When my mother opened Debra’s Natural Gourmet in 1989, “Health Food Store” was code for “No chocolate, gluey spaghetti, bitter fake meats, joyless Halloween, and weird birthday cake probably made with tofu.” It was the counterculture — and not in a cool way. I was 15, and I was appalled that all this would be pinned on me publicly.

Well, a lot has changed in the last 34 years. The health food store is no longer a culinary ghetto, a strange store full of strange products for strange people. Today your neighborhood health food store is first and foremost a community grocery store, open and inviting to all.
It just happens to be a grocery store with ethics and standards.

I of course don’t mean to imply other kinds of grocery stores don’t have their own ethics and standards. But there are some very particular ethics and standards specific to our kind of grocer.
And what are those standards? (If you really want to read in detail: see here).

“Health Food” usually still means zero tolerance around artificial ingredients. We’re not going to sell cigarettes, or Extremeflavorblast Doritos™.

We still believe in food that’s good for you (even if we can make money selling the other stuff). We still look for whole grains and unrefined sweeteners. But you know, if that fair trade chocolate Easter egg has a little white sugar, well… at least it’s organic white sugar. In other words, we pick and choose where we are going to be puritanical and where we’re going to show a little bend. We want to participate in h0lidays and celebrations, vs. boycott them.

Meanwhile, we’ve come full circle on the coffee and chocolate, and in fact embrace them now as superfoods. Yes, we still sell tofu (and it’s pretty good, actually, thank you), but we also sell some of the nicest grass-fed hot dogs and burger meat you can find.

Okay, everything I’ve said so far is about ingredients. It’s about the tangible. But to my mind, what makes a health food store truly special goes beyond that to the philosophical. We sell Fair Trade coffee, not because Fair Trade makes your morning cup measurably better, but because it makes the world better. We sell bulk / zero-waste beans and nuts and chocolate chips and spices for the same reason. We work with local farmers and farmer-producers for the same reason. We prioritize vendors we respect, who tell the truth, whose worldview and business models we respect, because it makes the world better. We believe you should have your cake and eat it too – and be proud of yourself after eating it. AND that there should be cake left for your children and grandchildren.

And wherever we compromise — because we do, again and again, because this is the real world after all — we hope it’s with our eyes wide open, thoughtfully and occasionally even ruefully. We agonize over some of these decisions. Nothing goes on our shelves without us looking at the ingredients, and weighing them against our standards. Nothing.

So, does all that make Debra’s special? Well, let me say first of all: YES! But, let me also say: Debra’s isn’t alone out there. We’re members of INFRA – the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association – a cooperative representing over 500 independent natural grocers around the country. It’s one of my great pleasures and responsibilities to sit on INFRA’s board of directors, and I get to know a lot of our members. And I can assure you, there are more than 500 of us out there doing what Debra’s does. Little stores smaller than your living room. Big stores that employ over 500 people. All doing it a little differently. But all doing it.

That’s what a health food store is.

It can be a tough transition, from the home you grew up in, to a dorm or an apartment.  From a fridge and a medicine chest that were always stocked, to a bare cupboard.  From nutritious meals that appear on the table, fully cooked, as if by magic; to generic cafeteria fare or greasy takeout.  It can be tough trading in your organic shampoo and conditioner for something bright pink and toxic. Not to mention laundry!  Here are some suggestions to make the transition easier. 

1. Protein Bars and Protein Shakes that Pack Real Nutrition.  Sometimes, life gets in the way.  Sometimes, laziness gets in the way!  A good bar maintains energy levels, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces the stress response, and cuts down on cravings for unhealthy foods. 

These days, you can pick up “nutrition” bars at any corner store.  But many are cheap carb-bombs, or loaded with artificial sweeteners and partially hydrogenated trans-fats.  I think of protein in terms of “eggs’ worth.”  I shoot for at least two “eggs’ worth,” or 14 grams, of protein – minimum.  I also like to see some fiber.  Hopefully, there’s some other nutrition in there, whether it’s green food, the healthy oils from nuts and seeds, or the antioxidants in berries. 

