Part 4 in a 5 part series
Sustainable Eating Big Idea #4- Get Your Hands Dirty
Why it’s good to get your hands dirty…
For you: Planting your own things to eat is not as difficult as you may think. Many small farmers/gardeners and organizations strive to teach others to do so. Check your local Extension Service or look for farms that educate on LocalHarvest.com. The reward of eating your own homegrown food is exhilarating. Some studies have shown that playing in the dirt creates more healthy microbiomes in our own bodies, improves mental health, and has a positive impact on chronic health conditions (Soga, et al, 2017.) Planting food is almost as old as the world, but we have moved away from a hands-on connection with our food.
For the environment: Soil health is paramount to nutrient-dense foods. “Soil microbial communities play a pivotal role in ecosystem services and can have direct and indirect influences on a multitude of processes…” (Banerjee, 2022.) Easy to overlook, the importance of soil is extremely critical. Look below for an excellent educational video.
For equality: Community farms are popping up everywhere. From San Diego to New York City, organizations teach people in high-poverty/low-access communities to grow food in backyards, by playgrounds, on rooftops, on old railroad tracks, and more. Some organizations focus on planting indigenous and cultural foods (like the recipe below) that are mostly lost to our modern society. Check out these great organizations that are helping to promote equality in food production https://www.planetwomen.org/blog/six-black-led-food-sovereignty-initiatives
What you can do today: Watch Kiss The Ground, a Netflix documentary about soil that will fascinate and inspire you! https://kissthegroundmovie.com/kiss-the-ground-netflix-movie-features-soil-health-pioneers/
I love smaller recipe sites without the ads! Indigenous recipe with beans, squash, and corn https://www.indigikitchen.com/three-sisters-soup/