Rodale Institute in Berks County commissioned Amber Art and Design to create a new mural entitled “Farming in Harmony.”
The mural tells the story of regenerative organic farmers, and their practices and principles, such as increased biodiversity, crop rotation, no-till, and soil health, which are vital to clean water efforts in the Delaware River Watershed.
The mural is part of the Grow Clean Water initiative educating young families in the Philadelphia region about the connection between farming practices and healthy rivers and streams.
The initiative, funded by the William Penn Foundation, is part of a larger project to reduce agricultural runoff in the Delaware River Watershed, a water system which spans parts of 4 states and provides drinking water to more than 13 million people including residents of New York City, Trenton, Wilmington, and Philadelphia.
With nearly 15,000 arms in the watershed, agriculture comprises a large portion of its land use. Erosion, pesticides, and fertilizers from farm fields are among its largest pollutants, threatening both wildlife and human health.
This project was led by Keir Johnston and Linda Fernandez of Amber Art and Design, based in Philadelphia. Amber Art and Design cultivates public spaces that advocate for equitable growth by facilitating dynamic interactions between artists, communities, institutions, and movements.
“Art is a really powerful way to tell a story,” said Fernandez. “Everyone learns in different ways. Some people learn from reading, some people might learn from hearing and some people learn from seeing. When people see this mural, there is a lot of information here. This is not just telling the story of the history but also of the future, the story of regenerative organic farming. We hope people feel inspired and also enriched by the art they are seeing here.”
This mural is dedicated to the many farmers whose hard work, especially during this pandemic, contributes to our health and environmental healing. The mural can be viewed at the Rodale Institute headquarters in Kutztown.
Learn more about the project and the artists' process in this video.
Rodale Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to growing the organic movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and consumer education.
Widely considered the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, Rodale Institute has been researching the best practices of organic agriculture and sharing findings with farmers, scientists, and consumers throughout the world since 1947.
[Posted: November 19, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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