All Real protein bars from Ireland are my personal favorite: the first three ingredients are grass-fed milk protein, chicory fiber, and nuts; they have no refined sugars, and pack a generous 20 grams of protein.  Plus, they’ve got compostable wrappers.  I’m also a fan of the Greens+ bars because of their solid protein content, decent fiber, healthy fats, and superfood ingredients like sprouts and chlorella and bee pollen.  They look a little like green Play-Doh, but they taste alright and really satisfy.  Healthy Truth bars are organic, vegan, and made in Massachusetts with pumpkinseed protein and sprouted seeds.  Finally, if you’ve got a nut-free campus, 88 Acres has some of the most delicious nutrition bars out there.  They’re another great Massachusetts company, but the bars are a little smaller, and suited to smaller appetites.   

2. A Good Multivitamin:   To be clear, multis do not take the place of a salad.  They’re not “energy pills.”  They shouldn’t be your #1 pick for immunity.  But if you’re not getting enough salads, they’re at least a nutritional safety net.  If you’re feeling burned out, they at least provide baseline nutrition.  If you’re getting sick all the time, they at least insure it’s not because of a deficiency.  It’s beyond the scope of this article to go into all the options, but feel free to come in and talk with us.   

3. A Great Cookbook (or two) (or three).  When I first wrote on this topic, about 20 years ago, we didn’t have the internet on our phones.  Today, we do.  And the internet has a lot of recipes.  So, do actual cookbooks still have value?   Absolutely!  Even hidden away on a top shelf, the mere physical presence of cookbook will inspire and motivate a person to cook something, eventually.  

Keep it simple, basic, and broad.  Also, don’t get your kids a dumbed-down “college students cookbook.”  They’re smarter and more resourceful than that.  On the other hand, don’t get them Ottalenghi, because how often are they going to have 2 hours and a pomegranate?    

I’ve been a fan of Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian forever, even though I’m not a vegetarian.  It’s relatable, but not condescending or remedial.  Nourishing Traditions is another classic, ideally suited for your DIY carnivore nutritional anarchist.  (I went through that phase, and this book was cool for me then).  Dirt Candy is a vegan cookbook in the form of an edgy, pink-and-black comic book.  Good pick for any edgy, pink-and-black vegans out there.  We’ve got a selection of Instant Pot cookbooks.  Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Debra’s Natural Gourmet cookbooks.   

4. A Good Cold’n’Flu Formula: Sniffles and sneezes are probably inevitable, but a full-blown, knock-you-on-your-butt virus is not.  If you hit back hard on those first symptoms, you more often than not wake up the next morning feeling fine. 

My favorite all-in-one is Wellness Formula, from Source Naturals.  It combines herbs, vitamins, and minerals in a way that works.  However, the pills are enormous, and you really should take a lot of them.  That’s why I recommend using three separate, complementary supplements: zinc, NAC, and a good herbal antiviral.  This way, I support my resistance, increase immune competence, and prevent viral replication directly.  Zinc, I shoot for around 150 mg a day¹ in a well-absorbing form like zinc picolinate or Optizinc™.  NAC, I take 600 mg capsules, 2-3 times a day.  For herbal antivirals, I like VX Immune Support from Herbalist & Alchemist, classical Chinese Yin Qiao (preferably Pine Mountain brand), or the Immune Dragon Super Brew when it’s available. 

I’d also pack a bottle of a good immune strengthener, to be taken long term, not just when you’re fighting something off.  My favorite here is the Astragalus 10+ from the 7 Forests company.  The best for when stress and fatigue (i.e. burning the candle at both ends) is taking its toll.  

5. A Fiber Supplement, maybe.  Or maybe a probiotic?  Staying regular isn’t something we often talk about.  But it’s a real thing.  Just sayin… 

6. Flavor!  Send a jar of hot sauce.   

7. A Night-Time or Stress Tea: It’s nice to have something to take the edge off, to help us relax and ease into sleep when we’re away from home.  Or, when our roommate is loud and annoying.   

My favorite tea is Gaia Herbs’ Sleep & Relax.  It’s not delicious, but it’s alright, and it’s effective.  Another tea I like a lot is Pukka Herbs’ Night Time, which is a little gentler than Gaia’s tea, but tastes pleasantly sweet and slightly floral. 

