10% for the People
3 Minute Read
Published on Dec 06, 2022
This once great prairie was just that, a vast land of grasses, woodlands, wildlife and buffalo as far as the eye could see. Forages upon forages were woven together by root systems so tight and so deep that rumors of the first plow sounded like a bull whip cutting through them. Times have changed…more than a century later and all of that is gone, but not forgotten.
We have a pretty lofty goal here at 99 Counties for the next 10 years. 10%. We want to move 10% of Iowa into biological, regenerative farming. No chemical sprays. No GMO’s No confinements. Dirt back to soil. If you didn’t know, 10% is roughly 2.5 million acres. At this point you should stop and ponder the sheer size of Iowa, the Midwest, and the United States as a whole. But we are just talking about 10%. I promise you that 10% can change the world!
Can I see all 2.5 million acres return to a majestic and pristine prairie? Or even better yet, managed grazing dotted with farmers, livestock, and wildlife? Absolutely. Will this first 10% be the hardest to bring back to life and build. Absolutely. What’s the plan and how can you help?
The plan is simple in my eyes. A rotation of 4-5 organically raised crops, plenty of biodiversity, and nutrient-dense grains raised in concert with forages, legumes, and grasses. What if slowly, over time, we simply shifted from a monoculture of corn and soybeans, triple stacked gmo’s, fungicide, herbicide pesticide, and glyphosate to organic corn, organic soybeans, organic oats, organic rye, organic pastures, and organic hay. We could foster cows on pasture, hogs wallowing in the mud and rooting forests, along with poultry ranging over it all.
If I was on the other side of this blog and reading along I’d be nodding my head, all in, asking what can I do to be a part of this movement? The answer almost seems too simple. It’s a monthly delivery of 99 Counties to your front door. It’s recruiting your neighbors, your community to do the same. If our van is dropping off an order at your house, it makes even more sense to deliver to many houses on your street. Neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block, suburb by suburb, we can make change happen…we can make the 10% happen. We hope you join us!