Gaby Gonzales is a soil scientist, architect, third-generation Mexican farmer, founder of Compostas del Duero and Alliance Cultural Sphere board member. She recently shared about a field trip she led on April 8 at the Experimental Permadynamic Strawberry Field in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico.
Working with, valuing, and awakening the soil is our duty as human beings and good stewards of the earth. The only true hope for the future is fostering the restoration of the soil beneath us.
On April 8, more than 15 local farmers and community members gathered at the farm. We talked about compost, microbiology, astral influences, natural processes, and our inner power to reconnect with the soil. It was a powerful sharing among people from many backgrounds, mostly workers with the earth. Each one shared their experiences and love for what they do. It was a powerful gathering of like-minded souls and created a weaving for the future. It was beautiful to feel the importance of the work on this piece of land, which is unfortunately surrounded by the conventional-industrial agriculture mindset. This strawberry field, though set up in a similar mono-crop fashion as the neighboring fields, was cultivated entirely differently through Biodynamic and permaculture practices.
The gathering was a moment of recognition that we were planting a seed in the minds of these farmers and their communities to actually see the potential of their work differently, to thrive, and become examples for regenerative agriculture for the future in this region. So many doubts, so much of a need to speak and be heard, and so much feeling was going on that we all kept talking until late, which meant we ran out of time to make Barrel Compost! But people were very interested in its power to reintroduce microbiology into the soil and transform organic matter into the richest humus. So, hopefully, we'll get a chance to make this BC with a few from the group soon. More ...
Working with, valuing, and awakening the soil is our duty as human beings and good stewards of the earth. The only true hope for the future is fostering the restoration of the soil beneath us.
On April 8, more than 15 local farmers and community members gathered at the farm. We talked about compost, microbiology, astral influences, natural processes, and our inner power to reconnect with the soil. It was a powerful sharing among people from many backgrounds, mostly workers with the earth. Each one shared their experiences and love for what they do. It was a powerful gathering of like-minded souls and created a weaving for the future. It was beautiful to feel the importance of the work on this piece of land, which is unfortunately surrounded by the conventional-industrial agriculture mindset. This strawberry field, though set up in a similar mono-crop fashion as the neighboring fields, was cultivated entirely differently through Biodynamic and permaculture practices.
The gathering was a moment of recognition that we were planting a seed in the minds of these farmers and their communities to actually see the potential of their work differently, to thrive, and become examples for regenerative agriculture for the future in this region. So many doubts, so much of a need to speak and be heard, and so much feeling was going on that we all kept talking until late, which meant we ran out of time to make Barrel Compost! But people were very interested in its power to reintroduce microbiology into the soil and transform organic matter into the richest humus. So, hopefully, we'll get a chance to make this BC with a few from the group soon. More ...
