- Farmer John DeRosier grows his acres of wheat with green water. This is in contrast to the almond farms and vineyards near his farm using blue water. What is the difference between green and blue water and why is green water a better choice to save water resources around the globe (refer to the introduction pg 11-12)?
- The majority of wheat grown around the world is rain-fed (66%) utilizing green water. How will climate change impact the way farmers grow wheat?
- John DeRosier is a dry farmer. What do rain-fed farmers and dry farmers share in common and what is different?
- What is a biodynamic farm? How does biodynamic farming save water?
What is a water footprint? What makes the water footprint virtual?
- If the water footprint of bread equals 11 gallons of water and pasta 230 gallons of water, calculate how much water you eat in one week in wheat products alone. Calculate how much water in wheat products you threw away in one week. (MATH)
- Create an info-graph showing your water footprint of wheat in one week, one month, one year.
- The soil on John Derosier's farm looks like a moist chocolate cake because it is alive with microbiology. He describes the process of building the health of his soil on the bottom of page 19, "This plot here is breaking down the cover crop. The roots are feeding the microorganisms, bacteria that work to convert nitrogen from the air into nitrogen the plant can use. Gazillions of these microorganisms lie underground in the humus." Why is it important to build Soil with Organic Matter (SOM) or humus, as John calls it?
- Create a persuasive presentation that can be shown to the person who purchases food for your family or school, or work on why it's important to purchase food from organic regenerative farms.
For younger readers (but no age limit):
- There is a whole world living under our feet in healthy soil like farmer John Derosier's regenerative organic farm. Farmer John DeRosier describes what's happening in his soil like this:
"This plot here is breaking down the cover crop. The roots are feeding the microorganisms, bacteria that work to convert nitrogen from the air into nitrogen the plant can use. Gazillions of these microorganisms lie underground in the humus."
Draw a picture of what John describes is happening in his soil and other regenerative organic farms like his.
- Farmer John is a dry farmer, this means he uses only rain and moisture to grow his wheat. Water researchers have given colors to different types of water; blue, green, and grey. For example, green water is rain and moisture. Blue water is water from aquifers (well water), reservoirs, and rivers. Grey water, is water polluted water from manure and fertilizer runoff.
- Fold a paper in thirds and label each section with each word: Green, Blue, Grey. In each section, draw pictures of the different water sources. For example, under the green column you would draw rain, and in the blue section draw a lake (reservoir).
What type of water does Farmer John use to grow his wheat? How does this save water?
- Create a persuasive presentation that can be shown to the person who purchases food for your family or school, or work on why it's important to purchase food from organic regenerative farms.
- Fold a paper into six squares (first, fold into thirds, then fold in half). Draw a comic strip from the perspective of the microorganisms. If the microorganisms could talk (personification) what would they say to a farmer who wants to spray the land with chemical pesticides, or petroleum-based fertilizers?
Action
Change is only an action away. Here are some ideas to get you started on your way to "be the change you want to see in the world."
For home
- Organize refrigerator (weekly) and pantry to reduce food waste at home.
- Start a weekly menu. Planning saves money, time, and reduces food waste.
- Start composting your food at home to increase the microbiology or SOM in your home garden.
- Shop your farmers market to support organic regenerative agriculture. And buy organic food at the grocery store.
Remember this doesn't require perfection. If we all do a little more than what you do now we will collectively make a difference.
For School
- Start a food composting program at your school.
- As your school to start purchasing food from organic regenerative farms like John DeRosiers. It can start with once, a month, once a week, with the goal of every day. Schools can be incredible agents of change since they purchase large amounts of food.
- Ask your school to stop using pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers on the gardens, fields, and playgrounds and instead start applying compost teas. Here is a video with a school who did just that.
For Community
- Farmers John Derosier's soil, home to gazillions of microorganisms not only saves water but it also takes carbon from the sky and places it into the ground (carbon sequestration). This is important because carbon, a Green House Gas (GHG), is one of the major causes of climate change. But when we use pesticides on the soil or use petroleum-based fertilizers, the soil loses its ability to hold water or carbon. Write a letter to your leaders to encourage them to support the growth of organic regenerative farms and farms like John DeRosier.
- Organize a compost tea party at your work-site or neighborhood park as an alternative to pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers on landscapes. Here is a video with a school who did just that with the Pesticide-Free Soil project.
