Regenerative Community
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
At the Organic Farm School, we actively pursue regenerative ag techniques. What does that mean?
For starters, it means that we teach and practice critical thinking so that we are not doing things by rote. The ecosystem in which food grows is complex, so taking the time to consider how farming practices might either disrupt or strengthen that ecosystem is important.
We are a production farm. We do not teach permaculture. However, we use tillage judiciously, with an emphasis on incorporating organic matter. We avoid traditional plowing, which actually turns layers of soil upside down. And we persistently look for ways to utilize tarps and mulch when it comes to weed management and decomposition of crop residue (the remainders left behind when a crop is “finished.”
We are not perfect. As our Farm changes, so must our regenerative methods. But we are committed to the work.
We actively engage our community in exploring the “what’s and why’s of what we do” because even as we train new farmers to enter the food system as it operates today, we know they will be tasked by this changing world to improve how local/regional food systems operate. Students and graduates alike will need community support all along the way. What’s more, farmers can’t change the food system by themselves — we eaters must also do our part.