Regenerate

verb: to re-create, reconstitute or make over, especially in a better form or condition.

If any of you know me personally, you’ll know that I love plants! My home is full of peperomia, bird of paradise, fiddle leaf fig, ficus trees, snake plants, philodendron, aloe, succulents, ferns, and orchids. My goal this year is to use the sunlight at the kitchen windows to grow herbs and veggies as a head start for the kitchen garden. Spring, my favorite season, is a time of new beginnings and hope for things to come.

Our March issue celebrates these themes with the topic of regeneration beginning from the ground up, starting with reconstituting our land into soil that supports and sustains life. In “Pennsylvania Regenerative Farmers Cultivate Lifestyles, Not JustLivelihoods,” writer Sheila Julson interviews two local regenerative farmers who, after retiring from their first careers, manifested their desires to responsibly care for the land, their animals and their personal health. With the purchases of their respective farms in Berks and Lancaster counties, they began investing in the next generation. Their farmlands have been restored into vibrant and harmonious ecosystems that can now support an environment largely focused on permaculture–an approach that cares for the Earth and all of its creatures in an integrated way.

In our feature article, “Down to Earth, the Promise of Regenerative Farming,” we learn that with “only 60 harvests left before our soil is completely depleted,” it is imperative that we turn a clear focus to restoring biodiversity and improving the quality of the soil in which our food is grown.

Plant-based modes of healing are deeply rooted in this issue and include an update on the latest research on hemp-derived CBD and its benefits for managing epilepsy, chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia. Sprout-inspired recipes accompany the article, “Indoor Edible Gardening: Grow Veggies, Sprouts and MicrogreensYear-Round.” And mushrooms of a specialized variety emerge with a look at the healing possibilities of psychedelics to manage depression and addiction.

Be sure to round out all that Natural Awakenings has to offer this month by paying a visit to our website’s Online Exclusives, where you can catch Earthbound Artisan’s latest monthly “NatureObservation Through the Seasons” contribution on change and transformation. Also relevant to our themes, Rodale Institute’s Jeff Tkach extols the benefits of regenerative healthcare – a prevention-based approach to human and environmental health that we feel embodies and embraces our collective humanity and this beautiful planet we call home.

Kendra

As March winds blow into spring with longer days and warmer temperatures, it’s time to get outside for a visit to a local farmer, Rodale Institute’s Organic Plant Sale or Bent Limb Farm’s Annual Shearing Day. Happy spring!

Kendra and Jacqueline