At the heart of our work, we build sustainable, resilient systems to help feed us and nourish the land. Because true sustainability relies on resilience—the capacity to adapt and recover from challenges—the two principles are inseparable in our approach. They work together to ensure systems can both endure current challenges and last into the future.

We intentionally created a farm as our classroom because agriculture is the ultimate testing ground; every day brings challenges with real-world stakes. The decisions we make often have both immediate results as well as unforeseen future consequences. While we work to eliminate problems, we recognize that some challenges are inevitable and persistent.

Even with the utmost attention and focus, challenges will persist. Therefore, in order to be resilient, we have to become solution-oriented. Instead of dwelling on the fact that there is, or will be a problem, attention and energy is directed toward establishing systematic solutions.

From a practical standpoint, this necessitates the implementation of preventative mechanisms.

At our Center, on this regenerative farm, we:

• raise a variety of species
• practice multi-species rotational grazing in our pastures
• are using animals' innate behaviors and skills to replace machines
• grow vegetables in a controlled environment (greenhouse)
• preserve and store food
• have backups in our food storage systems
• use water catchment systems
• have installed multiple photovoltaic systems for a variety of purposes
• transform external waste streams into valuable agricultural inputs
• produce nutrient-rich compost to revitalize our soil's structure and fertility

And, most importantly, we are always observing our current practices and looking for additional new ways to better each and every system.