8. A Steel or Glass Water Bottle.  Don’t settle for plastic, or aluminum with an epoxy liner.   

9. Basic Bodycare — Soap, Shampoo, Toothpaste…  This isn’t just about beauty and luxury, but health and wellness: the skin is a big organ, and we absorb a lot of the stuff we put on it, including all 

sorts of chemicals considered “safe” in mainstream bodycare products.  This really is a matter of personal preference.   

10. Something to Clean With: Those Skoy dish cloths we sell last 3-6 months.  That, and some all purpose cleaner go a long way.  

And here’s an answer you might not have expected from me: IT DEPENDS).

It depends on what we mean when we say “organic,” and what we mean when we say “better.” And what we mean when we say “you.”

If by “you” we mean “the planet, and all life on it,” the answer is a resounding YES! Organic is hands-down better for the planet, and all life on it. Let’s not put hormone-disrupting, cancer-causing chemicals into the air and soil and streams and oceans that take centuries to degrade. I mean, right? We can debate exactly how bad they are. But they’re certainly not good.

If by “better for you” we mean “less pesticides in our food,” then absolutely – organic is better for you. The benefits of a lower-pesticide diet may not be apparent today, this year, even this decade in terms of noticeably better health. But the reduction in long-term disease risk over a lifetime is real.

If by “better” we mean “more nutrients in our food,” then… maybe not. Simply removing the pesticides from a crop doesn’t give it more vitamins, or help it absorb more minerals from the soil, or increase the production of health-promoting phytonutrients. Having said that, growing crops in richer, more nutrient-dense soil will do all of that. And what creates more mineral-rich soil? Crop rotation, natural fertilizers, and traditional farming practices do.

Which brings us back to what “organic” means. There’s the regulatory definition, a.k.a. the minimum standard, which usually means industrial-organic. Giant monocultures produced as efficiently (read profitably) as possible without pesticides, herbicides, etc. But free to cut as many other corners as it can. Which is still a huge step in the right direction. BUT – it’s only about the bad things we avoid.

And then there’s regenerative/biodynamic organic, which is about all the good things we nurture: richer soil, crop biodiversity, animal welfare, regional sustainability, heirloom strains richer in nutrients and flavor, resilient ecosystems; economy (in the deeper sense of the word). Would it be too much to call this the real organ

What Exactly is “Zero Waste”at the Debra’s Refillery?

…and is it Really, Literally “ZERO”?

Let’s start with the simple answer: NO.   

Not even when you roll up to the Refillery on your fixed gear bike, and ride away with Maine-grown pesticide-free oats in your grandpa’s hemp fiber saddlebags.  There’s still waste in the system.   

The farmers probably use a tractor.  The tractor is made from metals that were mined.  Mining produces waste.  Now, the tractor runs on gasoline.  90% of the time, gasoline also delivers the oats to us.   The oats come in a bag.  It might be a nice paper or textile bag.  But it still gets discarded.  A 50-pound bag paper bag is certainly less waste than fifty 1-pound plastic bags, but it’s still waste.  It’s still not zero.  The list goes on and on.  

So, why work so hard for “zero waste,” when we aren’t even getting to zero?   

As Anne-Marie Bonneau is famous for saying: “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.  We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”   

We can be those millions.  That’s pretty inspiring.    

Room for Improvement 

The Bonneau quote can be inspiring.  It can also be a bit of a cop-out, if it lets us rationalize half measures.  I think we’re all guilty of half-measures.   

To be clear, I’m not judging anyone.  Speaking for myself, I didn’t look my waste stream in the eyes (so to speak) until 2019.  Up through 2018, I lived in the city.  Every Tuesday morning, I took my trash to the curb; every Tuesday night, I came home and it was gone.  It was magical!  I liked the idea of minimizing waste, but I’m not sure how much I actually tried.  Now that I’m in the suburbs, we load our trash into the car.  There’s nothing magical about that.  You see how much there is.  It’s inescapable.  There’s about a bag a week, in addition to the recycling and compost 

I can do better.  How’s that for a New Year’s Resolution?   

