Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Sowing Change” series about urban farming.
For decades, the gold standard of responsible gardening was defined by the organic label with its list of prohibited synthetic chemicals and pesticides. But according to Chris Cerveny, who holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from Cornell University, simply avoiding the “bad stuff” is only half the battle.
Cerveny brings nearly 30 years of experience in the horticulture industry to this new frontier. A self-described “plant geek” and expert in controlled environment agriculture and hydroponics, he has spent much of his career focusing on the plants themselves. However, his transition back into gardening sparked a major “aha moment” and a paradigm shift: the realization that to truly nurture a plant, one must first nurture the soil as its own distinct crop. As co-founder and chief innovation and product officer of Just Good Soil, he is focused on bridging advanced soil science with everyday gardening — empowering people to regenerate their soil, grow healthier plants and become confident gardeners.
The next era of cultivation is regenerative, he says; a paradigm shift that treats the soil and its ecosystem as its own primary crop.
The Sugar High Versus True Nutrition
Traditional gardening often relies on synthetic fertilizers like urea, which Cerveny describes as a sugar high for plants. While these high-nitrogen inputs produce rapid, lush green growth, they often have a nutrient dilution effect, he says. Because the plants grow so quickly, the resulting fruits and vegetables can actually contain lower concentrations of vital vitamins and minerals than those grown in slower, biologically active systems.
In a regenerative system, nutrients aren’t delivered via a chemical “fast food” fix. Instead, soil microbes digest organic matter — like manure, leaves and compost — converting it into a bioavailable form for plants.
“I think of it like complex carbohydrates versus sugary carbs,” Cerveny says. “That slow metabolism is also really good for the soil life and then the crops that are supported by it.”
Resilience in the Concrete Jungle
For urban farmers working in small plots or raised beds, regenerative practices offer a distinct advantage in building climate resilience. While large-scale industrial farms struggle to amend vast acreage, urban growers can rapidly build a microbial engine in their soil.
Cerveny highlights three essential protocols for the regenerative urban grower:
- Stop Tilling: Tilling grinds up the delicate fungal networks that hold soil together, leading to compaction and erosion. Instead, use sheet composting — layering cardboard and compost to let earthworms do the aeration for you.
- No Bare Soil: Always keep the ground covered with mulch, straw or cover crops. This retains moisture and protects the microbiome from the elements.
- Rethink Weeds: Rather than pulling weeds by the root, Cerveny suggests cutting them at the surface. The remaining roots exude “plant juices” that feed specific microbe populations, eventually decaying into future organic matter and pore space.
The Path Forward
Transitioning to a regenerative model doesn’t happen overnight, Cerveny says. Field studies show it can take one to five years to reach comparable yields to chemical systems. But for the home gardener, the results are often immediate. By starting with a simple soil test to understand background nutrition, urban farmers can stop stripping away from the earth and start building a self-sustaining ecosystem that produces better-tasting, more nutrient-dense food.
