Episode 22 - 14: Wisdom, Spirituality, and Foresight in Building Soil with Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms (Part II)

In this second part of our conversation with Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms in Orange County, Virginia, Michael shares his unique insights and perspectives on history and its ongoing relationship to soil health and farming. Michael is a fifth-generation farmer with a passion for small farm outreach, the decline in the number of black farmers and black-owned farms, and efforts to restore equity and justice in farming and access to land. Michael recounts the foresight his grandmother and her family had in buying their farm and land in Orange County after World War II. He also shares the significant role and contribution George Washington Carver had in extension education and outreach related to cropping and the care of the soil. Michael points out the spiritual elements of soil health and how many religious traditions recognize the value of soil in building community, trust, and faith.

To learn more about Carter Farms and the interdisciplinary teaching platform Africulture, please visit https://thecarterfarms.com/.

For book recommendations and other resources, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ . We also encourage you to join the soil health movement and take the 4 The Soil Pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.