“Regenerative”
“Heal the farmer; heal the farm,” read a slide from the Regenerative Ag Conference my colleague Sarsa attended recently. This statement speaks strongly to the behavioral health side of our mission at Mariposa Ascendente (Butterfly Rising), AKA the Mariposa Project. Not long after that, the inverse came to mind as I listened to a presentation by a successful regenerative cattle rancher: “Heal the farm; heal the farmer.” This rancher, Jason Wrich (pronounced “Rick”), is a pioneer of regenerative agriculture on Colorado’s Western Slope. His efforts to adapt these practices to this particular type of land and to structure his business for financial success are inspiring. Could it be that whichever end of this healing equation we start at, we activate enormous potential to positively affect the health and wellbeing of the whole system?
The word “regenerate” started showing up in the 16th century, first to describe spiritual concepts akin to rebirth, and later for biological processes such as regrowing and healing damaged or lost tissues in the body. Recently it started showing up to describe agricultural practices that are meant not only to be sustainable, but to foster the healing of the land in terms of things like soil health, increased organic matter, enhanced biodiversity, reduced erosion, and improved water retention. In contemplating our vision, mission and unfolding programming, we intend to honor Mariposa’s roots as a regenerative demonstration garden and acknowledge that the healing we see as so needed in the world today cannot exclude either how we relate to the land or how we relate to ourselves and each other in community.
The cocoon time of the last several months has given us time to reflect and come up with some programming ideas in the two main areas of regenerative agriculture and behavioral health. We have been imagining into Mariposa as a hub that supports, connects and enhances the missions of other local people and organizations, where it makes sense. We’d love to tell you what we’re thinking. And of course we’d love to hear from you.
Come join the conversation about rural resilience in the North Fork Valley and beyond. We are here to listen, to support local producers, and to promote the wellbeing of people, community and the land. We’d love to show you our regenerative demonstration garden site and enjoy some conversation. Let’s talk about how we can best be of service.
Please join us at Arbol Farm 41679 O Road in Paonia, CO for one of our Wednesday Community Evenings, Movie & Discussion Nights, or drop by during our office hours for a chat. You could also email us at garden@mariposapaonia.org
Joyfully,
Amber Van Cleave
Garden Manager, Mariposa Ascendente Garden Project
