We were accepted into Kiss The Ground's Farmland Program!

When it comes to making soil health the story of the century, Kiss The Ground is leading the way! That's why we couldn't be more excited to announce to you that we were accepted into their Farmland Program at the beginning of this year. Back in 2018 we took one of their first ever Soil Advocate trainings and have been keeping an eye on them and many other leaders in the soil health and regenerative spaces since we got interested in this beautiful way of life.

Our journey into soil health started when we opened our home up to a small communal garden, which has since transformed into a thriving farm and homestead, centered around regenerative living. Read more about our story, here. To us their is no more important story than the one that promotes returning to working with the earth and each other in a good way. In the face of climate change, political upheaval and the crumbling health of our society we must act now.

While we live in rural Minnesota, among thousands of farmers the understanding of how soil works just doesn't seem to be common knowledge. Most farmers today, with good intentions and a rich family history are participating unknowingly in the most destructive form of farming known in human history. We as farmers have found ourselves caught in a system that is poisoning our soils, air and waters and keeping us locked into supporting a corporate agenda. As a part of this system we are contributing to global warming, chronic disease and mass extinction and pollution.

With the evidence right in front of us we continue to ignore the warning signs. So, when a group of young hip Californians from Venice Beach start talking about researching soil carbon sequestration, you know it's got to be cool. You know you are doing the right work. You know that it's possible to find solutions and educate the public on how we can make this shift into a regenerative future.

So, how are they doing it? Through Kiss The Ground's Farmland Program they are uplifting farmers and ranchers who are leading the charge of regenerating the world’s soils. The Farmland Program supports the growth of healthy soils on agricultural land by providing access to education, soil health services (testing & monitoring), and mentorship for farmers ranchers, and other agricultural professionals. Members of the program have access to an online resource hub, as well as their robust networking platform of alumni, producers, policy makers, and others in the agriculture community.

 The goal is to engage with land stewards in a way that better equips them to make context-specific decisions and adapt their management practices to benefit the financial, ecological, and social conditions on which their agricultural operations depend. Since we enrolled in the program we were given the opportunity to seek out training, which the Farmland Program purchased for us. We chose to enroll in the Foundations of Holistic Management courses through the Savory Institute. Through these courses we have gotten a chance to learn what Holistic Management is, how complex these systems can be, and how to best manage a successful farm. We have learned more about our ecosystem and how the different ecosystem management processes affect our land. We have been able to align our resources and values on our farm and plan our decisions for the long-term of regeneration.

As we walk down the path of our own unique journey practicing a regenerative system of agriculture, raising Tree-Range® Chicken we are able to think through the many other opportunities that our families land can provide. Although, we are just getting started, we have successfully, in a matter of just a few years begun to establish thousands of tree crops and the foundation for a regenerative farm future here at the Organic Compound.

The soil tests collected and the information and practices that we learn now are a part of the foundation of this land and the rest of our lives being supported by it. Our every action as land stewards and society overall is going to be the difference between the collapse of our ecosystem or the redemption of a thriving society and ecology. Join us in these efforts. Follow along with our story and be sure to check out Kiss The Ground.

If you are interested in the Farmland Program just visit: www.kisstheground.com/farmland.

Also, don't miss out on the new documentary 'Kiss The Ground' at: www.kissthegroundmovie.com

If you are interested in supporting us on our journey visit: https://www.organiccompound.org/The-Garden-Membership

Check out this sneak preview of our soil tests and stay tuned for the full interview with Jared Luhman, Soil Health Lead from the Sustainable Farming Association.