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Mid-Mo organizers call for organic agriculture to promote health, environment

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A group of Columbia activists are promoting organic agricultural practices as a way to improve community health and the environment. The Columbia Climate Change Coalition met Thursday, June 20, to discuss ways to better the environment through organic agriculture.

The Columbia Climate Change Coalition is part of Peoples’ Visioning, which is a group that discusses climate, finance, energy, public health, education and transportation.

Mid-Missouri residents gathered at the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia to listen to a panel of local organic vendors give advice on agricultural practices.

The three panelists who spoke agreed that organic practices not only help improve people’s health, but organic farming will also help cut down air pollution to better the environment.

Climate Change Coalition founder and Peoples’ Visioning Director Monta Welch says the growth of organic practices in the Columbia community could start with the idea of people creating their own gardens to grow some of their own food.

“Our organization, People's Visioning, is going to try to work with not only other organizations but also with some aspects of the city, Parks and Rec and Columbia Public Schools. I do think there will be a big change overtime,” said Welch.  

One panelist, Dan Pugh, is the owner of Honey Creek Farm located outside of Columbia. Pugh has one acre of his farm dedicated to vegetables and is hoping to soon expand it to two.

Pugh says he believes the future of organic farming will develop through smaller gardens and farms because large scale farms have more of a difficult time producing the same kind of quality.

People's Visioning will discuss issues and ways to improve education and public health in its next small group meeting Wednesday, July 3.

The organization will have many more small group sessions at Daniel Boone Regional Library throughout the remainder of the summer.

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