ABOUT ECDYSIS FOUNDATION
Ecdysis Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Estelline, South Dakota, dedicated to advancing regenerative agriculture through relationship-based, independent research.
Our Mission
Serving as a scientific bridge that supports the evolution of regenerative agriculture through research, education, and demonstration.
Our Vision
We envision a world where producers and scientists work side by side to regenerate ecosystems, build healthy soil, nourish people, and strengthen communities.
Meet our Founder and Director
Dr. Jonathan Lundgren founded the Ecdysis Foundation in 2016, alongside establishing Blue Dasher Farm.
The idea for Ecdysis began behind the wheel of a rental car on a cross-country drive home to South Dakota. Driving through endless miles where society had traded corn and soybeans for degraded rural communities, it became clear that something was deeply wrong with how science was being applied.
Something had to change.
If we're going to be researchers for farmers and ranchers...
we better be farmers and ranchers ourselves.
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Blue Dasher Farm is a regenerative farm and our Ecdysis headquarters— located near Estelline, South Dakota.
We’re not only scientists processing samples in the lab. We’re farmers too.
On any given day, staff can be found moving sheep, mucking barns, starting seeds, or checking on bees.
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Blue Dasher connects us to the same challenges producers face, and it keeps our work grounded in community.
​​Blue Dasher Farm produces honey, eggs, lamb, and pork.
Check out their website to learn more and connect on social media for farm updates!
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Consensus is still forming around the exact definition of regenerative farming. Because environments and crops vary so widely, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
At Ecdysis we point out five primary principles to help guide healthy soil:
5
Principles for successful
Regenerative Farm System
"Regenerative agriculture is a celebration of life. Grow life on farms, and the carbon takes care of itself.”
- Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, Ecdysis Foundation
When conducting research, we rank farms based on these five principles. This practice-based scoring system helps us distinguish various farming practices, and validate how well these practices align with regenerative outcomes.
Research Article: Defining and validating regenerative farm systems using a composite of ranked agricultural practices.