Eat well, be well
Regenerative agriculture is a term that has been used over the years.听It is best described as the holistic approach to our agricultural system, that focuses on the interconnection between farming and our ecological system. Regenerative agricultural systems can benefit our economy, society听and our environment. Some benefits include helping to听sustain earth's natural resources, producing听more nutrient-dense foods, helping to eliminate food insecurity听and increasing听food equality, and听reducing听climate change鈥檚 impact on our planet.
There are many ways for us to get involved and support regenerative agriculture. The simplest way is to invest and support our local food system. This can be done by purchasing products from local farmers. It鈥檚 also important to purchase products while they're听in season. There are many benefits to buying local, in-season foods:
The food will taste better! When fruits and vegetables are able to naturally ripen on the trees and vines they are grown on, they will have much more flavor and a higher nutritional value.听
Fruits and vegetables will be more affordable! During the seasons where farmers are harvesting an abundance of fruits and vegetables, the cost of the products themselves will go down;听plus you don鈥檛 have to pay for transportation and storage of the fruits and vegetables, as they are readily available.
There are a few local听Coloradans听who are changing the way we view our agricultural system and are investing in regenerative agriculture:听the East Denver Food Hub, and Chef听Andrea Murdoch, founder of Four Directions Cuisine.
听was co-founded by David Demerling and Roberto Meza听in 2020. The social enterprise is 鈥渨orking to develop a resilient, equitable听and compassionate local food (eco)system based on equity and inclusion, environmental stewardship, sustainable technologies听and private/public partnerships.鈥 They aim to support local farmers and producers and address food inequality and insecurity.听
Chef Andrea Murdoch founded Four Directions Cuisine in 2015. Four Directions operates within four pillars:听sourcing Indigenously, sourcing locally, advocacy/education听and community work. To learn more about Chef Murdoch, check out this听听from听HuffPost听that shows how she found her connection to Indigenous Foods.
If you鈥檙e interested in learning more about how the food we eat impacts the environment, check out the upcoming听听event held by the Environmental Center. Both the co-founders of the East Denver Food Hub and Chef Murdoch will be on hand to present and talk about their work and the connection between the food we eat and the world around us.听
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Agenda:
March 8:听Roberto Meza, co-founder of East Denver Food Hub, and CU professor Dr. Clint Carroll, citizen of the Cherokee Nation, will have a conversation about their perspectives and work around food justice and land-based knowledge.
March 9:听chef Andrea Murdoch, founder of Four Directions Cuisine, will share a presentation on Indigenous foodways and traditional farming and their connection with climate.
March 10:听DJ Cavem, vegan activist and rapper, will give a presentation and will invite attendees to share the stage for a climate justice open mic after his live performance!
*Note* locations vary by day
March 8:听5-6:30 p.m.听鈥 CASE E422
March 9:听5-6:30 p.m.听鈥 CASE E422
March 10:听5-7:30 p.m. 鈥 UMC 235