Edges, Integration
and Rejuvenation
"Why should conservationists have a positive interest in... farming? There are lots of reasons, but the plainest is: Conservationists eat."
Wendell Berry
Milkweed Tussock Tubers is painfully aware of the war being waged against Earth. We live with daily anxiety and anger about climate change, species extinction, poisoned water and eroding soils. Every moment, we ask ourselves if our work is having a positive impact on our ecosystem and the ecosystems surrounding us.
Our guiding principle of ecological rejuvenation through regenerative agriculture means that we take daily action to improve community health locally, regionally and globally.
Our Practices Include:
Building soil through no-till practices, animal-crop rotation, heavy mulching and composting.
Planting native flowers, shrubs and trees amongst crops and along hedgerows to increase diversity and resilience.
Encouraging pollinators through the creation and installation of appropriate habitats and houses.
Encouraging trophic health through the installation of bird houses, bat houses and snake habitat.
Reducing water usage and waste with thick mulch and rainwater collection systems.
Transitioning away from fossil fuel-run tractors by training three oxen to a yoke.
Sequestering carbon by increasing plant life and soil health through the aforementioned regenerative techniques.
Timing our practices to ensure we do not negatively impact the overall health of specific species, such as haying late to protect field birds.
Creating our packaging materials out of upcycled products.
Educating others on how to encourage, connect with, rejoice with and rejuvenate the ecosystems where they live.
Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven't done a thing. You are just talking. Wangari Maathai
Farm As Sanctuary
Farming is about relationships. Good farming is about building those relationships.
Resilience and beauty lie in community, and MTT is thrilled to get to know our non-human community members. Our soil-building, carbon-sequestering practices encourage the health of all species. We are proud that our work means amphibians, flowers, insects, birds, fungi, slime molds, reptiles, mammals and more feel safe here. We know that our only hope for continuity is reintegrating our human lives with the lives of our neighbors. We take inspiration from those whose work encourages an interconnected understanding of life with Earth. Feel free to check some of them out in the links below!
