Alisha Utter was tossing blood meal — a common fertilizer made from dried animal blood — into the soil around tomato plants as part of the University of Vermont Farmer Education Program when it suddenly occurred to her, “Perhaps the tomatoes aren’t vegan.” A vegan herself, Utter never associated animal products like blood meal with the fruits and vegetables she ate. This realization led her and Kyle Bowley to establish Arbor Farmstead in Grand Isle, Vermont, in 2016. Today, Utter runs the farm on his own and grows all of its produce — heirlooms, tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkin, peppers, raspberries — vegan.
This type of farming resembles organic farming in many ways, emphasizing practices such as cover crops (plants grown to increase soil nutrients and prevent erosion) and avoid the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. What’s the Difference: Vegan farmers also avoid natural animal-based fertilizers such as manure, blood, fish, bone meal or bone char that organic growers rely on.
“Vegan farming is now where organic farming was about 50 years ago,” says Mona Seymour, Ph.D., an assistant professor of urban and environmental studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, who tracks the growth of this type. Agriculture. There are about 55 known vegan farms in the United States, and Seymour sees growing momentum among growers and consumers alike. Nick Frank, sous chef at a restaurant in Burlington, Vermont, was delighted to learn about the vegan practices at Arbor Farmstead. “Organic stickers are in high demand by everyone, and in Vermont you don’t have to try too hard to find locally grown organic products,” says Frank. “But what they’re doing at Arbor Farmstead goes further.”
Many farmers and gardeners may already be using a vegan method of growing food, such as fertilizing with seaweed, alfalfa granules, and plant-based compost, but have never actually heard the term before, or may shy away from using a word that is sometimes seen as divisive. . Proponents of vegan farming believe they support practices that positively impact climate change by reducing reliance on livestock and promote food safety by avoiding possible contaminants that might be found in traditional fertilizers. “For these reasons, among others, veganism is not unlike other forms of sustainable agriculture,” adds Seymour.
But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better than other eco-friendly farming practices. “Animals can be good for the soil because their manure is rich in nutrients, and some animals, like sheep, can help control weeds,” says John Reganold, Ph.D., regent professor of soil science and agroecology at the University of Washington. He adds that by avoiding chemical fertilizers and animal products, vegan farmers rely on the fertility of plants such as compost and green manure legumes, as well as natural mineral supplements when needed.
“I would never say that veganism is the only form of farming that everyone should do,” Utter says. “We depend on the existing rulers of the earth for their knowledge and it is important to respect that. Our tool is just one of the tools for sustainable agriculture.”