We are honored to announce that The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming was selected as one of 50 pilot farms across the world for A Greener World’s (AGW) Certified Regenerative pilot program. Glynwood has been certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW since 2013, and we’re excited to build upon this foundation and deepen our relationship with A Greener World.
At Glynwood, we work hard to put animal welfare first and the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW program captures and formalizes our high-welfare practices.
Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW is the only label that ensures animals are raised outdoors, on pasture for their entire lives on an independent farm using high-welfare farming practices. It is a birth-through-slaughter program in which our production, transport, and slaughter processes are audited annually. Consumer Reports has rated Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW as the only “highly meaningful” label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access, and sustainability.
The Certified Regenerative program is the next step in our partnership with AGW. The pilot demonstrates not only our commitment to holistic farming systems, but it will be an important element of how we train early-career farmers through our Apprenticeship and Farm Business Incubator Programs. Our participation in the pilot will also inform how regenerative farming practices are defined and certified by AGW for years to come. At the core of the Certified Regenerative by AGW program is the Regenerative Plan. We will be developing a 10-year plan with local qualified experts that is specific to our farm. The plan will outline how we will mindfully manage the soil, water, air, livestock, cropping systems, biodiversity, buildings, humans, and finances on the farm to ensure long-term health and sustainability.
This season, we will be analyzing the risks and impacts our current practices have on the environment through baseline soil, water, and air quality testing. We will then create comprehensive nutrient management, biodiversity, and integrated pest management (IPM) plans that work to improve the overall health of our farm system.
Andrew Gunther, the Executive Director for AGW shares, “It's always inspiring to see AGW-certified farms like Glynwood at the cutting edge of sustainability. We’ve been working with this farm for years and they’re always innovating forward with a focus on deepening their commitment to high-welfare, environmentally responsible practices. The potential impact of their engagement in Certified Regenerative by AGW is incredible; as an educational institution they have reach beyond the farm, informing the approach of future producers in the next generation. From A Greener World’s perspective, regenerative practices, embraced at scale and validated meaningfully, are perhaps our best hope to leave this planet in a better state than we found it. We’re honored and humbled to be on this journey with Glynwood and all of our pilot farms.”
Regenerative agriculture is more than measuring soil carbon—it means healthier ecosystems, better animal welfare practices, greater social responsibility, and more economically viable farming systems. Expect to hear much more about what we are learning through the pilot in the coming months!
