The soil is the great connector of lives , the source and destination of all . It is the healer and restorer and resurrector , by which disease passes into health , age into youth , death into life . Without proper care for it we can have no community , because without proper care for it we can have no life .
- wendell berry , the unsettling of america : culture and agriculture
War II , and that has drastically reduced the biodiversity of the soil in many farm fields . At the same time , chronic disease has seen a dramatic rise in the first world , along with growing recognition that our guts play a critical role in our immune systems . Indeed , the human microbiome has become a major field of biomedical research .
Our ancestors , on the other hand , lived in close contact with the soil — early on as huntergatherers , and later , via farming and animal husbandry . That ’ s no
longer the case for the billions who live in cities . Philosopher and environmental activist Vandana Shiva has suggested that we are not simply nourished by the soil , we are the soil . “ What we do to soil , we do to ourselves . And it is no accident that the words ‘ humus ’ and ‘ humans ’ have the same root . This ecological truth is forgotten in the dominant paradigm , because it is based on … the false idea that we are separate and independent of the earth and also because it defines soil as dead matter .”
But reality tells us a different story , one in which soil that is flourishing is an intense , complicated , immeasurable symphony of life and life-giving abundance . And soil that is dead is nothing more than dirt .
Ellen Gordon is a long-time environmental activist working to promote regenerative agriculture to improve food security and carbon sequestration . She chooses the outdoors whenever she can — in the field and woods , the ocean , the mountains and her yard .
E njoy stunning farmland vistas from the authentically restored 1894 bank barn at Bally Cliff Farm located in the pastoral Agricultural Reserve . Perfect for weddings , private parties , corporate events , fundraisers and celebrations , the barn overlooks a beautiful pond , and the surrounding lawns and pond areas are included for use .
Bally Cliff Farm
• 3,000 square feet on both upper and lower levels
• Authentic whiskey barrel cocktail tables , white lights and standard lighting on main level
• Two restrooms ( one is handicap accessible )
• Catering prep room with a three-bay sink
• DJ area in loft plenty I spring sowing 2024 21 www . ballycliff . com • 18330 Darnestown Rd • Poolesville , MD 20837 • 301-428-0650