Jared Pickard and his wife Velisa are the founders of Be Here Farm + Nature, a 300 acre Nature Sanctuary and Biodynamic farm in Sonoma County CA where they grow and make a collection of very unique self care products, entirely made by hand, and all on their family farm.

Jared and Valisa became interested in farming after they realized that they wanted to farm in a beyond-organic way. They had an exposure to Biodynamic Farm, and after two years of farming in Georgia and an apprenticeship at Blackberry Farm, they were prepared to start their own project. 

They now have their own 300 acres farm where they grow and make a collection of unique hand-made self care products.

Be Here Farm produces a variety of unique, hand-made self-care products that use all-natural ingredients. Their products include spot treatments, body oils, and scrubs that are designed to nourish and revitalize the skin. 

In this podcast you will learn about: 

• What are the differences between conventional and organic farming?
• What are the challenges faced by farmers in terms of profitability?
• What's missing from traditional farming?
• The difference between a chemical support system and a natural one?
• The difference between "high quality" food and regular?

The difference between Monoculture and Polyculture

A monoculture is a crop that is grown in large quantities, usually for commercial purposes. The term can also refer to the practice of growing one type of crop in a field, or to the culture that results from it. 

Monocultures are often criticized for being environmentally unsound, as they can lead to soil depletion and water pollution. They can also be more susceptible to pests and diseases than other types of crops.

A polyculture is an alternative farming system in which multiple crops are grown together. This can be anything from a few different vegetables in the same garden bed to a large-scale farm with a diverse mix of crops and animals.

There are many benefits to polyculture farming:

• It helps to mimic natural ecosystems, which are more efficient and resilient than monocultures.
• Growing multiple crops together can help to improve yields by providing complementary nutrition and pest control.
• Polyculture farms are typically more biodiverse than conventional farms, supporting a greater variety of wildlife. 

The Future of Farming

Jared also shared his view on the future of the farming industry:

"The future of farming looks bright, with more and more people interested in learning about and participating in regenerative agriculture. This type of farming is not only environmentally sustainable but also has the potential to provide nutritious food for communities on a local level. 

“In order to make this happen on a global scale, however, we need to continue to educate people about the benefits of regenerative agriculture and support those who are already practicing it."

We invite you to listen to this amazing episode of the Awesome Health Podcast.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

10% discount code wadelove at sunpotion.com on the summer solstice serum(or on any of their products by emailing Jared that code at [email protected])

Website Instagram