GREEN NEWS & VIEWS
WKHLUVRLO,NQRZLW¶VSRVVLEOHEHFDXVHLWKDSSHQVDWDVPDOOSHUFHQWDJH DOODURXQGWKHZRUOGDQGHYHQLQRXUFRXQWU\,¶YHVHHQLWZLWKP\RZQ eyes and felt the hope and possibility deeply. 0RUHRYHU,VHHDSRVVLEOHRXWFRPHLQZKLFKVRFLHW\DVDZKROHKDV the ability to diversify at every level. Just like the microscopic ecosys- WHPRIVRLOHYHU\SHUVRQZLWKKLVKHUXQLTXHKXPDQQHVVFRQWULEXWHV to a better outcome. I love the analogy of the microscopic internal hu- man microbiome and the macroscopic societal form we take as a peo- ple and our land. We see what happens when “bad” bacteria take over our gut, and we can even connect that to the bigger thread of industri- al farming since that bacteria is fed by sugar and processed food. So many diseases occur and can create a diminished quality of life when WKHEHQH¿FLDOEDFWHULDDUHRXWQXPEHUHG7KHVDPHWKLQJKDSSHQVZLWK WKHDEVHQFHRIWKDWEDFWHULDLQRXUQDWLRQ¶VVRLODQGZKHQZHKDYHD handful of people behave like that bad bacteria and create disease-like symptoms in our foundational systems. People in the U.S. are increasingly farming within the ethos of the UHJHQHUDWLYHPRYHPHQW ZHVHHWKHVWDWXVTXR¶VEOHDNURDGDKHDGDQG GRQ¶WDFFHSWLW1RWKLQJKDSSHQVRYHUQLJKWDQG,FDQJHQXLQHO\VD\ I am hopeful about the collective baby steps taking us toward that IXWXUH 2Q RXU IDUP ZKHUH ZH KDYH DFUHV RI IDUPDEOH ¿HOGV ZH grow heirloom grains like rye and nourishing wheat as well as hemp IRU &%' :H FKRRVH WR VWD\ FRPPLWWHG WR WKLV PLVVLRQ GHVSLWH WKH challenges with weeds, the added expenses of cover crop seeds, and despite the lack of education and resources for farmers choosing this method. It gets easier every day and gives us a sense of purpose that contributes good to our community. The main takeaway is that if we work with the land versus exploit- LQJWKHODQGEH\RQGLWVQDWXUDOSRWHQWLDOWKHULSSOHH̆ HFWLVRXWVWDQG - ingly positive in so many areas of life. It may not make sense or feel easy to connect the dots between the health of soil and the freedom of people within a society, but it honestly ZRXOGQ¶W make sense if we ZHUHQ¶WDGLUHFWUHÀHFWLRQRIQDWXUHDQGLW¶VKHDOWKVLQFHZHDUHTXLWH literally made from this earth. Healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people = healthy communities = healthy society = healthy land, DQG VR RQ ,W LV D EHDXWLIXO F\FOH WKDW LVQ¶W WKDW IDU RXW RI RXU UHDFK %U\QQ6HDWRQLVWKHGLUHFWRURIIRUPXODWLRQIRU)LGGOHUV*UHHQ)DUPLQ7DQH\ - town MD, a 4th generation family farm dedicated to ethical land management DQGFUHDWLQJKLJKTXDOLW\&%'SURGXFWVPDGHIURPWKHKHPSWKH\JURZDQGFDUH IRU6KHKDVWUDLQLQJLQKROLVWLFQXWULWLRQDQGLVDKRXUFHUWL¿HG<RJDWHDFKHU DORQJVLGHKDYLQJDGHHSSDVVLRQIRUSODQWPHGLFLQHDQGKHUEDOLVP<RXFDQZLW - ness our farm happenin JVRQ,QVWDJUDPDQG)DFHERRN#¿GGOHUVJUHHQIDUPOLIH DQGVKRSRXUGLJLWDOIDUPVWDQGDWZZZ¿GGOHUVJUHHQLR
PATHWAYS—Fall 22—43
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