconception online that air-chilled is inherently “cleaner” or “safer,” and that water-chilled means “contaminated.” That’s not supported by the facts. Air-chilled birds still receive an antimicrobial intervention, typically a cold mist spray that includes an antimicrobial, and many air-chill plants also use PAA earlier in the process, before the chill step. Federal regulation doesn’t explicitly require an antimicrobial rinse, but it does require Salmonella testing, and to our processor’s knowledge, an antimicrobial step is effectively the only way to reliably pass that testing. In a report on poultry processing*, Encyclopedia Britannica also notes an important nuance about water immersion chilling: while it can create cross-contact opportunities between birds, the combination of the wash effect plus the antimicrobial treatment can actually reduce total bacterial load across the batch. The real question isn’t “air vs. water.” It’s whether the processor’s food safety program is doing its job. And both methods, done correctly, can be effective. *Link to report by Encyclopedia Britannica Why We Haven’t Switched to Air-Chilled We understand why customers are asking these deeper questions. We’ve been asking them too. Here’s where we’ve landed, and why: We aren’t the processor. Wanda Farms doesn’t control chilling method—our USDA-inspected processing partner does. To this day, I don’t know of any poultry processors in the Midwest that offer air chilling. If one did, we’d absolutely consider switching, but it’s not currently on the table.Water alone, without an antimicrobial, would concern me more. Chilling in plain water without PAA would hold bacteria rather than reduce it. The antimicrobial rinse is required by our USDA facility specifically to reduce the Salmonella load present on the bird.Air-chilled isn’t automatically “chemical-free” either. As noted above, most air-chill operations still apply an antimicrobial at some point in the process. It’s just applied differently.Sourcing and scale. Air-chilling requires more space, more energy, and reduces processor yield due to moisture loss, which is part of why it’s harder to find at the scale a small Midwest farm like ours needs. Where We Focus Instead Rather than chasing a chilling-method label, we put our energy into the things we believe actually move the needle on quality and integrity: Raising chickens on pastureRotational grazing practicesNon-GMO feedNo antibiotics or added hormonesHumane, low-stress handlingNutrient-dense food raised with integrity Our processor uses the PAA water-chill method because, alongside meeting food safety standards, they’ve found it helps maintain the flavor, juiciness, and texture our customers consistently tell us they love. Your Farmer’s Final Thoughts I think this air-chilled vs. water-chilled conversation is a lot like the no-corn, no-soy conversation we wrote about. A real concern, with some real substance to it, that’s gotten oversimplified into a single word on a package standing in for “better.” Salmonella occurs naturally in chickens and doesn’t affect them the way it affects us. It’s a human food-safety concern, not an animal-welfare one, and it’s why processors, air-chilled or water-chilled, treat for it. Properly cooked, handled without cross-contamination in your kitchen, it’s a non-issue either way. I don’t want to chase a marketing label just to capture market share. I’d rather be straight with you about how our chicken is actually processed, why, and keep our focus on the parts of the process we do control: how the birds are raised. Pasture access, rotational grazing, non-GMO feed, humane handling, and nutrient-dense food raised with integrity. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to at Wanda Farms. We’re always happy to be transparent about our process and answer any other questions you may have. Hope this helps.

A Father's Belief

Rest in Peace Tom Wanda “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me.” - Jim Valvano

No Corn, No Soy: What's the buzz?

New marketing labels like “no corn, no soy” are show up. What's the big deal and should you care? We dive into full transparency and education on the subject matter and where we, Wanda Farms stand.

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What is Regenerative Farming

What's regenerative farming and what does it mean for you?

Nutrient Dense Food

Clean Food

Environmentally friendly

Community Innovation

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"Air-chilled" chicken: another marketing gimmick?

A Father's Belief

No Corn, No Soy: What's the buzz?

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