Loren Cardeli, a Warren Wilson College graduate with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture, has launched a website that documents sustainable farming practices around the world. Here is the link: http://www.agrowingculture.org.

Letter from Loren Cardeli:


Dear Friends and Family,
I am very excited to inform you that today is the official launch of A Growing Culture. This is a project that my colleagues and I have been working on tirelessly for many months. We believe that there is a strong need for change in our agricultural system and that change can be brought on by a free source of information which creates a strong connection amongst advocates of the world. Not only do we need to start respecting and understanding our farmers but we need to also respect our soils. A Growing Culture seeks to empower the sustainable agriculture movement by highlighting traditional and alternative farm practices used throughout the world, while cultivating a web-based community where farmers and ecological agriculture advocates can come together for education, networking, idea exchange, ethical debate and inspiration with a key component being the support of a network of traveling writers who publish ag-based essays to the site that are diverse, scientific, objective and educational.
I have currently been traveling throughout Thailand to document ecological farming practices. On the site, you can find my first two essays and there will be many more to come. My current plan is to travel to Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. Wherever I go, I will spend my time uncovering the secrets and stories of small farmers struggling to grow food ecologically. Through these narratives others will be able to see the miraculous lives of the small farmer. Hopefully, in reading the stories on A Growing Culture it will help us to not only change the way we think about food, but also to make the right decisions in the future.
We have tried to create this site so it is advantageous for all involved. For one, the reader has access to free articles and essays featuring farmer profiles and practical farming information. The Sustainable Ag advocates can submit their own content and market themselves on our site. The farmers can market themselves through our website by submitting a farm profile and promoting their own ecological practices. The site will grow as more people become involved. It is important to us that everyone who participates feels as though it is their own and are proud about its development. We are always open to all comments and criticism.
Our website has many tools for farmers and advocates, so please take some time to browse through and explore our site. This launch is only Phase 1. Phase 2 is coming this summer or fall, where we will be incorporating an active forum as well as a virtual map of all the farms represented throughout the world. We foresee the biggest challenge ahead is breaking the language barrier and making this organization international. Our hope is to incorporate translation software so that essays can be submitted in all languages and potentially read in them as well. Please stay tuned for our future developments, as we have many exciting plans ahead.
We are currently in the process of applying for our 501c3 status, so we will officially be considered a non-profit. This will enable us to receive tax deductible donations to support our efforts. Please log on to our site, which you can find at http://www.agrowingculture.com! When on Facebook, pass the word onto your friends and anyone who would find the site interesting. This is strictly a grass-roots movement so word-of-mouth is critical! Together we can connect, learn and GROW! Once again, thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,

A Growing Culture
President and Founder
http://www.agrowingculture.com