As an employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, he travels around the country educating farmers on more sustainable farming practices. Do you or your families and friends have a special watch party planned when it streams onNetflix? In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. Until then, its going to be hard to truly transform our agricultural system to benefit all life on the planet. Francis Ge is News Fellow at Stone Pier Press and an aspiring first-generation regenerative farmer. Kiss the Ground features successful composting programs in San Francisco, Detroit, and Haiti. I just heard of the movie and wanted to find out a little more about it until I get time to watch it. We told him that you need to leave the audience with hope, which I believe he did. Hopefully, this movie will help open many more. GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains. Farmers need to learn how to regenerate and take care of the soil. Their mob grazing action and the impact of their hooves is important. Not to mention, I got a chuckle out of Bundchen calling Earth, Big Mama.. Two-thirds of the worlds land is currently desertifying leading to millions of climate refugees and further environmental destruction. I help with that too , Join my supportive community to move to eco-friendly eating and receive tips, advice, recipes and support. You can reach me at novelhandco@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. In many ways, this stands to do more harm than good. Thank you for the review. However, after spending time with the Kiss the Ground team particularly in Paris, I understood howpassionate the filmmakers are about the soil solution. Dont get me wrong. Less meat to go around and significantly higher prices per unit. Heres my critique of that paper: https://lachefnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/its-the-soil-biology-stupid/ This paper includes a number of these soil science papers. how to make a chi ball visible for beginners Keagy's Best Price Plumbing My hubby is from Alberta, the beef province of Canada and he was telling me about how land intensive pasture raised animals are. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. Thank you for this article! The movie doesn't just dive into the microbiology of soil and soil carbon interactions, it also covers the four main principles of soil health: increasing diversity, minimizing soil disturbance, keeping above ground covered and below ground active at all times, and animal integration. He also heard about the NRCS soil health effort and my role in encouraging the agency to bring more resources to support the regenerative ag movement. They are told that the chemicals will make things better by the companies selling these chemicals, and not helped to learn how to work with nature, rather than against it. A degenerative system that decimates life in our soil, releases immense amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere, pollutes our waterways, and disrupts the biodiversity and biology on our land and in our oceans. Bundchen and Brady point to the health of the soil as directly influencing the health of the plants we eat and our health as well. Great news! The animal point here is controversial I know. Journal of Animal Science. Tilling, the process of pulling up the soil to plant seeds, is destructive to the soil. One of my favorite elements of the documentary is the perspective that Earth has always been managing and sequestering carbon we just need to mimic that. Our farming systems have moved too far out of alignment with mother nature. best charter schools in nashville. The rest of our topsoils are projected to be lost within 60 years. If he is the only one that can achieve the carbon sequestration that he claims, I fail to see how thats a hopeful solution. Upcoming Kiss the Ground Movie Features Three Understanding Ag Experts, Questions and Answers with Our In-House Stars. Sign up for the latest courses, learning resources, news and events. If filmmakers are serious about educating and calling people to action, they shouldn't couch their messages in gentle, sweeping language. Until recently, however, the roles of soil and grazing animals have been missing pieces of the climate puzzle. Regardless of the above claims being scientifically supported or not (well come to that) if one is to advocate for a shift to holistic grazing this will inevitably result in a dramatic reduction in global meat supply. This form of regenerative agriculture is by no means the silver bullet that its so often portrayed to be and is certainly not what theworlds leading climate scientistsare most excited by. Enterprise, AL 36330. Science experts and celebrity activists unpack the ways in which the earth's soil may be the key to combating climate change and preserving the planet. Repeatedly using abstractions to sum up complex issues makes people comfortable talking about soil as if there is one entity, soil, that we (who is we, anyway?) Ray Archuleta, previously a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the co-founder of the Soil Health Academy, stands at the front talking to the farmers, and to us. In fact, in theDrawdown Report,when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, this becomes the single biggest lever that each of us can pull to lower our individual environmental footprint. (Though theyre still good ideas.). Gabe: An increased awareness as to how and why all society should come together to work on the 80% of the things we can agree on such as loss of biodiversity, water quality and quantity issues, poor farm profitability, the decline of rural America, climate change and human