It all started with a day. April 22 was deemed as Earth Day the year I was born, and it actually falls on my mother's birthday. So perhaps it was kismet that I care so much about our natural world, our Mother, Gaia, our Planet. From that single day, the event has spread to be celebrated worldwide and expanded beyond the one day of focus to the whole month. There are activities, marches, celebrations, and community gatherings all centered on what we collectively can do to take care of our Earth.
I know many, like myself, feel that perhaps the task is too big for just one person. The little things like recycling, picking litter up out of a stream, or cleaning trash off a beach may seem to not make a dent in helping the Planet, but they do when our efforts are added up across all who contribute. There is an old English proverb from the 1300s, "Many hands make light work" - we can use this as our guide.
But what on earth does that have to do with agriculture? A LOT. When a seed is planted into the ground and begins to grow, it actually take Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere, combines it with water, and makes its own food. Some of that CO2 is stored in the form of roots. Those roots can feed the organisms that live in the soil and build health back into the soil. Farmers not only feed the world, but can also help our Earth in the process. Even home gardeners can turn their yards and gardens into a paradise for microbes, which then improve the services that soil provides for life on Earth. The key is to not treat the soil like dirt. Keep Mother Nature covered, add some organic matter, use just the amount of fertilizer needed, grow a diversity and rotate what you grow and where, and incorporate perennials into the landscape to help promote greater biodiversity both above and belowground.
This April, find small ways to care for our celestial home, improve our climate, and even harvest a bounty. Plant some seeds! Happy Earth Month everyone.
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