"The Man Born to Farming" is more than a poem by Wendall Berry of quaint sentiments. It speaks of a producer such as Richard Manning who has lived his life as: "The grower of trees, the gardener, the man born to farming, whose hands reach into the ground and sprout, to him the soil is a divine drug… " Richard grew up on a commercial cattle farm in Alabama. So, when he and his wife, Paulette, got married in 1970 and bought land to create Sweet Seasons Farm, cattle were the obvious choice. However, he was interested in training border…

My introduction to agriculture was through plants. I studied biology in college with a broad view of both animals and plants. Toward the end of college, I focused on the plant side of agriculture, specifically at the soil level. All these years later, I find this helps me stay focused on the value of pasture management.  After college, I taught outdoor experiential education for youth and led group treks in the mountains. Soon after, I realized that I wanted to be more self-sufficient and learn to grow my own food. I interned on several CSA (community supported agriculture) and vegetable market…