health. Why? Grazing livestock are net contributors to the climate problem, as are all livestock. Required fields are marked *. Monocropping further exacerbates the issue, as the same crop is grown year on year, for miles in the case of US farms, microbial diversity cannot increase. The key points in Kiss the Ground. This dirt then cannot store water, and heats up massively under the sun with no protection, baking the soils and exacerbating the problem. The film begins by examining . This is how the natural carbon cycle should work. I enjoyed Woody Harrelson as a narrator; he felt genuine. What the writers ignored is that it was SCIENCE that led to that preferred plan of action. Kris: No, but I am working on creating a virtual party with friends and family as we are scattered throughout the U.S. Ray: I will have a few people over. So the white papers cited dont even really know what HPG/AMP is or how it works. His response: holistic management does not permit replication, and youll find the scientific method never discovers anything.. This means that compared to factory farms, or traditional grazing where cows are overgrazing and destroying the soil, a regenerative farm using holistic grazing would require a lot more land for any given number of roaming cows. Factory farms are good at one thing producing a lot of meat in a short period of time to feed a growing appetite for meat. Byck, P. (2016). Accessibility StatementPrivacy Policy & Terms of Service, 2022 Kiss the Ground Im sure we can all agree that factory farming is a blight on humanity, and there is far too much mono-cropping, but assuming that its either this intensive form of animal agriculture or holistic grazing, is not accurate. The review is plain evidence that we see what we believe and the reviewers beliefs greatly clouded their vision. A soil without organic matter becomes dirt, a mix of rock materials and cannot support life. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science, Economics and Spanish, and I currently study law in Texas. This isnt the only literature review that has found a lack of science to support Savorys claims about holistic grazing with another detailedreviewof the literature out of Sweden by Maria Nordborg, coming to the same conclusion. We need to act. Minimising the amount of mechanical disturbance, with no tilling/ploughing. ), Pollinator garden/market flowers at Copper Cricket Farm. If we pull the pin on that, it means one thing and one thing only. what happens if you get a violation on interlock. kiss the ground fact checking Something went wrong. I was also pleased the documentary shone a light on food waste and composting these are two things that many of us can introduce into our daily lives with minimal barriers to entry. This process of soil destruction is detrimental to agriculture. reduce the burden of chronic disease in our communities, https://lachefnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/its-the-soil-biology-stupid/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.02.003, http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/2/156.abstract, https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/potential-mitigation-of-midwest-grass-finished-beef-production-em, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.009, https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf. Take the Inflammation quiz - what's your level? This movie will also counterbalance the cowspiracy environmentalists and others with incorrect understanding of cows. Integrating animals grazing the cover crops for their manure and the beneficial effects of their hooves. Industrial agriculture (left) causes desertification through tilling and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. But the #1 US crop is GMO corn, sprayed with Glyphosate, which is now found in their drinking water and kills the microbes in our guts. Makes sense why the documentary didnt go there! To move the conversation forward with the urgency this topic deserves, filmmakers have to use the emotion they elicit to generate willpower and give the public the conceptual framework they need to act, not just to feel. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. This is why science is so important. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This review revealed some all to common perceptions about holistic management, a decision making framework, which can be applied to grazing as well as other management situations. It is a strategic use of fame and visibility, and the filmmakers and stars are clearly aware of the cultural impact of their appearances in the film. Unfortunately not as much as I had hoped. Is it possible that some of the great empires that seemingly vanished, like the Myans and Incas, did so because they over farmed, and could not feed their rising populations? Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture & Society, 4(3), 8. So the the more microbes, the more necromass and the faster SOM including soil organic matter is built. Eat quality (organic, pasture raised meat, or, even better, that from regenerative farms) meat as a treat not a staple. The filmmakers additionally say "Kiss the Ground" has earned the attention of scientists, farmers and activists alike, crossing boundaries in terms of a highly politicized issue and even being . Holistic management is a decision making framework which has been developed over the years to deal with complex situations. No topsoils; no food! Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. 94 views, 12 likes, 2 loves, 3 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Escuela Esmaca: Mitos y realidades sobre las algas Ms informacin sobre. This idea reminded me of what I learned from Cradle to Cradle. 