The term “regrarian” isn’t a common word in many people’s vocabulary.
Developed in Australia, this method of farm planning is now gaining popularity across North America.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m., the Mid Island Farmers Institute will host Hornby Island farmer Ryan May on the topic of regrarianism and how he used the method to develop his own farm on Hornby. The meeting will be held at the Merville Hall, 1245 Fenwick Rd., and is free for member or $5 drop-in.
Increasing productivity while restoring the land is no easy task. In the eyes of many, these two things are mutually exclusive.
Not according to Darren Doherty, a fifth-generation Australian farmer with experience designing large scale profitable and regenerative farming operations all over the world.
May was raised between the forests of Bowser, and a farm in the Fraser Valley.
At 14 he built his first greenhouse, and by 17 he went off to study botany, ecology, and environment at McGill.
In the face of the perilous world problems he was exposed to in school and working as an ecologist and guide both in Canada and in Latin America.
In 2015 his family sold the Fraser Valley farm and bought on Hornby Island.
For the last two years Livingland has been rebooting the old farm using regrarian principles and tools.