Working with nature: We work with nature and practice sustainable land management by minimizing farm inputs, using a wider range of species in polycultures, and considering: “What would nature do?” when we farm.
Popular education: We use this loving, inclusive form of education that encourages everyone to actively participate as both teachers and learners in building better local food systems. When people support each other in learning in this way, we get groups of people who can solve their own problems and become self-sufficient.
Community: Humans have a big role to play in our other communities, including communities of animals, insects, and plants. By realizing that we’re one part of a bigger picture, we work to develop a community that’s united not only under a common purpose, but also through close, meaningful relationships built over time. The end result is connection and collaboration instead of exploitation.
Systems thinking: We understand that everything is connected and important. That means we don’t place limits on what we believe a farm can do or produce, or the types of businesses and relationships it can make. This approach leads to more success, resilience, and impact. On a global scale, systems thinking helps us to deal with the complex problems shared worldwide, including how we can build long-term, resilient food systems that produce high-quality food for all people.
Entrepreneurship: A new local food system is growing, and working within it takes an entrepreneurial spirit: we have to work with what we’ve got, while figuring out how to deliver real value to our customers. As entrepreneurs building farms, we are responsible for making it happen – it’s a challenging road, but we believe it’s the best long-term investment for our communities and the path to self-sufficiency.
Food sovereignty: The power to make food decisions are put into the hands of many. We recognize that nations and people have the right to control their own food systems, including their own markets, production modes, and food cultures.
Diverse team: We collaborate with a diverse group of growers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who bring different perspectives into our work to contribute to the bigger picture – just like nature does. Diverse teams and skills are necessary for producing living farms and local food: one farmer can’t do it on their own.
Hope + Imagination: We need people to be rebellious and innovate beyond what is happening now. Our current food and farming model has huge inertia – to continue at our present speed and effort is not enough. We need to shoot out of the atmosphere and go for the moon before we run out of time. Otherwise, in the future, we’ll wish we had done more now when we had the chance.