When attempting to eat Farm to Table, it helps to understand the reasons and possible intrinsic motivations. We’ve found it helpful to look at everything from a regenerative perspective in the areas of health, community and environment. Maybe these will help you get started.
A Regenerative Lifestyle
The foundation of being a Farm to Table Hacker is living a regenerative lifestyle. We love to educate on the difference between “regenerative” and “sustainable” when it comes to farming. Being a Farm to Table Hacker can take this to a whole new level. When you choose a regenerative lifestyle, you are caring about the health, community and environment.
Regenerating Health
It’s no secret that where our food comes from, and how it is prepared for consumption, makes a huge difference in health and wellness. We don’t need to just sustain our bodies because eventually age takes its toll. To be regenerative is to practice preventative health. In the long run, ignoring the impact of our food choices will cost us substantially more in time, productivity and quality of life. Eating Farm to Table ensures we are giving our bodies the best chance for long-term health and wellness.
Regenerating the Community
Thriving communities are built upon relationships and economics. The more we relate together and invest finances into our communities, the more resilient society becomes. As we think more globally, it becomes critical to live more locally. When you buy directly from a farmer, you are putting the most money into their pockets so they can continue with their regenerative trade. And as you get to know where your food comes from, you will also get to know your farmer. These bonds strengthen community and create a generational legacy. It gets even better when you invite family and friends to enjoy local food together. This becomes something we can all be proud of.
Regenerating the Environment
When you choose regenerative health and support local farmers in regenerative community, there is a compound effect on our environmental ecosystems. And farmers now have the resources to continue to invest in regenerative practices. In other words, regenerative farming becomes a viable industry because a viable food industry supports it. This has a massive direct impact on the environment. Less chemicals and synthetics are used. Natural resources are not depleted. Biodiversity is protected.
Have you heard of carbon sequestration? Farms using regenerative practice create a natural process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form underground. This not only benefits the environment, but also allows increased soil strength and water efficiency, leading to better crop yields. The opposite is also unfortunately true. The degradation of soils from unsustainable agriculture and other development has released billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. And eventually, the soil can no longer produce at optimal levels. More chemicals are then used and so on. A cycle detrimental to the environment ensues.
This is why many compare buying food from a regenerative farmer to paying for environmental cleanup services. Not only do you get healthy nutrition, but you are funding a solution for the health of our planet. What’s not to love? It’s a win for our health, a win for our communities and a win for our planet.
How to Start Farm to Table Hacking
The term “life hack” denotes a unique and creative solution to an everyday problem. Today, startup hackers (professional programmers not to be confused with criminals) are transforming entire industries using technology to help people in every way. From Uber, Airbnb and Amazon, innovation is made possible with technology. Being a Farm to Table Hacker is no different. #F2THack is the very reason Freshly Grown exists. We truly believe we can transform an entire industry.
Have any #F2THack questions or thoughts? Leave us a comment!