Earthsong & Good News

This week we are excited to bring you some hopeful news, courtesy of my wise daughter Sarita. Although she is only 11, she has grown up in troubled times, and she worries about the future a lot. I often remind her that we must never give up hope, as one person can make a big difference – and we each need to take action where we can! Recently, she told me she needed to hear more GOOD news, so we searched and found several sites that compile stories of positive change happening around the world. It was amazing how much it lifted my spirits! To pass on the inspiration, I wanted to share some of the hopeful things that are going on here – positive changes that each of you support by being part of our farm community and choosing to shop with responsible local farmers and stewards! 

Our biggest news is the creation of EarthSong Sanctuary, a 544 acre preserve that abuts our back fields and runs north up an incredibly rich wetland habitat. My parents donated the land to Midcoast Conservancy to serve primarily as a wildlife sanctuary. After an ecological inventory next year, it will also include low-impact hiking trails, carefully managed to protect the integrity of the habitat. While Anil and I cannot take action on such a large scale, we are working with various organizations to improve our farm habitat so that it supports a rich diversity of wildlife. We have been working with NRCS not only to minimize any negative ecological impact our farm has, but also to actively increase our biodiversity. In 2022, we are excited to plant our field borders in a special pollinator mix! Through the Ag Allies program, we’ve committed to setting aside nesting areas in our hayfields for our local grassland birds such as the bobolink. Our commitment to biodiversity extends to our local predators, who play an important role in a healthy ecosystem:  we do our part to make sure that our stock are protected from hungry coyotes by our guardian dogs!