OUR METHODS
Honey Rock evaluates every practice—from employment to energy, from sprays to sales—against the highest standards.
On our certified organic farm, we employ regenerative, organic practices to build soil, sequester carbon, and grow the tastiest, healthiest fruit, eggs, and vegetables. These practices benefit our employees, visitors, consumers, and the planet.
In addition, we are always looking to test, tweak, develop, and adopt technologies that are greener, more efficient, more productive, and healthier for our workers and consumers.
Learn more about our mission and work in this article from Rocky Mountain PBS.
GROWING PRINCIPLES
What is a Regenerative Orchard? Farming with Nature.
The way we farm shapes our world. At its heart, agriculture is about the culture we build with our land – the sustained, patterned relationships we cultivate. In a regenerative orchard, this relationship is one of deep connection and collaboration with nature.
You might be hearing a lot about "carbon sequestration" these days. While capturing carbon is important, for us, it's about understanding why carbon matters and how nurturing healthy soil transforms our entire approach to growing on an orchard.
We believe in going beyond buzzwords to cultivate a truly different relationship with creation, one where the orchard thrives because of its natural ecosystem.
Carbon, Plants, and Soil
The Secret Energy Source Beneath Our Feet: Carbon
Imagine an invisible energy source powering our farm – that's carbon. It's the fundamental building block of life, and we're constantly working to keep it flowing through our land. It all starts with the brilliance of plants. They capture sunlight and turn it into sugary carbon, the fuel for everything.
But the real magic happens underground, in the hidden world of the rhizosphere. Our plants send a significant portion of their energy down to feed this incredible ecosystem. Picture a bustling jungle, but instead of monkeys and elephants, it's teeming with billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic creatures. Some scientists even believe plants send light signals down to energize this hidden world!
The roots are like miniature jungles, and the plants are the providers. They release carbon-rich food, called exudates, to nourish the soil community. As these microbes interact, carbon is transformed, becoming more stable and enriching the soil. This process builds structure, improves water retention, and creates a thriving environment for even more life.
And this carbon journey goes deep, thanks to the far-reaching roots of our plants. Plus, as leaves and plant matter decompose on the surface, they add a rich layer of carbon-based organic matter. By understanding and respecting this natural carbon cycle, we're cultivating a farm that's alive, vibrant, and full of potential.
Trees and Plants, Our Carbon Allies
Trees are powerful carbon absorbers, essential allies in our efforts to create a healthier planet. Plants are the foundation, converting sunlight and water into energy and building the habitats we rely on. Trees amplify this process, structuring energy flow and even influencing local weather patterns.
Did you know trees are rainmakers? Over half of all precipitation begins with micro-particles released by trees. Forests actively contribute to the water cycle, creating the very conditions they need to thrive.
Our small orchard canyon, like forests around the globe, is actively pulling carbon from the atmosphere. The impact is clear – observe the significant drop in Northern Hemisphere CO2 levels each spring as plants begin to photosynthesize, demonstrating their profound influence on our planet's atmosphere.
Regenerating Relationships
Carbon is essential for life and thrives in the soil and within plants. The alarming rise in atmospheric CO2 is a symptom of a broken relationship – a disconnect between our agricultural practices and the natural world.
When we aggressively till the soil, we disrupt its delicate balance, releasing stored carbon. When we use synthetic chemicals that harm soil organisms, we further deplete carbon reserves. And when we leave the land bare, we lose the opportunity for plants to capture and store carbon.
But we have the power to change this! By embracing farming practices that work in harmony with nature, we can heal our relationship with the land. When we nurture healthy soil and support thriving plant communities, we actively draw carbon back into the earth, fostering a more balanced and vibrant future.
Cultivating a Regenerative Orchard: Our Core Practices
To cultivate a thriving and sustainable orchard, we operate with a central goal: to understand and mimic the natural processes that benefit our plants. This translates into concrete actions and a commitment to these core practices:
Living Soil, Living Roots: Ensuring the soil is always alive with plants and their roots.
Blanketing the Earth: Protecting and nourishing the soil with plant cover and mulch.
Honoring the Cycle of Life: Returning dead wood to the soil, enriching it naturally.
Feeding the Underground Ecosystem: Supporting a healthy soil microbiome.
Powering with the Sun: Utilizing solar energy for our operations.
Growing Naturally: Avoiding all synthetic inputs.
We believe in accountability. To ensure we're on the right track, we regularly measure key indicators of soil health and sustainability, including organic matter levels, the abundance of beneficial soil microbes, the volume of organic ground cover, and our solar energy consumption.
These measurements, along with our implementation of perennial plantings, no-till techniques, and rotational chicken grazing, provide us with data to assess our carbon impact using the Comet-Planner metric.
