by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)

We read daily that the land is in trouble, along with the humans, flora and fauna who depend on it. Human-caused climate change is hitting us in the face with fires, droughts, and record-breaking storms. Yet there are innovative farmers, conservationists and environmentalists who are doing good things.

October harvest time is an appropriate time to celebrate those who are caring for the land.

Goleta calls itself the Good Land for the citrus and avocado groves that once grew there — and still do in pockets. Farmers these days must deal with a web of regulations, water restrictions, and ever-encroaching development.

We’ve learned — late in the game — that we need to keep poisons and chemicals out of the soil, water and air. Nevertheless, I don’t envy farmers and ranchers the effort it must take to comply.

Town and city folk envying farmers’ relationship to the land are increasingly turning to options such as microfarms, veggie gardens, seed swaps, and urban landscapes. Microfarms are productive gardens designed for front yards, in place of merely decorative gardens. Their mission is to bring fresh surplus produce to people with less access to these healthful foods.

“Everybody is entitled to the nutrients beneath their feet. That applies to people in apartment buildings, or condos,” said Jamiah Hargins, who built a microfarm in a Los Angeles neighborhood and is planning many more sustainable tiny farms. “They have the right to have local food. Folks can have a different life. I’m hoping to show that it can be done.”

Microfarm crops grow in nutritious compost and irrigation systems using recycled water, which cuts water use to 8% compared to grass, according to Hargins.

Microfarms work hand-in-hand (or trowel-in-hand) with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Santa Barbara is rich in CSAs, some dating back some 30 years. For prices as low as about $30, you can pick up a freshly picked box of produce, supporting your own healthy lifestyle as well as a local small farmer.

One of the best parts of CSA participation for me is experimenting with veggies I hadn’t previously tried. Our first CSA a decade or so ago began our tradition of smoothies as our evening meal.

Local CSAs include John Givens Farm, Dare to Dream Farms, Plow to Porch, Blosser Urban Gardens, Fairview Gardens, The Farm Box Collective, Local Harvest Delivery, Finley Farms and Farm to Cart Organics.

On an even smaller scale is Santa Barbara Permaculture’s Annual seed swap. This event is typically held the last Sunday of January. Last year the event was virtual; plans for 2022 have not yet been publicized.

Some individuals take it upon themselves to improve their land for the benefit of the community. Layne Campbell and his Loma Alta-area family used their stimulus money to invest in fruit trees on their hillside for community use. His project resulted in grateful donations of both fruit trees and home-grown produce, demonstrating the idea’s popularity.

If Campbell’s harvests prove successful, he may eventually choose to participate in the Food Bank’s Backyard Bounty program. For nearly 15 years, Foodbank volunteers have picked produce from Santa Barbara yards when requested by homeowners. For yards with five or fewer trees, gardeners can bring the produce to the Foodbank.

The gleaned fruits and vegetables are redistributed to those in our community facing food insecurity. More than 1.2 million pounds of surplus produce have been picked since 2007.

These beneficial ways of encountering the land feed my hope that we will manage to reach sustainability before it’s too late. More and more, rural and city folk alike understand that our health is tied to the land’s health. We’re all in this together.

Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist

Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.More by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist