Last Tuesday, a group of high-powered conservationists, restorationists, farmers and foodies convened in Tumacacori, Arizona to spread the word about ecological farming.

Paul Kaiser owns and runs Singing Frog Farm in Sebastopol, California. He’s surrounded on three sides by conventional farms that from aerial view look more like exposed dirt than verdant fields and vineyards. However, nestled among the expanse of brown dirt is the native oasis that is Singing Frog Farm. Paul decided to put his effort into creating habitat for native pollinators and predators along the margins of his garden. And he introduced his ideas to the lucky few who were attending a workshop hosted at Avalon Organic Gardens & EcoVillage.

After the inspiration of learning about Paul’s farm and unique practices, we installed a pollinator hedgerow along the margins of an erosion control structure. We designed this hedgerow to flower when there is little other natural forage for native pollinators during the year – specifically during the winter and dry late spring.

Learning from Paul and installing this hedgerow with a fantastic group of people inspired me to rethink farming and the industrial food system. While this is just the beginning of my internship with CLM, I’m already having my world shaken. I’m excited for the future growth and possibilities that emerge from this experience!