An introduction to the Chesapeake Fibershed

By Sophie Kidd

In a society dominated by fast fashion, it’s hard to look at a piece of clothing and imagine who—or what—is on the other end of the shears, the mills, and the sewing machines. Until recently, it seemed unlikely that there would never be a time where I could put faces to each step of the process. 

Enter Fibershed.

This non-profit organization is working around the world to revitalize regional textile systems while fighting climate change. And these ecological and economic transformations aren’t hard to picture. 

Fibershed’s self-proclaimed “Soil to Soil” approach connects the dots between all aspects of clothing manufacturing. Plants and animals provide fiber and dyes, which are then woven into fabric, then sent to a designer. Excess fibers are composted and applied to pasture and farmland, thus providing more nutrients for the plants and animals. 

Since the organization began operations in Northern California in 2016, they’ve accomplished some impressive feats, including:

• An estimated 45,000 tons of carbon drawdown through carbon farming practices

• $1 million in investment capital used for regional manufacturing 

• 45 Fibershed Affiliate communities globally

Luckily for us, we get to be part of the Chesapeake Fibershed, which includes DC and Baltimore as well as portions of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. 

The affiliate community was started about three years ago after Marian Bruno, Gretchen Frederick, and Martha Polkey learned about what Fibershed was doing in California.

“The Fibershed out there in California is defined as a radius from a certain point,” Bruno said. “But on the East Coast, we're closer together, partly because of how our resources are organized. So, instead of having some artificial circle, we decided to follow the lay of the land. And that's when we decided on the using the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.”

Bruno says that right now, the Chesapeake Fibershed has a solid number of fiber producers with a variety of different types of wool. However, the area lacks processors. This makes it difficult to create the product from start to finish locally. 

“A lot of our national local mills, most of which have been on the East Coast, have ceased operations because of competition from China,” she said. “So, these factories are sitting there and not doing anything. And it's going to take a really special effort to get them going again.”

Another problem the Chesapeake Fibershed has to tackle is raising awareness for their cause. 

“You've probably heard a lot about the pollution the clothing industry causes. In this part of the country, there are so many small producers, but we live in a society that's not very attuned to buying local when it comes to clothing or fiber goods,” Bruno explained. “They think about it in terms of vegetables, but not so much for fiber. So another part of our mission is to really educate people on the benefits of local fiber.”

To help educate people, Bruno says they have started including cards on locally made products that explain where each step of the process took place. 

“So, when a consumer picks up that product, they say, ‘Oh, Fibershed… what's that?’ and then the card shows them how so much of this product actually was produced quite close to where they're standing.” 

The Chesapeake Fibershed is still relatively new, but they’re already making waves and redefining what it means to shop local. 

Summer Growing Season ~ 2020

Summer Magazine 2020

PLENTY's contributing writers and photographers for our summer 2020 issue bring to life engaging stories about a new generation of farmers, the vital role of pollinators, soil health, regenerative farming practices, success stories of food distribution and how to take care of yourself by relying on nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever our farms and wild lands in the Ag Reserve must be preserved as we navigate this challenging time.

Access the full online magazine.

The Call of the Land

Tanya Spandhla

Story & Photography by Caroline Taylor

Tanya Spandhla had been tending her small plot in a community garden near her 

home in Germantown. It was a satisfying hobby. But her commute to work each day took her past verdant swaths of farmland and she was pulled toward doing and growing more. What Tanya yearned for was a few acres of her own to cultivate crops like the ones she and her family tended together years ago in Zimbabwe. After hearing Tanya pine for “a little piece of ground” for some little time, a friend urged her to research local resources that might help.

“As soon as I touch the soil, I am energized.
I am ready to take on the next task.”

— Tanya Spandhla

Tanya discovered Land Link Montgomery, and it was a good day for all of us. After hearing again and again from a growing number of established and aspiring farmers that the single greatest challenge to farming in Montgomery County is the lack of access to affordable acreage, Montgomery Countryside Alliance (MCA) began exploring ways our nonprofit might help. Luckily, local producer, Vermont transplant and MCA board member Shannon Varley had previous experience with a program called New England Land Link. Its premise was pretty simple: create a user-friendly online platform for landowners willing to lease/lend farmable acreage to connect with farmers searching for land. 

In 2011 Land Link Montgomery was launched, and with the steady administration of MCA staffer Kristina Bostick, the program has successfully connected farmers to land on over 450 acres in the County. And while the program’s concept seems fairly simple, as things generally go, the details can be less so. Kristina helped Tanya connect with a physician’s small acreage in Olney. The match worked very well until the hungry local geese and deer population began devouring more than their fair share of her produce. The best solution for Tanya was to relocate on another farm. Ultimately, she was paired with Edgewood, the Becker family farm in the Laytonsville area. It was 2015 and Tanya’s Passion to Seed Farm was born.

Helping farmers like Tanya Spandhla has been deeply satisfying. The success of the program is more than the numbers of acres linked or the dollars earned by each farmer, though those are central goals. The initiative attracts farmers to the County who have ultimately launched or expanded businesses but also, importantly, have strengthened our rural community. New producers bring new ideas, products and energy. Tanya, for example, grows specialty crops from Africa that are sought after not only from members of the local immigrant community but also by the growing diverse tastes of regional palettes. Kiwano, or horned melon, pumpkin leaves and a corn cultivar are Tanya’s cash crops and she cannot grow enough to meet the desire. She has also signed up to supply produce to Manna’s Community Food Rescue program which connects farm, restaurant, and store overages to communities in need. And, remarkably, Tanya actively serves on both Montgomery County Food Council and Montgomery Countryside Alliance boards.

“We want to keep the land in farming.”

— Frances Becker

This past March, just about five years after their match, Tanya, father and daughter John and  Frances Becker, and I met to talk about how the program was working for them. Greeted amiably by Vivian the cat, we sat together in the parlor of the historic 1780 farmhouse. The longevity of the place, carefully preserved but joyfully lived in, spoke to the family’s mission. I had questions. Had the program fulfilled expectations? Did they have advice for others?  Frances, ninth generation on the farm, was quick to note that she really had no expectation other that she wanted the farm to continue to farm. The larger portions of the 180-plus acre farm have been leased for years to commodity producer Drew Stabler. There was good land, two flat acres adjacent to the farmstead that was too small for big equipment, available for a small-scale producer. John had married into the farm and having been a career educator he hoped that the land might help someone hone their craft. The Beckers wanted the producer to use organic techniques, to protect habitat around the farmhouse for critters. “I love this land and the wildness with resident fox, turkeys, woodpeckers,”  Frances said adding, “It was important to have someone who cares for this land.”

