Mendham-Chester|Local Event
Improving Individual & Environmental Health Through Regenerative Agriculture at the Mendham Township
On Thursday, September 10th at 7pm, join Jason & Deborah DeSalvo of Cold Brook Farm in Oldwick as they explore Improving Individual & Environmental Health Through Regenerative Agriculture at the Mendham Township Library.
Jason & Deborah DeSalvo own and farm Cold Brook Farm in Oldwick, NJ where they are Real Organic Project Certified using regenerative organic principles to grow over 70 different fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts and grains.
What exactly is regenerative agriculture, and can it be regenerative without being organic? How can it improve both our personal health and the health of the environment? Is regenerative agriculture just another greenwashed buzzword, or does it have real substance? Most importantly, how can you, as both a consumer and environmental steward ensure that you are supporting real regenerative agriculture that makes a difference?
This program will explore these themes through the personal experiences gained by the DeSalvo’s both on their farm and by their involvement with thought leaders of the wider regenerative agricultural movement.
About the DeSalvo’s & Cold Brook Farm:
Jason DeSalvo grew up in suburban New Jersey and Deborah DeSalvo grew up in upstate New York and New York City. They met in 1989, married in 1992 and raised their two children, Steven and Julia, in Montclair, NJ. In the summer of 2019, the DeSalvo’s finally decided that it was time to look for that quieter place, away from the fray of the city. After considering nearly one hundred properties, the DeSalvo’s purchased 43-acre Cold Brook Farm in northeast Hunterdon County in October 2019 and immediately took on the task of converting a 10-acre conventionally farmed GMO corn and soybean field to regenerative and organic practices.
Although they only began farming in 2020, in just their second year of growing grains the quality of Jason & Deborah’s work was recognized when Dan Barber (chef and author of The Third Plate and numerous articles in The New York Times) selected their wheat to feature on the Winter 2023 menu at his Michelin 2-Star restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York.
Their work at regenerating their own land and growing healthy food for people has caused three neighbors to not only take notice, but to ask Jason & Deborah to manage the farming on their properties as well. This has resulted in the management of additional 104 acres of previously chemically farmed GMO Corn / Soy being converted to regenerative / organic agriculture. 97 of these acres are expected to achieve Certification in 2027 and the remaining 7 acres in 2028. The remainder of the 2.5-acre DeSalvo homestead surrounding their net-positive energy farmhouse is planted entirely in permaculture with both perennial food crops and native perennial flowers for pollinators. Once in full production they will be commercially growing over 70 Certified Organic food crops each year that include fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables, herbs and grains. The DeSalvo’s both drive electric vehicles, but due to the energy-efficient design of their home (including a 72-panel solar array and ground-source heating / cooling – “geothermal”), they still generate 5 megawatts of excess electricity that they deliver back to the grid annually.
Jason and Deborah are both involved with community outreach in local schools and institutions, national conferences and web-based seminars about Regenerative Organic Agriculture, Native Plants, Sustainable Living, living a Whole Food Plant-Based SOS-Free Lifestyle, and the nutritional importance of whole grains. They also conduct educational experiences at Cold Brook Farm for hundreds of people annually with the goal of helping others to understand how and why to lead more healthy and sustainable lives.:
Sponsored by Mendham Township Environmental Committee (MTEC).
Space is limited.Registration Required. FREE To register visit www.mendhamtwplib.org.