Aug 25, 20204 min read

Fueling a food revolution. {Week 15 CSA}

The world’s population is expected to surpass 8 billion in the next 7 years and yet we're losing fertile soil 100 times faster than the rate of soil formation.

It's truly unfathomable to imagine 36 billion tons of soil being lost to erosion every single year. Consider that one billion tons is similar in volume to about 400,000 olympic sized pools. That's nearly 14.5 million olympic pools worth of precious nutrient-deploying earth literally going down the riparian drain. With modern agriculture being the main driver of this major threat, it's no surprise that terms like “food revolution” and “food activism” have gained traction.

Whether you identify as an activist or not, by purchasing sustainably grown food, you’re making a strong political statement, as this is where soil reparation begins—regardless of how long it takes politicians to recognize it. Because the reality is this: the U.S. government funnels nearly 8 BILLION dollars each year to sustain our least nutritive and most eroding crops via farm subsidies, while organic and sustainable farms receive less than 2% of total funds.

But the organic movement is growing rapidly despite it. When Walmart started selling organic food over a decade ago (however large and green washed they might be), it said big things about consumer demand across unique populations. Awareness about the need for clean food has exploded in the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the correlation between increased chemicals in food production and the steady rise in chronic illnesses is turning out to be as causative as we feared.

Critics of the organic movement cite the same recycled (and scientifically refuted) argument about organic farms never being able to produce enough to feed the world’s growing population. They clearly don’t know about our farm, and others like it, that are producing 10 acres worth of produce on 1.5 acres — all while leaving behind a richer, more nutrient-dense soil than before. And really, the nutrient load in our soils is the heart of this discussion, along with the need for people to actually eat the food it produces.

Because even in our food-abundant society, malnourishment abounds. And it’s easy to see why when we look at what we’re growing. Just 2% of our nation’s crops are fruits and vegetables (with less than 1% of that grown organically), while 60% of what we grow are commodity crops like soy and corn, headed for heavy processing and mass consumption (by us and other factory farmed animals).

When zooming out like that, it’s easy to see why we’re such an undernourished populace. Is food a human right—or is nutrition our right? Anything edible can secure the "food" title, but what is it really offering us? And what does a nation blanketed in over 185 million acres of chemically-dependent GMO commodity crops have to offer?

Enter the call for a more diversified landscape. Scientists, sustainable farmers, and activists alike have been calling for a complete food system overhaul for a long while, but their voices are finally starting to gain attention. Regardless of how political leaders decide to move on these topics, local communities are continuing to take matters into their own hands. The rise of farmers markets and CSA programs like ours are a clear example.

Hence, “Community Supported Agriculture”—because there’s really no other option for support elsewhere. New organic farmers face incredible investments up front: to get their farm infrastructure in place to even grow, purchase the seed and labor for a season to begin, and then of course, pay for the land itself. Conventional farmers are able to bankroll their start-up costs with a variety of large farmer loans—both private and government funded. But what happens when small organic operations want to do the same? The persistent skepticism of the viability and security of farming without chemicals has made insurers reluctant to create standard policies for small organic operations. This difficulty in securing adequate insurance ends up limiting financing routes, due to similar lender fears.

But what if it looked different? What if the political stronghold that Big Ag has on the US Farm Bill (which determines regulations for farm subsidies) was broken by the will of the people. So many are quick to complain about organic food being so expensive when the real complaint should be why conventional food is so cheap. What if we flipped that script and diverted more of those subsidies to organic operations—heck, even incentivizing the switch to organic production the way current subsidy distributions locks farmers into conventional methods?

Can we even imagine what would happen to the obesity and disease rates in our country if a bottle of Pepsi suddenly soared to $5 while a fresh juice of locally grown cucumbers, apples and basil was just $1.25? Sure, addiction is a worthwhile topic to include here, but we're positing that many are actually shackled to processed junk through price. At the very least, it makes our choices obvious ones. Liberation requires real nutrition—it is fueled, awakened, and protected by it.

We're grateful to be able to help forge this path back to a more wholesome connection to our food and community. And we're inspired by you, who continues to show up with a dedication to a shared vision. One that is as delicious as it is nutritious.