Nov 18, 2022
Do you view your farm as a production space? A landscape that should generate x number of stems in x square feet for x amount of dollars each season? Many farmers do. In this episode, host Jennie Love encourages listeners to look at their farms as whole ecosystems that serves millions of lives, not just your own goals. Jennie is joined by author, Dr. Doug Tallamy, a professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. For years, Dr. Tallamy has studied how insects interact with plants and how those interactions impact the food web, right up to us humans. He’s authored several books, including Nature’s Best Hope, which is the main focus of this episode’s discussion.
Farming is the single biggest land-use category on this planet! With nearly 50% of the earth’s land being used for agriculture, every single farmer HAS to be part of the solution as we face down the 6th great extinction our planet has seen. Some of the actionable steps that Doug and Jennie talk about are to:
- stop spraying pesticides of any kind
- plant native plants
- increase diversity of plants, particularly trees
- leave your weeds alone
- and stop manicuring your farm and let it get a little loose and wild.
If you enjoy the content you hear on this podcast, consider joining the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network (RFFN), a community of like-mind growers who put the ecosystem at the forefront of their farms. It's less than the price of a fancy latte to join for the whole year! Members get special access to podcast guests and other exclusive content, including an article with 15 favorite tried-and-true native plants for cutting.
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