Tanya, father and daughter Francis Becker with Vivian the cat

As far as lessons learned,  Frances offered up the case of Tanya’s new greenhouse. “Tanya asked if she could build one for season extension and controlled growing conditions. I should have asked the size,”  Frances noted. “I should have told you,” Tanya acknowledged. John Becker smiled. It is a pretty good-sized greenhouse. We all agreed that clear and consistent communication between farmer and landowner is key.

And yet you could see from the ease of the conversation and the shared compliments that this was a good match. “Tanya shares her produce. We love that,”  Frances remarked. “I came into this knowing it would not be an overnight success,” Tanya emphasized. “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without the Becker’s warmth and support.”

Before parting, we all laughed long and hard at the story of Tanya’s sloppy collision with a big manure pile on the farm and the ensuring comedic joint effort to get her car free. 

“This land gives me hope, something to look forward to. This is a life sustainer for me.”

— Tanya Spandhla

I caught up with Tanya again at her farm on a mid-July’s hazy, thick day. She had taken a break in the shade, with needed fortification of now very soft chocolates and cool water which she generously shared after motioning me to sit with her. We were both taking time away from busy. This lovely, rangey bit of land is clearly her element— her contentment and peace immediately felt. The conversation flowed along with life philosophies shared. “Farming teaches me about
patience and being in the moment at each stage when the crops are growing up. The beauty of planting a tiny mustard seed, and then...the harvest of the big leaves,” she beamed. It is a tangible thing. But it is also deeply spiritual. “There is a much deeper meaning than the financial transaction,” Tanya said. And that is what we have heard over the years from other producers—the satisfaction of deeper human connection through the planting, nurturing and shared harvest.

Kiwano, or horned Mellon, is a specialty fruit from Africa and one of Tanya’s cash crops

We also talked about the other substantial challenges to farmers here, including securing knowledgeable and affordable labor, groundhogs and deer. “The ground hog that lives near the greenhouse is so fat he can’t even walk,” Tanya complained. And there is the cost of fencing, and a watering system. And the rain… the incredible destructive volume and velocity of the storms that the region is experiencing has resulted in heavy crop loss, especially last year. But Tanya is like most all farmers—an optimist—and is buoyed by the strong bond she has formed with her customers, those at market and those who come to the farm. “They start asking for corn in February!”

“MCA’s Land Link program has allowed us to connect with and learn from local farmers as well as keep our land in agriculture. We have had the opportunity to house two vegetable farmers and market their produce. We have learned about planting and preserving the land and have the luxury of eating fresh produce throughout the season.”

— Catherine Moy

Tanya offers her produce at Main Street Farmers Market and Artists Market in Kentlands

There is reason for optimism. The positive signs are there for Land Link and the growth of farming in the Reserve. For several years after the program was launched, we had a paucity of land owners in the system. And now land owners, seeing the value of having their land in farming, are signing up in greater numbers. The latest Agricultural Census shows an increase in farms in Montgomery County. That works for all of us!

Land Link Montgomery

Helping farmland and farmers find each other...

There are currently 14 farms and 28 farmers awaiting a match, presenting a perfect opportunity to grow together.

6078 Landowner Seeking Farmer  Unique opportunity available for leasing approximately 15-18 acres of land at no cash cost. Additional 90 acres may be available as well. Interested only in farmer with demonstrated experience in regenerative agriculture. Nonprofit owners’ goals include: farmer earning profits, documented increases in carbon sequestration, educating County, farmers and interesting public in results.

6068 Landowner Seeking Farmer  For Lease – 1-30+ acres for a kind farmer who would be open to our family learning and helping some! Prefer mixed use of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Open to livestock. Studio apartment available. 

Water and electric, barns, large garage, etc. Multi-year lease preferred. Open to your ideas and suggestions.

6071 Farmer Seeking LAND  WANTED: FARM Land to Lease or Rent to Own: My wife and I are a couple interested in pursuing agriculture as a family. We are looking for 3-5 acres of land for organic vegetable farming and goats/lamb to raise for meat. If you are a retiring farmer and want to share some part of your land with a couple passionate about agriculture and preserving your legacy, please contact us. I have over
10 years farming experience in Africa before relocating to the U.S. My ambition is to continue my love for
farming here. 

6076 Farmer Seeking Land  We are a mid-40s couple looking for 20 acres or more to start an agritourism business somewhere between DC and Frederick.  We have an interest in U-pick crops, table crops, commodity crops, orchards, cut flowers, chickens, sheep, horses, bees, and Christmas trees. One of us has extensive gardening experience and comes from a farming family.  We both have experience with agritourism in Europe.

Learn more:  http://www.mocolandlink.org/

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary

Welcome to a land of creature comfort…

but the good life didn’t always start out that way

BY WIB MIDDLETON

It’s an unusually warm October day in Northeast Washington, DC, and police are getting calls. The year is 1998. A huge, triple-decker livestock truck with North Carolina plates has been parked on a street just off North Capitol for close to 24 hours. Inside scores of pigs are screaming in fear. Packed cheek to jowl with little ventilation, their stench has begun to waft through the neighborhood. The truck has been abandoned, cab locked with keys inside. The police arrive. Animal Control shows up. Everyone is shocked by the gruesome scene—some pigs are dead, others have broken legs and wounds from climbing over each other. 

In the pastoral countryside of Montgomery County—45 miles and a world away—Terry Cummings gets a call at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. It’s Animal Control. She and husband Dave Hoerauf had recently cofounded the Sanctuary. “We were in the farm animal rescue business a little over 18 months and growing slowly. We only had eight pigs cared for in half of a barn at the time,” Terry recalls.

Animal Control had called all the farmers in the area and were at a loss. No one was willing to take 100 pigs. They had to find a staging area right away, contact the owner and get the pigs transported to their destination—presumably a slaughter house. On the phone Terry was adamant, “We will not be a holding facility for a slaughter house!” 

Animal Control assures Terry that in fact they are going to press cruelty and abandonment charges against the owner. Terry relents and agrees to put them up temporarily in the Sanctuary’s four-acre pasture. 

The tractor-trailer and locked cab get towed to Poplar Spring. “It took 20 hours to unload the pigs. We literally had to build a ramp to get them off the top floor of the truck. Neighbors pitched in, bought lumber and worked through the night. No one slept. One by one, every terrified pig was pulled out. After we got them all out safely, the most amazing thing happened. They started looking up at the sky. Because they were raised in a factory farm, they had never seen open sky before and were in complete awe. I vowed to myself in that moment that nothing bad would ever happen to these pigs again.”

Terry and Dave went into high gear reaching out to friends and volunteers for help. “We called the feed store and ordered a huge amount of food because it wasn’t 100 pigs—it was actually 171! A pig sanctuary in West Virginia helped us out with funding, ordering sheds, water troughs, and kindly advised us on care for so many pigs,” reports Terry.

