At Diestel, we are dedicated to regenerative agricultural practices.
Put simply, Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that focuses on improving soil health by using practices that mimic nature. This includes things like planting diverse crops, reducing soil disturbance, and avoiding harmful chemicals, which helps the soil store more carbon, water, and nutrients.
So how does this apply to the poultry world?
It emphasizes environmental practices, animal welfare, and sustainable food production. Some of our key regenerative practices include:
1. Rotational Grazing:
Diestel practices rotational grazing for their turkeys. This means they move the turkeys across different pasture areas, allowing the land to regenerate and recover after grazing. This technique promotes soil health, reduces the risk of overgrazing, and helps improve the biodiversity of the pastureland.
2. Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration:
The ranch focuses on enhancing soil health through regenerative techniques like seeding and planting native grasses, flowering shrubs, and utilizing their high-quality compost to support healthy pastures. This helps sequester carbon in the soil, improving the land’s ability to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere.
3. Regenerative Grown Feed & Pasture-Based Diets:
We source 3rd party certified regeneratively grown corn and soy for our regenerative feed. Plus, the turkeys are allowed to roam freely on pasture, where they can forage naturally. Their diet includes a variety of insects and grasses, which supports their overall health.
4. Water Conservation:
We incorporate water conservation strategies in our farming practices. By utilizing efficient irrigation systems and greywater filtration systems, we can focus on preserving local water sources.
6. Low-Input, High-Output Farming:
By focusing on regenerative methods, we don't rely on synthetic inputs such as pesticides, chemicals and fertilizers. This allows for a healthier microbial environment and more natural production processes ultimately reducing the environmental impact of the farming operation.
7. Commitment to Animal Welfare:
And of course, we are committed to raising turkeys in a thoughtful way. We are 3rd party animal welfare rated, and our turkeys are free to roam, have access to shelter, and are raised without antibiotics or hormones. The living conditions are designed to promote the birds' natural behaviors and well-being.
By integrating these regenerative practices, Diestel Family Turkey Ranch helps improve the health of the land, support biodiversity, and create a more sustainable and thoughtful approach to turkey farming.