Waste Vs. Energy vs. Pollution 

When we’re talking about waste, it’s important to remember that waste isn’t just waste.  It’s also energy and pollution.  Plastic especially.  It takes energy to produce plastics.  That energy isn’t always clean or renewable.  After you’ve used it, what happens?  It has been well documented that plastics take a long time to degrade.  But they do degrade.  And when plastics degrade naturally over time, they release a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  That’s if they degrade naturally.  If we speed the process by burning them, it’s a trainwreck.   

When we recycle plastics… well, first off, the thing about recycling plastic is, you can’t keep on doing it forever.  Every time you recycle plastic, it gets progressively softer and weaker.  Even the highest quality, hardest plastic can only go through the process 2 or 3 times until it becomes so soft, it’s practically unusable.  Then… you’re back to letting it degrade or burning it.  Meanwhile, even while recycling is still viable, every round uses energy.  Which isn’t always clean or renewable… 

Having said all that, I want to be 100% clear, I am not fundamentally anti-plastic.  Used responsibly, plastic is an awesome substance.  We have some plastic containers at home that are 30 and even 40 years old.  We sell plastic containers in our bulk refillery, right alongside the glass and steel.  They’re inexpensive, lightweight, and versatile.  Pretty much any substance that’s durable is good for the planet.  It’s the use-it-once-and-throw-it-away stuff that we should worry about.   

Consumer-Facing Waste vs. Waste in the Supply Chain 

We can all feel good about removing plastics from the waste stream.  About recycling metals instead of trashing them.  About sending food waste to the back yard to compost – to enrich the soil and grow more food.  About sending industrially compostable bioplastics to a responsible composing facility.  About avoiding styrofoam and other unnecessary “one-and-done” materials 

But – that’s all after we’re done using the stuff.  What about before we get it in the first place? 

Here’s a story: I used to think glass was better than plastic.  Until I saw some of these companies packing their glass in oceans of styrofoam for shipment.  Not everyone does it.  But some do.  I realized that my original insistence on glass, while not necessarily wrong, may have been shortsighted, or incomplete.  Now that I see the big(ger) picture, I have a more nuanced view.   

I’ve even seen ostensible health food stores open quart bottles of liquid soap, and pour them into 5-gallon pump dispensers as “zero waste” bulk.   

Unfortunately, most of us are ill-equipped to see deep into the supply chain.   

We can, however, always try to buy local, and seasonal, and select responsible packaging.  One of the best, most consistent ways to reduce waste is to buy organic.  Here it is in all capital letters: BUY ORGANIC.  It doesn’t necessarily mean less plastic, or less food miles.  But it does mean less toxic waste in the environment.   

Which Brings Us Back to the Refillery: a Stepping Stone: a Means to an End.   

If you think of the Refillery as the end goal of sustainability, it falls short.  But if you think of it as a stepping stone, now we’re talking. 

If we can show this works – that it’s viable as a business – it’s going to give the next store owner (or venture capitalist, or private equity fund, or whatever) the confidence they need to do it, too.   

If you get a half-dozen refilleries in a region, wholesale distributors will adapt to start supplying the stuff in earnest.  Farmers and farm cooperatives will start to adapt to the new distribution model.  Packagers and processors will adapt.   

(What’s next?  Vitamins in bulk?  Milk dispensors that meet health code?  A viable system to exchange and sanitize standardized containers for takeout?) 

Once wholesale distribution takes it on, now we’re starting to talk seriously about logistics and infrastructure – about the development of not just a mission or a vision, a movement or a trend, but a viable industry.  The path to sustainability will have been paved.  That’s when we start to see the Wal-Marts and Costcos of the world join in (just like they’ve joined in on organics) not because anyone has given them an imagination transplant, but because the way to profitability will have been paved for them. But you and by us.   

That’s when Debra’s Refillery stops being special.  It becomes just another store, selling what everyone sells.  And that’s when we all win.     

These are first of all the nicest people! AND — their pecans are genuinely special.

To begin with, they’re native pecans – the heirloom variety that has been growing wild in North America since forever. They have small tender, flavorful meats that are wonderful to snack on, and make delightful pies. But you almost never see natives for sale in stores. That’s because modern “improved” Chandler pecans have bigger meats and thinner shells. If you’re planting an orchard, Chandlers will give you a higher yield that’s easier to process.

