The way we farm needs to be redesigned
I have spent the last few blogs advocating for optimism in the climate change conversation. While the situation we have gotten ourselves in is catastrophic and terrifying, and urgency is undoubtedly required, amazing innovators are persevering amidst the pessimistic dialogue.
I am going to continue to uplift these activists and stories that spark conversations and provide some optimism in a situation with a gloomy outlook.
The “Kiss the Ground” documentary inspired me to consider the importance and possibilities of soil. Through regeneration, soil holds the power to revive ecosystems and help balance the climate. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to do so.
There is infinite space for innovation in the agriculture industry. Many practices that we have done for centuries can be rethought and improved with the goal of climate improvement.
Here are a couple of stories that showed this is possible and provided me with hope and excitement for the future.
1. Buildings that combine affordable housing and vertical farming
The United Nations estimates that there will be 9.7 billion people in 2050. That’s a 2 billion person increase in the next 30 years.
That’s a lot of additional mouths to feed (and houses). At the same time, the amount of arable land (land capable of growing crops) is decreasing.
So what’s the answer?
Vertical farming is making a strong case as one of the best. To cultivate more food with less available land, we need to develop new approaches to agriculture. Vertical Harvest, an impact-driven vertical farming company, is working on a great solution to that problem.
Scheduled to break ground in 2021, a new building that combines affordable housing and vertical farming will be developed in Westbrook, Maine. This will be the first installment in a series of projects by Vertical Harvest that has plans for additional locations in Chicago and Philadelphia.
The company’s CEO, Nona Yehia, explains, “we have in this country converging economic, climate, and health crises that are rooted in people’s access to healthy food, resilient, nourishing jobs, and fair housing. And we saw this as an urban redevelopment tool that has the potential to address all three.”
Inside each building, the ground level will be a community area (potentially with a kitchen) and the farm will take up the second, third, and fourth floors. The company expects the buildings will produce a million pounds of produce a year, selling to residents, supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals, and local food pantries.
We cannot remain stagnant in the way we live, eat, etc. As we continue to grow as a civilization, we need innovators like Vertical Harvest to challenge the status quo and provide systematic solutions that change the way we go about our daily practices.
I am so excited to see this project series in action and watch it expand across the country. Who wouldn’t want to live in a building where a fresh salad is a pair of slippers and a few steps away?
2. Regenerative farming in St. Louis
August and Katelyn Horstmann run a 1,000-acre regenerative farm in Owensville, MO, a short drive outside of St. Louis.
Regenerative farming describes agricultural practices that rebuild and restore healthy soil, resulting in carbon capture and reduction.
In the Horstmann’s case, they keep their 260 cows, 11 hogs, and 160 chickens in open fields rather than pens. Every 12 to 24 hours, the animals are rotated to a new section of the field for grazing, leaving behind manure to fertilize and regrow the grass naturally.
“It’s just emulating nature. We keep it very simple,” says August.
August first heard about regenerative farming on YouTube in 2017. Ever since switching practices, the labor required has decreased significantly and profit margins have increased.
The United Nations estimates one-third of the world’s topsoil is eroded, and the rest will follow in the next 60 years.
Although many farmers are hesitant about the longevity and sustainability of regenerative farming, it is a practice that we need to adopt throughout the country if we want to be able to grow any crops in the future.
Our soil is a precious thing, and stories like the Horstmann’s will hopefully persuade traditional farmers to make the transition to farming that is good for the environment.
I also encourage government policy to recognize regenerative farming as a necessity moving forward and to incentivize its adoption.
I hope these two stories of climate innovation motivate you to take an optimistic lens to the future of our climate. We need more willing to rethink the systems that are so harmful to our planet and recognize the change will at times be uncomfortable for a lot of us.
I challenge you to talk about these stories with your friends, family, and colleagues and see where the conversation takes you.
See you next time.
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