Editorial

We love celebrating sustainable, regenerative farming here at Southern Soil! But it’s important to remember that sustainability is a process and it’s something that happens in degrees and can be measured on a spectrum.

I tend to think of it in terms of “good”, “better”, “best”.

Any form of agriculture that is decentralized (local) and moving away from conventional practices and choosing to be more in tune with a healthy environment and more humane animal husbandry is a “good” thing. Just because it needs improvement doesn’t mean we can’t support the efforts that are being made.

Becoming sustainable is not something that can happen overnight. A farm business and the land on which it operates can’t immediately convert from conventional practices to sustainable practices at the flip of a switch. A period of transition is required.

This transition period is important for us to recognize and it’s just as important to support and celebrate farms in this state as it is the ones that have become a fully regenerative system.

With the vast majority of farmland in Georgia and across the US still well entrenched in conventional (predominantly mono-culture requiring heavy inputs of chemical fertilizers/pesticides/herbicides, and water irrigation) and an increased demand for more ecologically sound practices, we will HOPEFULLY see more farms in transition over the next decade.

It’s important to support these farmers and their businesses while they try to shift their business model and change their farming practices. It takes time for land to heal and it takes a pretty serious investment of time, money and resources (not to mention a giant leap of faith) to take a farm from chemical dependency to a point where the land is healthy enough to help support a vibrant, diverse and profitable farm through regenerative practices.

In this issue of Southern Soil, though admittedly not intentional on my part, we get a look at two farms in different places on the path of regeneration!

Our feature article takes a look at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia which has become the Gold Standard of regenerative farming here in the US and beyond. But that hasn’t always been the case and we take a closer look at that transition.

In the early stages of transition, HK Farms in Cobbtown (the subject of our Small Farm Spotlight) is shifting away from conventional farming as part of an overall plan to make the farm more profitable and appealing to the younger generations.

Focusing on niche markets and the technological advances in DNA testing, they hope to develop a highly marketable cattle breeding program and continue to grow their industrial hemp operation.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue of Southern Soil and getting to know more about our local farms! Please help us spread the word and remember - sharing is caring!

LeeAnna Tatum

LEEANNA TATUM, Editor