But Pecan Shop doesn’t plant any orchards. Their nuts are hand-harvested from trees growing wild on unsprayed land. Beyond organic foods, rivaling even Biodynamic foods, we love genuine wild foods. They don’t need irrigation, water, or any other inputs. Talk about sustainability!

Pecan Shop sells “plain” native pecans, and they’ll make an excellent pie.  But for snacking, we highly recommend their sprouted nuts for even better digestibility and melt-in-your mouth texture. You can get them straight, with pink salt, or organic Vermont maple syrup. Their pecan butter from sprouted pecans may be the single most delicious unadorned nut butter we sell. Try a half-teaspoon stuffed into a halved medjool date

Navigating Uncertainty in the Era of COVID-19

I’m not a scientist, but I do know that belief and consensus within the scientific community are often fluid. Scientists are, like the rest of us, only human, and in constant learning mode too.

Remember that the Earth was, at one time, according to science of that day, flat. And remember when margarine was supposed to be so healthy for us? And now it isn’t? Well, the reality of margarine didn’t change; we just started thinking about it differently.

At one time scientists said DDT was safe (remember the “DDT is good for Me-e-e!” campaign?) and children frolicked in the spray.

In 1955, scientists detonated atomic weapons in the Nevada desert, and we were assured that there was no danger.

Which brings me to COVID. We are racing full-steam ahead and spending billions to make a vaccine happen. Yes, we are also washing hands and wearing masks.

But I also want our scientists to research simple remedies (by simple I mean things that are already around, have been around and don’t cost billions and billions).

Scientists have studied the amino acid n-acetylcysteine (“NAC”). They’ve already shown it can reduce our chances of catching the flu by 2/3. They’ve shown it can cut colds in half. Our store handout on NAC shares that it thins mucous and focuses on airways. When taken orally, results are usually noticeable in about an hour.

Why aren’t we “full steam ahead” researching NAC for COVID-19? Why aren’t we studying lomatium and elderberry and astragalus, for COVID, for instance? (Or if we are, why aren’t we hearing about it?) And zinc, medicinal mushrooms, and the homeopathic remedy gelsemium?

Some are studying Vitamin C and that is a good thing.

All of the above, and more, have traditionally been used to help our immune systems function optimally against viruses. An immune system that’s on the right track and knows what to do can only be a good thing. Beneficial, right? If we’re healthier (even if that health isn’t specific to viruses), doesn’t it make sense that we stand a better chance of fighting off viruses?

Speaking of making ourselves healthier, when I wrote on Facebook that a couple of hospitals on Long Island were having beneficial results using vitamin C, someone wrote me that “Sorry, but I wouldn’t bet my health on anecdotal evidence.”

That’s fair. But let’s put “anecdotal” in perspective. It’s ALL “anecdotal” until it isn’t. It’s all theory. It’s all best guesses or extrapolations. In this way, the herbs are no different than any other prevention or treatment for COVID. So, I’m not suggesting we throw out something proven for something that’s not. I am suggesting we move forward using the best evidence we’ve got. I’m not suggesting we bet on anything, just that we be responsible and help ourselves instead of just passively waiting for a miracle.

And I know that zinc and other supplements and herbs don’t fire up our imagination. They aren’t nearly as exciting or sexy as are vaccines…. Which is not to say that they should be ignored.

Dr. Andrew Weber, a pulmonologist associated with two hospitals on Long Island, reported that intensive care patients with COVID “who received vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get vitamin C.” The amount given was 1,500 mg intravenously three or four times daily.

Since vitamin C levels in coronavirus patients drop dramatically when sepsis develops, Dr. Weber added “It makes all the sense in the world to try to maintain vitamin C levels in the body.” Further comment from a spokesperson from Northwell, which operates 23 NY hospitals stated that vitamin C was being “widely used” throughout the system with protocols varying according to the clinician’s orders.

To conclusively determine whether vitamin C therapy (or any therapy) is beneficial for treatment of COVID, double-blind placebo-controlled studies are needed.

There is a study being conducted now regarding vitamin C and COVID projected to be completed soon.

Speaking of anecdotal evidence, homeopathic doctors working during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 reported drastically reduced mortality rates among their patients vs. the mainstream hospitals. Their reports claimed only a 1% death rate among those treated with homeopathy. Shouldn’t someone look into the remedy gelsemium, used widely in 1918?

