In the heart of Noord-Brabant, nestled in the quaint village of Megen, my father was part of a large catholic family. Now, he is a man of eighty-eight years with a lineage deeply rooted in the earth. Born into a family of farmers, his connection to the land runs as deep as the soil he tends to. It wasn't until I reached the age of fifty-four, while immersing myself in the pages of “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, that I truly grasped the magnitude of his wisdom of the land.
As I delved into Kimmerer's exploration of the intricate bond between humanity and nature, my father's innate understanding of the soil, farming practices, plants, mushrooms, and birds shone before me. The wisdom he has garnered through traditional, practical experience is nearly lost amidst the modern landscape of Dutch agriculture.
Growing up in a time when machines had yet to dominate the fields, my father and his family used traditional methods of regenerative farming and crop rotation. With each season, he and his family carefully selected which crops to cultivate, considering their nutritional needs, vulnerabilities to diseases and pests.
This traditional approach to farming was not just about yielding a bountiful harvest; it was about nurturing the land and fostering its vitality for generations to come. Through his dedication to regenerative agriculture, he and his family enriched the soil, increasesd biodiversity, and enhanced the water cycle, all while mitigating the effects of climate change.
Eager to preserve his wealth of knowledge, I've embarked on a journey to document his wisdom through regular interviews and conversations. Through a blog format, I aim to share his insights with you, offering a glimpse into the time-honored practices of land stewardship passed down through the ages by a farmer from Megen.