WHAT IS ‘REGEN’?

There is a new term set to become the latest food trend: regen. Regen is short for regenerative farming, a practice that focuses on understanding the ecology and diversity of the land, and, over time, works to regenerate the land back to its natural state. Regenerative farming is an alternative to conventional, synthetic and chemical fueled farming practices. Rather than farming for a ‘product’, it focuses on farming the soil instead. Chris Balazs, CEO of Provenir and a former scientist, wholly supports regenerative farming practices. “I don’t call myself a cattle farmer. I realised in order to breed the best cattle, I had to become a grass grower, and in order to do that, it was all about the soil and the amount of water I could retain in the soil.” Harris Farm Markets is the first Australian grocery retailer to spotlight the importance of such practices. “If we don’t start to innovate the way we are producing, we will be at risk of irreversible damage to our soil,” says Angus Harris, co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets. Harris Farm Markets has more than 120 regeneratively farmed products available in-store and online.