Earth Day- April 22, 2023

HAPPY EARTH DAY !!!

If you don't know about regenerative farming, now is the time to learn!

At the largest Natural Food Expo in the world this past March, Natural Expo West in Anaheim CA, regenerative farming products where THE trending topic.  

Regenerative International's website gives some key information on regenerative farming and why it is important for our planet.  Here are some key points from there site:

“Regenerative Agriculture” describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle."

 "The key to regenerative agriculture is that it not only “does no harm” to the land but actually improves it, using technologies that regenerate and revitalize the soil and the environment. Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies. It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil."

"The loss of the world’s fertile soil and biodiversity, along with the loss of indigenous seeds and knowledge, pose a mortal threat to our future survival. According to soil scientists, at current rates of soil destruction (i.e. decarbonization, erosion, desertification, chemical pollution), within 50 years we will not only suffer serious damage to public health due to a qualitatively degraded food supply characterized by diminished nutrition and loss of important trace minerals, but we will literally no longer have enough arable topsoil to feed ourselves. Without protecting and regenerating the soil on our 4 billion acres of cultivated farmland, 8 billion acres of pastureland, and 10 billion acres of forest land, it will be impossible to feed the world, keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, or halt the loss of biodiversity."

Regenerative farming  is an important way to help reverse climate change and you can support these farming efforts by supporting food which is grown in this method. Ask you local markets if they have products/ produce grown regeneratively.  If they don't know, write corporate.  The reason why natural food sections and organic produce is gaining shelf space in regular super markets isn't because corporate what's to do some good.  It is because people are demanding them to be present in supermarkets.  The same will happen with regenerative farming when people also make their voices heard.

Natural Food stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts know about it and are promoting these items right now for Earth Day.  This is a trend which is here to stay.  Thank goodness.  Even some wine companies are growing their products this way.

https://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/

Here is a list of some companies which have some Regenerative Farming product lines.

Applegate- New Food collection

Annies Homegrown

Epic Provisions

Alter Eco Chocolate- Really good!

White Leaf Provisions -Baby Food

Farm Hounds- Dog food

Tazo- Regenerative Tea line

Doudlah Farms - Dried Beans and Fruit

Alexandre Family Products

White Oak Pastures

Pasturebird - Chicken.  Just tried them last night, cooked a whole bird.  Yum. 

Artisan Tropic- chips and they are delicious!

https://savetheplanetpodcast.com/blog/regenerative-agriculture

@lovendures 

The art projects are fantastic and I will incorporate some of them into my summer camp art classes.  Thanks for sharing.

@ghandigirl 

I am so happy they will come in handy!  Yay!!!