And now, judging from an increasing lack of access to food security, the impact of Big Ag on the environment, the erosion of farmland topsoil, and the staggering amount of food waste annually, something has gone terribly wrong in the name of progress.
On his Funky Butte Ranch in New Mexico, and other farms he consults across the country, Fine practices and teaches the lost art of rebuilding microbes in soil.
If the soil is vibrant enough and not chemicalized, those microbes multiply and combine with other nutrients, creating an ecosystem known as “rich top soil.” In fact, according to Fine, there’s a growing body of research that suggests that each cubic inch of this type of cultivation can sequester up to 3 billion tons of carbon annually—while also building the soil.
American Hemp Farmer and Hemp Bound are both considered classics by hemp aficionados, and rumor has it Fine is hard at work on a docu-series chronicling his adventurous learning.
One recent early spring morning I visited multifaceted farmers Manny Alvarez and Terry Sardinas at Bird Valley Organics in Santa Cruz, California.
“Hügelkultur is an ancient German cultivation technique that focuses on building a healthy soil ecosystem in order to grow healthier plants.
This kind of attention to detail and personal touch is why I remain optimistic that the cannabis community is leading the regenerative farming movement and bringing new creativity to this ancient practice.
With over 89 million acres of corn planted annually and only half a million acres of cannabis/hemp, there are many concepts to prove as farmers like Fine, Alvarez and Sardinas try to scale it up and take a swing at the plate.
I’m co-founder and Chairperson of the Board for the non-profit Last Prisoner Project and a co-founder and advisor to Harborside, where we pioneered legal cannabis business processes and provided political engagement and thought leadership to the cannabis community — leading the design and development of gold-standard cannabis retail by innovating many “firsts” for the industry.