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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/carbon-farming-climate-change-regenerative-practices/>
"The solution to stopping climate change might be buried on 10 acres in the
Pauma Valley of California. In the early morning before the sun will rise above
the hills and torch the valley, Bea Alvarez picks plump, ripe blackberries and
sun-dried strawberries straight from the plants. In the “food forest” between
hedgerows of native sage, manzanita and elderberries grow rows of salad greens,
kale, grapes, zucchini, sunflowers and asparagus, all without pesticides or
artificial fertilizer.
“The idea is not just to produce food but to improve the soil,” says Alvarez,
Solidarity Farm’s Climate Resilience Specialist. “We stopped using the plow to
turn the soil, and we do a lot of composting and mulching to improve our soil
health.”
Solidarity Farm had used organic principles in the 10 years since its
inception, but it pivoted to carbon farming after the extreme heat in the
summer of 2017, when the temperature rose to 122 degrees Fahrenheit and
destroyed most of its crops. Carbon farmers cultivate plants and trees in a way
that maximizes carbon sequestration in the soil. “It was an emergency. We
reevaluated what we were doing, and how,” says farm co-owner Hernan Cavazos,
sitting on his tractor. “The implications were clear: start building resilience
now or give up on a livelihood derived from agriculture. We want to grow
healthy foods for our kids and our community.”
In cooperation with the Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians — which owns the 10 acres
of land Solidarity Farm leases and who work the olive orchard and vineyards
across the street — the farmers applied for a healthy soil grant, pivoted to
regenerative farming and started the Carbon Sink Demonstration Farm, where they
regularly test the soil. (Alvarez uses the terms regenerative and carbon
farming interchangeably: “What it means is increasing the amount of carbon in
the soil by employing best regenerative practices, such as no till.”)"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
