Regenerative Generation by Hadley

Regenerative Generation by Hadley - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

I love being outside, surrounded by nature. But it was contemplating the secrets of the natural world in my Honors Biology class that helped me recognize my true passion lies in science and biology. This love of the science behind nature has directed a lot of my life and is how I stumbled across a documentary called “The Biggest Little Farm” this past year. The documentary details a couple’s journey of creating a biodynamic and regenerative farm, which means their farm works in harmony with nature. It uses the native ecosystem to the benefit of their animals and plants. For example, when their fruit trees were being devoured by snails, they set their ducks free in the orchard which controlled the snail population, fed the ducks, and fertilized the fruit trees. Due to my love of nature, biology, and this documentary, I have discovered my life’s mission: I want to overhaul our current agriculture system, comprised mostly of non-organic monoculture farms, and replace them with sustainable biodynamic farms.

Biodynamic farming is the most environmentally conscious way to farm, not only because it absorbs some carbon from our air, but because it increases biodiversity, supports wildlife, and is the natural way to farm without harmful sprays and fertilizers. In fact, Apricot Lane Farms, featured in “the Biggest Little Farm” was credited by both the National Wildlife Federation and the North American Butterfly Association for creating such a healthy habitat for wildlife. If more farms practiced this method of farming, the wildlife in our country would make a comeback and thrive again.

In addition to helping the environment, regenerative practices would also have a dramatic impact on the health of our nation and our world. In America, obesity runs rampant causing a lower quality of life and hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths each year. This health crisis is the byproduct of eating too many empty calories. People eat too much processed food which contains tons of fats and sugars which contribute to weight gain, but have barely any key nutrients to keep our bodies running properly. Regenerative farming practices would help address this issue. Apricot Lane Farms participated in “ a five-year soil study and nutrient analysis [of their] eggs. The vitamin A, lutein, and the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio all [went] up...” (Koenig). If all fresh foods had naturally higher nutrient contents, then obesity rates would drop because an increased intake of key vitamins and minerals helps to increase metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels. Not only does biodynamic farming create a healthier ecosystem, but it creates healthier people too.

While the benefits of biodynamic farming are clear, skeptics say it’s impossible to get biodynamic farming to work on a larger scale. However, an increase in crop and wildlife diversity provides insurance against total crop failure due to disease, pests, or other environmental issues. And, while I know that in some areas it may be harder to farm certain crops without genetically modified seed and without pesticides, it’s important to realize that there are already sound ecosystems in place in every part of the world which can be tapped into in order to produce healthy food for everyone. I aim to prove these skeptics wrong by commercializing biodynamic farming.

To do this I will first need an education and hands-on learning. I am attending college this fall to study Biology and Environmental Science in order to learn more about our world and obtain a base of knowledge that I can share with others. Over the summers, I plan to volunteer and travel the world through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and intern at Apricot Lane Farms to learn about farming first-hand. I also want to get a graduate degree to grow my knowledge base and credibility. Then, I will work to start a grassroots movement by connecting biodynamic farms and supporting new farmers. I will work to place the foods in big-name stores and markets, help set up tours at the participating farms to draw extra cash flow and educate the public, and start lobbying Congress and food companies once there is enough weight to the movement. I also hope to bring these practices to other countries, especially third world countries where people need all the nutrients they can get. When I get older, I hope to own my own biodynamic and regenerative farm and become a professor in order to educate future generations on the importance of our food system and environment. By following this plan and sharing my passion, I will change our agriculture system for the good of everyone; plants, animals, our planet, and us.

Works Cited
Koenig, Debbie. “Life on 'The Biggest Little Farm': A Q&A With the Filmmakers.” WebMD, WebMD, 20 June 2019, blogs.webmd.com/webmd-interviews/20190620/life-on-the-biggest-little-farm-a-qa-with-the-filmmakers.