Minnesota Farm Blends Indigenous Knowledge With Regenerative Practices

At Salvatierra Farms in southern Minnesota, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin has transformed a former conventional row-crop operation into a 63-acre regenerative farm built around crop diversity, Indigenous agricultural knowledge and natural methods that avoid synthetic chemicals. The farm has become a gathering point for Lakota tribal members, former large-scale farmers, Catholic sisters and others who see land stewardship as both an environmental practice and a spiritual commitment. Supporters say growing interest in regenerative agriculture and nature-based spirituality reflects concerns about climate change, industrial farming, secularization and personal health. Although these ideas have historical roots in Indigenous traditions, the back-to-the-land movement and earlier conservation efforts, they are gaining renewed attention among farmers seeking alternatives to the dominant food system.