Three days later, Terry gets a call from the Humane Society. The truck driver had been located. Intoxicated, he had wandered off and abandoned the truck. The owner of the pig farm had been contacted but could not be sued because he was not the negligent driver. And because the trucker did not own the pigs, there was no legal recourse. And the final blow: the pigs must be given back to the owner who is coming for them now with another truck, and there is nothing that can be done about it. Terry responded, “Well, I’m going to do something about it!” She heads to the Sanctuary gate, locks and barricades it.

The Humane Society calls the police who arrive at the gate and demand to have it opened. Terry wants to see a warrant. The police don’t have one. It’s a weekend, and Monday would be the first opportunity to get one. “At that point, we called our attorney, a friend and a volunteer with experience in animal law. She came right over.” 

It wasn’t long before the owner of the pigs shows up at Poplar Spring with his attorneys in a big stretch limo. A rather hulking man, he starts right in, “I want my pigs back!” Terry remains cool. “No, you’re not getting them back.” Terry, Dave and their attorney have a plan. They know it’s all about the money—the basic value of the pigs to the owner—so they’ve estimated the value of all the care they’ve provided—the feed, bedding, sheds, everything. The cost is exorbitant. “You want the pigs? Pay the bill! Or sign over their custody and we won’t charge you a dime,” Terry proposes. The strategy worked. Documents were signed relieving the owner of any liability and the pigs were free to romp, play, eat grass, apples… and look up at the sky. 

“Our lawyer took two pigs, the sanctuary in West Virginia took 100, and another in upstate New York took 40. We kept 22 at Poplar Spring. Everyone got to live out their life peacefully. The last one passed away at 17,” Terry beams.

A front-page article in the Metro section of the Washington Post generates more press and compassionate concern. Donations pour in from all over the country—every state and as far away as Japan and Germany. “That whole tragedy really was the beginning of our sanctuary. And we’ve been able to help so many animals ever since because of that singular event.”

Two decades later, Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary is firmly on the map and forever home to some 250 abandoned, abused and neglected farm animals—goats, sheep, cows, horses, chickens, turkeys…and pigs. Due to the remarkable generosity of a woman whose family owned the farm property since the Great Depression, and in conjunction with Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program, the Sanctuary will never be developed. It was gifted to the Sanctuary and will always remain a place of peaceful refuge for farm animals and wildlife fortunate enough to find their way there. 

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary is a pastoral gem with 200 acres of woods and 230 acres of rolling pasture land, barns, a fully restored  1776 farmhouse and outbuildings. Its two- and four-legged animal residents are a delightfully motley crew with a common experience. All overcame profound trauma and fear, and when loved and cared for, began to thrive. 

“We work with Humane Societies up and down the East Coast. They rescue farm animals from abuse situations or cruelty cases. Often they involve a situation where numerous animals have already died, usually due to starvation,” says Terry. “We get animals coming from some of the worst scenarios you can imagine. Most of the animals are terrified of people when they first arrive. We work with them and over time they become trusting and loving. We respect the time it takes for that to happen—and it could be weeks or even years.” 

Terry has witnessed the transformation that animals experience from fear to trust again and again. “None of them come here happy, tame or friendly. Watching them go from scared and shaking—where an outstretched hand could mean they are going to be hit—to the moment they allow you to pet them is truly amazing. You just see it in their eyes… they trust you. It’s the most rewarding experience and makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

 “That whole tragedy really was the beginning of our sanctuary. And we’ve been able to help so many animals ever since because of that singular event.”

Terry and Dave are always looking for volunteers to help with the animals. With ten paid staff and over 100 volunteers it’s a big operation solely supported by donations. Terry likes to say that volunteering at the Sanctuary is “labor of love, and a lot of labor!” Transformation takes place among the volunteers, too. “A lot of our long-term volunteers—some have been coming from the very beginning 23 years ago—say this is a sanctuary for them as well. It’s the highlight of their week after a regular job.”

Visitors are always welcome at Poplar Spring on weekends from April through November and by appointment. “We love for people to enjoy how friendly all the animal residents are and to see how each one has its own distinct personality, like the 800-pound pig that rolls over to have his belly rubbed! Most people have never petted a cow or held a chicken. All you have to do is call them and they come running,” says Terry. “It’s really a great experience for animals and visitors alike, especially kids who learn about respect and compassion for all living beings.”

You can also book guided group tours and learn about where the animals have come from and what their circumstances were, like Quinn the turkey who still thinks he’s a human. Rescued as a little bird shivering alone in the woods, he began enjoying watching TV on the couch with his caregiver before ending up at the Sanctuary. Then there’s Evie, the three-legged goat. An emu stepped on her and broke her leg when she was only two weeks old. Unfortunately, it got infected and needed to be amputated. Her owner thought the best recourse was to shoot her—to the horror of the vets at University of Pennsylvania’s animal teaching hospital who contacted Poplar Spring.  When asked if the Sanctuary would take the little goat post-surgery, a big yes from Terry and Dave resulted in Evie’s successful operation—and she does just fine these days on three legs. You’ll also hear the tale of Wee Wee the baby pig who fell off a truck in the middle of a blizzard and almost froze to death in a snow bank until he was spotted by passersby and brought to the Sanctuary. Now, four years later, he’s a happy, whopping 700-pound pig! 

Visitors are often visibly moved by the stories of these animals overcoming terrible life situations that are now free, trusting and exuding love. It’s a happy place as Terry likes to say, and there are many ways to help by donating, volunteering, or sponsoring any of the farm animals that you can then visit and befriend. Every spring the Sanctuary hosts its “5K Run for the Animals” which raises vital funds needed to feed and care for its 250-plus rescued farm animals and wildlife that live there. In the fall there is the ever popular vegan Thanksgiving potluck with the Sanctuary’s rescued turkeys.

Undoubtedly time spent in the Ag Reserve in beautiful open spaces can be very healing. But to be in the presence of the loving farm animals at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary is, for many, a life changing experience. Just ask a volunteer! 

The Importance of CSA's are Skyrocketing Amidst the Pandemic

Full Belly Farm, a 450-acre, organic farm, in California's Capay Valley northwest of Sacramento, is busier than ever trying to ramp up production to meet soaring demand.

Full Belly Farm, Taken from NPR’s Article, As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off

The question, “where does my food come from?” has never been more important. With the overwhelming effects of coronavirus reaching far beyond the healthcare system, many of our fundamental institutions are being questioned and rethought. Many people turn on the news to see overwhelmed hospitals, talk about economic devastation, and farmers dumping food because their contracts with their normal buyers (restaurants, hotels, school and university food-service) have become irrelevant since people are forced to stay home.

