GREEN NEWS & VIEWS
Finding Freedom Through Farming... ...continued from page 41 E\SUHGDWRUVUHOHDVLQJVROXEOH²SODQWDYDLODEOH²QXWULHQWVDQG PDNLQJ WKHP XVDEOH IRU FURSV %DFWHULD DOVR EXLOG PLFURDJJUH - JDWHV²WKHVPDOOHVWXQLWVRIVRLOVWUXFWXUH 7KLQNRIWKHVRLODVDFLW\EHLQJEXLOW0LFURDJJUHJDWHVDUHWKH bricks, fungi are the mortar that binds the bricks and larger or- ganisms, like protozoa, nematodes and microarthropods, are the EXLOGLQJ FRQVWUXFWRUV $OO WKHVH RUJDQLVPV FRQJUHJDWH DURXQG plant roots acting as a wall, protecting the roots from disease or- JDQLVPVDQGSHVWV People argue that cows are causing climate change, but there is an outcome where this fact is not true, and it involves regenerative farm- LQJ:KHQDOORZHGWRJUD]HIRURIWKHLUOLIHVSDQJUD]LQJFDWWOH KDYHWKHDELOLW\WRWXUQGHVHUWFURSODQGVLQWRODQGWKDWLVÀXVKZLWK perennial grassland. The cows add these precious microorganisms to the soil, and the practice creates a higher quality of life for the animal, thereby producing a more potently nutritious food product the way QDWXUHLQWHQGHG$QGLIWKHVHJUDVVODQGVH[LVWHGWKH\ZRXOGVHTXHVWHU JDOORQVRIZDWHUSHUDFUHSHURIRUJDQLFPDWWHUZLWKLQWKH soil, making the land more drought resistant. Soil health also improves when it is minimally disturbed by repet- LWLYH WLOODJH DQG ZKHQ H̆ RUW LV PDGH WR NHHS OLYLQJ URRWV LQ WKH VRLO via cover crops, which also helps sequester unbelievable amounts of FDUERQ$GGHGEDFWHULDFRPHIURPDQLPDOPDQXUHVSODQWDQGIRRG compost, and patience. If this were the easier option in the short term, LWZRXOGSUREDEO\EHPRUHSRSXODUDQGFRPPRQ EXW,KRQHVWO\GRQ¶W EHOLHYHLW¶VVXSSRVHGWREHHDV\,EHOLHYHZHDUHVXSSRVHGWREHFRQ -
Photo 244251433 / Black © Pojoslaw | Dreamstime.com
stantly challenged in order to learn and grow from those challenges to make us better and stronger, just like the cells do in our body through a process called hormesis. Once we surrender to the fact that we work with the earth as opposed to taking from it, the earth starts working with us and for us. 5HJHQHUDWLYH IDUPLQJ KDV JDLQHG PRPHQWXP LQ WKH ODVW GHFDGH and it is a massive relief, since the stakes feel too high to keep betting on our current system. I think seeing large land tracts broken up into smaller pieces farmed with regenerative practices has to be part of the solution. Imagine a reality in which small communities, towns or neighbor- hoods within urban areas were provided with nutritious local produce, milk, butter, meat and even grain and bread. When we turn land into the diverse ecosystems they are meant to be, it becomes easier for this model to exist more organically. The farmers can actually make a living selling directly to their consumers and not depending on a small paycheck or subsidy for their corn or soybeans. Furthermore, the community puts a face to the person growing their food, and they have proper nutrition to thrive and contribute their best selves to their families and back into the community. There were many communities during the height of the pandem- LF WKDW KDG HPSW\ JURFHU\ VKHOYHV :KR GLG WKH\ WXUQ WR" 7KHLU OR - cal farmers! I heard stories of local meat processing facilities facing months-long waitlists for small cattle farmers because of the demand of the consumer, the demand of their neighbors $V GHWULPHQWDO DV &29,'KDVEHHQLWGLGJLYHXVDFOHDUH[DPSOHRIZKDWKDSSHQVZKHQ our food supply chain is disrupted ever so slightly. We saw how much food GRHVQ¶W come from our local food shed; and we met our neighbors that work incredibly hard to raise food that nourishes us. Focusing on hundreds of thousands of small, diverse food systems in a direct-to-consumer relationship rather than monoculture on our farmlands makes a lot more sense to me. Putting your dollars back into your local community rather than in the pockets of large corpo- UDWLRQVPDNHVDPDVVLYHGL̆ HUHQFHLQWLSSLQJWKHVFDOHWRZDUGZKHUH much more value is produced. I truly believe society works best when we work together to cre- DWHFROOHFWLYHPXWXDOO\EHQH¿FLDOFKDQJH+RZHYHUWKHUHLVDVWURQJ GULYLQJHOHPHQWRIWKHLQGLYLGXDOPDNLQJLQIRUPHGFKRLFHVSULRULWL] - LQJKHDOWKDQGVWHHULQJFOHDURIKDWHDQGJUHHGIXHOHGLQGXVWULHV%\ PDNLQJWKHFKRLFHWRVWHSLQWRDGL̆ HUHQWV\VWHPDPRUHORFDOL]HGDQG wholesome system, we scale down our impact to our state, county or town level and take the extra step of supporting farms who support
GET
YOURSELF!
Join the 6-Week online course to Get YOU Back , Shawn Mahshie's NO-MATTER-WHAT antidote to resentment & regret in reactive relationships (based on her Wheel of Self-Love & The Work of Byron Katie ) Learn more: GET-YOU-BACK.COM
42—PATHWAYS—Fall 22
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software