Regenerative Agriculture and Innovation

Rebuilding Soil Health, One Connected System at a Time.

Twelve integrated systems under consideration for ULM Farms, explained for neighbors and researchers alike.

One Farm. Connected Systems.

Each part of the farm is designed to feed another.

Regenerative agriculture works when soil, water, crops, livestock, facilities, and nutrient recovery support one another in a cycle. Below are the twelve systems ULM Farms is considering, each with what it is, why it interests us, how it connects to the others, the open research questions, and its current status.

These are planning concepts. Engineering, environmental assessment, permits, and technical studies will determine which approaches are feasible.

A timber-frame farm education center with a covered porch overlooking farmland and garden beds

Education + Residential Facility

Proposed

What it is: A future facility for training, gatherings, and short-term educational residence, anchoring ULM Farms programs and research visits.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Most of the regenerative vision depends on people learning on the land. A dedicated facility gives that work a home and makes collaboration possible.
Relationship to other systems: The anchor for every other system, hosting the programs that connect research, crops, livestock, and restoration.
Research and implementation questions: Capacity, permitting, accessibility, stewardship model, and the scope of any residential use all require study before design.
Status: Proposed.

A bright commercial farm kitchen with stainless steel prep counters and a teaching island

Commercial Kitchen + Training Center

Proposed

What it is: A commercial kitchen for food preparation, preservation teaching, value-added products, and community meals.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Closes the loop from field to table and gives the farm a place to teach food preservation, a long-standing family skill.
Relationship to other systems: Receives produce from the U-pick garden, orchards, and controlled-environment systems; supports education and community programming.
Research and implementation questions: Health-code licensing, commercial kitchen certification, utilities, and operational fit require careful planning.
Status: Proposed.

A constructed wetland with terraced pools, cattails, reeds, and native marsh plants for natural water treatment

Constructed Wetland Water Waste System

Under evaluationVirginia Tech wetlands capstone

What it is: Natural wastewater treatment using constructed wetlands, with gravity-fed siting under consideration. The property has no municipal water service on site.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Any facility needs a way to manage water responsibly. Constructed wetlands offer a low-energy, ecological approach suited to the site.
Relationship to other systems: Linked to water stewardship, the education facility, and the overall water balance of the farm.
Research and implementation questions: Soil, hydrology, permits, effluent standards, and capacity are being evaluated with a Virginia Tech senior capstone team.
Status: Under evaluation (Virginia Tech wetlands capstone).

Pasture-raised chickens in a mobile coop on green pasture with a wooded edge

Regenerative Poultry

Proposed

What it is: Pasture-based poultry integrated with grazing and composting.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Poultry can build soil through manure, support composting, and add a regenerative protein source to the farm.
Relationship to other systems: Manure feeds composting and vermiculture; birds work alongside grazing and forage systems.
Research and implementation questions: Fencing, predator management, rotation design, processing, and biosecurity require study.
Status: Proposed.

A small clean farm outbuilding for small-scale food processing among green fields

Poultry Processing

Proposed

What it is: A small-scale, on-farm processing concept.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Keeps value and learning on the farm and connects poultry production to community food and training.
Relationship to other systems: Ties to regenerative poultry, the commercial kitchen, and education programs.
Research and implementation questions: Licensing, inspection, and food-safety requirements must be understood before any implementation.
Status: Proposed.

Black soldier fly larvae on a bed of organic compost substrate

Vermicomposting + Black Soldier Fly Systems

Under evaluation

What it is: Red wiggler worm composting (Eisenia fetida) and black soldier fly larvae that convert suitable organic resources into insect biomass and frass.
Why it interests ULM Farms: A potential bridge between farm byproducts, animal-feed ingredients, and soil improvement.
Relationship to other systems: Could receive suitable farm residues; outputs may support poultry and aquaculture feed research and composting.
Research and implementation questions: Feedstock, animal-feed regulations, biosecurity, processing, scale, and operational safety require careful study.
Status: Under evaluation.

Aquaponics

Proposed

What it is: Fish and vegetables in a recirculating system where fish waste nourishes plants and plants help clean the water.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Produces protein and produce in a compact footprint and offers rich research opportunities.
Relationship to other systems: Linked to water stewardship, controlled-environment growing, and nutrient management.
Research and implementation questions: Water source (no municipal service on site), energy, species selection, and system design.
Status: Proposed.

Modular shipping containers adapted for indoor controlled-environment crop growing

Container Farms

Proposed

What it is: Controlled-environment growing in modular containers for microgreens, mushrooms, and leafy greens, year-round.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Year-round production, education-friendly, and suited to early-stage operations.
Relationship to other systems: Uses compost and spent substrates; may supply restaurants and community food programs.
Research and implementation questions: Facility, energy, and market fit.
Status: Proposed.

An African American family picking vegetables and flowers together in a sunny pick-your-own garden with lavender and sunflowers

3-Acre U-Pick Garden

Proposed

What it is: A community pick-your-own garden with vegetables, flowers, lavender, and fruit.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Direct community connection, food access, and income potential.
Relationship to other systems: Supported by soil, water, and compost systems; a natural setting for education.
Research and implementation questions: Crop selection, labor, and market testing.
Status: Proposed.

A tall green bamboo grove with sunlight filtering through the stalks

10-Acre Bamboo Grove for Biochar

Under evaluation

What it is: Managed bamboo cultivation and biochar production for soil improvement.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Bamboo is central to the ULM Farms identity and may support erosion control, biomass, and product opportunities.
Relationship to other systems: Biochar feeds soil health; bamboo may supply materials for crafts and construction.
Research and implementation questions: Species, containment, siting of roughly 10 acres, harvesting, biochar production method, and land-use review.
Status: Under evaluation.

Rainwater capture swales and a farm pond with native grasses

Atmospheric Water + Rainwater Collection

Under evaluation

What it is: Rainwater capture, atmospheric water generation, swales, and pond restoration assessment.
Why it interests ULM Farms: The farm has no municipal water service and shows erosion and runoff damage. Water is the limiting factor for nearly every other system.
Relationship to other systems: Foundational to crops, aquaponics, livestock, and facilities.
Research and implementation questions: Pond water-level causes, drainage patterns, engineering studies, environmental assessment, and permits.
Status: Under evaluation.

Goats grazing in a silvopasture with trees and green forage

Goat Grazing Area

Proposed

What it is: Managed goat grazing and potential silvopasture to control kudzu and overgrowth while preserving woodland.
Why it interests ULM Farms: Goats can help manage kudzu and overgrowth, build soil, and preserve woodland while producing food.
Relationship to other systems: Manure supports composting; silvopasture protects existing trees.
Research and implementation questions: Fencing, water, predator management, and rotation design.
Status: Proposed.

Engineering, environmental assessment, permits, and technical studies will determine which approaches are feasible. None of these systems is currently operating at ULM Farms.