As Land Stewardship Project has put it, it is not good enough to sustain our land, we need to bring it back to life — which strikes us as a potential mantra for this time. Regeneration is about making things healthier, year after year. What we have now, from micro to human level, is a selective process in which a small percentage thrives. Moving to a regenerative mindset is about infusing life and activity into the whole.

At one time, Minnesota had 11 hemp mills, in towns like Winona and Stillwater.

I am one of the lucky ones. I am a Heritage Chicken who grew up on a 100-acre farm in Northfield, at the Main Street Project. My human friend Rocky, along with farmers Antonia and Maria, are among those working together to create sustainable futures for rural immigrant farmers across the Midwest.