A Finnish Farm’s Regenerative Journey: The Role of Soil Carbon Data

In the beautiful region of South-Carelia, in South-East Finland, a mid-sized farm called Tyynelä has embarked on a transformative journey towards regenerative agriculture. Driven by a vision of regenerative farming, the farm adopted a holistic approach to improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and reduce its environmental footprint. While the farm has observed remarkable progress in soil health and structure, it faces a significant challenge: economically viable monitoring of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock and change. This is where Cense Analytics offers a crucial solution.

From economically and ecologically poor input-intensive monocultures to thriving diverse food production

In the late 2000’s when a new generation took responsibility for the Tyynelä farm, the farm was not in a good shape. As dairy cows left in the 80´s, and manure and grasslands along, just a couple of decades of input-intensive monocultures in the farm´s clayey soils have degraded the soil structure and the organic matter. The soils were hard to till to create a good seedbed, they were easily compacted and crusted, and they did not infiltrate or hold water. So they were hard to cultivate and did not stand the weather.

This all led to poor crops, high costs, and a bad economy. Also lot of stress and in the end, bad quality of family´s life. Something had to change – and the change started from the soil.

The new generation, namely Juuso, one of the founders of Cense Analytics, had already taken the first steps in improving soil health i.e. by introducing minimum tillage, organic fertilization, and diversifying the crop rotation. 

Later, getting into holistic management and regenerative agriculture gave a more systematic approach to farming and its development. 

Now, in 2024, the Tyynelä farm is successful and regenerative in many measures. Soil organic matter and biodiversity has increased, the soils are easier to cultivate, the farm is profitable – and the life is good. 

However, accurately monitoring the changes, especially in SOC stock remains a challenge due to the high costs and complexities associated with traditional soil testing methods.

The Need for Economically Viable SOC Monitoring

Monitoring SOC stock and changes is crucial for verifying the effectiveness of regenerative agriculture, participating in carbon credit programs, and making informed decisions about land management. Traditional soil testing methods, while accurate, are often labour-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive. This poses a significant barrier for farms, especially small and mid-sized operations, to continuously track their soil health and carbon sequestration progress.

The costs and logistical challenges associated with regular soil sampling and laboratory analysis make it difficult to maintain a consistent monitoring regime. This gap disturbs the farm’s ability to fully leverage the benefits of regenerative agriculture.

Cense Analytics: A Game-Changer for SOC Monitoring

Cense Analytics steps in to bridge this critical gap by offering an economically viable solution for SOC monitoring. By leveraging advanced in-situ measurements and AI-based remote sensing technologies, Cense provides precise and cost-effective soil carbon data analysis. This innovative approach enables farms to monitor SOC stock and changes accurately and affordably, without the need for expensive and labor-intensive traditional methods.

The Vision of Cense Analytics to Empower Farms

1. Cost-Effective Monitoring: Cense’s advanced technologies reduce the costs associated with soil carbon data collection, making regular monitoring economically feasible for farms of all sizes.
2. Accurate Data: By combining in-situ measurements with AI-based remote sensing, Cense delivers precise and reliable soil carbon data, enabling farms to track changes in SOC stock accurately.
3. Informed Decision-Making: With access to detailed soil carbon data, farms can make data-driven decisions to optimize land management practices, enhance soil health, and improve crop yields.
4. Carbon Credit Participation: Accurate SOC data allows farms to participate in carbon credit programs, providing an additional revenue stream and incentivizing further adoption of regenerative agriculture.
5. Sustainability Reporting: Farms can use Cense’s data to report on their sustainability efforts, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship and attracting eco-conscious consumers and buyers.

A Path for the Future

The Tyynelän farm in South Finland exemplifies the potential of regenerative agriculture to transform farming practices and contribute to global sustainability goals. With the support of Cense Analytics, the farm can overcome the barriers of economically viable SOC monitoring and fully realize the benefits of its regenerative efforts. This collaboration will not only enhance the farm’s productivity and resilience but also contribute to broader climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability.

As more farms adopt regenerative agriculture and will leverage the innovative solutions provided by Cense Analytics, the agricultural sector can make significant strides towards a sustainable future. By bridging the gap between regenerative agriculture and affordable SOC monitoring, Cense Analytics has the ability to empower farms to achieve their sustainability goals and build a resilient and thriving agricultural landscape.