Why Is Our Food System Broken?
It is already August!! Every day is a new day and yet it feels like it is flying by. I have been having so much fun getting involved in the community! Meeting so many like minded new friends fills my my heart with joy!
Guess what friends?! Fantastic news… We are nearing a tipping point of awareness about regenerative farming and the impact it has on our planet. We went from 4% awareness in 2023 and as of this year we are at 13%. Yay!! Keep spreading the word to friends and family. The biggest shift I am currently seeing is many people looking to purchase more food products from regenerative farming sources.
According to the research the biggest driver is people wanting to eat healthier, realizing that the way food is mass farmed depletes it of its nutrients. Let’s dig into why! :) Kiss The Ground Research - Tipping Point
Why Is Our Food System Broken
If you have been here for a while, you may have heard me say the industrialized food system is broken. Growing food using the industrialized monocrop farming methods is not nutrient-dense for humans that consume the food. It depletes the soil of all nutrients and leaves our soil lifeless. Literally sand that can blow away in the wind. Of course, the gas needed to move food all over the world takes a heavy toll on our planet too.
Speaking of industrialized mass farming, I am sure you have heard the recent news about the cyclospora outbreak currently affecting many states. The scope and number of people affected are in the thousands. This is what can happen when our food supply system is dependent on a few giant farms supplying so much of our food. One contamination can affect the whole country. So the question is, what can we do?
I always say "know your farmer" and "eat locally.” These aren't just slogans, they're actions. When you know where your food comes from and are close to the source you are not only making healthy choices and getting better tasting food, you are less likely to be affected by outbreaks coming from the giant industrialized farms. Fortunately, we are lucky to live in a place where we have many local options for food farmed and raised right here in Sonoma county.
Of course, the shortest path to your produce is the one right outside your doorstep. Even small spaces can produce a lot of food.
One of the biggest findings from the Kiss The Ground Research - Tipping Point is that people are motivated by moving to regenerative gardening / farming practices because of health reasons. Foods that are regenerative farmed, meat, dairy, produce, grains are much much more nutrient dense for you than food that has been grown using conventional farming methods. That is the number one driver for someone to change the way they shop and purchase food.
What To Do In Your Garden This Month
August is a time to fill our tummies with so much fresh fruit and fresh veggies. The nutrient dense in season produce is at its best now! Did you know in the summer more people eat seasonally? I challenge you to eat seasonally all year round and see how much better the produce tastes.
If you do not have plants on irrigation, then it is best to do deep watering at night after the heat of the sun is gone. About 7:30pm to help the plants absorb all the water and keep it from burning in the heat.
Keep adding all those annual and perieneal flower seeds with a focus on native flowers to support our native bee populations!
Be sure to cut herbs often so they don’t bolt in the increasing temperatures.
My kids love bell peppers for their sweetness so we grow a lot of bell peppers! The peppers would love some support as they get bigger this month. I just used an old garden stake that has been repurposed so many times over the years. If you have the small cone tomato cages, you could use those too.
Add a water source in your garden for the pollinators to get fresh water. You can use a shallow saucer to allow pollinators fresh water in the heat of the summer. I used an old ceramic dog water bowl and added large rocks for bees to rest and take a drink.
One of my favorite 12 minute Ted Talks is the one given by Rebecca Mcmackin - Let Your Garden Grow Wild
Please take a moment to enjoy Rebecca’s inspirational chat!
Thank you for being a part of the journey! I am so glad you are here. Stay tuned for a regenerative gardening class in the fall, including how to use wool in your gardens.
We grow more than gardens, we create living ecosystems. Luma Front Yard Farming is client led to meet everyone where they are and to allow everyone the opportunity to build an ecosystem and food garden in your home. Seeing our clients fall in love with their gardens and discover the joy of harvesting fruit, watching butterflies, and reconnecting with the outdoors. We teach, not just install.
Get outside and enjoy nature! The benefits are immense to you and our ecosystem!!
