Elizabeth Barkla grew up on an organic dairy farm in New Zealand. While watching the cows on her childhood farm, she always had a feeling that there was something that was not right in the way that agriculture affected the natural environment. Yet, it was only when visiting a regenerative farm following holistic management principles on the island of Tierra del Fuego in Chile, when she understood what she calls ‘guilt free farming’ actually looks like in practice. Today, Elizabeth lives on her own farm in Aysén, where she together with her veterinary husband and herds of sheep, cows, horses and hens help regenerate the landscape. Through this work, Elizabeth has witnessed hands on the changes that happen in the soil, the plants, and the animals when nature is given a chance to regenerate on its own terms. In this conversation, we talk about how switching to regenerative practices means that the farmer can quite using chemicals, tractors, ploughs and seeding on the land, while increasing the profitability of the farm.
Editing: Magdalena Lindroos
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Worlds in Transition 