Lost Savanna Farm

Located in Black Creek, in the Comox Valley, Lost Savanna Farm is home to grazing animals and a variety of crops. Britt and Kris Arbanas own the 73-acre certified organic and biodynamic farm and strive to produce food that is both nutritious and farmed in a way that regenerates the land. Neither of them comes from a farming background but both previously studied regenerative agriculture and eventually decided to dive headfirst into farming 5 years ago. Now, they raise chickens, cattle, pigs, ducks, and geese. Kris Arbanas explains, “Things are multipurpose, there aren’t too many things that we do to just make a product and sell – there are other beneficial aspects. We let each animal express their unique abilities or unique way of living. For example, herbivores are nature’s pruners, so we move our cows through our pastures and mimic what the large herbivores (bison), who were here before would have done.” At Lost Savanna, they rotate their herd of 15-20 cows daily, using quarter-acre rotations. Arbanas says they see “really good impact on a small piece of land. Too big of an area might not have as much positive impact on the land so we’ve narrowed it down to that size. We see a nice even pruning of pasture, eating what they want and trampling less desirable species.”

When managed well, herbivores have a positive impact on grazing land. Arbanas explains that impact: “When a cow prunes a plant above ground and doesn’t prune it right down. The residue is left, some of the growth is still there, and root systems underground are left to contribute to the health of the soil. Moving them daily ensures they are pruning grass minimally to allow the root systems in the soil to stay healthy. We like to see one bite of each plant, and trampling the rest. What they trample becomes organic matter on the surface, which is easily accessible to life in the soil. You have to look at the soil food web, and feed that too. So, we don’t see trampling as waste, it’s only going to improve that soil down the road.” Herbivores are an important part of the earth’s healthy ecosystems. When managed well, cattle and other livestock positively impact our climate. It is important to support local farmers who consciously choose to manage their livestock in a regenerative way. Arbanas says, “We make choices 3 times a day, every time we eat, so find a farmer that is doing it holistically and regeneratively. Let’s find ways we can improve the planet cooperatively and that starts, I think, with the consumer changing their choices.”