Last month I attended the Future Harvest Farmer’s Conference in College Park Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Black Farmer’s Caucus Inaugural Conference at Howard University.  Both conferences were full of valuable information that applies to my daily life.  

Back in 2020, I decided that I wanted to be a registered farmer as I love to garden and grow plants, but I found a new love in growing medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

With the “pending” legalization of cannabis in Maryland, it was important for me to align myself with what I found to be vital and missing regarding cannabis. While researching herbs and learning the science behind cannabinoids, it became apparent that cannabis is a medicinal herb.  

My love of nature has brought me closer to every quality our Creator has blessed us with.  Going down the rabbit hole I learned that many plants individuals attributed as weeds were actually beneficial herbs. I bought various books to learn about different herbs and the individual benefits they provide. With this knowledge, I began to alter typical over-the-counter medicines, like Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, and Hydrocortisone, with different herbs.  

Future Harvest and Mid-Atlantic Black Farmer’s Caucus

In 2024, I was graciously selected to join the Future Harvest Beginner Training Program. This training program runs for 12 months and provides access to various conferences, training, and events, fully compensated. As a member of the trainee program, I was required to attend their 3-day conference. Each day was full of topics of interest, but my main interests were soil health, cover crops, using food as medicine, and advocating for change. 

The Future Harvest Conference was a bit different from the Mid-Atlantic Black Farmer’s Caucus. Future Harvest was a 3-day conference with a multitude of Keynote speakers, vendors, and course studies. The Inaugural Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Conference had one keynote speaker, several sessions throughout the day, and interactive breakout segments. Dr. Nazirahk Amen happened to be a speaker for ‘Future Harvest Soil Health’ and The Mid-Atlantic Black Farmer’s Caucus ‘Food as Medicine’. Dr. Amen graced us with a boatload of useful information.  

Soil Health is Our Health

The condition of your soil will determine your harvest. During Dr. Amen’s discussion, I learned that Maryland’s soil has been depleted due to centuries of tobacco farming from chattel slavery to now. Tobacco farming has removed beneficial nutrients from our soil, and replenishing the soil is necessary for the microbiome. 

He spoke about the importance of cover cropping your soil so it is always working through the winter months. Composting wood chips, leaves, and food waste helps to regenerate the soil and increases indigenous microbes needed for soil health. Healthy soil can maximize photosynthesis.

As a beginning farmer, I’ve been making my own organic soil blends to avoid the contaminants found in commercial soil. I learned those efforts are called soil remineralization. I mix compounds of compost, peat, perlite, worm castings, and fertilizer to bring the soil to life. I now have the knowledge to utilize cover cropping to keep my soil replenished in between planting seasons. 

Soil Health and the Microbiome

Dr. Amen has been practicing Naturopathy for 25 years and found farming as a path to self-determination. He believes using food as medicine presents no harm, allows you to identify and treat causes, provides healing power through nature, treats the entire being, and intervenes as preventative care.  

Many of our physical and mental health ailments are a result of what we choose to eat. As a practicing vegan, Dr. Amen stressed that a raw food diet is not for everyone. It is important to find your personal balance to get the most benefits from eating whole foods. Balance the yin and the yang! 

Everything that enters your body will affect your microbiome. The microbiome is a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment, especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body. 

Carl Zimmer, an award-winning Columnist and Author said, “Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.” 

In medicine, microbiome research is an emerging field that investigates how the bacteria that live in and on our bodies affect our health. Nathan Wolfe , an American virologist and epidemiologist, explains a microbiome as one community among the many that make up the whole human microbiome: the full genetic complement of bacteria and other organisms at home on your skin, gums, and teeth, in your genital tract, and especially in your gut.

With this wealth of information, it all began to make sense to me in regard to my own health and wellness. Many years ago, I chose to cook and eat very differently than how I was raised – on soul food and seasoned salt. I replaced starches with vegetables, and it’s made a huge impact on my waistline, my appearance, and my energy levels.  

With health and wellness coming to the forefront in Spring 2024, it is essential to understand the relationship you have with your food. Before indulging in temporary satisfactions, ask yourself, what will be the long-term effects on your microbiome?