The Problem
Industrial agriculture is often practiced with only one thing in mind: short to mid-term profits. This method leaves many factors out of the equation.
- Degradation of watersheds
- Abused animals
- Health of local communities
- Health of ecosystem
- Quality and nutritious of food
- Food insecurity due to the use of fossil fuels to truck food in
Our current industrial food model does not encourage consumers to know what it took to get the food to their shopping carts. The true costs of pollution, abuse (of animals and laborers) and subsidies is not understood because of opaque corporations and practices.
A Solution
- Inspire and educate experienced farmers (as well as the population of young people wanting to do something meaningful for the environment and their future) about regenerative agricultural methods that could produce more money than their current methods
- Provide resources for farmers and farmer’s markets (Proposal coming soon)
- Build infrastructure within foodsheds that support regional and hyperlocal food economies
The Vision
I was very inspired by the events I attended in Northern California. I am planning to coordinate similar events, first in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico and then, in the Texas Panhandle. Each event would be geared toward its particular land and culture, but both with the focus of doing ag better. The events I mentioned and would like to model are the Building Resilient Communities Permaculture Convergence and the Sebastopol Village Building Convergence.
The Proposal
- An annual, regional convergence integrating permaculture, regenerative design, whole-systems farming and community building would kick off a series of educational workshops.
- Use the momentum by helping facilitate a place and time for excited participants meet on a regular basis to continue the conversation, build community, etc.
- Within 3 months, hold a 10-day permaculture design course in the region
- Every other weekend, hold workshops on specific areas of interest the community members say the have. Such as, but not limited to:
- Water harvesting
- Backyard gardens
- Keeping chickens
- Bee keeping
- Biodiverse farming
- Medicine & herb gardens
- Fermenting
- Canning
- Value added products
- Foraging
- Cattle rotation
- Sheep sheering
- Goat milking