OUR MISSION
What if the foods you ate could regenerate the land? Wouldn't that be EPIC?
Live epic, eat epic
EPIC is committed to being a constructive part of changing the paradigm in which ranch land is managed. We will continue to seek partnerships with ranchers that we deem EPIC and reward them for their commitment to healing the earth. Producing the finest meat available is only achieved when livestock creates a net positive return on the environment. By supporting ranchers who practice holistic land management, consumers can feel that they are no longer doing "less bad", but actually "more good" for their own health, the lives of the animals, and the overarching ecosystem that we call home.
The Savory Institute
While "grass fed" and "organic" is generally synonymous with healthy and humanely raised animals, the EPIC team believes that these standards are only the beginning to a greater and more encompassing system that can create value and restore the land.
We are extremely proud to be a sponsor of The Savory Institute who helps promote holistic land management practices.
LAND MANAGEMENT
One element of holistic land management includes rotational grazing in which ranchers carefully monitor the amount of time herds of livestock access plots of pasture. The alarming effects of overgrazing are a driving force in desertification and loss of nutrient dense topsoil. When the soil is depleted of nutrients, ranchers become dependent on routinely fertilizing the land with harsh and dangerous chemicals. These fertilizers do not add health to the soil and only further wreak havoc on all surrounding ecosystems.
Holistic approach
Amazingly, when abused land is managed properly, the addition of livestock alone can reverse the effects of desertification and return grass to the barren landscape! It's amazing to observe fence lines between holistically managed land and neighboring lands to see the difference. The only thing separating the properties are a barbed wire fence, however they often look like different planets. The Savory Institute sponsors many large scale restorative projects and some of the results have been nothing short of extraordinary.
The Importance Of Soil Health
Another alarming result of topsoil erosion and poor land management is the relationship between soil health and the nutrient density of the fruits and vegetables that we love. When soil is depleted of its natural matrix of microorganisms, our food is depleted of vitamins and minerals. Since 1975, USDA handbooks document a 50% drop in the amount of calcium in broccoli, a 88% decrease in iron content of watercress, and a 40% reduction in vitamin C in cauliflower. Properly managed land is the only answer to rebalancing the innate nutritional gifts of our food.
Rich In Biodiversity
When land and livestock are holistically managed, pastures convert into brilliant ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity and create habitats for native and migratory animals. A simple way to evaluate the health of a ranch is by looking for biodiversity. If you notice monoculture grass and no birds, you have to ask yourself, would the livestock choose to be here if there were no fences? The answer is probably no.
Healthy Grass
Another powerful impact of holistically managed land is the unique ability of healthy grass to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The sequestration of carbon from the air and returning it to the soil is a brilliant and relatively unknown feature of pastureland. Grasslands are the second most effective resource to carbon sequestration and can effectively reduce the acceleration of global climate change.
Allan Savory
"If we do what I am showing you here, we can take enough carbon out of the atmosphere and safely store it in the grasslands soils for thousands of years, and if we just do that on about half the world’s grasslands that I’ve shown you, we can take us back to pre-industrial levels, while feeding people.
I can think of almost nothing that offers more hope for our planet, for your children, and their children and all of humanity."
How to fight desertification and reverse climate change (TED.com)
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SAVORY GLOBAL
A decentralized network of regional Hubs, educators, and land verifiers, working to create truly regenerative outcomes through applied Holistic Management.
Read the evidence
SAVORY INSTITUTE SCIENCE LIBRARY
The Science Library is packed with inspiring peer-reviewed science backing the multiple benefits of Holistic Management and regenerative agriculture.