REGENERATIVE FARMING beyond "Sustainability"
What is
Regenerative agriculture?
Here is a definition from Farmers Without Borders:
“Regenerative agriculture is any kind of farming that enables the restorative capacity of the earth. Regenerative agriculture preserves or improves the fertility of the soil, creates an abundance of food and other agricultural products, contributes to vibrant communities and equitable economies, and respects the ecology of the natural world. Fertile soil helps create nourishing food and, in turn, healthy people and robust communities.”
In the 21st century “Sustainable” is just not enough….
We all want a more sustainable lifestyle, but how much do we stop and think about what this actually means? What exactly do we want to "sustain" at this point?
Do we want to “sustain” runaway climate change? Do we want to sustain an extinction event that is already underway? Do we want to sustain the inequality in the world’s food supply that keeps a third of the worlds population hungry, while the richest folks are overweight and overfed?
Not to be alarmist, but the facts are we are in serious trouble. Our current globalized food system is utterly dependent on fossil fuels, fossil aquifers, and fossil value systems. We will need enormous changes to our current systems if we are to even survive the 21st century, much less thrive as a species.
So, you might ask; “What can I do?”
Well, buying local is the first step. Support local farms. Then, go further....
Make sure your food is grown without fossil-fuel based pesticides or fertilizers. Check into other aspects of the farm operation; do they use a lot of fossil fuels to heat their greenhouses? How much are they tilling the soil? Are they using black plastic mulch on the soil? Now, you will find that most farms are doing these things, and even we make compromises in order to get our veggies to market, but we need to consider all of these factors and more if we really want to build a secure, local, and truly sustainable food system.
And the best part is, there is no downside! If we nurture our soils, and grow with healthier methods, we all win!
Our food will be tastier, more nutritious, (higher nutrient density) and grown with a lower carbon footprint; better for our palates, our bodies, our environment, and our planet. It is a win-win-win for us all!
Regenerative farming can sequester carbon and help reverse global warming!
Learn more about the benefits and practice of various forms of organic no-till agriculture:
http://fukuokafarmingol.info
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/no-till_revolution
http://www.landinstitute.org/
REGENERATION CSA OFFERS REGULAR PERMACULTURE WORKSHOPS AT THE FARM. These workshops are designed to help people improve their quality of life, while lowering their carbon footprint. We also offer free Permaculture workshops for non-profits and local community groups.
WE ALSO OFFER LOW COST PERMACULTURE CONSULTATIONS, AND DESIGN WORK FOR YOUR HOME AND LAND. WE DO NO-TILL CONSULTS FOR OTHER FARMERS. GIVE US A CALL FOR DETAILS 845 687 0535