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
Serve as a scientific voice to support the evolution of a regenerative food system through research, demonstration, and education.
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 degraded communities and endless miles of monocrop fields, it became clear that something was deeply wrong with the agriculture system and how science was being applied. Something had to change.
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Ecdysis was built on the belief that we have the ability to grow food while also protecting biodiversity and the health of our environment. Today, under Jonathan’s leadership, Ecdysis is at the forefront of providing research to influence our food system.
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?
Because environments, crops and rangelands vary so widely, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
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At Ecdysis, our research has shaped a simple truth: regenerative agriculture is a celebration of life. Regenerative agriculture improves soil health and increases biodiversity while growing healthy food profitably.
We focus on five primary principles to support healthy soils.
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 their management practices. This scoring system helps us distinguish various farming practices, and validate how well these practices align with regenerative outcomes. Each farm is then placed along the spectrum below.
Want a deeper look at how our scoring system works?
Read our research article: Defining and validating regenerative farm systems using a composite of ranked agricultural practices.
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