What are farmers to do? Where do we get our food as the food supply “breaks’?

NPR’s Eric Westervelt published an article on May 10, 2020 about the how community supported agriculture is on the rise.

The coronavirus has exposed the vulnerabilities and fragility of the U.S. global agribusiness supply chain. The CSA model's focus on local and fresh is ideally suited for a crisis that has people deeply worried about germs on lettuce, beets or broccoli as the crops make their way from the field to the kitchen counter.

As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off by Eric Westervelt, NPR

Community Supported Agriculture has typically been a niche market. To participate in a CSA, people buy a share of a farm's harvest, which often has organic produce, and it then gets delivered weekly in a box. Local, organic, and fresh! While there are many things to consider by the boom of CSA signups in the past few weeks, it has become clear that supporting farmers, the ones who keep us nourished and able to thrive, is not only crucial but needs to be properly supported, just like our healthcare workers.

And the new success brings new challenges. Many CSAs are now scrambling to find additional labor to plant, harvest and deliver produce to meet the moment. "We're totally able to produce so much more than we are, but we don't have the workers," said Redmond, of Full Belly Farm. "We're so stressed out by that that, you know, just knowing that there's going to be a difficult time getting workers, it just doesn't make any sense to ramp up production."

A big question for CSAs is whether the renewed interest represents a fleeting reaction to fear or a more sustainable, long-term trend.

As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off by Eric Westervelt, NPR

One of the best ways we can help is know who are local farms are and sign up for CSA’s, not only in the short term during the covid pandemic, but long-term. We have posted a list of Montgomery County CSA farms in our previous post as well as social media accounts to make it easier to access.

Check out the full article here

Spring Has Sprung!

Check out Plenty Ag-Mag’s Spring Issue!

If Heaven Were a Place on Earth

By Ryan Kalivretenos

If heaven were a place on earth, what might we experience? Take an imaginary journey with me for a moment, and before you close your eyes, hold an intention of true harmony between all peoples and all of nature. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? For us at Common Root Farm, we see, hear, and feel that a path towards true harmony can begin with local regenerative food systems.

The modern agricultural approach to growing food is primarily based on creating optimal efficiency through monocrop cultivation within select geographic locations. This relies on significant energy costs to transport food, fertilizers, pesticides, and often the use of underpaid and forced labor, while contributing to the destruction of natural ecosystems that have reigned on earth since the dawn of time. Unfortunately we don’t generally ponder these things when we eat a delicious avocado, salad, or steak. There is no fault or blame to cast here—what other path could we have
followed to feed a rapidly growing world?

Luckily, we are now in a position to forge a new path forward that favorably accounts for energy costs, human life, and nature. While we cannot quickly change the agricultural systems we rely on, or the needs and desires of our society, we can choose to vote for where we place our energy or money on a daily basis. We can pause, reflect, and make decisions that can take a small step towards greater harmony. We can remember that nature is efficient, that the soil beneath our feet has supported an infinite array of life in perfect harmony for millennia, and that we humans can work with the soil and our local communities to usher in a new era of peace, community, friendship, and true health.

If you take a seat on the earth and listen to the soil, what do you hear? Silence. Despite this silence there are literally billions of bacteria and other organisms hard at work consuming decaying matter and mining minerals from the stratum of compounds found in healthy soil. There are more organisms in a single cup of healthy soil than in the entire human population. Not all soil is healthy, and much of it is unhealthy due to modern practices, but most soil can be remediated and brought back to a state of life and abundance. Most soil can be balanced, productive, and nourishing to a wide array of life, passing along essential nutrients and energy not found in the vast majority of the food consumed in this country or planet. It is my belief that the vast majority of humans are truly malnourished leading to a society that is becoming increasingly dependent on pharmaceutical drugs to mask the symptoms of an unhealthy body. This is all reversible if we simply pause, take a moment to observe and listen, and move forward with a clearer sense of what life can look like.

“I was taught at a young age to always return a borrowed item in better condition than I received it and to feel appreciation for all things in my life. So it is natural that I now find myself a farmer interested in and practicing regenerative agriculture with a deep appreciation for the technology that is the soil.”

— Ryan Kalivretenos

I was taught at a young age to always return a borrowed item in better condition than I received it and to feel appreciation for all things in my life. So, it is natural that I now find myself a farmer interested in and practicing regenerative agriculture with a deep appreciation for the technology that is the soil. I find myself motivated to return this borrowed earth, and society, in better condition than I received it. I feel a passion to encourage and teach those around me to live in harmony and adopt principles that will help create a more balanced way of living for everyone.

Talk is cheap, so where can we begin to take productive action? For me, it started with listening to myself, listening to the work of brilliant soil and plant scientists such as Elaine Ingham and John Kempf, and cultivating the awareness and peace necessary to listen to the cues of nature and life.

In today’s world a lot of smart people are working with the idea of sustainability as a course of action—which is fine. Our more indigenous human family present today and in the past lived by this principle. We have mostly forgotten its ways, and luckily we are now remembering. But is sustainability the best approach for redefining the way we live? I would say that it is not. Someone once asked me if I would prefer to be in a sustainable relationship or a regenerative, healing, relationship. Instantly I answered that a regenerative relationship feels much better. Healing is difficult work, but as you reach new plateaus, it becomes apparent that the journey is worth the work. So I say, let us abandon thoughts of mere sustainability and strive for a regenerative approach to fixing the issues left for us to fix… and let us start with our food system.

I cannot tell you where to begin—you must discover that for yourself. However, I can recommend meditation, engaging with your local community, and if you are lucky enough, supporting your local regenerative farmer. For your local farmer is a brave soul, standing on the firm support of a living soil, bracing against the wind of easy cheap food, and living with a knowing that if we humans want to survive another century on this earth we all must return to the land and redefine our relationship with each other and the food we consume.

So I ask you again, if heaven were a place on Earth, what would it look like? Join your local CSA and perhaps you will catch a glimpse of what our future can hold for us all.

Ryan Kalivretenos is a first generation regenerative farmer currently living and farming in Montgomery County. He draws on his experiences from life, meditation, and study to guide the many decisions that arise during the growing season. Ryan believes that agriculture is a primary force in the development of a society and that we should be intentional in our practices so they reflect the change in which we see.

Mission ImPOSSUMble

BY PAMELA BOE

I stood frozen in fear, backed up against the minivan, clutching the takeout bag from Poolesville’s Oriental Gourmet as a shield (which was dripping General Tso’s sauce down my leg). For between me and my little cottage stood what looked like the world’s biggest rat, and it was as surprised by me as I was by it. Swallowing hard, I squared my shoulders, faced its beady black eyes glaring from a ghost white face, and squeaked out a less-than-confident “SHOO!”

