I am embarking on a journey to share the story of my curious life as a daughter, herbalist, nutritionist, chef, and agriculture consultant, and how each step taught me the importance of always thinking “in wholes” as a means to elevate life. What exactly does thinking “in wholes” mean, you might ask? Well, in a nutshell, it means acknowledging the interconnection of everything in existence and that there are no singular effects, EVER!

 

When we observe and investigate individual things more deeply we find that seemingly unrelated things on the surface are in far reaching holistic relationship with one another. For example, there is a connection between the presence of predatory wolves in an ecosystem who prevent plants from being over eaten by herbivores by consuming them, which allows many keystone plant and tree species to thrive in balance with the herbivores.

 

My journey into regenerative agriculture began after spending many years in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and the US studying indigenous plant medicine and 18 years in the holistic health field as an herbalist, nutritionist, and chef. Upon being exposed to a philosophy called holistic management while working on an adaptive multi-paddock, grass-fed and finished cattle ranch in Texas, I witnessed the profound connection between soil, animal, and human health and the fascinating microbes that move between us and inextricably link us together.

 

This discovery quickly brought me full circle in my work as an herbalist and nutritionist. I realized that no human or animal could become healthy if our soils were not healthy, and believe me, most of our soils and GI tracts are far from healthy. Feeling a strong sense of urgency to do something about improving the state of our soils and agriculture in general to produce healthier and more just food, I returned to school and obtained a degree in agriculture.

 

I have been working with farmers and ranchers as a land management consultant, and food consumers as a nutritionist ever since, incorporating all of my skills under one holistic umbrella. By focusing on soil health, and particularly the health of the human gastrointestinal tract, we can heal the land, and in turn humans. I have found that championing regenerative agriculture producers and food is an important way to grow this awareness literally from the ground up. Afterall, we all have to eat!

 

What sets me apart from other “experts” is that I have on-the-ground experience in every aspect of the farm-to-table process and holistic and allopathic health care. At the young age of 16, I was deeply influenced by my father’s early death from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused by exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. My father’s unfortunate passing:

 

• Exposed me to the pitfalls we encounter under allopathic health care.

• Taught me that quality of life quickly diminishes when we think in a reductionist manner.

• Turned me on to the healing power of regenerative agriculture, food, and herbs.

• Entrenched in me an awareness of the devastation environmental pollutants inflict on our bodies.

• Focused my attention towards integrating holistic practices throughout every facet of my life to create self-resilience.

 

Additionally, I am committed to creating awareness of how industrialized supply chains systematically abuse people and the planet, degrade human health, and feed exploitation and injustice across the globe. I do not have all the answers to these colossal issues but I pledge to advocate and support those being affected by food insecurity and injustice.

 

I know that I am not the only one with such a story and that there are many others seeking to find their own unique way of feeling whole in their body and environment. I’m here to help you do that by teaching you to think holistically. By doing so we may embody the ecology of human health, animal health, and land health as ONE to live a more resilient life!

 

This website is your invitation to engage with me as I create a podcast and book sharing my own stories and the stories of the mentors who helped guide me in understanding and embodying a holistic approach to land, food, and life. It is also a petition to collaborate and work together by way of my land management consulting and holistic health services. Please see my services page to learn more and join my mailing list to stay updated with newsletters, podcast releases, event dates, and other goings-on. I’m excited to share this journey with you and see what I can learn from each of you along the way.

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Enjoy the gallery below by clicking on the photos to learn more about Kara’s journey in understanding holism through Cultivating, Cooking, Nourishing and Healing.