Urban Farming
Regenerative Animal Agriculture
REAP's Regenerative Animal Agriculture program integrates livestock into urban farming, and promotes soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability in an educational context. Nature-based practices like agroforestry and silvopasture frame animals as agents of regeneration, improving farming outcomes and climate impact.
To make this happen we need interested community members like you to pursue these amazing interests with us! Join our community and work on behalf of your community.
There are 2 main ways to stay engaged: we can keep you posted on what’s going on, or you can join REAP’s Permaculture Guild (it’s a lot like a club).
Our Program
We practice regenerative animal agriculture right here in Alameda! REAP’s sheep and chickens demonstrate the power and potential of closed-loop systems, and the benefits of animals for soil health. This program’s goal is to engage individuals of all ages and knowledge levels in the processes, techniques, and practices of regenerative animal agriculture. We want to provide knowledge and opportunities to accelerate careers, businesses, and hobbies toward higher impact.
Bay Beehives maintains several hives in REAP’s pollinator gardens! The bees get access to a variety of flowers while REAP gets the benefit of honey bees pollinating our plants!
Regenerative Animal Agriculture
In the World
At REAP, we work to demonstrate 3 practices with implications for agriculture across the globe: agroforestry, silvopasture, and rotational grazing. Essentially, these practices integrate livestock, trees, shrubs, and crops into holistic management practices. Regenerative animal agriculture is growing in interest and applications across the world, from large-scale farms to urban gardens to California vineyards.
Career Pathways
From weed abatement for fire suppression to silvopasture for increased soil health, we need experts to integrate animals into agricultural and ecological practices. Animals are crucial to regenerative farming practices, and working with animals takes knowledge and practice. We need animal caretakers, herders, ranchers, as well as people to plan and implement animal-based programs for remediation and farming.
REAP currently partners with the Wild Oyster Project to provide oyster shells to our chickens! Shells are collected from local restaurants and then given to the chickens to be picked clean. The shells then go up onto rooftops to cure, which regulates the building’s temperature. Finally they are released back into the bay to encourage oyster populations!
Current Status
REAP is currently home to a lovely mix of sheep, chickens, and bees who help fertilize our permaculture gardens and food forest!
Our next step is to continue building partnerships and community!
15%
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Program Vision Defined
Preliminary Industry Research Complete
Careers Identified
Open guild filled with excited community members, including those in leadership roles
3rd Party Orgs Identified for collaboration, partnership, and inspiration
Program workshops open to the community
Curriculum developed for training in the program field
Join Our Guild!
Want to get involved more deeply with REAP’s Regenerative Animal Agriculture? Want to meet other people passionate about animals and how we can work with them to care for the earth? Join our regenerative animal agriculture guild! It’s like a club hosted by REAP for passionate people to do cool stuff!
For more information about what guilds are to REAP click here!
Other ways to get involved
We are seeking volunteers to help care for our chickens and sheep! Tasks may include picking up food, feeding the animals, cleaning the chicken coop and sheep pen, and more! Visit our volunteering page to get started.
We are always seeking one-time gifts, DAFs & grants, and in-kind donations to help our programs! Visit our donations page for more information.
Sign up for email updates here!
