Press / Media Resources

Our Mission

In the face of multiple converging natural resource and agricultural challenges, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS) seeks to promote regenerative farming practices that reduce greenhouse gasses, restore soil health, increase the sustainability of farms and ranches, and address food and water insecurity. In particular, we promote a systems approach to farm and ranch management that aims to restore degraded soil and promote farm resiliency and profitability even under pressure of extreme weather challenges.

By rebuilding soil organic matter and soil biodiversity we can significantly increase the amount of carbon that can be drawn down from the atmosphere while greatly improving soil fertility and the water cycle. Practices involved in Regenerative Agriculture include no-till/minimum tillage techniques, the use of cover crops, crop rotations, compost, and animal manures, the inoculation of soils with composts or compost extracts to restore soil microbial activity, managed grazing and animal integration, and creation of pollinator habitat and riparian buffers. Ultimately, however, it's not the practices that make a farm regenerative, it's the results. Therefore, we also advocate for soil testing, evaluation, and management that responds to current and changing conditions.

Our Goals

• Include farmers and ranchers as research partners to investigate innovative methods and strategies resulting in practical solutions that regenerate soils, ecosystems, and our rural communities while improving carbon capture, soil health, and food quality.

• Create collaborative networks and communication platforms for applied research, learning centers, and demonstration sites with partnering farms and universities that foster open dialog and data sharing.

• Transform agricultural and urban landscapes through regenerative practices.

• Develop and implement strategies for creating multi-scale food security; from local foodsheds to global production.

Our Key Programs

• Applied research(opens in new window) on regenerative food production systems to help farmers and government agencies make better informed decisions.

• Support for learning centers and on-farm demonstration sites(opens in new window) including an extensive website(opens in new window) with numerous resources.

• Farmer transition educational programs(opens in new window) and workforce training through workshops, a non-credit certificate program, an academic minor, and online masters program.

• Technical Assistant Provider Training(opens in new window) and Professional Course Series to expand the number of service providers trained in a whole systems approach to agriculture and carbon farm planning.

• Soil Health Management Systems implementation(opens in new window) through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program to achieve conservation benefits in Northern CA.

• The North Valley Food Hub for Climate-Smart Agriculture through the USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities program, designed to coordinate efforts with local food networks that support regionalized farm to fork systems to benefit regenerative farmers.