Throughout my climbing travels, global communities welcomed me, fed me, maintained the gardens at the base of cliffs, and kept the lights on late when my partners and I bit off more than we could chew. How would I find another local food community as I migrated with the climbing seasons?
How would the gardens that had fed us on those trips fare with the changing climate in the mountains? Would they fare better if climbers invested in them? In this worry, I felt like Sisyphus, rolling the boulder of this challenge up the hill every day. Finally, my friend and mentor Yvon Chouinard told me that investing in regenerative organic agriculture was “the number one thing climbers can do to reverse climate change.” This quote became my route topo, my project, the summit to train for. This was a hopeful way to confront climate change—one meal at a time.
I dove into the science of organic gardening, soil health, and regenerative farming. I read books like there would be an exam. I found mentors who helped write the Farm Bill; they explained the disproportionately high federal assistance that conventional farmers received compared to the low funding for small farmers or organic research. I began to understand the power of lobbying and went to talk with lawmakers on Capitol Hill during Organic Week. I also spent many hours sleuthing out locally raised veggies, meats, and dairy.
Then, I sat down with two amazing humans at my kitchen table. We were craving seasonal vegetables that were locally grown in the places we love to climb. We wanted a map to local gardens, handmade kimchi, hometown bread bakers, and lovingly raised lamb chops. Our bodies needed nutrients. We wanted to host dinner parties at our kitchen table, or in the van while on the road. We wanted to celebrate seasonal foods, fresh greens and sun-warmed strawberries. Thus, Farm to Crag was born.