Aside from the extra herbs and vitamins and remedies I’ve mentioned above, I think we’re all in agreement that we have a better chance of staying healthy if we eat better, sleep better, go for walks and get some sunshine on our faces, and laugh with a good friend or two (socially-distancing, of course….).

When it comes to foods, I sip green tea. Used medicinally in China for over 4,000 years, green tea has been found to support the body’s immune system, among other things. As an antibacterial, green tea can help you stave off colds and the flu. Might it help against COVID? I don’t know for a fact, but I’ll drink it nonetheless because it won’t hurt, and it is comforting. Try gargling with green tea if you have a sore throat.

Ginger cures what ails you, and is a warming remedy critical to fight colds, mucus, coughs, and bronchial infections. Ginger appears as a common ingredient in many, many Chinese herbal prescriptions. It’s used when weather is cold and damp, and to prevent and treat viral infections. I have always traveled with gingerroot in a baggie and nibble when the fellow next to me starts to cough.

My mother used to chop up onions and garlic and simmer for 20 minutes in lots and lots of water. We drank the broth. There’s miso soup to sip. Hot peppers to include in recipes.

Mom, who was big into prevention, would say to stay away from sugar which increases inflammation for some hours after consumption. Inflammation she would tell us, leads to many illnesses of modern civilization.

Another thing I keep thinking about is the so-called “terrain theory” of immunity and wonder why it’s not being addressed. As a friend who owns a health food store out of Indianapolis says, shouldn’t we strive to make our body “an inhospitable host so microbes cannot thrive…” He wanted discussion on germ theory versus the terrain theory.  “If you have a sick fish in an aquarium, do you treat the fish, or do you change the terrain (water)? … Germ theory treats symptoms. The terrain theory states symptoms are a result of an out-of-balance terrain.”

  So today I’m washing hands, wearing the mask, taking my supplements, eating better and all the things mentioned above. And I’m thinking, we do not need to choose one path or the other! As my son, Adam, says “I take herbs to protect myself. I wear the mask to protect those around me.”

One of our former staffers who went back to college a month ago and is living in a dorm called his mom after yet another COVID test. Of the 70-some students in this particular dorm, all but three tested positive for COVID and were moved out. Our young man was bummed that he was “alone” in the dorm. The three who were not positive for COVID were all from New England.

Our staffer’s mom had sent him back to college with zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D and NAC, which he has been taking faithfully and sharing with his New England buddies. Times when he felt something might be coming on, he added Adam’s Immune Dragon Superbrew with its lomatium, and the herb Umcka.

There’s no science (yet!) to flat-out prove the supps helped and made the difference. Yes, circumstantial. But still.

Debra here: I get emails from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and often am startled how easy it is to make things better human and planet health-wise. A bit of background first… In July, EWG released an analysis of laboratory testing that showed glyphosate (aka Roundup, shown to cause cancer) is found in more than 90% of non-organic hummus and chickpea samples.

Roundup is sprayed on many non-organic crops and during different parts of the growing season…even shortly before harvest, on beans and grains as a drying agent. Residues end up in popular breakfast cereals and, yes, hummus.

So, what can we do? Here’s the easy part! GO ORGANIC. The levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Bayer’s (formerly Monsanto’s) Roundup herbicide, have been shown to drop quickly when we decide to eat all-organic.

“On average, the levels of glyphosate and its breakdown product aminomethyl phosphonic acid fell by more than 70% in both children and adults, with reductions seen after just three days of an organic diet….” Hot diggety, GO ORGANIC. Really. Do.

We received the below e-mail from Lincoln Fishman, Sawyer Farm, pictured above. Sawyer Farm grows and sells a variety of produce out of Worthington, MA; and cannabis for sales as CBD here at Debra’s.

Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2020 8:53 PM

Subject: Healthy Soils Bill  

Hello again everyone!            

I went to the State House yesterday to advocate for the Healthy Soils Bill. It’s a climate change bill for farmers. I don’t use these emails as a political platform (or go to the State House, for that matter), but this particular bill is so much what the farm is all about. It would establish a Healthy Soils Program in MA, which would make technical assistance and grant money available to farmers who adopt or use practices that remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and put it into the soil.

