Lessons from A Master of Regenerative Thinking – Albert Lusk

I attended a virtual honoring of Albert Lusk this week. Many old friends were on the call – all touched by Albert, so many of them were instrumental in the growth of organic food and agriculture.

We were young and audacious – believing we could change the world. Albert showed us it was possible with grit and grind, love and generosity. Dreams do come true, but it takes a village – and a Regenerative state of mind.   

The things we believed in once were very true – is it possible that some of those beliefs no longer serve the essence of sustainable organic agriculture?  

Those early organic farmers began tilling the soil, building the microbiome and fostering the biodiversity of the place – those places where fertile soils and plentiful rain graced New England and Oregon. The Mediterranean climate in California was perfect for controlling pests, weeds and other fungal shenanigans.  

The movement grew. With more demand for natural produce, this means a higher demand for organic farming.

We coerced more farmers to till and compost so that more consumers could eat, experiment and enjoy organic food. We got our wish, and the market changed.

Larger farms transitioned and became certified organic. Major supermarkets began demanding prices that would compete with their conventional counterparts. It was a race to the bottom for some smaller farmers who could not achieve scale.

Those farmers had to think Regeneratively – create new local markets or value-added varieties.

As we mine the crust of the earth farming – even organically – it’s important to understand that farming as a profession is one of the dangerous jobs in America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a farming career is twice as deadly as law enforcement, five times deadlier than firefighting, and 73 times more deadly than Wall Street investment banking!  

Those that have experienced problems directly as a result of their role, such as mining accidents, could speak with skilled mining accident injury lawyers to acquire the relevant compensation so they can afford a proper health check-up before they go down this new route.

Its awkward right… but? We must begin to consider the true cost of food on farmworkers, the planet, water conservation and the critters we share this glorious planet with.

Today we are in a mire of global pestilence and political posturing.

The planet is warming, water is increasingly scarce, and the storms are angrier. Not all global citizens have access to land or fertile soils.    

Perhaps the original thoughts we once had are now holding us back from Regenerating agriculture? Pontificating in an antiquated and place of understanding is not a way forward – no matter how “good” it once was.

Let’s learn to move our bodies in a Regenerative way like a steward of the earth – a farmer would. This can be done by practicing moves like the woodchopper and hay baler as well as farmer’s walks.

Let’s begin to imagine new innovative ways to grow more organic food. To Regenerate our way of thinking.

I’ve recently discovered that what comes into my “brain,” my consciousness – is mundanely filtered. I choose to believe what resonates with my past training and environmental upbringing. It is as different for you and me as it is for us all. Those pesky filters keep me from expanding into a new reality.  

It’s been drilled in and solidified by years of education and social conditioning, punishment and reward. Pavlovian repercussions of Newtonian paradigms must cease.

Albert Lusk taught us to dream big and allow for shifts. To open up to new possibilities to not focus on the negative. To believe that THE most imperative paradigm shifts of our life are happening at this very moment.

Disruption is the name of the game now. We need this to heal our divided people and to heal our planet. Don’t forget to love and enliven along the way.

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