Gaia Herbs Sustainability Report 2020 - Report - Page 6
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 // PLANTS // P.6
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
AND TRADITIONS
—
Over 600 people visited the Gaia Farm in 2019, from local colleges including Western Carolina
University and Brevard College, to our retail partners, media representatives, social media
influencers, and more.
On-farm education is one area where our purpose of connecting plants, people, and planet
to create healing comes to life. Regenerative farming practices have the ability to restore
ecological balance, support community development, and positively impact physical and mental
well-being. Over the years, we have offered our farm to community organizations as a living
educational facility, and we hope to formalize our farm education programs in years to come.
“Students are our future, and in some ways, herbs are a big
part of our past. I like that we are bridging that gap and
taking that old knowledge and putting it into the hands of
a new generation.”
- THOMAS LEONARD, Farm Operations Manager
Raising the next generation of farmers in America is crucial to the health of communities
everywhere. As a part of our Regenerative Farming Program, the farm team partnered with
Brevard College, our local college, to develop projects on our farm. Classes focused on soil
sample analysis, invasive species management, and plant biology.
Additionally, our farm team worked closely with an animal production class to help assess
the potential incorporation of animals into our farm plan in future years, an essential
component of biodynamic farming.
