02/01/2021
"You must learn to feed that which feeds you." –Stephen Jenkinson
This is the founding principle of Rock Creek Regenerative Farm.
Our vision is to provide our community with vibrant, nourishing foods grown in a way that regenerates—rather than degrades—the land we're stewarding. Food is our first relationship with the World, and how we are with food is how we are with every being in it.
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A bit about our commitments as your farmers:
NO TILL: After our initial tillage of the land, our operation will only cultivate the top inch of our soil. Tillage is the primary source of loss of soil organic matter, which means it's a primary source for the release of carbon into our atmosphere. By eliminating tillage, we can begin to instead sequester carbon back into the soil.
RETAIN WATER: Without tillage the organic matter in our soil and the structure it promotes allows for the soil to hold massive amounts of water, preventing run off in which nutrients are lost and aiding in the retention and refill of our aquifers. For every 1% of additional organic matter up to 20,000 gallons of water can be retained per acre. Over the life of our farm, we expect to retain upwards of an additional half million gallons of water.
PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY: As a small CSA and market farm, we aim to have a robust diversity of crops. Biodiversity of crops means biodiversity of visitors and inhabitants on the farm: songbirds, beneficial insects, pollinators. Incorporating indigenous perennials into hedgerows and crop boundaries will create habitats for a full ecosystem of animal neighbors.
ORGANIC PRACTICES: We will not use synthetic pesticides or herbicides. We will not use hazardous fertilizers, but rich, living compost and organic amendments.
FAIR SHARE: We are dedicated to ensuring as fair a price as possible for our crops while still insisting on fair wages for our workers. No ecosystem is healthy if any members are struggling to live, which includes us! It's our desire to see a high quality of life for those who choose to pick up the revolutionary role of a small farmer alongside us.
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Farming is not just an economic activity for us, but a moral and spiritual one. May your food be nourishing and may you be a nourisher of that which feeds you. Thank you for joining us on this adventure.
*Our farm is located on occupied Mechoopda and Yana territory. We recognize ourselves and most of our crops as settlers on this land.
