Agroforestry Leaders: Schevichoven Farm Verify Sustainability

Schevichoven Farm, a historic 400-year-old agricultural gem and now regenerative permaculture located in Leersum (Netherlands), faced a common challenge shared by many regenerative farmers. While dedicated to cultivating over 40 crops using advanced practices, they required a reliable way to measure and communicate the true impact of their sustainability efforts. Adopting regenerative farming practices can be demanding and often requires immediate investments in labor, diversified crops, and specialized management practices. Immediate financial returns may not always be immediate, yet the environmental benefits, such as improved soil health, enhanced biodiversity, water retention, and carbon sequestration, are undeniable.

Owner Maarten van Dam was determined to demonstrate the effectiveness of their regenerative practices through scientific validation. This led Schevichoven Farm to Biome Makers' BeCrop® Rate, a groundbreaking soil health metric that integrates microbiome, water, and carbon data to provide a comprehensive sustainability rating.

The Solution

BeCrop® Rate emerged as the ideal solution to help Maarten and his team verify the effectiveness of their regenerative practices. The specific principles of Schevichoven Farm's practices included:

Perennial Crops and Polyculture: Exclusively cultivating perennial crops and embracing polyculture to enhance biodiversity and reduce the risk of crop loss.
Multi-Layered Farming: Adopting a multi-layered approach to cultivation, creating a balanced and harmonious ecosystem.
No-Till Agriculture: Committed to keeping the soil covered and refraining from turning tillage, enhancing soil health, and minimizing soil erosion.
Sustainable Machinery: Using light machinery and adopting the latest technologies for maintenance and management to maximize efficiency.
Chemical-Free and Nature Enhancement: Avoid using fertilizers and chemicals while introducing nature strips and a pool to enhance the ecosystem's balance further.

BeCrop® Rate, a soil health metric, offered scientific validation for their soil health and biodiversity while also verifying the effectiveness of their regenerative efforts. Maarten was also able to use his BeCrop® Rate as a benchmark for future improvements.

Results

Schevichoven Farm conducted a BeCrop® Rate assessment that closely monitored the evolution of their blueberries, raspberries, and grape fields. The farm scored an A Rating, confirming and validating their management practices and soil health improvements. In contrast, a nearby farm, which uses more traditional and conventional management practices, scored a C Rating. Maarten and his team gained access to the BeCrop® digital portal, a valuable resource for insights into soil biology and areas for further improvement.

BeCrop® Rate empowered Schevichoven Farm to:

Measure, Improve, and Verify Sustainability: With BeCrop® Rate, farm managers can track and verify the sustainable practices used.
Regenerative Traceability: The farm received a certification that can be shared with customers, providing transparency and traceability in the supply chain. A QR code is also generated, allowing consumers to see where the product is farmed and view the farm's sustainability rating.

BeCrop Rate

Empowers the entire food system to track and promote regenerative practices.

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Sustainability isn't just a responsibility; it's an opportunity. BeCrop Rate equips stakeholders with actionable insights to fine-tune agricultural practices and help our land and cropping systems reach their full potential.