Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems ’s Post

While being a friendly neighbor and ambassador of your culture is vital for growing healthy humanity 🌱, Peter Kring of Finca La Isla pointed out something that really made an impression on me. He says that the best way to get your neighbors’ attention and get them naturally interested in whatever methods of land management or business that you might want to demonstrate to them is to show them that what you’re doing can make money. He encourages us to remember that farming is a business, and you need ways to sustain it. Many of the locals that Peter influences are those that come to his place to buy trees 🌳. They see what he’s doing and start to ask questions. Peter gives back to his community in many ways. He heads up the local farmers market and is part of a group of farmers who’ve formed a local organic certification association. By applying collectively, the farmers are able to save significantly on fees. An awesome byproduct is that they end up working collectively to uphold the standard. Selling at most farmers’ market doesn’t require organic certification, but Peter and the association created a unique market, specifically for certified growers 🌾. They’re now able to efficiently assist other farms in acquiring the certification so they can be permitted to sell there. ---------------------------------- 🌿✨ Are you ready to turn your passion for community into impactful action like Peter? Check out the link in the comments to learn more. #RegenerativeCommunities #CircularEconomy #HolisticLifestyle #MindfulLiving #CooperativeCulture #CommunityBuilding #SharedSpaces

What is Regenerative Organic Agriculture? Regenerative organic agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. With regenerative organic agriculture, we can rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare, and improve the lives of farmers. We can sequester carbon, build healthier communities, and reap more nutritious and abundant yields. In practice, regenerative organic agriculture can look like cover cropping, crop rotation, low- to no-till, compost, and zero use of persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers. All of this information comes from the Regenerative Organic Alliance. The ROA is a group of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and farmer and worker fairness. Dr. Bronner's is a founding partner of the Regenerative Organic Alliance along with the Rodale Institute & Patagonia. And if you didn't know, Dr. Bronner's Whole Kernel - Virgin Coconut Oil is Regenerative Organic Certified! Also its Salted Dark flavor of Magic All-One Chocolate is now Regenerative Organic Certified. The first-ever chocolate product in the world to achieve this certification. Additionally, the coconut oil, palm kernel oil, olive oil, and hemp seed oil in Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soaps have achieved Regenerative Organic Certified status. That certification is overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA). Regenerative Organic Certified is a revolutionary new certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients that represents the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world, with stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. Regenerative Organic Certified uses the USDA Certified Organic standard as a baseline. From there, it adds important criteria and benchmarks that incorporate the three major pillars of regenerative organic agriculture into one certification. Learn more information about regenerative organic agriculture from the Rodale Institute in the attached link!

I enjoyed writing about regenerative farming in this feature: https://lnkd.in/eX6p4XGY I'm so grateful for the privilege of writing about things that fascinate me. Please contact me for federal contract communications projects. I would love to highlight your project or program!"  #regenerativefarming

🌿 🥩 Farm Box: Changing the Way We Eat, One Farm at a Time At The Ethical Butcher, we’re on a mission to do more than deliver meat—we’re here to deliver stories, connections, and change. 💡 Here’s the problem: Regenerative farmers—the heroes restoring the land, nurturing animals, and creating better food systems—often go unseen. Their incredible work gets lost in the supply chain, their stories untold. ✨ The solution? Farm Box. Farm Box connects us directly to these farmers, bringing us meat from one farm, one animal, at a time. Each box is: 🐄 Seasonal, regenerative, and carefully curated 🌍 A platform to spotlight farmers and their work 💬 A story about how food is transforming our planet Through Farm Box, we’re offering farms without a direct route to market the chance to shine. Each box tells their story, shares their practices, and showcases their dedication to producing meat that heals the land and nourishes communities. 🌟 The result? Incredible food while directly supporting farmers who are leading the way in regenerative agriculture. 🚜 The first Farm Box is launching soon—exclusively for our loyal customers before it goes public. This isn’t just a box of meat. It’s a movement to transform how we produce and consume food. Let’s make a difference, one farm at a time. #FarmBox #grassfed #pasturefed #farming #british #food #chef

“We’ve worked with Paul Brentlinger and CropKing to design [the greenhouse] space and make it less intimidating to students who walk in the door,” said Horn. “We want to give them the skillset to be impactful in agriculture, even if they don’t have the resources to go to The Ohio State University or other schools that have multi-million-dollar CEA programs.” https://lnkd.in/gpGBSPyQ #CEA #communityimpact #MidOhioFoodCollective #greenhouse #foodsystem

With the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's #CattleCon25 right around the corner, I loved seeing the discussion Nicole Buckley Biggs, PhD had with Sarah Mikesell about the opportunities ranchers have with corporate sustainability, specifically carbon insetting programs. One of Nic's responses stood out to me—specifically her answer to the question of whether producers should view corporate sustainability programs as added revenue streams. She shared: "This is a way of diversifying income. Most ranchers are looking for ways to improve profitability. If you are doing things on your ranch to become more sustainable, such as improving genetics, culling practices, or weaning weights, it can mean that you will be paid more for the product that you are selling. It also means the next generation comes into a business with these different income sources and can build resiliency into the business." Thank you, Global Ag Media, for sharing this information with your audience. Full article here (and below) 👉 https://lnkd.in/geJMHDiY

