An important message from a Regenerative Farmer to Concerned Consumers:
Do you believe in Climate Change?
Most thinking people do.
Do you worry about how climate change will impact future generations?
Most compassionate people do.
Do you wish that there was an action, that you could do from the comfort of your home, to cease contributing to climate change and even help to mitigate its incredible ongoing damage?
There is, if you are willing to take action on it.
Industrial agriculture, for both plant production and animal production, is responsible for well over 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions [and many estimates put it even higher]. But it does not have to be that way. You can drastically reduce on-farm emissions by using your influence to affect how your food is produced.
Agriculture is one of the industries that is most vulnerable to climate change - think about drought, flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires. Ironically, we farmers are also among the best positioned to correct it.
We farmers have the potential to sequester 10 percent of all human-caused emissions. We can actually sequester 50% or more of current greenhouse gas emissions in our soil. But, for farmers to financially afford to make these positive changes, consumers must support the farming systems that mitigate climate change and build resilience to its impacts.
This consumer support is easy for you to do. You simply choose to order your food from a farmer who is farming regeneratively and humanely.
Agriculture has enormous potential to sequester carbon. In fact, a scientific study proved that White Oak Pastures sequestered 919 tons of carbon dioxide on our 3200 acres in 2017 alone. Consumers can empower more of this by buying their food from farms of all sizes who are transitioning to ecologically regenerative practices to combat climate change.
For the first time, consumers have the knowledge to choose to, or choose not to, do their part in helping to mitigate climate change.
There are different levels to choose from -
1. You Can Choose To Continue Contributing To The ProblemThe production of emissions will continue to increase if people continue to eat processed foods and industrially produced meats. [I hope that we don't have many of these]
2. You Can Choose To Do A Little Less Harm Going Forward
The production of these emissions can be reduced if people cease to eat industrially produced meat and highly processed foods. [A really weak effort]
3. You Can Choose To Do No Harm
The production of these emissions can be completely eliminated if people would simply cease eating anything. [This one is very hard]
4. You Can Choose To Correct The Harm That Has Been Done
The production of these emissions can be reversed if people ate only regeneratively produced meat and vegetables. [This is the correct choice]
The small number of farmers and ranchers who are farming their land regeneratively, and managing their animals humanely, need your help. These producers are leading this shift in food production that can truly make a difference. And the only way that you can help them is to buy your food from them.
There are dozens of producers all over the country doing the heavy lifting to create a better alternative food production system. I wish that I could say hundreds of thousands, but we ain’t there yet. Without consumer support, we will not get there.
You can support leaders like Blake Alexandre and Spencer Smith in the Northwest. Sallie Calhoun and Nancy Ranney in the Southwest. Dharma Lea Farm and Breathe Deep Farm in the Northeast. White Oak Pastures and Full Circle Farm in the Deep South. Gabe Brown, Greg Gunthorp, Chad Lemke, and Trent Hendricks are leading the way in the middle of the country. [Disclaimer- This is not a complete list, but my attempt to demonstrate that there is a nation wide effort, by a small number of farmers, to farm properly.]
Folks like these are forging the way to feed our country in a manner that corrects the problems that decades of poor land and animal management have created. They will succeed, or they will fail, based on your willingness to support them. The only way to do this is by purchasing the food that they produce.
Compassionate people look for a way to help improve our world:
- Donations to HSUS, ASPCA, and other nonprofits to support better welfare for animals.
- Contributions to environmental and conservation organizations to support better practices for the treatment of Mother Earth.
- Investments in efforts to rebuild the Main Streets of America and reverse the impoverishment of our rural communities.
These are good intentions, but a more effective way of supporting these causes is to buy your food from a farmer who is implementing fair and humane and regenerative practices.
Do what you think is best.
