Everywhere I turn someone is talking about sustainability. In agriculture, and well… in just about everything. Farming, food, building, transportation, like I said, everywhere! I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to understand exactly what this confusing and overwhelming S-word means to me. So, in true FarmHer Style, I decided to dig in. I gathered the FarmHerd to talk about what sustainability means to us, as women, as business owners, as growers, and as consumers.
Luckily, Erin and Jodi (members of the FarmHerd) needed a breakdown or Sustainability for Dummies book just like me.
I thought the best place to start would be looking up the definition.
Defining Sustainability
Sustainability:
- the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
“The sustainability of economic growth”- avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.
“the pursuit of global environmental sustainability”
- avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.
Hmm. That still didn’t help.
Making Sustainability Personal
But what if the S-word was more personal? What if we had our own definition for sustainability? Because each person has their own things in life they want to keep going or “avoid depletion” of. That could be your soil, or your water, or if you’re a mom like me, your child.
For Jodi, looking back at everyday and seeing how she feels. Feel that feeling!
And she’s not talking about journaling, but just taking a few minutes to reflect back on her feelings so she is able to sustain the best version of herself for everyone around her.
For Erin, it is putting herself first. How many of us feel like we don’t do this? Too many.
How can we sustain ourselves for the different hats we wear as a woman when we don’t even appreciate ourselves? Taking care of ourselves enables us to take care of the other items in our life.
Relating the S-Word to Your Why
And honestly, it’s just like sustainability in agriculture. It starts with your why. What is your why for being sustainable on your farm? Feeding your community? Making money? Doing what’s best for your environment?
All sustainability.
And I truly believe all FarmHers can relate to this conversation. A majority of the FarmHers I’ve met don’t just farm. Maybe they are a wife and mother too. Or they run a side hustle. Or they do all of these things!
But as we all know, it is never sustainable to do it all ourselves. It’s sustainability for life!
Everybody Eats
Find More Stories at Everybody Eats
We all eat, and that is why farming will always matter. Everybody Eats is where the stories of food and farming intersect.
These stories told through my FarmHer lens connect us to our food and more importantly, the people behind it.
Nationwide’s Everybody Eats is a collection of stories of those who protect our rural communities, who grow our food with extraordinary care, and who provide support, education, and assistance to make sure Everybody Eats.