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Our current farming methods are simply not sustainable. We can all make some simple changes for massive benefits to our health and footprint. The movie stars Woody Harrelson, David Arquette, Gisele Bundchen, Jason Mraz (and others) and three newly minted stars you may know personally: Understanding Ags Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown and Kris Nichols, Ph.D. Those of us who have been in the regenerative ag arena for some time, already know these three as soil health super-stars, but now a wider, world-wide audience will benefit from their experience, insight and wisdom, too. The farmers are now starving or have moved on as the soils wont grow anything anymore, they have become dirt. The long term prognosis for our survival with business as usual is very, very poor . This is because there is a legacy load of carbon in the atmosphere an amount of carbon dioxide that will persist for decades, if not centuries. Kiss the Ground. Directors Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Writers Johnny O'Hara Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Stars So cows can actually be used to reverse desertification. It was very much positioned as absolutely crucial to confronting this climate emergency we find ourselves in. The trouble is, our farmers are not taught this; our growers know nothing about how the soil works or the basic ecological principles. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates eating more beef. The sort of solution you might suspect is at the top of all climate scientists lists. At Novel Hand, Im specifically interested in learning about topics related to justice and poverty, and how to create equitable, sustainable impact. The movie has an optimistic tone, do you share that optimism? Xu, S. (2016). (PLEASE VOTE November 3rd or earlier!! What do you hope viewers will take away from the movie? If we choose healthy foods, there is a reciprocation. Although I would have liked more with real life farmers and ranchers, it is hard to put together a documentary that will appeal across the spectrum from rural to urban communities, young and old, and everyday people to activists. By 2014 there was no vegetation left across an area the size of Belgium! 70% of US cropland grows only corn, soy and hay, and this is mainly to feed livestock (99%!). Use your local food waste recycling system, and if they dont have one, write to your local council to ask for a food waste collection system. Ultimately, a covered planet is a healthy planet Earth needs to be covered in plants. Heres the big picture: a wide-screen projection of the surface of the Earth. Clearly this is something that needs our urgent attention and resolution! you can help by supporting our work today. Gabe: No, but only because I am on to the next project, bringing society together in supporting regenerative ag. A group of activists had gathered to see what could be done about Climate Change. If the U.S shifted away from intensive livestock farming to traditional grazing, its been calculated that theavailable grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. Check out this map for farms local to you Regenerative Farm Map Regeneration International. This seems like pretty important information that was left off the table. Please read our Comment policy before commenting. Try: Compost Toilets in Africa: Human Feces as Fertilizer | Thrive4Good (thriveforgood.org) or GiveLove. This is where a report written by Dr. Tara Garnett for the University of Oxford becomes very interesting a report titleGrazed and Confusedthat I have written about beforehere. Even though we werent farmers, scientists or experts we knew that together, we could still make a difference! We started ploughing/tilling because it was easier for us to upscale. As prices go up, pending one spends the same budget they had previously set aside for meat, their consumption naturally falls. Ray: Not at the moment, but if Steven Spielberg calls, I WILL answer. 2 Creation of a false dichotomy. Im not suggesting we should only be changing our diet but given it has greater potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions you would think it would have been given more emphasis than putting cows on pasture. In March and April, he says, farmers are tilling. 1 Claims that holistic grazing can reverse climate change. If you are wondering whether its worth your time to watch, or want to know the gist but dont have an hour and a half to spare, read on and Ill cover the key points simply and factually for you. Since chemical agriculture ramped up in the 70s, we have lost 1/3 of the worlds topsoil. Real change requires drawdown: year to year reduction in carbon dioxide levels. Simple reducing emission does nothing to decrease the greenhouse gases that are already in our atmosphere. https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/potential-mitigation-of-midwest-grass-finished-beef-production-em, Machmuller, M. B., Kramer, M. G., Cyle, T. K., Hill, N., Hancock, D., & Thompson, A. | Plant Based News Ltd, PO Box 71173, London, SE20 9DQ, United Kingdom. