Earth School Educational Foundation, Inc. (ESEF) dba carbon nation, is a [501(c)3] not-for-profit venture, founded in 2007 to produce and distribute media about climate change solutions and environmental stewardship.

AMP grazing is a flexible methodology that uses multiple fenced paddocks, which are grazed for short periods, during which a predetermined plant consumption is monitored, followed by an adequate time of recovery after grazing. This method emulates the way co-evolved grassland ungulates (e.g., bison, wildebeest, caribou, etc.) moved across grassland landscapes; usually quickly, and they may or may not return for a year or more (the recovery period) to the same area. The method has been shown to reverse ecological degradation. This research examines if AMP grazing, in relation to widespread continuous grazing practices, contributes to measurable differences in overall soil health, sequestration of atmospheric carbon in soils, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water use efficiency and water quality, and biodiversity, among other ecosystem services.

Phase 1 of the AMP Grazing Research Project was conducted in the Southeast (SE) USA region from 2018 to 2023. This geographic focus represented high rainfall, reasonably available full year moisture and growing seasons, and significantly higher vegetation production, yields of crops and forage, compared to other regions in the USA.

We successfully completed Phase 1 of the AMP Project on SE ranches. Findings published in peer reviewed journals document AMP grazing 1) creates significantly increased soil carbon stocks 2) maintains larger stocks of plant available soil nitrogen levels even though AMP farmers do not apply nitrogen fertilizer and CG farms use nitrogen fertilizers 3) increases wildlife biodiversity especially endangered grassland birds, soil microbes and beneficial insects, and 4) water infiltration was significantly increased by > 300%. 

In Phase 2 of the AMP Research Project, in progress as of 2023, we are studying the NGP for its short growing season, low rainfall & and presumed lower annual soil carbon accrual rates. The advantage to the NGP is the ranches are on average 50 x larger than the SE farms and is home to a large sector of U.S. beef production. 

Inclusion of both regions (SE and NGP) allows for national modeling of AMP grazing benefits at scale. The data & insights can inform the future of grazing & associated food supply chains.

Regenerative grazing involves quickly rotating cattle from pasture to pasture, before they can damage the land - similar to how bison herds moved across The Great Plains. The practice, which does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, builds soils that are richer in carbon, which in turn boosts crop and livestock yields. It also makes the land better equipped to cope with drought and reduces flooding. 

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