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to the possibilities of regeneration

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This month we’re featuring Be Love Farm in Vacaville, California, and Matthew Rose Stark, Be Love’s former Livestock and Orchard Manager.

FARMLAND PROGRAM

Be Love Farm

This month we’re featuring Be Love Farm in Vacaville, California, and Matthew Rose Stark, Be Love’s former Livestock and Orchard Manager.

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

— Rumi

kisstheground

A weekly reminder for you 🌎 Farmer 👩‍🌾

A weekly reminder for you 🌎 Farmer 👩‍🌾 or not — at its core, soil health impacts all of us. #healthysoil:

🌱 is the key to growing nutritious food for our population
🌱 holds significant amounts of carbon
🌱 filters water for our planet

For these reasons alone, it's clear that #soil hugely impacts our public health on both a granular and large scale. There's no time like the present to get involved in the healthy soil discussion, and the #RegenerateAmerica campaign is a great place to start.

Tap the link in our bio to learn more and get involved!

Q: What does it take to become a soil advocate? A:

Q: What does it take to become a soil advocate?
A: The desire to protect our planet. Yep, that’s it.

The bottom line is that anyone can be a #soiladvocate, anyone. Students, business professionals, farmers, retired folks, scientists, and politicians all have a say in the future of our planet. Our Soil Advocate Training (SAT) Live Cohort - a self-paced online #course paired with a #live, collaborative learning environment - provides all aspiring soil advocates with the tools and space needed to learn about the fundamentals of #soilhealth and impactful, effective #advocacy.

Enrollment for the upcoming 9-week SAT Live Cohort opens on August 10! Mark your calendars and get ready for digging deep into #regenerativegariculture with us from September 22 - November 16 🌿🪱

Six Principles of #RegenerativeAgriculture 👩‍

Six Principles of #RegenerativeAgriculture 👩‍🌾🌱🐄

Remember: Principles are universal, practices are context specific!
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1) Context is critical! No two farms or ranches are alike. How land is regenerated will vary and depend on many factors. A #holistic framework is necessary to successfully transition from degenerative to regenerative.⁣
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2) Least Disturbance to Soil: In nature, there is no mechanical or chemical disturbance. #Tilling breaks soil structure, making it vulnerable to erosion as well as releasing soil carbon. Chemical usage kills soil microbes. The loss of plants and #roots removes the main soil-building process. ⁣
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3) Living Roots: Keep living roots in the soil as long as possible each year. Roots feed microorganisms that feed plants. Plants pump carbon from the air into the soil, and microorganisms store it as carbon-rich soil. ⁣
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4) Soil Armor: Protect the soil's skin. Living plants, crop residue, wood chips, or mulch should cover the soil. Bare soil grows hotter at midday than covered soil, and bare soil is more vulnerable to erosion than covered soil. Less erosion means less runoff, which can pollute waterways if plants are treated with chemicals. ⁣
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5) Increased #Biodiversity: Mother nature did not grow #monoculture, so why should we? A variety of plants, animals, and microbes increase biodiversity below and above ground, as well as improve the ecosystem’s functionality and resilience. ⁣
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6) Animal Integration: Integrating animal grazing with different kinds of ruminants is critical to building #healthysoils. Grasslands, especially, evolved with herds of ruminants and require their presence in order to quickly build soil organic matter.⁣

#RegenerateAmerica is working to prioritize these principles on the next #FarmBill. Learn more about the campaign and sign up at the link in our bio!

Meet Nate, founder of @fatunclefarms — delicious

Meet Nate, founder of @fatunclefarms — delicious flavored, roasted #almonds and a fan favorite at farmer's markets from Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles. @fatunclefarms is also part of a larger picture: a holistic experiment in #regenerativeagriculture in California's Central Valley.

Nate's farming philosophy started "totally conventional" – he studied plant genetics at UCLA, and according to him, he "never saw a live plant" 🌱 during the entire course of his studies. It wasn't until he was in the field 👨‍🌾 that he formed a critical eye of the current system – one hot summer day ☀️ working on a farm, Nate paused for a break and had a zen moment, thinking, "This isn't sustainable. There's something wrong with this system."

Through Kiss the Ground, he accessed a Farmland Program, that connected him to the Soil Health Academy, 📕 bridging all the key points together. After learning a holistic and well-defined theory around regenerative agriculture, he came up with his theories for how to apply those practices in a Mediterranean climate. Since getting involved with Kiss the Ground, he's benefitted from connections with other organizations doing similar work. At this point, Nate says it feels like exponential growth is possible in learning how to farm regeneratively.

Nate has farmed all over the state of #California, but he recently returned to Wasco to participate in a groundbreaking regenerative almond growing experiment funded by @benandjerrys. About three years ago, in collaboration with Lauren Tucker from White Buffalo Land Trust, Nate started brainstorming methods of regenerative almond production for the Central Valley. He and Lauren designed a plan, and as luck would have it, the owners of the farm that his wife grew up on were willing to rent him the property for the experiment. Ben & Jerry's signed on to fund a five-year project, and Nate and his wife have been managing the experiment for the past two years.

Tap the link in bio to learn more about Nate and @fatunclefarms's inspiring story and how the belief in both trial and error and experimentation will benefit regions to come.

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