 Photo by Children Nature Network on Nappy.co "It takes a village, it takes diversity," said Karen Washington. "It's not one voice, one race, one color, it's the [multitudes] of all of us coming together to make sure that this planet, the elements of this planet, is here for everybody."
Karen Washington, a farmer of Rise and Root Farm, activist, and James Beard Leadership award winner joined us for Episode 22-5 of our podcast, 4 the Soil: A Conversation. Along with food justice, we talk with her about the importance of diversity in agriculture. Energizing with diversity is one of the four core principles of building soil health. From farms to community gardens, we can create spaces for different people, plants, animals, ideas, and innovations to thrive. In fact, diversity helps build both healthy soil and healthy communities.
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 Boulevard Toll Bridge, Pump House Drive, Richmond, VA, USA. Photo by Salomé Guruli on Unsplash "There are a lot of things where soil health and water quality go hand in hand," said Robert Shoemaker, nutrient management specialist with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
On episode 22-4 of our podcast 4 The Soil: A Conversation, Shoemaker joined us to talk about investing in soil health and balancing soil fertility. When we are "4 The Soil," we are 4 our waterways, too.  Photo by FOX 4 The Soil is holding a photo contest throughout April 2022! To celebrate Earth Month, we're challenging all earth lovers to share their photographs highlighting soil health. Capture a winning shot and not only will your credited photo be featured throughout 4 The Soil, but you’ll receive a 4 The Soil “swag bag”! We will choose a winner that best exhibits each of the four principles. Whether you’re a professional or amateur photographer, we want to see how you see healthy soil. Submit your photo through our Google Form linked here. Remember, healthy soils have numerous co-benefits. We can see the impact of healthy soils in many different ways, landscapes, and living beings. Check out our ongoing blog series on co-benefits for inspiration. Whether you are a farmer, backyard gardener, or simply a soil health advocate, we want to see how you are 4 The Soil! Submission deadline has been extended to Saturday, April 30 at 11:59 pm. Once you have submitted, we encourage you to post about the contest on your social platform and use hashtags #4TheSoil #4TheEarth #soilhealth If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to sarahnkoth@vt.edu. ~ Join the movement! 4 The Soil is a campaign by the Virginia Soil Health Coalition to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource. By caring for the soil, we can build healthier communities, stronger economies, and a more resilient landscape.  Dog chewing on a corn cob while laying in a field covered in corn husks and cover crops. Forest and mountains stand in the background. Photo by Lydia Fitzgerald  Photo by Zen Chung from Pexels We don't often see the phrases "food justice" and "soil health" referenced together. Yet, these concepts are interconnected. We might value justice, health, and wellbeing for all, as they are foundational tenets of our republic and democracy. But we might still be learning how unjust our food system and how unhealthy our soils have become.
Everyone has a role in the solution. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught that justice is indivisible and that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. He also stated justice, at its best, is love correcting everything that stands against love. When we are "4 The Soil," we follow four core principles for building soil health. We also aim to recognize interlinked problems and solutions. We can re-imagine and redesign our food systems and remediate our soils to reflect our values.  Photo by NRCS "What we do on the few square feet of land, or few square acres of land in our small businesses, or in our department at the university, or on our farm, or wherever it is, that's where the change is going to start," said Ari Weinzweig, CEO and co-founder of Zingerman's Community of Businesses based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Weinzweig joined us on the podcast in episode five and episode seven to explore how building healthy organizational ecosystems relates to building healthy soil ecosystems. Both need diversity to thrive. When we are "4 The Soil,” we follow four core principles of soil health. The fourth principle is to energize with diversity. Using different crop species and integrating livestock enhances biological, chemical and physical aspects of the soil. It improves the whole system. What does it mean to energize the soil with diversity? Diversity energizes the soil biologically, chemically, and physically. |
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