It returned a low, guttural hiss, and with the speed of an unimpressed snail, turned and waddled back into the woods, its straight, rat-like tail leaving a trail behind it in the snow. My pride long gone, I skittered into the house and considered two important lessons I’d just learned: 1) General Tso’s sauce looks surprisingly like blood, and 2) Opossums are more scared of us than we are of them.

Of course, at the time, I didn’t realize I had just had an encounter with an opossum. Like I said, I thought I’d just faced off with the world’s biggest rat. But since then have learned I had indeed been lucky enough to meet North America’s only marsupial, and nature’s best eco-cleaner! And now, having learned a few facts about them, I am one of their biggest fans. In fact, if I ran into that critter again, I would definitely not send it off into the night. Knowing what I know now, I would want it to spend time in our yard! 

Why? If you live in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, or anywhere else in the Eastern United States for that matter, you should be familiar with the ravages of Lyme disease. The bacteria that cause it is transmitted by deer ticks (aka black-legged ticks) that bite any warm-blooded animal they can latch onto. 

Dr. Amar Duggirala, Director of the Poolesville Family Practice, has been in the trenches of the local fight against Lyme for over 14 years, treating infected patients with strong antibiotics. Some patients get cured, but others end up with chronic symptoms (fatigue, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating) well after initial treatment. He laments that though doctors can successfully address an initial infection, patients can get re-infected as there is no known vaccination. 

In 2018, nearly 1,000 new cases of Lyme were reported in Maryland alone. And the trend seems to be holding steady. As long as the deer tick population thrives, so too does Lyme. Even if deer were completely eradicated from the area—a scenario that very few would wish—it wouldn’t get rid of the disease carrying deer tick population, because though they are named deer tick, they latch on almost any warm-blooded animal. Neither would pesticides be a viable option to control the ticks in the Reserve, due to the need to protect the pollinator count for the agricultural sector. If only there was a decent natural predator for deer ticks that could help mitigate the spread of Lyme disease in humans….

Enter the opossum! Every week, these homely looking furballs munch on thousands of deer ticks, ridding our yards, fields and forests of the vermin. These black and white varmints, as meticulously clean as Felix Unger when it comes to hygiene, wash their coats more often than the common housecat. As opossums waddle about foraging for food, deer ticks jump on to them by the droves, only to be cleaned and eaten—literally by the thousands. In fact, it is estimated that they vacuum up to 5,000 ticks per opossum, per week! Consequently, the opossum population is inversely related to the deer tick population. For that reason alone, it would serve us well to protect these small wild animals! 

But they don’t just eat ticks. Noelia Schmidt, Natural Resources Specialist for Montgomery Parks, shares that, “Opossums play an important role in the ecosystem. They are omnivores, meaning their diet consists of plants, berries, rodents, insects and other small animals. As predators, they help keep prey numbers in check and control pests. They also consume carrion (dead animals), helping to clean up the environment.” 

Opossums also eat snakes of all kinds, including venomous ones! Because opossums are impervious to rattlesnake venom, researchers are working to find a way to duplicate the very properties found within the opossum’s immune system for human use as anti-venom. Additionally, they are virtually immune to rabies because their normal body temperatures are too low for rabies to survive. So not only do they control the deer tick population, they mitigate the spread of other potential vermin-related diseases as well. They truly are beneficial creatures to have around.

Historically opossums have gotten a bum wrap. Feared because of their perceived ugliness, rat-like appearance and nocturnal habits, humans have been catching and killing these marsupials since colonial times. But we have since learned that they are not a critter to be feared or reviled. Nomadic and reclusive, they do not seek out altercations with humans. They are completely passive, falling into an involuntary comatose like stupor, complete with drooling, gaping mouth and foul stench when confronted by predators. They pose no true threat to humans. All they require is a little underbrush or hole to live in, away from prying eyes. 

And if you take a moment to look past a startling first impression, you will find they are quite cute. If you are lucky enough to see one, look carefully, for you might see they carry their babies on their back! Of course, like other marsupials, they start their newborn babies off in their pouches until they are large enough to hold onto their mama’s back. In fact if, sadly, you should see an opossum who has been injured or killed on the road, it might still have babies in its pouch that could potentially be saved by a local wildlife specialist (like the folks at Second Chance Wildlife Center in Gaithersburg - SCWC.org). 

If you take anything away from this article, it should be that opossum are beneficial to humans, and need not be feared, but rather seen as a blessing! They won’t even try to steal your General Tso’s chicken, I promise. 

For more information or questions about opossums you can call the toll-free Maryland Wildlife Information line at (877) 463-6497. 

Pamela Boe is a freelance writer, blogger (Mamaboe.com), former paramedic, avid cook, gardener, and outdoorswoman. She lives in the Ag Reserve with her husband and two children.

A Blueprint for Bluebirds

A Blueprint for Bluebirds

By Pamela Boe

Thousands of dead worms lay at my doorstep. A gigantic box of them. That was how I met my charming Ag Reserve neighbor, Anne Sturm, more than a decade ago. 

Her dried up mealworms had been delivered to my house by mistake. So scratching my head,
I took them down the road to her where, to my delight, I learned their purpose: to help save the Eastern Bluebird.

A resident of the Agricultural Reserve since before there was an Agricultural Reserve, Anne’s family once owned the land around my own little cottage on Peach Tree Road. She still lives 

just down the road where she nurtures all sorts of wildlife, but most particularly, those sweet, bright blue songbirds whose very existence are entirely threatened.

In the early 70’s, through the Audubon Naturalist Society, Anne met Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, a scientist who first sounded the alarm on the plight of bluebirds. He sparked her lifelong passion to save the disappearing species. He was leading educational walks on his bluebird trails in Beltsville where she learned that the biggest threats to bluebirds are European Starlings, House Sparrows, and habitat loss, but that the introduction of specifically designed bluebird houses with holes no larger than 1-½” could effectively mitigate these issues. Dr. Zeleny had begun a movement that joined efforts in Canada and spread to Mexico to support bluebirds through education, placement and monitoring of bluebird boxes and trails. Across the country, from small land-owning private citizens, to huge public parks, people began building and installing these special boxes, with great success. 

State and local parks joined in the effort as well, creating bluebird box trails in many parks, including Black Hill Regional Park, Seneca Creek State Park, and the Woodstock Equestrian Park on Route 28. But though the parks’ efforts helped, they faced a troubling threat of vandals and foot-traffic issues. In fact, in 2010 at a park near Gaithersburg, vandals destroyed the nest boxes, killed hatchlings, and smashed eggs of several nest boxes. So the Parks service began looking to places where foot traffic and habitat destruction were less of an issue and the vulnerable birds could be better protected. 

