If a Tree Falls on a Regenerative Farm, Leave it!

If a tree falls on a regenerative farm, leave it! 

One thing Tomato Bliss founder (and accidental farmer), Marie Krane discovered when she was knee deep in her newly acquired ex soybean farm-turned mud pit, was soil is the key! Not dirt, but soil! Turning dirt into soil was no easy feat, but she learned that water plays a part, as does everything else in nature, such as trees. 

In searching for the most useful tree, the queen of the regenerative farm, she asked “How many purposes could it serve?” The winner was the walnut tree. The walnut tree not only improves the soil structure by aerating, improving drainage, and storing water, it can live hundreds of years, serving as food and shelter during that time. Stray branches can become furniture, art, or shelving. And when a walnut tree falls, you leave it where it lays as it then continues to provide food, shelter, and nutrients to plant and animal life on the farm. 

“Even after life the trees serve a long purpose. When a tree falls, they stay where they are.” - Marie Krane

Marie explains regenerative farming is also about saving the farmer’s energy for tasks that have meaning. Dragging stumps from one place to another is a waste of time for a farmer and has no benefit to nature. “We let nature do the work,” she says.

Marie also planted apple trees, aronia berries, and roses for their multipurpose role in nature.