Organic Agriculture: A Model for Commitment and Change.

The formidable change to organic agriculture requires changes in human systems of values.   Robert Rodale championed farming systems based on appreciating and promoting underlying biological capacity for supporting life.  Healthy soil is the key.  Regenerative agriculture extended economic understanding of farming appreciating the values for growing and protecting our natural resource base (soil, water and air quality).  The regenerative organic philosophy represents a win-win solution for issues and challenges for individuals, communities, and society.  Organic agriculture provides a model for improvement through long term commitment to learning and dynamic change.  Research, education and sharing practical knowledge all are key players in the human evolutionary drama.  A steadfast philosophical commitment combined with dynamic change form a dynamic duo to promote sustained success. Organic agriculture focuses on utilizing natural biological processes to efficaciously and economically produce food and fiber.  Producers accept a core understanding that the environment and natural resources cannot be sacrificed solely for short term profit.  Justly valuing our natural resources represents a fundamental change in the dominant world view requiring a change in philosophy and a long term commitment.  Transforming philosophical and actions, through organic agriculture requires working with rather than against natural biological processes. Because of this, it also requires more knowledge, longer term commitment and greater flexibility than conventional agriculture does.  This new way of valuing resources does not see economic and environmental goals as mutually exclusive, rather mutually dependent.  Long term commitment, experimentation, monitoring, and adaptation allow many small short term beneficial incremental changes to add up into integrative synergies of significant portion and impact.  Long term vision, commitment, and flexibility to dynamic life long learning journey and being open to change and consistent values only superficially seem contradictory both are critical elements to success and growth in organic agriculture and other areas of endeavor.