Enter the Ag Reserve! The Agricultural Reserve is ideal for bluebirds, because they are not city birds, nor are they deep woods dwellers. They prefer open spaces and mowed grass, scattered trees and grasslands. In short, they need an agricultural setting. And since the Ag Reserve is comprised mainly of private farms, any birdhouses installed here would less likely be vandalized.

 But Anne was already on this task! Since the 70’s she has been installing bluebird boxes in many parts of the Agricultural Reserve. She placed them throughout her family’s farm on Peach Tree Road. She hung them up along Harris Road in Barnesville. She built them along the road in the Potomac Hunt Club. She put them wherever she could. 

And the bluebirds came! 

Before long, she was on the board and later president of the North American Bluebird Society (NABS), supporting the effort locally. Even now, she and her friends, Linda Pepe, most recent past president of the Maryland Bluebird Society Stan Fisher, and his wife Beth have been working with the Global Ecology Magnet Program at Poolesville High School for the past six years educating the next generation about the plight of these sweet birds. They have been teaching the students about bluebird trails and maintenance, and all of the trails they study and monitor are within the Ag Reserve.

NABS, in conjunction with Cornell University, has been monitoring the species’ numbers. Nationwide, since the efforts in the ‘70’s, bluebird numbers have increased dramatically, until about five years ago when they, alarmingly, leveled off. But there is good news says Stan. “In the state of Maryland we are holding our own or doing a little bit better than the national average.” 

This is largely due to the commitment of people like Dr. Zeleny, Anne Sturm, Stan and Beth, but also because of protected areas like the Ag Reserve which serve as a foothold for the struggling species. By reducing urbanization, and limiting the threats that go along with it, the Ag Reserve serves as a bastion of protection for this beautiful, vulnerable species. 

Oh, and it turns out, bluebirds love dried mealworms. In conjunction with this article, John Speelman at Poolesville Hardware has stocked bluebird houses and mealworms for anyone who wants to invite bluebirds into their yards. 

If you are interested in learning more about bluebirds and how you can help them, visit: Mdbluebirdsociety.org. 

Pamela Boe is a freelance writer, blogger (Mamaboe.com), former paramedic, avid cook, gardener, and outdoorswoman. She lives in the Ag Reserve with her husband and two children.

PLENTY wins a Gold Award from Hermes Creative Awards

PLENTY wins a Gold Award from Hermes Creative Awards

We are thrilled to announce that PLENTY Magazine has won a Gold Award in the Publications/Magazine category from Hermes Creative Awards. There are just two award categories, Platinum and Gold. (read on for details)

Thank you!

We’d like to send a huge shout out and thank you to everyone who has contributed to PLENTY Magazine: to our wonderful editorial writers who bring the stories of the Montgomery County, Maryland Agricultural Reserve to life; the photographers who generously share their work; to our wonderful family of advertisers -- without you there would be no PLENTY; and to all those folks and establishments that have helped get PLENTY into the hands of some 20,000 people per issue. 

And lastly we’d like to thank all the Ag Reserve stakeholders, movers and shakers, brave and intrepid farmers, entrepreneurs, and lovers of nature who have been so kind and encouraging of our efforts to be a voice for this special place. Thank you!

We are committed to going forward and are finding ways, as all of you are, to adjust and thrive in this new reality. Please stay safe, be well, share your gifts, hearts and love and we hope to see you soon!

From the Hermes Creative Awards press release:

Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization consists of
several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production, and freelance professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges, and rewards outstanding achievement and service to the profession.

AMCP judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. Winners were selected from over 200 categories grouped under advertising, publications, marketing, branding, integrated marketing, public relations/communications, electronic media, and pro bono. A list of Platinum and Gold Winners can be found on the Hermes Creative Awards website at www.hermesawards.com.

The Relevance of Farm-Based Education

Example of educational outreach to young women at Potomac Vegetable Farms.

The Relevance of Farm-Based Education

By Sophia Maravell

The poet, writer, small family farmer and activist Wendell Berry, wrote, “The need for agricultural education is great and urgent.” With the ravages of climatic disturbances, food insecurity, and poor nutrition leading to myriad health issues, how might farm-based education impact our 
present political moment? 

Today’s farmers can play a significant role in educating and equipping our youth, our political leaders, teachers, business owners, consumers, chefs, restaurant owners, researchers, policy makers, scientists, librarians, environmentalists, doctors, health practitioners, architects, builders, landscapers, and so on, to make decisions that help restore and rejuvenate our food system. One local example: the farmers of Potomac Vegetable Farms, based in Northern Virginia, have formally and informally practiced agricultural education since its inception more than 50 years ago through informal training and mentorship of countless young and beginning farmers, school tours, and informative articles in its newsletters. 

We are not powerless

Vandana Shiva, Indian scholar, environmental activist and food sovereignty advocate, was once asked in a Mother Earth News interview: “What are the most concrete things we as individuals can do to restore food sovereignty (the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods) and build a sustainable society?” Her response: “Save seeds and grow a food garden.” This is one of the many important things farm-based education teaches. When people have the knowledge of how to grow their own food and save their own seeds, they can gain some control over what ends up on the dinner table and enjoy better nutrition      in the process.

Another simple and straightforward response to this question would be to follow the words of American author, journalist, and activist Michael Pollan: “Vote with your fork...three times a day.” In other words, choose where you spend your money within our food system. Understanding how food is grown and an awareness of its effects on people, animals and the planet are crucial to making informed decisions about where you buy your food. Farm-based education can also give people the knowledge to advocate for the kinds of policies that have an impact on important social issues and the environment. 

Planting gardens, saving seeds, understanding your purchasing power, and becoming familiar with how food is grown, distributed, taxed, subsidized and made cheap through the exploitation of certain people are the kinds of actions that can begin to change the fabric of our society. With a little inspiration, education and caring, so much good could be set in motion.

What if librarians started seed libraries of pollinated seeds among their bookshelves? What if parents demanded of their school boards that all students deserve access in their cafeterias to nutritious locally grown food? What if housing developers built homes into the landscape with green roofs for growing vegetables, or homeowner associations set up CSAs to support local farmers and receive boxes of seasonal produce every week?

Tremendous  ground could 
be gained in simple ways if people really understood how many 
decisions within their control—both collectively and individually—could contribute to a more socially and environmentally just and healthy food system—one where everyone thrives.

Sophia Maravell grew up on a seed saving organic farm in Montgomery County, and works at Potomac Vegetable Farms as a community educator and farmer. She is committed to bringing “culture” back into agriculture as well as generational healing through connecting to grief, land and our collective histories. 

