“Biodiversity—the variation of life on Earth—is essential to healthy ecosystems and serves as nature’s own system of checks and balances.”

Rodale Institute

On May 22nd, the U.N.-sponsored International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated around the world. Events included visual art shows in the U.S., biodiversity presentations in Portugal, and gardening workshops in South Africa. The IDB reminds us that biodiversity is the solution to several sustainable development challenges, including food security, climate change, and health issues. 

Here at Iroquois Valley, we’re pleased to celebrate the biodiversity that organic farming encourages. Organic farming seeks to mirror nature and cultivates a diverse mix of microorganisms, plants, and animals on the land. This contrasts conventional farming practices, which eliminate biodiversity through the widespread use of toxic chemicals and monoculture cropping systems. Through crop rotations, cover crops, and soil amendments (like compost), organic farmers are transitioning land from degraded soil into a world teeming with a variety of organisms.