ing them ,” says Harrison , who adds as people begin re-educating themselves and children grow up and start making decisions about food and careers , that ’ s how change happens . “ You start to develop preferences and awareness .”
Several small-scale vegetable farms in the Capital Region are practicing regenerative agriculture such as Feeding Crane Farm , a 9-acre organic farm in Penn Valley owned by Antonio Garza that grows and sells seasonal vegetables to farmers markets , restaurants and grocery stores in Nevada County . Beyond the ecological benefits , regenerative agriculture has the potential to restore nutrient-dense food for local communities — and produce more of it — yielding a better price for a reduced cost .
Education is key
Dave Runsten , policy director at Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Davis , estimates there are roughly 100 small urban educational farms like
Soil Born Farms across California . He says while they won ’ t produce enough food to feed a significant portion of the population , they do serve an important educational purpose .
Runsten draws a parallel to the environmental movement . “ Back around 1980 , environmental groups started creating curriculum for the schools to teach kids about environmental issues . I think that had a big impact on people , and I think the same can happen for food .”
That ’ s what the curriculum at Soil Born Farms aims to do as it educates the urban population on why policies and practices that impact large-scale production agriculture need to be developed , says Harrison . “ Urban constituents will have an increasingly significant role in influencing policy that protects and invests in our local food system . If they do not understand and value it , they will not prioritize ( it ), and we will lose it .”
And awareness is growing . In 2020 , Whole Foods Market named regenerative agriculture as a top-10 food trend , as farmers , government agencies , retailers and academia have taken note . General Mills has committed 1 million acres of its farmland to regenerative agriculture by 2030 , in collaboration with 30 industry partners , including The Nature Conservancy , Cornell University and the National Young Farmers Coalition . But it ’ s not a simple shift for farmers .
In theory , regenerative practices should improve production ; reduce cost and waste ; and make healthier , more productive plants , says Garza . But how to effectively use the practices are not widely understood . Any time a farm changes practices , it takes risks , and farmers by nature are often risk averse , says Garza .
“ I ’ m interested in no ( tilling ), but I don ’ t convert my whole farm to no till ,” he says . “ I take a small section of it and start learning best practices , what
From father to daughter , the legacy of excellence in real estate has survived in the Aborn Powers family for over 50 years .
Residennal Sales | Property Management | Commercial Sales & Leasing
May 2021 | comstocksmag . com 51