Regenerative Agriculture: DX Beef

Regenerative Agriculture: As practiced by a women-owned, indigenous business.

Regenerative agriculture, as much as the faces on the front pages may suggest, was not invented by modern western society. Regenerative agriculture has been around for as long as agriculture itself has existed. The teachings and wisdom of caring for the land have been passed down through generations in indigenous communities. The devastating truth is that the destruction of indigenous economies has left them with insufficient land to farm and to live in, thus experiencing high rates of food insecurity, unemployment, and health complications. Farming for profit, while controlling the land instead of working with the land to nourish the people has greatly contributed to the issues faced by the Lakota community today.

Kelsey Ducheneaux is a 125th generation land steward, owner of DX Beef, and a leader in the Lakota community in the Cheyenne River Sioux. At DX Beef, they have taken it upon themselves to provide for their community; whether that comes in the form of beef or tools to strengthen the community physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through their foundation “H3LP”. She has brought forward the relationship with the land and ancestral knowledge into her business.

To Ducheneaux it is essential to leave the resources better than they found it, a core principle in regenerative agriculture. DX Beef utilizes regenerative grazing methods; they rotate where the cattle eat so that the grass can rest and grow. As the animals graze, the manure enriches the soil. Their grazing pattern mimics the impact that the Bison had in shaping the Great Plains we see today.

To Kelsey, regenerative agriculture is a return to our relationship with the land as practiced by indigenous communities as stewards of the land before 1492. I could not agree more, how dumb is it to turn our backs to those who have cared for the land and know how to treat it? As we face the consequences of colonial action and modern repetition, it is time for us to finally show gratitude and respect for the land and those who have always been connected to it.

Resources:

https://www.projecth3lp.org/how-we-see-it-new

https://www.dxbeef.com/about-us

https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2021/podcast/feeding-the-community-with-kelsey-scott/

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/08/indigenous-rancher-is-a-125th-generation-land-steward/

https://www.agweb.com/news/business/succession-planning/south-dakotas-dx-ranch-focuses-growth-and-community

https://thisismold.com/event/education/indigenous-leaders-why-regenerative-agriculture-is-not-enough