One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. ~Virgina Woolf

Our March issue, with a focus on food and nutrition, celebrates the local farming visionaries who have made it their mission to bring healthy, nutritious foods to their families, neighbors and community. You’ll find inspiration for moving toward a plant-based diet, dietary guidance for supporting healthy kidneys, how to reduce inflammation from MS and the latest local initiatives of the organic regenerative agriculture pioneer, the Rodale Institute.

Blessed by verdant meadows with rambling streams, pristine rows of garden vegetables, cattle, pigs, sheep and goats on pasture and natural woodlands that host a vast array of wildlife and flora, this area of the country is fortunate to have rich, well-drained soil, packed with minerals and excellent for growing nutrient-dense foods that heal and support the body and mind.

We are well-served by the synergy it offers as we balance stressors and ward off health crises and potential chronic diseases. Our communities are realizing the necessity to prioritize immunity, equilibrium and the way food systems play a role in this vital cycle.

It is likely that you recognize the power of diet and food choices for optimal health and well-being. For many, this focus is now a profoundly life-changing health priority, affecting quality of life, relationships and longevity. We’ve all heard a lot about the benefits of choosing organic foods that are not genetically modified, and prioritizing biological fertilizers and management practices that encourage healthy soils, rich in nutrients and with the ability to absorb water.

Organic regenerative agriculture includes farming practices that intentionally repair soil and manage water, address the whole ecosystem of a farm and the surrounding forests, streams and meadows to improve the soil. It includes low-or-no soil tillage, diverse plantings, rotating crops and infusing soil with nutrients from organic matter and cover crops.

Foods grown or raised with organic regenerative practices have a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals, lean protein and healthy fats relative to the calories they hold. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seafood, eggs and lean meats; especially those sustainably sourced or grown and raised with organic regenerative practices, are the very best things we can eat.

We can love our Mother Earth as we love ourselves; the efforts are intertwined as we make choices to care for ourselves and the world. We’re grateful you’re a part of our ever-growing vibrant and health-conscious community.

May March winds bring April showers, May flowers and June bugs!

Jacqueline and Kendra, Co-Publishers