What does that mean? Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and combine it with water to make sugar. They use about half of that sugar for their own energy and donate the other half to microbes and fungi in the soil who trade nutrients and minerals in exchange. That carbon becomes part of their bodies, and ultimately mostly stays in the soil. Over time, this leads to huge amounts of carbon being stored in the soil. Soil is Earth’s largest carbon sink. It contains 2500 billion tons of carbon — the atmosphere only has 800 billion tons.

Natural ecosystems are good at capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing it in the soil; conventional farming is not. Over 50% of the carbon in cultivated soil has been released into the atmosphere — about 25% of all anthropogenic emissions. That’s because of tillage — turning the soil exposes it to atmospheric oxygen and causes carbon to break down quickly into CO2. It’s also because the chemicals used in conventional farming kill the soil, so plants don’t have trading partners for their excess sugar.          

Cover crops address most of these issues on our farm. They hold the soil in place, support huge microbial populations, and don’t get harvested, so their roots and shoots get fed back to the soil. Compost puts a lot of carbon into the soil too, so that soil life has plenty of food as it waits for crops to mature and exude sugar. We also do a bunch of other things that I won’t get into for brevity’s sake.

Down the road, this bill would provide technical assistance and grant money to farmers who want to adopt carbon-capturing practices, or farms like ours, who want to experiment with new ideas.

This is a really critical issue for climate change. It’s about flipping agriculture from CO2 source to CO2 sink. Imagine if we realized we’d engineered cars backwards and there was actually a way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere by driving more. It’s like that.

If you feel moved to call your Representative or Senator about this bill, the time is now. Natalie Blais is probably most of your guys’ Rep, and Adam Hinds is pretty much everyone on this list’s Senator. You could just say, for example, “I support the Healthy Soils Bill. It’ll help farmers fight climate change. I want to see it get passed and funded!”

Both are supportive but hearing from constituents is meaningful. They are both in a position — and Hinds especially — to see that the bill gets funded.

About 10 of us farmers spoke at the legislative briefing today. It was a pleasure to be in a room full of people who are motivated by soil. Below are my unedited notes. Lincoln Fishman, Sawyer Farm, Worthington MA.

NOTES  

Fifteen years ago, I was teaching science at a public high school in New York City. I had just taught a class on soil erosion and I went outside to get some lunch. Lower East Side, some of the most delicious lunch options in the world. But I had this…moment. I realized that none of my lunch options were ethical. All the things I’d just been teaching about — erosion, nutrient leaching, chemical runoff, climate change — I was about to be forced to support them with my lunch money. I felt hypocritical and complicit. And I felt so trapped.

Over the next couple years, my wife and I figured out how to turn that feeling into positive action, and we’ve been on that track for 15 years, and I’ll be on it until I die. Ten of those years have been at Sawyer Farm, where we use draft horses instead of tractors to reduce fossil fuels; we use cover crops, contour farming, zero chemicals, homemade compost; we have a state-funded solar array that covers all of our electrical use. All this to grow healthy food and build our soil every year.

When we started, it was about do no harm — drop out of the system. But in those 15 years, there’s been a lot of exciting science. And you’ve heard about it today — that good farming practices can actually capture carbon and put it back in the soil where it belongs. For me and the other farmers in this room, that’s incredibly motivating. It means that not only can we grow healthy food, but we can actually roll back the effects of climate change as we do it. This bill takes our energy, and our individual efforts, and gives it structure and focus (continued next page).

State and federal farm policy is still stuck back where my thinking was at 15 years ago. Mitigate damage, reduce harm. What’s exciting about this bill is that it takes the best farming practices, and the most recent science, and links them with public policy. It’s positive and pro-active.

On a deeper level, it acknowledges that soil health is the foundation that human health, human industry, everything we’ve been working towards, is built on. This bill begins to elevate soil to its rightful place in the public imagination, in public discourse, and in public policy.

To me, this is a no-brainer. I’m here because I want this to be the beginning of a dialogue, because the next step is funding and the nitty-gritty. I look forward to getting into all that with you.

Thank you.