A mentor of mine often shares a simple yet humbling notion: “An organized lie is more powerful than a disorganized truth.”
It’s in that spirit that I invite you to join us in reflecting on a couple of questions: First, what does ‘regenerative’ mean to you? And what would a regenerative food system look like? This is a valuable time to contemplate these fundamental questions and consider what our answers will mean for the future.
For us, it means doing our part to rebuild the commons. It means striving for land justice and food sovereignty in all their manifestations: reclaiming land from the speculative market, restoring our well-being through community stewardship, and ensuring the livelihoods of next-generation farmers. Far more than a collection of techniques or tools, ‘regenerative’ speaks to a way of life that is alive enough to be shared, to borrow another writer’s perceptive phrase.
In the time Agrarian Trust has dedicated to organizing these truths, we haven’t done a single thing alone. Despite adversities too many to name, our partners have proven again and again the power of the commons. As we gear up for Giving Tuesday and a season of giving, I wanted to share how your contributions to the commons are part of building a movement.
This year, we kicked off a five-year initiative to expand the Agrarian Commons. The visionary work of our newest partners – Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim, Alianza Agrícola, the Somali-Bantu Community Organization, and Plant It Forward – will soon bring over 500 acres of regenerative farmland into the commons. But our work is much bigger than these numbers. People around the world have found a renewed sense of possibility in the commons, writing to tell us that the stories we’ve shared have moved them to tears, compelling them to get more involved and organize in their communities.
These experiences are part of why we hit the road so much this year and why we can say this movement is as far-reaching as it is focused. We presented at events in New York, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, contributing to the Indigenous Peoples Summit, the UN Development Programme’s Conscious Food Systems Alliance, the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project’s Field School, and the Sustainable Agriculture Conference. All along the way, we shared lessons from the Agrarian Commons initiative, exchanged resources, and strengthened relationships and alliances.
This past month we welcomed four new staff members and a new board member who you’ll meet very soon. We’re excited to write our next chapter with their wisdom, energy, and insights in the mix.
As always, we’re grateful for our supporters and your commitment to the commons. And we look forward to hearing your thoughts on all things regenerative! Hit us up @agrariantrust to share your thoughts!