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Watching attentively, a classroom full of farmers. Ultimately, if high consuming individuals and countries want to do something positive for the climate, maintaining their current consumption levels but simply switching to grass-fed beef is not a solution. The natural carbon cycle involves carbon release by animals consuming plant and other organic materials and releasing the carbon as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Data from almost40,000 farms, and 119 countries, clearly shows us that a plant-based diet results in less greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, less ocean acidification, and uses less water and land land which we can therefore free up and convert to forests to rapidly sequester carbon from our atmosphere. With no plants to transpire and create the water vapour which condenses to rain, local rainfall also fails, turning the area to desert. To start tiny or full-size victory gardens, turn their lawns into meadows, petition their city councils to zone land for community farms/gardens, or donate to conservation nonprofits or farmland trusts? Let me show you how , Get my FREE guide, and receive eco-friendly eating tips, recipes and motivation. 3 Unclear about how the proposed solutions would affect our diets. The documentary carefully positions holistic grazing as the answer to intensive animal agriculture (including the mono-cropping that occurs to feed factory-farmed animals). Required fields are marked *. Often, our best solutions arent actually that innovative; they simply mimic natural processes and what the Earth already does. This gets the nutrients back into local farmlands, and helps reduce the impacts of droughts and the need for fertilisers, which are polluting your local rivers. One thing with ruminant livestock is that when they are use as solar powered mobile composters in brittle environments, their manure, urine and saliva act as inoculates that increase soil microbiology. Do you ever think about where your food comes from. My hope is that this film will give consumers, farmers, and ranchers all of us the hope, courage and knowledge to choose biologically-based practices and tools to regenerate soil. . I am very optimistic. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These will be using less chemicals and therefore come from healthier soils than normal veg; hugely better for soil biodiversity, natural biodiversity and your health. There are over 200 peer reviewed papers that tie/correlate the increase of these chemicals with increases in ADD, child cancers and birth defects. Healthy soils can store more carbon than all the trees combined! Share this article or talk about the importance of soils to your friends. Overlaying it, a swirling heat map of global atmospheric carbon, changing from dark red to cool blue over the course of a year. All of us make critical decisions every day as we manage our lives and we dont consult the literature when making those decisions. Sure, its easy to see with our own eyes that there is more life on land that is managed in a regenerative way, but in order to really know that it is a climate solution, we would need evidence that carbon levels in the soil are not only increasing but increasing by more than the emissions emitted by the animals involved in the system. There are a number of others as well as many more in the pipeline. And so, with these words, Harrelson immediately draws us into "Kiss the Ground," a documentary focusing on growing our food in a way that builds and protects our precious soil and also draws back into the ground the carbon dioxide that is causing climate change. Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. I dont understand how they didnt emphasize that you still have to eat a plant rich diet if you want everyone in the world to eat pasture raised animals Theres only so much to land and hence animals you can raise. Despite all of this, my fear is that many will be left with a complete misunderstanding of where environmental science truly lies. Regenerate America is an unprecedented coalition of farmers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals from every corner of our country and all political stripes, convened by the national soil health 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, Kiss the Ground. Regenerative agriculture combines 4 practices. With this in mind, I feel obliged to point out the uncomfortable contrast between the two main types of interviewees in the film. Which would net off the existing emissions we make, at least stabilising things. Suppose you don't have enough time to read, then watch the KISS the GROUND MOVIE (streaming on Netflix) hosted by Woody Harrelson and directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell. Kiss the Ground has the perfect documentary mix of celebrity activists and wise elder scientists. Consumers need to do their part by supporting pastured proteins. But tilling is incredibly intrusive to the soil structures, destroying the balance of microbial life which create organic matter and help the plants get the nutrients to grow. Its genuinely remarkable post, I have got much clear idea regarding from this post. Ray: Hope. Healthy soils can store more carbon than all the trees and plants combined, so is more important than saving the rainforests or the ocean phytoplankton in reversing climate change! Ill start with the hardest and get easier. I live in a rural area and have seen first hand the difference in soils farmed using modern, industrial methods and smaller fields farmed in a more traditional way. No spam, we promise just our best articles. They also failed to make it clear why ruminants were required. Over the years, tilling causes the soil to dirt, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and desertification. Local water cycles produce 40% of our rainfall. Juries have now even started to pay out to people who have developed cancer after using glyphosate!! We should harness the regenerative power of the earth and its processes. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on our website. The Lhos plateau in China is where settled agriculture first began.
