Cutting edge research to transform agriculture with regenerative principles

Ecdysis Foundation is all about grower-focused research to transform agriculture with regenerative principles. Agricultural science is typically conducted and communicated to other scientists, rather than the farming community. At Ecdysis, we flip those priorities. Ecdysis has a strong emphasis on farmer-, rancher-, and beekeeper driven research questions, and empowers growers by involving them in the actual research projects themselves.

Funded by grants and donations, all of our research is provided back to farmers at no cost, with no strings attached. We host field days around the country to help others understand our findings, connect growers with each other, and make friends along the way.

Blue Dasher is the regenerative farm where Ecdysis’ headquarters is located. We believe that if we’re going to be researchers for farmers and ranchers, we better be farmers and ranchers ourselves. Blue Dasher roots us and gives us a place to connect with the communities and people around us.

Blue Dasher Website

/ec·dy·sis/ • noun

The term Ecdysis describes the process of an insect shedding its old skin. We are using science to help farmers shed the old models of agriculture in the pursuit of a regenerative future.

A future that celebrates life.

About Us

What's Happening?

Field Season is Underway!

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Recent Research Highlights

We are continuously releasing peer reviewed, published scientific papers on various topics. such as...

Regenerative rangeland management improves honey bee health and productivity

Regenerative management increases the efficacy of dung arthropod communities

All Scientific Papers

Research updates, staff stories, and a whole lot of accomplishments.

Previous Years in Review

Annual Reports

Home of the
1000 Farms Initiative

Chances are, if you have heard of Ecdysis, you’ve heard of 1000 Farms —one of the most ambitious agroecology experiment ever conducted, researching regenerative systems across North America.

We have now far exceeded 1,000 farms visited.

So what happens now?

ONE PEBBLE CAN START AN AVALANCHE OF CHANGE

Project Avalanche is about enabling farmers to take science into their own hands. Bringing people together in regional learning cohorts, farmers are provided with the tools to measure progress on their own farms. Additionally farmers are equipped with the education needed to help inform their quest to build healthy soil, thriving ecosystems, and nutritionally dense food.

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SCIENCE CAN BE THE SPARK THAT LIGHTS THE FLAME for the future of regenerative food.

With Project Ignite, Ecdysis is building on the 1,000 Farms Initiative to push regenerative research further than ever before. We’ll continue collecting real-world data while zeroing in on the regenerative potential in key food systems, and measuring how agriculture may change under more extreme climatological conditions.

This year, our focus includes:

No-till organic farming
Local fruit and vegetable systems
Transitioning croplands to grazing land
Silvopasture (integrating trees into grazing land)
Heritage livestock breeds and heirloom produce varieties
Perennial cropping systems
Pastured livestock production

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Support Our Work

We wouldn’t be here without you. Every farm we study costs about $7,500, and thanks to the support of generous funders, collaborators, and individual donors, farmers receive all of their data at no cost. Together, you make this work possible.

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Collaborators and Funders in the Ecdysis Mission

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Blue Dasher is the regenerative farm where Ecdysis’ headquarters is located. We believe that if we’re going to be researchers for farmers and ranchers, we better be farmers and ranchers ourselves. Blue Dasher roots us and gives us a place to connect with the communities and people around us.

Ecdysis Foundation is all about grower-focused research to transform agriculture with regenerative principles. Agricultural science is typically conducted and communicated to other scientists, rather than the farming community. At Ecdysis, we flip those priorities. Ecdysis has a strong emphasis on farmer-, rancher-, and beekeeper driven research questions, and empowers growers by involving them in the actual research projects themselves.

Funded by grants and donations, all of our research is provided back to farmers at no cost, with no strings attached. We host field days around the country to help others understand our findings, connect growers with each other, and make friends along the way.

Cutting edge research to transform agriculture with regenerative principles

/ec·dy·sis/ • noun

The term Ecdysis describes the process of an insect shedding its old skin. We are using science to help farmers shed the old models of agriculture in the pursuit of a regenerative future. A future that celebrates life.

About Us

Support

We wouldn't be here without your help! Ecdysis is a grass-roots research foundation, started and continuing its mission by the contributions of many. To us, every dollar counts.

Consider donating towards our mission of research, education, and demonstration to support regenerative agriculture and repair our world for future generations!

Donate

Collaborators and Funders in the Ecdysis Mission

1000 Farms Initiative

Relying on research farms or recommending specific practices to farmers isn't enough to meaningfully guide the future of food production. To truly understand how different farming practices affect real-world outcomes, we're turning to where it matters most: real working farms, where farmers themselves make the decisions. They lead the way, and we collect the data.

This effort is called the 1,000 Farms Initiative.

More info or Sign up!