Community Supported Agriculture is a Win-Win for Everyone

Community Supported Agriculture is a Win-Win for Everyone

By Amanda Cather

On a beautiful late spring afternoon in the Ag Reserve, cars turn into our farm and pull up to the little red house that serves as the distribution site for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares. Kids pile out and run to visit the pigs or the tractors while adults prepare bags and coolers to carry their shares home. Inside, the little red house smells like freshly picked mint and scallions. Shareholders peruse the colorful crates of vegetables displayed along the walls, the freezer full of sustainably raised meat, and the refrigerator stocked with eggs. They laugh, chat and share recipes, thinking about the week ahead and the meals that they’ll make. Some have brought picnics, and some simply enjoy the chance to sit in the sunshine, away from the sounds of the city, and talk to their farmers. This is what it’s like on any given Thursday at our CSA pickup at Plow and Stars Farm in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. 

How CSAs took root

The CSA model in the United States was created in the mid 1980s, based on a Japanese model known as teikei, by the staff and customers of two small farms in New England. They envisioned CSA as a partnership in which shareholders paid farmers up front at the beginning of the season for a portion of the season’s harvest. They intended the relationship between producer and buyer to be long-term and in-depth, with the key element of shared economic risk taking it beyond simply transactional to something deeper and more powerful. Its core principles included the elimination of any middleman between farms and customers; ongoing two-way communication about growing practices and customer preferences; and the creation of a balance between a living wage for farmers and farmworkers and affordable and accessible food for members. 

Today, there are over 5,000 CSA farms in the United States. Somewhere around 20 of these are located in Montgomery County, including our own, Plow and Stars Farm, founded in 2014. My own relationship with the CSA model goes back more than 20 years, when I became a shareholder at Vanguarden CSA in Dover, Massachusetts. I loved the food, but I yearned for more­—I didn’t want to just support the farmer, I wanted to BE the farmer. Working at Waltham Fields Community Farm outside of Boston for a decade gave me experience growing food for a 500-family CSA with a committed membership; our children literally grew up together, nourished by the soil of that little farm. When my husband Mark and I had the opportunity to start our own farm with our children, Jonah and Sadie, the CSA model was a natural fit for us. 

The heart of the CSA partnership

Springtime is a busy and stressful time in the lives of most farmers. Poring over weather predictions to find a window to get work done, spending what feels like frightening amounts of money on seeds, supplies, and tools, and switching back and forth between task-based focus and big-picture vision all make farmers a little crazy in the spring. Having the support of our CSA shareholders takes away some of the stress because it means that every seed we plant already has a home. Our shareholders are our partners, the real reason we are able to do what we do without going into debt, the folks for whom we create value and who help guide our business choices. They are also our friends and neighbors, our sounding boards for new business ideas, our go-to sources for innovative recipes, and our guides.

Community supported agriculture is not just about what the farmer wants to grow, what the customer wants to buy, or what makes the most money.  It is an ongoing conversation about what grows well on a certain piece of land, and how the economics of a small farm can be transformed by the investment of even a small number of families who love and support it. CSA shareholders have the unique ability to fundamentally impact the way their farm produces their food. Our shareholders constantly connect us with ways to grow more sustainably and ethically, whether it’s raising animals more humanely or learning new ways of building our soil. By the choices they make each week, they help us refine an efficient crop mix that is well suited to their tastes and our land. While many small businesses create opportunities for customers to provide feedback, CSA makes that relationship the foundation upon which the business is built. 

Signing up for a CSA share is essentially jumping into a season-long dialogue between shareholder and farmer, farmer and soil, farm and family. Your household becomes an essential part of our local and national conversation about sustainability and resilience, whether small farms can survive in an era of processed foods and meal kits, how climate change will inevitably affect our ability to grow food and how we can both adapt in a hurry and make powerful changes to our food system for the long term. 

CSA is also a unique form of self-care. Supporting a CSA for the season equals a commitment to your family to bring real, unprocessed food, into your home on a regular basis. It means that you become part of a community of people who will help you learn how to use that food, how to cook with what you have, making delicious, simple, nourishing meals from ingredients that were grown within a few miles of your home, on soil that is cared for and tended by people you know. All share in common the desire to create healthy meals for themselves and their families while creating the kind of support for a small farm that goes beyond the weekly purchase of a tomato at the farmers’ market. As writer Michael Pollan puts it, “cooking might be the most important factor in fixing our public health crisis.  People who cook have healthier diets.” 

Some potential CSA customers are concerned that the commitment associated with the CSA model limits its convenience. Indeed, in some ways CSA is stubbornly the opposite of the current economy’s on-demand model. Immediacy is replaced by rhythm and story—the rhythms of the weekly pickup and the seasonal ebb and flow of different crops, the ongoing story of the small farm and its meaning within the broader context of the local food system. Fortunately, some of the perceived inconvenience of CSA can be offset by the multitude of well-run CSA farms in the Agricultural Reserve. With the Reserve’s proximity to such a dense and diverse population, it is the ideal place for CSA to thrive, and for this powerful model to grow far beyond the 0.4 percent of American eaters it currently serves. 

It’s a raw, cold Thursday afternoon in late fall. The little red house is packed to the gills with the abundance of the season: pastured pork, chicken and lamb fill the freezers while vegetables from spicy arugula to robust broccoli and cauliflower, delicate squash, and the season’s last sweet peppers overflow the crates along the walls. Shareholders make plans to pick up their Thanksgiving turkeys and swap ideas for holiday side dishes. Their visits might be shorter at this time of year, but the mutual sense of gratitude and community is just as powerful. Farmers and shareholders are so fortunate to be part of a group of people who draw hope and strength from the soil, which contains such mysteries and such power to heal itself and those it serves.  

Amanda Cather owns and operates Plow and Stars Farm in Poolesville, Maryland with her husband Mark and their children. She grew up in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, and farmed in Massachusetts and Colorado before being lucky enough to return to the Agricultural Reserve to start Plow and Stars.  

Slow Living

Going against the grain of convenience and a good bargain

BY MARY KINGSLEY

from the Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living

One doesn’t have to be a historian or economist to understand how quickly our society has shifted in the last two generations. Some of us can still remember a time when people weren’t dependent on factory farms thousands of miles away for food, nor on chain stores for cheap clothing made overseas by impoverished workers. Many people grew their own food and made their clothing, or at least obtained them from a known source; and until well into the 20th century, many Americans did all of this without electrical power in their homes.

It has been less than a century since Americans were largely self-sufficient producers of many of their daily needs and moderate consumers of the rest. In the “waste not, want not” days of our grandparents or great-grandparents, responsible use of resources was not only enforced through rationing—especially during WWII—but also seen as a citizen’s patriotic duty.

