Belief & Commitment

It’s the year 2050. My grown daughter looks me in the eye and asks what I did to help make the world a better place. What do I tell her?

Belief:  What do you believe in?

When you woke up this morning, you got up with at least one core belief - something in your mind that defines how you see the world. Such core beliefs are unshakable, unmovable, and dictate what actions you take on a day-to-day basis.

Commitment: How committed to that belief are you?

When you head for the door, you are going to act out your day based on your belief. That action represents your commitment.

Everyone’s level of commitment will be different, based on the resources they have available. Resources - time, money, energy, experience, land base, manpower, etc. - are different for each of us. Everyone will have advantages to draw on, and disadvantages to face. But we all have at least some resources to commit, which allow us to put our beliefs into action.

My farming journey:

I left the big city, and my high-tech career in broadcasting, to focus on agriculture and make a life on the land. I quickly learned that what we eat can only reach peak deliciousness if it is grown in healthy soil, and that, to produce healthy soil, you have to learn about carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, crop rotation – in short, a commitment to science.

My core belief:

One core belief of mine is this: Unless we reverse man-made climate disruption, we are all screwed.

A little dark, I know - but true.

(Some of my international readers may wonder why this topic is even up for debate. Those who wish to know more about climate science, and man’s role in our current crisis, can find info here. Those who doubt this - many of them likely to be in the United States - may want to look here to see how much of the industrialized world is already generating large portions of their energy from renewable sources, reaping not only a cleaner environment, but much of the profit from this field.)

The climate situation is daunting, but I have another core belief: I am able to help combat climate disruption. I am able to do this by focusing on soil science. As a farmer, my life is a part of the soil-food web. I know we can pull carbon out of the atmosphere, store it in the soil (“sequestration”), and then use that soil to grow delicious food.

I am able to help combat climate disruption.

For example: I raise chickens, rotating them to a different area of pasture each day. My goal is to do this in concert with ruminants in a multi-species, managed grazing system.

If the whole world moved toward such managed grazing, we could reduce CO2 emissions by 16 gigatons over the next 30 years. (A gigaton - one billion tons - is the weight of about 2,000 super-size oil tankers.) Oh, and by the way – we’d also save over $700 billion dollars in the process. By changing the way we eat and grow food, we can reduce one quarter of the CO2 needed to offset climate disruption.

I know this from many credible sources, but most recently from a paper published in the journal Science, which specifically addresses the huge role of agriculture in climate disruption, showing that any overall effort to reduce CO2 also “requires rapid and ambitious changes to food systems…”

If you work raising food – plants or animals – you need to be aware that this sector alone generates nearly a third of all mankind’s CO2. The good news is, we can each take steps that would have a huge impact on these emissions. Farmers know how to act today with tomorrow in mind. 

Reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture is one of my core beliefs – one which gives all my farming practices purpose. Without that purpose, my farm would be a completely different place. When I moved my chicken tractors this morning, it was another step on my path to help the planet keep those extra 16 gigatons of carbon out of the atmosphere. 

So, what can you do?

Even if you already believe in man-made climate disruption, as I do, you may wonder how we can make the transition to a truly sustainable future, and what difference you can make without turning your life inside out.

Remember that everyone has a different set of resources. At any given time, we are all going to be at different points on our own personal journey. Everyone - and I mean everyone - is just trying to figure it out.

As for me, I work towards a healthier planet in several ways. My brewery uses only locally-sourced grains. I’ve switched to a hybrid car. My farm produces food, but also provides education for the patrons that visit. I produce videos, podcasts, books, and blogs about my journey in agriculture. I do this so that I may inspire and educate the next generation of farmers.

What are you willing to commit to today? 

You can start small, and then take more actions, in ways you feel comfortable. Here are some suggestions:

• Buy local (meaning, buy from small, brick-and-mortar stores, not Amazon)

• Buy from companies that source ingredients locally

• Start a garden

• Raise some chickens

• Start a farm

• Be mindful of your own carbon footprint: turn off unused lights; don’t idle your vehicle

• Switch to a cleaner car: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full electric

• Sign up for 100% renewable electricity at home - for example, in my own state, I can select my source company at: EnergizeCT.com

• Use less plastic

• Join a CSA or farmshare program

We create change in increments. Every daily move of livestock on grass makes a difference in the life of the animal, the quality of the product, and the health of the planet. Oh, and it’s delicious and good for you.

Reasons for hope:

As huge as the problem is, we can take some comfort in the vast efforts underway to reverse man-made climate disruption: Here’s info on the countries that have pledged to make huge cuts to total carbon emissions in the coming decades; and here are lists of countries and cities that have set targets to eliminate gas-driven vehicles. (That alone would address another quarter of unnecessary emissions).

There also may be ways to reverse climate disruption that you haven’t thought of yet. Luckily, there is an organization that has thought of everything. If you are looking for more guidance, and for the science behind my claims, I would like to suggest one book in particular:

“Drawdown: The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming”

“Drawdown” has become a seminal text on climate solutions, drawing on humanity’s collective wisdom about the practices and technologies that can begin to reverse the buildup of atmospheric carbon. The material contained within the pages of “Drawdown” has influenced university curricula, city climate plans, commitments by businesses, community action, philanthropic strategy, and more. 

Want to check their references? Wish to see if the claims hold up to scrutiny? Here’s a page where they list all of their references and research:

https://www.drawdown.org/references

Before You Go

When I look at my children, I think about the world they are going to inherit. My oldest  daughter is rather strong-willed, and I often explain the difference between being a boss and being a leader, by telling her: 

A boss tells you what to do; a leader shows you what to do.

Our job as food producers is not to tell people why soil health is so important, but to be leaders, and show them - through our actions and our commitments - why soil health is so important to our own health, our nutrition, and the future of our planet.

Though you may not see it just yet, we are all connected to the soil under our feet. As you become tuned in to the natural cycles of our planet, you will start to realize how important healthy soils really are.

Through our actions - grazing cattle, moving chicken tractors, collecting eggs - we can show others the difference healthy soil makes in their lives. The more you learn about the science behind the ideals, the more you are going to believe what I am telling you. The more you believe, the easier it will be to get others involved.

Is it our time to be leaders? The planet requires it.