PCC Farmland Trust

Your Dollars are Protecting Our Farmlands to Keep Our Food Supply Healthy

This trust preserves local farming lands and promotes sustainable, organic methods of growing food.

You might notice a continuing theme here from the previous post in this series, about giving support to a local foodbank.

Why Farmland? 

The work that I do and the life that I live is about uncovering the root causes of imbalance in body mechanics, body chemistry and body-mind connections. So, what could be more at the root of our biochemical health balance, than the life-giving soil that our food grows in?

Our food source goes to the heart of human biochemical health. It’s emblematic of the real solution for much of what ails us.  It’s definitely not a “quick fix” but when we start with root causes – we get sustainable results.  Supporting farmlands builds on the very simple notion that if we care for and nurture what feeds us we will never go hungry – literally and figuratively.

Food is our fuel and if we fill up on dirty fuel (processed and refined foods), then we can’t expect our machine to run “clean”. Real food is key to our basic health as it supports optimal biochemistry, and there is little hope for our health as a nation going forward, if our farmlands aren’t cared for and protected. 

The soil is the magic that makes food more valuable than gold.  Going back to farming basics to cultivate soil that is rich in nutrients, is an art-form and exceedingly under-appreciated.  Industrial farming necessarily prioritizes volume and revenue as primary incentives.  This “bigger and better” mentality has led to depletion of our agricultural soil over the past decades and this depleted soil can only yield food that is equally depleted of the nutrients our bodies need to operate optimally. 

Your Daily Dose of Pesticide

Sadly, the depletion of soil nutrients is not the only concern with conventional farming.  The mainstay of producing the volumes of food that we as a rich nation have become accustomed to, is the liberal use of pesticides.  There was a recent French study written up in JAMA Internal Medicine and that you can read about in this NY Times article which confirmed that eating organic food – food that has been grown without pesticides – actually does correlate with a lower incidence of cancer diagnoses, when compared to populations eating conventionally grown foods. 

While this study is not flawless and the concept needs to be reproduced in future studies, there’s no disputing the difference in pesticide exposure between the two groups.  The impact on human health by pesticides is no mystery. 

Hope in Organic Local Farming

Enter: organizations like PCC Farmland Trust who work hard to protect healthy soils and the growth of pesticide free food.  Take a look for yourself at the way the Trust works with conservation, stewardship and community engagement by clicking on this linked text.

Their efforts at conservation are first and foremost.  They work to protect farmland forever by working with landowners to remove their farm’s development potential, or by purchasing at-risk farmland with the goal of leasing or selling to local farmers.

The stewardship arm of the organization supports farmers in their pursuit of sustainable and organic farming practices.  And finally, as part of the community created by PCC Farmland Trust, there are hosted farm tours, harvest festivals and a presence at farmer’s markets.

So, while my first love in charitable giving was a food bank, I’ve grown to understand that living food – food that is grown organically and in nutrient-rich soil, is the way to sustain life in the most effective way.

An Important Correction:

The original post as published on 01/09/19 incorrectly insinuated that the Trust has an exclusive interest in organic farming. Thanks to Molly at PCC Farmland Trust for graciously setting the record straight:

“…we don’t only work with organic producers, we promote sustainable practices as well – such as habitat restoration, water conservation, and climate mitigating practices that aren’t nested within the organic certification. In addition, we aren’t mandated to promote ‘pesticide free food.’ Rather, we work to keep land in production by protecting the highest quality threatened farmland and making it accessible to future generations of growers.”

Conversation Starter:

How is your organic food “game”?  Do you grow your own produce or do you rely on and support your local farmer’s markets?