🎵 I see you baby - shaking that ... mixed species seeds  Did you know that one half of Groove Armada is now a pioneer in regenerative agriculture?  He even featured on Clarkson's Farm on the third season.  The style of farming he is a proponent of is the same as what we are building at Reap.  If you would like to know more about the importance of providing tools and resources for farmers to support them in the transition toward more climate resilient farm practices - reach out to the team at Reap, or email steph@reap.eco ———————————————- 🐝Reap is an online product to increase transparency in the agri-food supply chain We provide an innovative resource for agri-food adjacent businesses across the UK & Europe. Formerly known as Farming Carbon 🌾 We have a free to access marketplace specifically for environmental impact on farms. We work to develop ways to empower and educate farmers to increase their access to opportunity. 🗓️ We post about sustainable farming, including insight on why this is relevant to society in a more general way. 📈 Follow for farm & food focused conversations

Our relationship with Orkney cheddar began in 2005 - and we're proud to be part of a brand steeped in tradition, but also one with progressive future vision. Let us tell you more... The cheese making tradition in Orkney goes back hundreds of years – and with PGI status granted in 2013, the quality of the cheddar can be attributed to the Island’s unique climate (cool and temperate, which is remarkably mild and steady for such northerly latitude) and that it is produced using the dry-stir method, both of which combine to give it a deliciously creamy texture and mellow flavour. But there's more, as a business we are committed to local communities and seeking out the most sustainable farming methods – and that’s why, as part of The Orkney Cheese Co-operative we’re delighted to introduce you to ‘Project Orkney’; the tiny islands saving the world - with Orkney set to become the world's first biological farming island. The project will see the Co-operative collaborating with partners of The Biological Farmers to become the world’s first completely net zero cheese producers – without using any external offsetting. The aim is to eliminate chemical fertiliser, restoring soil to health, by using natural bacteria and processes. You can follow the journey of the 12 farmers turning Orkney into the first truly net-zero cheese-producing island at: https://lnkd.in/g8BvZV7r or follow the YouTube series sharing behind-the-scenes information, exclusive footage, and data from the trials here: https://lnkd.in/gh8scQX3. #scottishcheddar #lactalisukandireland #RegenerativeAgriculture #FarmingUK #FarmLife #BiologicalFarming #SoilScience

Farmers risk losing everything 🥺 WHY? Decades of intensive industrial agriculture have left soils heavily compacted and depleted of organic matter. This has weakened soils’ ability to infiltrate and hold water effectively. SO WHAT? When it rains a lot 🌧️ Soils quickly become saturated. Excess water runs off into nearby rivers, often taking nutrient-rich topsoil with it. Oxygen becomes scarce for roots, causing plants to struggle. Yields drop. When it doesn’t rain ☀️ The small amount of water stored in the soil depletes quickly through evapotranspiration. Roots can’t access enough water, plants suffer, and yields drop. BAD NEWS The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are expected to increase steadily over the coming decades. Farmers, already surviving on razor-thin margins, are squeezed by rising input costs, low commodity prices, and an increasing risk of crop failures. If we continue down this path, many farmers will go bankrupt. Goodbye farmers, hello food insecurity. GOOD NEWS By transitioning to regenerative systems 🌾, farmers can sustain productivity, lower costs, and improve soil organic matter, water infiltration, and water-holding capacity. As Michael Kavanagh points out in this video, by raising his soil’s organic matter by just 0.75%, he’s able to retain an additional 100,000 liters of water per hectare – and it makes all the difference! CONCLUSION It’s a no-brainer. If we want to save our farmers and ensure the future of agriculture, regenerative practices are 100% the way forward! ❤️ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ 🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Michael on the latest Deep Seed episode. Shout out to Soil Capital for their support - to The Green Farm Collective for their admirable work - to Paula Vonhof for the video - and to Alica Parkes & Regenerative Agriculture Series for the invitation!

📢 Join Us for a Crucial Conversation on Regenerative Agriculture in California 📢 As interest in regenerative agriculture grows, California is working to define the term as it applies to state agriculture policies and programs. By defining “regenerative agriculture" and its associated practices, the state aims to establish a framework for what it means to farm regeneratively, and how these practices protect, sustain, and enhance natural resources on California farms and in our communities. A clear definition will promote these methods and ensure #transparency for consumers who are increasingly wary of greenwashing and competing sustainability claims.   The California Department of Food and Agriculture is hosting virtual public listening sessions to gather input from businesses, organizations, and consumers as they develop this definition, with the next session scheduled for May 29 at 4:30pm PT.   As a leading organic winery that farms more than 850 acres using regenerative organic practices, Bonterra Organic Estates team members will be attending this session to lend our voice for a definition of regenerative agriculture that includes a baseline foundation of organic.    We invite you to join us in shaping the future of regenerative agriculture in California! Register for the listening session here: https://lnkd.in/gt6pCtr9 And learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eF8rgueT   #RegenerativeAgriculture #OrganicFarming #Wine #WineIndustry