Fast forward to the present, when practically everything we use is bought from a store—or through Amazon—and is excessively packaged, taped, safety sealed, shrink-wrapped, encased in plastic, tamper-proofed, and on and on. Think about this as you move through your day and look at the products, containers, tools, and implements you use. Where did they come from, how did they get into your hands, how much waste was created before you even owned them? Consider the fact that most of these things are used up or broken in a relatively short period of time, after which their packaging, containers and carcasses are mindlessly tossed into the trash, the place our society assumes is the endpoint of our concern. 

We have evolved from a more circular mindset in our consumer behavior—one that is conscious of limited resources and encourages conservation—to a linear economy in which we are addicted to the desire for cheap, mass-produced goods that have only one direction to go: from production, to use, to disposal in a landfill.

Our food supply, too, has long left the realm of self-production and now has much more connection to a factory or a lab than the land. It has been sprayed, machinated, wrapped, frozen, fortified, processed, sealed, flown around the globe, clam-shelled and shelved until we, full collaborators in this paradigm, happily pull it from the supermarket shelves in the name of sustenance. As for our clothing, almost everything available today has been produced at a terrible cost to not only the environment and our health, but also to the overworked and underpaid hands that put them together, all so that we can indulge our throwaway habits that might barely make a dent in our pocketbooks.

‘‘The slow living choice to feed and clothe ourselves closer to the source doesn’t necessarily take less time or work or money. In some instances it might take more.’’

In recent decades, time and money have become the two things consumers want to save over anything else. This gives rise to the attraction of convenience, the almighty bargain, fast food and fast fashion. How and when these perceived shortages became such a driving force in our society is probably beyond the scope of this discussion, but recognizing these cultural shifts is essential to understanding their impact. The truth is that we have the same amount of time as did our ancestors and our grandparents. The difference is in how we choose to spend it.

Choosing Slow Living 

Our own understanding of slow living has to do, quite simply, with making conscious choices about how we live our lives. It’s about paying attention to how we spend our time, money and resources, and taking a step back from the industrialized systems that have come to provide our daily needs. It’s also about observing our own consumer habits, where and how they intersect with quality of life and perpetuate an unsustainable paradigm.

The slow living choice to feed and clothe ourselves closer to the source doesn’t necessarily take less time or work or money. In some instances it might take more. Those who have made the conscious decision to eat more locally know this. It takes effort and organization to seek out local sources and very often requires paying more. Supermarkets might offer organic produce but it often isn’t local or fresh, and very few offer meat options that are not from concentrated animal feeding operation sources. Growing your own is a wonderful option, but is a commitment as well. During growing season when we’re planting and weeding the garden plot, trying to keep it all going through drought, and at the end of the summer when our cup runneth over with wonderful things from the garden that need to be harvested, prepared and preserved—life is not “slow,” as in “leisurely.” There is a huge amount of effort and energy involved. Yet, this is the choice we make over driving to the megamarket and buying packaged and processed food that could be on the table and ready to eat in no time.

Likewise, the slow living choice for clothing that has not been produced at the expense of the land, our water, another human’s well-being and our own health certainly will cost more in terms of dollars and cents. The reality is that many people aren’t able to buy clothes that are made from responsibly sourced materials and well paid workers. The prevailing fast fashion system has squeezed the life out of this model, and the availability of ethically produced apparel is extremely limited, putting the majority of consumers in a position where they feel they have no choice.

Yet this is the crucial point. Anyone and everyone can become aware that there might be another choice, that there should be a choice other than participating in the prevailing paradigm. Thomas Berry, cultural historian and twentieth century visionary, sums up what he believes to be the “Great Work” of humankind as we move into the new century. It is “to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner.”

‘‘The goal in exploring the idea of slow living is to identify where we have become separated from “the hand that feeds us,” so to speak, and to find our way back to a right relationship with the true source of our nurturance.'‘ 

Uncovering these shadows in our society and educating consumers on the realities of the systems we have been unconsciously supporting is the path to change and, in our way of thinking, the heart of slow living. We can do this, each and every one of us, in small ways, in seemingly minuscule decisions, in the example we set for those around us without being loud or preachy. No single behavior is going to be right for everyone. We all got here together even if we came from a thousand different directions. The way out is with individual changes, but the ultimate paradigm-shifting changes will be collective.

The goal in exploring the idea of slow living is to identify where we have become separated from “the hand that feeds us,” so to speak, and to find our way back to a right relationship with the true source of our nurturance. We want to see ourselves apart from mass production and consumption, hear our own voice inside the noisy torrent of information, and seek out the things we truly value. In that space, perhaps, is where we reclaim our allotted time on the planet and create our truly authentic lives. 

It’s good to be waking up.

The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living (coming soon) is a handbook for those seeking a life of beauty, simplicity, and sustainability. Mary Kingsley—author, homesteader and co-founder of Lady Farmer, a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with daughter Emma Kingsley—discusses humanity’s relationship with the natural world, how that relationship has shifted, and how the concept of slow living can return health to ourselves and our planet. This guide not only explores the damage done by our fast-food, fast-fashion, fast-everything culture, but also offers simple ways each of us can help to heal that damage. Whether you live in the city or suburb, its stories, tips, recipes, resources, ideas, and questions will get you thinking about your own relationship to the planet: what you eat, what you wear, where you live, and how you live.

Award-winning Film: The Biggest Little Farm

An award-winning must-see film has just been released nationwide: “The Biggest Little Farm.”

“The Chesters have made ‘The Biggest Little Farm,’ a gorgeously photographed and utterly engaging chronicle of their journey. It’s as delicious as the vegetables they grow.”

— Michael Calleri, Niagara Gazette May 22, 2019

A testament to the immense complexity of nature, The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and a dog on an odyssey to bring harmony to both their lives and the land.

Enjoy!

Short Film: Growing Legacy

If you have six-plus minutes to spare and want to get a fantastic visual overview of the Ag Reserve, check out this highly informative, entertaining and well produced trailer for the 30-minute film entitled “Growing Legacy.” Produced by the Montgomery Countryside Alliance, the intrepid longtime stewards and advocacy organization for the Ag Reserve, it's a film you will want to see more than once!

Watch the “Growing Legacy” trailer:

And here’s where you can get the 30-minute film and check out the good work of Montgomery Countryside Alliance in the process.

http://www.mocoalliance.org/news/growing-legacy-host-a-screening-or-buy-the-dvd

PLENTY to Consider

The PLENTY BLOG is a place to broaden and deepen conversations around important issues, ideas, trends, innovations, breakthroughs and successes in the areas of agriculture, food production, sustainability, climate solutions and more— on a local, regional, national and global scale.

As publishers we humbly offer this site as a place to educate, inspire and catalyze action to—in some small way—help heal our planet, recognize the richness of our common humanity and return to a place where we recognize and celebrate the interdependent nature of our world.