grass-fed | ELIZABETH NORWOOD

THE DIRT ON SOIL how carbon farming can save the planet

By Liz on March 19, 2016

Do you ever feel like the planet is going to hell in a handbasket, and there’s nothing we can do about it?

Like you just want to throw in the towel, recycle your recycling bin and hit the drive-thru (in an SUV) for a factory-farmed burger (with a side of pesticide fries) and a hormone-laced milkshake (in a BPA-lined cup)?

I know what you mean.

It’s hard to stay positive in a climate of deniers and doom and gloom.

But before you trade in your Prius, take five minutes to watch The Soil Story. Finally, some good news about reversing climate change!

It turns out the soil—the very skin of our planet—could also be the answer to saving the planet.

That’s right….soil.

It’s not sexy but it’s effective, it’s gaining momentum and it just might give you reason to be optimistic again.

The carbon balance

We know carbon is a leading cause of global warming, right?

Well, it’s actually not that simple. The problem is not carbon itself, but too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

There has always been a delicate balance of carbon in our air, our soil…and in ourselves. After all, carbon is essential to life.

The problem starts when that delicate balance gets thrown off, as it has since the industrial revolution.

We humans have upset the balance by extracting too much carbon out of the ground, where it’s been minding its own business for millenia. Burning coal and oil, as well other practices like industrial farming, spews millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every day and speeds up global warming. Conventional farming alone emits a whopping 15-30% of annual global CO2 emissions—yikes!

So do we have to burn fewer fossil fuels? Do we have to change the way we produce our food?

YES and YES

But even if we halted all emissions tomorrow, we’d still have to figure out a way to restore balance to the carbon equation.

The dirt on soil

The question is: How do we get excess carbon out of the atmosphere, where it’s polluting our air, killing our oceans, and heating up our planet—and get it back into the ground, where it belongs?

Answer: Carbon farming

Carbon farming —also called regenerative agriculture—is a method of farming that actually sinks carbon back into the soil. Carbon farmers use carefully planned grazing and compost instead of machines and chemicals. They work the land gently to avoid rustling up carbon stores. They increase crop diversity and crop rotation. They plant more trees and cover crops.

Then all those happy plants do their little photosynthesis dance, capture atmospheric CO2 in their leaves, and pump it back into the ground.

Carbon farming also creates healthier soil that can grow nutrient-rich crops faster and hold more water—a win-win for farmers, the economy and every person who needs to eat. Which is like, um, every human on this planet.

Healthy soil and healthy plants! Mother Nature’s little carbon redistribution system. So simple and natural, we don’t even need to develop any fancy pants new technology. We can do more carbon farming right now.

And we are, on a small scale in local areas. But to make a real impact on CO2 levels, carbon farming needs to go global, stat.

Want to give carbon farming a boost? Here’s what you can do right now:

1. Learn more If you have four minutes, watch Soil Solutions to Climate Problems narrated by Michael Pollan. Or pick up a copy of The Soil will Save Us for more in-depth scoop.
2. Buy organic Organic farming and carbon farming have a lot in common, like composting, crop diversity, and more responsible use of the land.
3. Start composting Carbon farms use compost to enrich the soil and increase plant production. If you’re not sure how to start, or what you can toss into the bin, my blog on compost can help.
4. Go grass-fed Not only is grass-fed meat and dairy healthier for you, it’s better for the environment than industrial-farmed varieties.
5. Get grassroots Support your local carbon farming initiatives. Buy their organic produce and products. Support government policies that help organic and regenerative farming practices.
6. Spread the word! Because cooling the earth, creating a climate of hope, and renewing our will to save her….could be a simple as the soil.

The will to act is a renewable resource.

~ Al Gore in The Case for Optimism in Climate Change

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THE SKINNY on Healthy Fats

By Liz on May 5, 2013

drjoanna.com

During the low-fat craze of the 80s and 90s, the prevailing wisdom was that all fat is bad for the human body. As a result, food manufacturers fed the low-fat, no-fat movement, loading their wares with salt, corn syrup, chemicals and phony fats.

Ironically, since then the rates of diabetes and heart disease have continued to grow – along with the collective American waistline.

Scientists have been trying to figure out why our figures are expanding despite our efforts to eat “healthy”. We now know that all fats are not created equal, and a healthy body requires a healthy dose of healthy fat.

Turns out there are countless metabolic processes that depend on fat. Fat-soluble vitamins like A, D and E need fat to do their job. Over 70% of your gray matter is fat, so it’s critical for stabilizing mood, memory, and other brain functions. Fat can improve skin health, heart health and the immune system. It can help prevent diabetes by slowing absorption of sugars and refined carbs.

And moderate amounts of good fat can actually help you lose weight by supporting your metabolism, making your food taste better and helping you feel satisfied so you eat less.

The Good, The Fat and The Ugly

Repeat after me: “Fat is not the enemy.” The key is moderation, and choosing the right kinds of fat. Which can be tricky when you’re confronted with the alphabet soup of fat facts out there. CLA, GLA, ALA, EFA, saturated, unsaturated, trans-fats, Omega 3 – what’s the skinny?

For detailed scoop, dig in to Real Food Digest’s in-depth discussion of the latest on dietary fats.

In the meantime, here’s the Cliffs Notes version:

EAT MORE OF THIS

Oils: flax, walnut, raw extra-virgin olive oil. For cooking, stick with extra light olive oil. The jury is still out on coconut oil so use in moderation.
Veggies: avocados, Brussels sprouts and green leafies like spinach and kale
Nuts: especially walnuts (high in Omega 3), macadamia nuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews
Seeds like flax, pumpkin, hemp, sunflower and sesame
Fish: especially salmon, albacore tuna, Alaskan halibut and sardines. Choose wild-caught or safely-farmed fish to avoid mercury and other toxins.
Grass-fed pastured meats, milk, butter, yogurt and eggs

AND NOT SO MUCH OF THIS

Trans-fats and partially-hydrogenated oils found in margarine, fried foods, commercial baked goods, crackers and cookies.
Polyunsaturated vegetable oils like soybean, corn, canola and safflower that have always been touted as “healthy.” But the average American eats way too much of them, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Saturated fats from conventionally-farmed meats, dairy and eggs.

Fast foods and processed foods are usually manufactured with cheap, unhealthy, chemically-altered fats. So your best bet is to eat fresh, whole foods from the “good” list, read package labels, and skip the fast food.

How do you get your good fat?

Posts tagged ‘grass-fed’

Do you ever feel like the planet is going to hell in a handbasket, and there’s nothing we can do about it?

Like you just want to throw in the towel, recycle your recycling bin and hit the drive-thru (in an SUV) for a factory-farmed burger (with a side of pesticide fries) and a hormone-laced milkshake (in a BPA-lined cup)?