Park Farming Organics – Meridian, CA

Brian and Jamie Park grow Certified Regenerative by A Greener World (AGW) tomatoes, squash, cantaloupe, watermelons, cucumbers, wheat, rice, corn (red, blue, yellow and white), barley, hemp, vine seed, winter and summer cover crop seed, alfalfa, dry beans and sunflowers at Park Farming Organics in Meridian, California. Park Farming Organics was founded in 1980 and is owned and operated by the Park family. Since its more conventional beginnings, the farm has shifted to use environmentally centered practices including more thoughtful crop rotation, extensive use of cover crops, gentler tillage methods, and fertility inputs that would build a balanced soil, promoting life in the growing medium. The family also transitioned the 1350-acre farm to certified Organic in 1992. These practices are still in place today at Park Farming Organics, and now the farm is also Certified Regenerative by AGW.

Certified Regenerative by AGW provides a whole-farm assurance of regeneration and sustainability, measuring benefits for soil, water, air, biodiversity, infrastructure, animal welfare and social responsibility. “I’m hoping that other farmers join in this regenerative movement, and we all decide together that the dial must be moved in the other direction. Industrial agriculture has not improved our soil over the last few decades, and so we must make a change for the better or else the next generation won’t have the opportunity,” says Brian Park.

Crop rotation is a key component to the regenerative farming practices at Park Farm. “Our soil has evolved from almost sterile to one rich in earthworms and microbial life. The natural balance in the soil helps keep plants free from disease and pests,” says Brian Park. “Using crop rotations where one crop is helping the next helps to stimulate the different biology in the soil. We are also extremely careful to minimize any disturbance of the bacteria and fungi in the soil.”

In creating their Regenerative Plan, Brian Park says they have many goals for the future, but soil improvement is their key focus. “We are always seeking to have a better understanding of what is going on underneath our feet. It seems like we’re just barely tapping into how powerful and strong the different microbes in the soil can be and how beneficial this is for our farm and products.”

Park Farming pursued Certified Regenerative by AGW so that they could differentiate themselves in the marketplace by verifying their regenerative claim with a trusted label that provides an assurance of their sustainable farming practices. “There are so many buzzwords these days and certification helps to separate those that just claim they are regenerative from those that are and have the verification to back it up. We are incredibly proud to achieve Certified Regenerative by AGW status for our farm.”

Certified Regenerative by AGW products from Park Farming can be purchased direct from the farm. Visit Park Farming Organics for more information or email parkfarming@gmail.com.