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Finding Freedom Through Farming... ...continued from page 13 processed food industry, we also see food deserts where the only af- IRUGDEOHIRRGDYDLODEOHLVIDVWIRRGRUXOWUDSURFHVVHGIRRG$QGW\SL - FDOO\LWLVWKHHFRQRPLFDOO\GLVWUHVVHGUXUDODQGRUXUEDQFRPPXQLWLHV that are most impacted, keeping them in a vicious cycle of malnutri- tion, sickness and poverty. When it comes to other crops outside the corn and soybean rota- WLRQZHVHHDORWRIIRRGJURZQIDUDZD\IURPWKHFRQVXPHU$VFRQ - venient as it may be to have strawberries and tomatoes in January, similar industrial farming techniques and chemicals are used; plus, it WDNHVWRQVRIIRVVLOIXHOVWREULQJWKHPIURP0H[LFRRU&DOLIRUQLDWR say, the East coast. <RXFDQQRWDUJXHWKDWHYHU\KXPDQULFKRUSRRUUHGRUEOXHUHOL - gious or not needs food and clean water to survive. I could rant about 0RQVDQWRDQGSHVWLFLGHV%LJ3KDUPD%LJ2LODQGKRZDIHZSHRSOH RZQWKHPDMRULW\RIZHDOWKLQWKLVFRXQWU\EXWLW¶VMXVWDORWHDVLHUWR say that greed truly is the root cause of these imbalances, rather than lament on the toxic details. I prefer focusing on the antidote to greed and the current short-sighted ethos, and on what we can do to ensure ZH¿QGIUHHGRPDQGVHFXULW\LQDOOVHQVHVDVDSHRSOHPD\EHHYHQFRP - ing together in community in our respective “villages” because of it. Regenerative Farming: For the Land, the People and the Future of Both Fortunately, there is a better way forward where the farmer makes DGLJQL¿HGOLYLQJWKHSHRSOHDUHIHGQXWULWLRXVORFDOIRRGDQGWKHODQG is treated with the respect it deserves — regenerative farming 5H - generative farming is a dynamic and holistic movement, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, all working in unison to increase food produc- WLRQ IDUPHUV¶ LQFRPH DQG HVSHFLDOO\ WRSVRLO 5HJHQHUDWLRQ ,QWHUQD - tional describes regenerative farming best: “The key to regenerative DJULFXOWXUHLVWKDWLWQRWRQO\µGRHVQRKDUP¶WRWKHODQGEXWDFWXDOO\ LPSURYHVLWXVLQJWHFKQRORJLHVWKDWUHJHQHUDWHDQGUHYLWDOL]HWKHVRLO DQGWKHHQYLURQPHQW5HJHQHUDWLYHDJULFXOWXUHOHDGVWRKHDOWK\VRLO capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simulta- neously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately lead- ing to productive farms and healthy communities and economies.” KWWSV UHJHQHUDWLRQLQWHUQDWLRQDORUJ The biggest focus within regenerative farming is soil health, since it is truly at the root of an entire healthy ecosystem, just like how the microorganisms in our human bodies keep us in balance and func- WLRQLQJ RSWLPDOO\ :KDW PDNHV VRLO KHDOWK\" 6LPSO\ SXW /,)( DQG GLYHUVLW\ RI WKDW OLIH WR ERRW $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH 1DWLRQDO 5HVRXUFHV Conservation Service, a teaspoon of healthy soil has anywhere from PLOOLRQDQGELOOLRQEDFWHULDIXQJLDQGSURWR]RDDOORIZKLFKFRQ - WULEXWHWRYLWDOSURFHVVHVXQGHUJURXQG7KH5RGDOH,QVWLWXWH KWWSV URGDOHLQVWLWXWHRUJ DQRWKHU RUJDQL]DWLRQ GHGLFDWHG WR JURZLQJ the regenerative organic movement through research, farmer train- ing, and consumer education, describes these processes beautifully: 'L̆ HUHQWJURXSVRIFULWWHUVGRGL̆ HUHQWWKLQJVLQWKHVRLO)RU example, bacteria and fungi take nutrients from the soil which DUHµQRQDYDLODEOH¶²SODQWVFDQ¶WXVHWKHP²DQGUHWDLQWKHQX - WULHQWVDVWKH\JURZ7KHLUZDVWHSURGXFWVIURPWKHGHFRPSRVL - tion of plant material or residues also retain those nutrients in QRQOHDFKDEOHIRUPV7KHEDFWHULDDQGIXQJLDUHWKHQFRQVXPHG
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PATHWAYS—Fall 22—41
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