In this week’s newsletter, we highlight some exciting regenerative course offerings, retreats, resources, lectures, news, and fellowship programs that are helping individuals root to themselves, to each other, and to the community.
Rē is offering a three-part “Nature and Belonging” course starting at the end of the February to help you develop a sense of place and better connect with your environment. Later, at the end of March, we are hosting “Blossom Into Spring: A Revitalizing Retreat” to help ease the transition into the new year and new season. We hope you can join us!
Also explored in this weeks newsletter:
- The Rodale Institute has recently announced a FREE ONLINE course on regenerative consumerism.
- Edible Communities and Food Tank co-authored an overview of food labels and certifications to ease food shopping.
- Mike Lewis, a regenerative farmer in southeastern Kentucky, shared his holistic mindset and practices on a recent podcast episode.
- Civil Eats explored how American organizations and community groups are supporting our farmers and their mental health.
- Arizona has announced a new Urban Agriculture Fellowship Program that will pay young residents to work and study with local farmers.
- National Regenerative Agriculture Day is on Monday, February 14th! How are you celebrating?
Keep reading to learn more!
Upcoming Offerings From Rē:
Nature and Belonging: Finding Connection Through Nature and the Senses
February 27, March 6 & March 13 (Live-streamed 90 minute classes)
Feeling disconnected in an increasingly artificial and digital world?
This course is for you!
Our ‘Nature and Belonging’ online course is BACK and starts at the end of February!
This program, co-facilitated by Empower with Nature, will support you as you reconnect with your literal place in the world—wherever that may be! In this three-part, live-streamed course, you will learn to engage with your environment using a myriad of sensory techniques and exercises.
Only $50 for all three live sessions! Scholarships available.
To register, click here. Spots are limited, so sign up now!
Blossom Into Spring: A Revitalizing Retreat
March 25-27, 2022 in Fayetteville, Tennessee
Just as winter is a time for rest, spring is a time for new growth and new beginnings.
At the Blossom Into Spring retreat, we will invigorate our senses and our souls as wecome alive with the re-awakening of Mother Earth. We will use Ayurvedic dietary and herbal techniques to clear and open physiological and psychological channels in the body and mind.
Thana Nu of Nourish Me Wellness, Caitlin Smith of Within Wellness, and Ashlei Laing of Rē : The Regenerative school will be facilitating the weekend, holding space, and helping us bloom. Consider our invitation and lean into a beautiful, practice to clear the accumulated energies that no longer serve us.
All are welcome! No experience needed, only open minds. Join us!
Full weekend, day pass, and scholarship registration available! For more information and registration details, click here or visit our Facebook event page.
Rodale Institute Launches Course on Regenerative Consumerism
The Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to growing the organic movement through research, farmer training, and consumer education. This month, Rodale launched a FREE, self-paced online course on regenerative organic agriculture to provide resources for consumers interested in learning the basics of food and farming.
Course participants will learn about the benefits of regenerative organic farming, nutrition, pesticides, and the importance of soil health. The course also provides action steps consumers can take to make a difference in the food system. To learn more and sign up, click here.
Food Label Literacy: How Can Consumers Make Better Choices?
Many eaters struggle to find time to meal plan each week, let alone search each company’s practices, pledges and values before purchasing ingredients. Edible Communities and Food Tank wrote up a thorough overview of food labels and certifications to help make trips to the grocery store, food co-op, farmers’ market or local shop a little bit easier—and a little bit better for the planet.
From Fair Trade Certified to Rainforest Alliance, and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) to Climate Neutral Certification, this guide breaks down common and uncommon certifications, advising consumers on what to look for while buying food, and educating us all on what each sticker means.
To read more, click here.
Exploring The Mindset of a Regenerative Farmer
[Regenerative farming is about making] sure we are leaving the land better than we started, it’s about leaving it better for our children and helping to mitigate any and all climate issues we are facing today… Regenerative farming is about building resiliency.
Mike Lewis, is a sustainable agriculture specialist at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and a regenerative farmer in southeastern Kentucky. In the most recent episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, Lewis shares what goes into his stewardship mindset and holistic farming practices. He touches on Wendell Berry, stewardship, the importance of soil health, designated conservation areas, and the potential of hemp as a cover crop. Lewis concludes by sharing the NCAT’s Soil for Water Program, a free, voluntary program that connects farmers and ranchers who are interested in regenerative practices.
Start the podcast at minute 16:33 for the conversation, click here to listen.
Can Farmers Help Each Other Navigate Mental Health Crises?
Seeking out mental health services, therapy, that’s certainly not within a lot of farmers’ up-bringing… Their mindset is independence and autonomy.
An increasing number of farm-related groups are actively working to reduce the stigma around mental health services and to increase farmer access to resources that will help them, before feelings of hopelessness become overwhelming. A new article by Civil Eats explores recent efforts by organizations around the country to support farmers’ mental health and explore how more sustainable funding can be made available. Click here to read more.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health support, there are a number of national hotlines available:
- Farm Aid Hotline: 800-FARM-AID (327-6243) – Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) – 24/7/365
- 211, a comprehensive hotline that connects callers with local resources
- 911 in an emergency
Farm Aid has an extensive list of resources on its Farmer Resource Network website, and the Rural Health Information Hub also maintains a detailed page dedicated to farmer mental health and suicide prevention.
Phoenix, AZ is Finding and Training a New Generation of Farmers
Phoenix has announced a new Urban Agriculture Fellowship Program that will pair nine residents between the ages of 18 to 24 with local farms and pay them to work and study under some of the most knowledgeable growers in Arizona. The program hopes to keep the tradition of agriculture alive in Phoenix. Local farm participants are joining to participate and facilitate a transfer of “hard-won knowledge.”
Click here to read more about the exciting program!
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