Cathryn & David Harbor are two amazing leaders in our local community. they have become like family as we have begun this journey of restoration on the greater farm. I asked them to share their thoughts as to why they felt compelled to invest their time & resources. Below is their candid and thoughtful Response:
Cathryn:
As we started thinking about where to invest our extra time and effort David and I realized that regenerative agriculture hit the sweet spot of our interests, environmental values and work lives. We decided to try to nurture a bit of land into improved health and productivity.
“Every time I talk with John or Mary, I learn another way to understand the impact of farming methods on the health of the land and its products. Talk about nerdy fun… :)”
David had been working with the Pedersens for a while, working with thesis students to study their soils and vegetation, plus taking his regenerative ag classes to study their practices.
David:
“It is a natural and easy partnership that matches a late inning shift in my career. My interest in regenerative agriculture has grown into a passion and a profession over the last 5 to 7 years. I used to have a pretty standard geological interest in the land and soil but at a timescale that didn’t matter as much to human lives. I discovered instead that I really wanted to do research and teaching more directly focused on our current climate, economic, and environmental predicatments. Hence the turn to regenerative agriculture and its benefits for farmers, soils and local watersheds.”
Students love the new course focus and are all about healthy soils, healthy communities and healthy food. They ask about how they can work or volunteer with us and the Pedersens, and our exciting new venture at the farm.
Cathryn:
As a Functional Medicine doctor, I love to think about health. We all have challenges that need specific help, but we share this: To thrive we need pristine water, clean air, real food, nourishing relationships and time spent in nature... all of which seem difficult to find. I got to know Mary and John because I wanted to go to their farm and enjoy doing real outside work - hauling mulch and stacking logs and dirtying hands dirty in their huge greenhouse. It quickly became clear to me that the Pedersens live with principles that I share. They also grow the beautiful healthy food that I want to eat, the food I wish that all of my patients - actually everyone - could eat.
Discussing farming with the Pedersens, we are repeatedly impressed with their vision, which seeks to let the soil, animals and plants flourish naturally, encouraging species diversity and avoiding artificial inputs that damage the soil and water. John and Mary have a deep understanding of and years of training in restorative farming methods. They think deeply about the entire ecosystem of the farm - never about what is cheapest or easiest, always what is best for the soil, the animals, the farm, the environment, and their farming community. They speak beautifully and knowledgeably about making the farm lush, productive and ecologically diverse while providing delicious, chemical free, healthy, locally grown food. We share their vision and want to work with them to demonstrate that farmers can thrive by adopting sustainable practices.
We are so committed to this project that in our 60s, we now have a mortgage that will require us to work well into the time we could otherwise have retired. But when we think about how we can best invest our time, energy and money, we can think of no better way than this exciting road we’re on with the Pedersens.
Love from the Farm!