Bees, Dirt, Compost, and more

Bees and other pollinators are fundamental to plant and human life.  In addition to being essential for plant reproduction, pollinators also produce micronutrients that include zinc, folate, and Vitamin A that are needed for human health. In fact, pollinators, "play a key role in roughly 35% of global food production and are directly responsible for up to 40% of the world’s supply of the micronutrients" zinc, Vitamin A, and folate. Lack of these micronutrients would cause an increase in premature deaths due to malnutrition. Bees and other pollinators are dying due to human impact from pesticide use and destruction of habitats. 


 Dirt
Dirt is a living mixture of sediments and microbes that are a vital component of our biosphere. 
Millions of trees are being cut down every year for catalogue use. Ugh. That was deeply disappointing. When the trees are cut down, the ecology of the forest is dramatically changed, including the dirt. 

 Composting
In Marin, it is very easy to compost. I just collect all food scraps and paper that has touched food and place it in the green collection bin. Mill Valley Refuse collects compost and garden waste a part of the regular refuse collection. The composting process is completed at the refuse facility and the soil is then given away to local farms or homes in Marin to use in their gardens. In recent years, Marin launched a zero waste campaign in efforts to greatly reduce the waste production in Marin. Currently, over ninety percent of Marin's waste is composted or recycled. 

 Factory Farms
In Marin, I was surprised that I found the existence of any factory farms. Marin county residents, generally, prefer and seek out locally family farmed produce and agriculture. After a bit more research, I discovered that the factory farms in Marin do not use inhumane practices that are found in other factory farms across the nation. The better farming practices in Marin may be due to the passage of Proposition 2 which prohibited farm animals from being so confined that they could not stand up, turn around, or extend their limbs. However, I believe that the market in Marin demands for better quality and more humanely raised meat in Marin. Marin Sun Farms is a local Marin factory farm that raises grass-fed cattle without hormones and antibiotics using sustainable methods
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