As a child, the lines between land, plants, and animals appeared stark. Plants grow in soil and animals eat plants (and other animals). Delving into the complexities of regenerative agriculture, however, the borders between soil, plant, and animal blur; everything exists in a state of codependency with its surroundings.
One small act of kindness, generosity, or compassion may seem small when held up to the world’s needs. It’s tempting to believe that one person’s actions don’t make a difference. Yet it only takes a single candle to brighten the night.
In the vineyard, action and hope blend together. The viticulturist takes steps to grow grapes, but at a certain point she has to stop, wait, and hope for the best: for a harvest of sweet, juicy grapes. The themes of action and hope also meet during Hanukah.
In food forests, trees grow alongside herbs, veggies, vines, and groundcover. This design practice—combining plants to work together for the overall benefit of the whole forest—is called companion planting.
At its simplest, the term agroforestry means incorporating trees into a farm. Agroforestry has been used across millennia and cultures, and we can find examples both in modern-day agriculture and ancient farming systems.