In the Book of Genesis narrative (Gen.1-3) there is the recurring refrain: “And God saw that it was good.” After creating the heavens, the sea, the earth, and all it contains, God created humanity. At this point God’s refrain changes: “And God saw everything that He made, and behold, “it was very good” (Gen 1:31). God entrusted the whole of creation to Adam and Eve, and only then could God rest “from all his work” (Gen 2:3). Like Adam and Eve, God has entrusted his creation to us, His people.
Our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters are at the forefront of fulfilling God’s continuing entrustment of the good gifts of land, crops, trees, and livestock. Located in the southwest corner county of SW Minnesota, Shawn and Becky Feikema, co-owners of Feikema Farms, are living out God’s entrustment by practicing no-till, minimum till, cover crop management, and diverse crop rotations on 7,000 acres of prime Minnesota farmland. Highlighted in the documentary, From the Heartland, the Feikema family is guided by the understanding that God’s creation is “very good,” and that they have a sacred duty to steward God’s creation with their best efforts. The Feikemas represent thousands of Christian farmers, ranchers, and foresters who can benefit from a fully funded conservation-forward 2023 Farm Bill to support the implementation of best practices for enhancing soil health, sequestering carbon, maintaining clean water, and feeding a hungry world. Arrangements are underway for a screening of the award winning From the Heartland film in Washington DC for Congressional policy makers and their staffs.
Stay tuned to upcoming issues of Regenerate as we chronicle Feikema Farms’ use of conservation-forward best practices that honor the goodness of God’s gift of healthy soils as the foundation for healthy plants, healthy livestock, and healthy people.
Congratulations to Shawn & Becky Feikema for receiving an invitation to the White House to witness the announcement by President Biden of the November 14th release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). The announcement event included panels of leaders and practitioners representing numerous industries. Shawn was a panel member sharing how his farm family’s commitment to soil health and conservation-forward management practices are cultivating climate resilience of farmland, reducing wind and water erosion, limiting nutrient runoff into watersheds, increasing soil fertility, and improving profitability. Shawn’s presence on the panel spotlights that agriculture is a solution for the stewardship of God’s creation.
