SOUL. The Rebels Of Medicine.
Something that has become crystal clear to me over this last Fall is that regenerative farmers and naturopathic doctors have a lot of similarities - it’s no wonder I resonate so much with the small farms I have worked on over these last twelve years.
I was listening to an Italian farmer explain his philosophy of gardening this October: “If a weed is there, I want to know why. It’s there for a reason, so how I can support it in doing its job?”
I realized, this is exactly how I approach working with my patients. When a symptom presents (a weed), I don’t necessarily first suppress it with a pharmaceutical (pesticide), I ask: why is this symptom here? What is it trying to tell me about this person’s health and internal state?
A good naturopath and a good farmer are whole-systems thinkers. They watch, listen, and are curious critical thinkers. Both ask frequently, why? They don’t see weeds or symptoms as something to suppress, but keys and insights to possible pathology. To work with the system, instead of against it. Or at least, that is the hope. There are, of course, times to intervene and override the system in times of emergency, but done so with consideration and care.
There is also a bit of a rebel component to both the regenerative farmer and the naturopath. They both have made a choice to intentionally not fit into the systems so perfectly laid out. To take a potentially more difficult, unpaved and uncertain path. If I went to a conventional medical school, I would have been siloed into the sterilized fluorescent-lit assembly line and spit out with guaranteed high salary, job security and prestige. The recipe is there, just not one that particularly appealed to my more maverick and creative ways. Similarly, regenerative farmers intentionally buck the system that is fed from big ag - skipping the chemicals that may make harvest easier and guarantee a yield, but do more damage to their soil, and a result, what foods they are producing. Both naturopath and regenerative farmer have chosen to swim upstream, to stand out and to take risks.
Both Naturopaths and regenerative farmers care a lot more about shit than the average human, though from different perspectives. In my new patient intake appointment, I ask not one, but many questions on this topic: how often do you have a bowel movement? Well-formed, loose (Bristol Stool Scale)? Float or sink? Color? Undigested food seen? Any blood? I even have the poop emoji 💩 on my desk that intended use is stress ball, but also to signify to patients: we talk about some deep shit in here. Similarly, regenerative farmers can wax poetic on compost and manure. Rancher Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Georgia says that he believes the shit he spreads on his fields is the gold that keeps his place running and his end product far superior from the industrial model.
Most importantly, both believe in the possibility of regeneration: of our soil and of human health. If a human breaks a bone, it grows back, and actually grows back stronger. Seemingly dead ground that has undergone desertification can become fertile soil again when proper nutrients and rest. The power of regeneration is not to be underestimated, and is to be harnessed and celebrated.
Agroecologist and researcher Dr. Johnathan Lundgren defines the regenerative farmer as: “Regenerative farmers farm smaller and better, not bigger. Their feet touch every acre of their farm. They grow food for their families and their communities (not commodities). They celebrate life.”
In a world where most farmers don’t touch their plants, and most doctors don’t touch their patients, regenerative farmers and naturopaths aim to do things differently. They aim to close a circle in a disconnected supply chain and see how different aspects connect. Not because it is more profitable, or easy. But because most who become either regenerative farmer or naturopathic doctor do so out of a soul’s calling. A profound sense of purpose and passion. A desire to be the minority helping to drive needed change, and provide a much needed contrast to the norm.
I don’t write this to toot my own horn, because this is all so much more than meets the eye with the amount of variables in one-on-one patient care that I am humbly aware of. I only write this to say that naturopaths and regenerative farmers have a shared values and missions, and that I see both as integral parts to the needed shift for the health of our country, our soil and our world. The belief in the power of regeneration, and the supporting the systems that promote that idea, is a torch that needs to be carried forward.
To the rebels of whatever industry you may be in, I tip my cap to you. I believe farmers to be essential healthcare workers, for they are helping to shape our future health through the decisions they make in growing our food. To those that have chosen the rebel path and are swimming upstream, I recognize it’s not easy. But for myself and my future patients, I thank you deeply.
