Luke’s May 2025 Update
The beautiful month of May has come and gone, a sunny month of very little rain, one of the driest on record. The farm is looking amazing, the abundance of green on all the trees and hedges makes the morning walks up to check the cows all the more pleasant. There is a particular tree that i often sit under where i know my Mum would do the same, in fact she used to hug this tree and feel at one with nature and the environment that she was so in tune with. I love trees too and the oaks that surround us at Herons Green Farm are incredible, so many years growth into those magnificent wise old oaks. I have recently finished a book called The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohllehen, this book reminds us that forests are the brainbank of the living planet and forging a closer relationship with nature before we destroy it is so important.
I believe there is a renewed interest in ways to immerse ourselves in nature. Forest bathing, for instance has emerged as a therapeutic practice- in Japan, your can even get a prescription for it. When we decided to plant 27,500 trees across 35 acres of land to create a memorial to my Father, we registered it, Martin’s Woodland. This area now has an extensive canopy and we are so proud to welcome people to it through out glamping site Natures Spectacular. It now stands tall and proud to celebrate the gathering of people and a celebration of life itself. It is so satisfying to see that more and more people are taking delight in nature and not only do they want to see the forest but also to experience it as intensely as they can when they visit.
Another reason to visit our woods is coming up soon, with our newly established event, Fire in your Soul. This event will help give you the power of nature and the profound impact that spending time outdoors can have on ones health. We might all lack Vitamin D and others like A, K and E but that missing Vitamin N for Nature and incorporating that into your life doesn't require dramatic changes, small, mindful interactions with the outdoors can improve mental and physical well-being.
A simple walk in the park can leave you feeling more connected, calm, and revitalised, by getting Vitamin N for Nature I believe you are also getting huge amounts of Vitamin G for Gratefulness, the sacred space around you makes you thankful, i particularly love this saying my the famous artist Andy Warhol……
.“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.” -Andy Warhol
GET YOUR FIRE IN YOUR SOUL TICKETS HERE!
As we are working on the programme for Fire in your Soul, it is probably the right time to mention the journey that i have found myself on over the last 5 - 10 years. It was when i basically realised that our current whole food production system from field to the fork focuses on producing foods that make us sick and fat and cause us to die early, rather than on foods that make us healthy, prevent disease, and help us live a long, productive life. Sadly, both the intended and unintended consequences of our global food system provide too much of the bad stuff and not enough of the good stuff. IT IS KILLING US.
That was when i first investigated the health benefits of my organic pasture for life beef and the nutrient density of it brought me into the world of Biohacking and oil and ghee in my coffee. The case for Ghee in terms of if it's pasture-fed and even local, it's building soil and it lets you absorb your plants better and cow shit makes better plants. So this is actually in alignment with animal cruelty. It's an alignment with health. It's an alignment of making the world a better place. So for a vegetarian it's time to say, look, you need ghee. Because that's how you need the cow that made the ghee to make the vegetables. And no one killed the cow. And as long as it's pasture-fed and it's ethically raised, no animals were harmed in the making of the soil. I think that is really important.
But anyway Biohacking is a broad term used to define a myriad of activities that all stem from one purpose - the desire to be the absolute best version of ourselves.
For me Biohacking means honing my diet, environment and energy to help me achieve my optimal health. This is cemented in the understanding that what you put inside and keep around your body has a profound impact on your health and wellbeing. It also brought everything full circle for me as studying soil and how it was so intrinsically linked to the individual gut microbiomes amazed me beyond comprehension.
The world needs regenerative agriculture now more than ever. The systems that get implemented may look different depending on the region's specific resources. This is an ironic point in the current climate of concern over cultural appropriation and respect for cultural identity.
Is it our job to tell those who rely on animal products for critical nutrients that they should stop eating meat and adopt a vegan diet because we're uncomfortable with the idea of death?
Or should we support food sovereignty?
Should we advocate for people to have the right to healthy and culturally-appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods?
Instead of reading about top-down regulations on what food production "should" look like, shouldn't we champion a food sovereignty movement that encourages a "bottom-up" approach, allowing for more local control over which food will suit a particular region and culture best?
Would this system be more healthy, ethical, and sustainable than one reliant upon so many inputs?
Resilience is regional.
Resilience is regenerative.
Let's support that!
Website of the Month - https://commonland.com/4-returns-framework/mission/
Charity of the Month - https://temwa.org/events/ - we are excited to partner with Temwa where we will be supporting them at Lake Paradiso and onwards with Valley Fest as their regenerative outreach programme inspires the next generation in Africa.
Quote of the month - “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.” -Andy Warhol
Last but not least! Grab your tickets for the up and coming Lake Paradiso - a cracking line up and the Valley's best knees up of the Summer. Get involved and be quick as limited tickets - https://lakeparadiso.co.uk/.
