You can find small, local farms of all stripes. No two are alike and they don't fit into tidy categories. Yet, apart from growing stuff, one thing they're likely to have in common is that they serve their community. Recently, I visited Pineapple Hill Orchard, Green Lake's 3+ acre, family-run, apple-filled marvel. They are a … Continue reading How local farms make your life better
"This survey is a wake-up call." That's a quote from Thomas J. Vilsack, the U.S. secretary of agriculture, talking about our latest Census of Agriculture, which was recently released. What got his attention? Here's some statistics from the 2022 Census: The number of farms in the US dropped almost 7% since 2017 - a continuing decline … Continue reading Latest Ag Census packed with eye-opening numbers; what they mean, what we can do
Did you know land access is an emerging farmer's #1 hurdle to getting started? This data comes from the National Young Farmers Coalition 2022 survey. With prohibitive land prices and lots of deep-pocketed competition, it's hard for folks to get their foot in the farming door these days. So, What's an emerging farmer? The MN … Continue reading How you (yes,you!) can create land access for emerging farmers
FoxRAP made great strides in 2023 - our 2nd full year of operations. I'm happy to share here our Annual Report with you, our all-important supporters, contributors, partners, and community. With your support, we: Won a competitive $86K USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant to increase and improve direct-to-consumer markets and sales for local farms … Continue reading FoxRAP 2023 Annual Report
"Of the many epic challenges that climate change is bringing to humankind, one of the most significant is surely the need to reinvent agriculture.
Can the world’s farmers find a way to shift from large-scale, carbon-intensive industrial farming that is destroying soil and ecosystems to smaller-scale bioregional systems that not only respect nature but regenerate it?
Can we invent systems that grow enough nutritious food, distribute it fairly to all, and remake agriculture as a decentralized, place-respecting enterprise?
At this point in the unfolding climate catastrophe, these ambitions are not simply a nice fantasy to ponder. They are existential necessities. If humankind is going to avoid fatal disruptions to the planet’s ecosystems and civilization itself, agriculture must find ways to pursue some radical shifts.
In the short term, the top imperative must be new strategies for adapting to climate change: new cultivation practices, new crop choices, holistic commitments. Over the longer term, the art of farming must reintegrate itself with local ecosystems and the biosphere. Agriculture must do more than “sustain” an already degraded landscape. It must understand and improve the generativity of life itself.
Regeneration is not simply a set of techniques. It is a mindset and worldview. It is a deep priority and commitment. Regenerative agriculture is not only about improving crop yields and reducing harmful ecological impacts. It is about bringing new vigor to biogeoecological systems while enlivening us as humans.
The focus is not on beggar-thy-neighbor competition and market success that tends toward economic consolidation; it is about cooperative stewardship of dispersed, autonomous systems on a holistic scale. Everyone can flourish together."
Although I've studied Spanish (on and off, ahem) since high school, only this year did I learn the powerful word, querencia. From the word querer, which means 'to want' or 'to love', querencia translates as 'fondness'. However, it's also a deeper concept, one with no English translation; a concept of belonging, a love of home, … Continue reading Celebrating Sconnie: Instilling an inclusive love of place
Despite residing in Green Lake for nearly 3 years, I'd never been to the Norwegian Bay Wetlands on Big Green Lake. So this year, when Water Quality Month rolled around, I decided enough is enough. Tuesday at 1:14pm is as good a time as any. I packed the kids, the snacks, and a water bottle … Continue reading August is National Water Quality Month. How to celebrate? Embrace the wetland.
Green Lake Association, a community partner of ours, recognizes the importance of working with local agriculture to improve its effects on our surface water, like Big Green Lake. That's why they offer a yearly scholarship to folks in our community who'd like to attend an agriculture conference and learn about quality land stewardship. Deadline for … Continue reading Agricultural Stewards Scholarship
Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project 