Is it just me, or does the spring season put more pep in your step, too?

While the past few years have brought a family of robins nesting just outside my front door, this year they seem to have been usurped by an adorable mockingbird that races through the melodies of fellow feathered friends in between feeding on the abundance of holly berries produced by the bush. It’s no wonder I find spring such a beautiful time to enjoy the bounty of nature.

Within our pages this month you’ll find reason for optimism as it relates to nature and its ability to thrive when nurtured and allowed to regenerate as Mother Nature intended. In the Wise Words department, you’ll hear from Jeff Moyer, CEO of Rodale Institute, a nonprofit which has been dedicated to research and the implementation of regenerative organic farming practices since 1947.

Moyer offers evidence that regenerative organic agriculture may very well be the answer to feeding the masses, whereas conventional agriculture is “doomed to failure over time” due to the unsustainable practices that continue to deplete our soil, harvest after harvest. He goes further to explain how the hidden costs, buried in the tax structure of the conventional model of industrial agriculture, skew the perception that healthy organic food must cost more at point of purchase.

As more and more people demand healthy, pesticide- and GMO-free food at affordable prices, the old system will be forced to change.

According to Feeding America, a nonprofit which has provided over 5.2 billion meals to Americans, it is estimated that 40 percent of all the food produced in the United States each year is wasted. That’s more than $408 billion in food waste annually.

Aside from the fact that I prefer to consume pesticide/GMO-free foods whenever possible, the current higher cost paid at the register helps to ensure I don’t purchase more than I’ll eat before it goes bad. Though it happens, there’s something deeply frustrating about having to toss out food that I’ve neglected in the fridge.

Another way I’ve found that helps me be more conscious about food waste has been visiting local farms and purchasing direct from farmers. I like knowing where my food is coming from as well as knowing that my money is going directly back into the local economy.

As always, it is my wish that you find something within these pages that offers a solution to something you or a loved one may be facing.

Enjoy the sweet surprises of spring!

Maisie Raftery, Publisher