The Month of March, We Have A Greater Impact Together
Welcome to March! March is one of my favorite months, but also one of the busiest for our family. Three out of the 4 of us have March birthdays. :) It is month of celebration.
It is also the month where we feel the first days of spring, flowers and the gardens waking up from winter hibernation!
Just as we have seen the change in government as we collectively stand up and use our voices, we have a greater impact when we work together!! Have you been to the grocery store recently and seen the Regenerative Certified Organic label on food items?
We are accustomed to conventional farming / foods, certified organic foods and in the last few years we have Regenerative Organic Certified. A few years ago at a vegan festival where I had a table, I had a long discussion with a gentlemen about organic vs regenerative organic certified. He felt that organic was the best and I explained why regenerative organic certified goes a step farther and the benefits to the planet are immense! Let’s dig in to breakdown what it all means. :)
Conventional farming and food labels:
Uses synthetic chemicals and GMO’s likely using monoculture (1 crop) in the same fields for years.
Massive tillage and soil disturbance
Factory farmed meats - no pasture time or natural light
Certified Organic:
No synthetic pesticides, possible some organic pesticides, exclusion of most synthetic fertilizers, no antibiotics / hormones for animal feeds
Tillage / soil disturbance okay
Animals raised in conditions that allow for natural behaviors, grazing on pasture for 120 days per year and 100% organic feed
Regenerative Organic Certified:
Defined as building soil health, ensures equity for farm workers, empower farmers and improve animal welfare through a holistic farm-based system.
Food produced using methods that restore and improve the health of the planet
Regenerative Ag produces healthier food and can accumulate up to 35% more carbon in the soil than conventional agriculture.
Using cycles of nature for less disturbance of the soil (no tilling), planned grazing of animals, and of course keeping soil covered in plants.
Foods grown using regenerative organic certified have an increase in nutrients in the food that is being grown because their are less interventions.
Grocery Store Purchasing Guide
Dairy Labels - Regenerative Organic Certified (You will see many local Petaluma brands on this list, yes!!)
Food Labels Purchasing Guide - this is a really interesting break down of a lot of the green washing buzz words and what they really mean for the food that we consume.
What to do you in your garden this month:
If you haven’t already cut back your cover crop, it should be done in the next week or so.
It is finally time to cut back all the perennial flowers. Many can be cut about 6 inches off the ground. For others, you can see where new leaves are coming in and cut right above there.
At the end of the month, I always spread around a good layer of compost at the base of my plants from my compost bin, you can also use bagged compost - be sure it contains a lot of animal poop. :) That is the good stuff.
If you have blueberries, be sure you are feeding them monthly with a good acid food through the fall.
Just a reminder, this is a great to time to add more plants to your garden to cover bare soil.
Enjoy the spring blooms coming up and get ready for summer planting, it will come upon us quick!!
Thank you for reading the newsletters and all the love! I so appreciate it! Please share with friends and make sure they subscribe! Just a reminder, I only send this one email a month - no spam. Yay!
A clarification on a few of our offerings:
Luma Front Yard Farming does pollinator gardens, not just food gardens.
We can help with any garden space (not just front yards).
We also offer full service landscaping, but can also do garden coaching if you prefer to learn hands on.
If budget is a concern, we can walk you through steps to complete the work on your own. I want building healthy soil to be accessible to EVERYONE!! When we all take steps to manage our soils with regenerative practices it benefits us all!
Happy March!! Enjoy all the gorgeous beauty in your garden!
