Our Mission
To improve human and environmental health by preserving and restoring natural ecosystems through restoration agriculture and other conservation methods.
About Us
The Valley Foundation is a nonprofit organization that focuses on regenerating and conserving natural ecosystems through restoration agriculture and other conservation methods. We do this by building the capacity of farmers, organizations, and landowners globally to seamlessly integrate restorative practices into their existing methods. This can include teaching restoration agriculture, installing restoration agriculture systems, setting up wildlife monitoring systems, protecting and improving habitat for endangered species, and supporting other restorative practices that make sense for the land and its people.
The Valley Foundation was born out of the belief that human and environmental health are intricately linked and that restoration agriculture is one intersection that can have a huge impact on both. As a nonprofit based in the United States, The Valley Foundation builds capacity through site visits, educational seminars, demonstration plots, and continued support for organizations throughout the world. We also work directly with landowners to determine the best strategy for restoring and preserving their land.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Environmental Health
Agriculture and environmental health are intricately linked. We believe that food production should benefit people, animals, and the planet that supports us all. Restoration Agriculture and Permaculture practices contribute to improved soil quality, increased water retention, habitat creation, carbon sequestration, and a host of other outcomes that improve environmental health.
Food Security
Restoration Agriculture and Permaculture improve the land’s ability to support food production. By focusing on land and water management, as well as tree and crop diversity, sustainable practices can lead to increased crop yield and increased diversity of nutrient-dense foods without over-reliance on costly agricultural inputs, wild market fluctuations, or the negative impacts of climate change.
Land Conservation
Natural areas are Earth’s most precious commodity. We believe that conserving land is not only important for combating the negative impacts of climate change and maintaining the planet’s natural beauty, but is crucial for a fulfilled human existence. The Valley Foundation works with landowners to help restore protected land back to a holistic functioning ecological system.
What We Do
The Valley Foundation focuses on practicing and teaching Restoration Agriculture and Permaculture techniques in a variety of contexts. We work with individuals and organizations to help transform land through direct installation and/or building capacity through training. We also work with landowners to design land management plans that restore and preserve their land.
Restoration Agriculture Training
The Valley Foundation hosts training seminars for anyone who wants to learn how to integrate Restoration Agriculture and Permaculture practices into their existing operations. We have held trainings for subsistence farmers, schools, and non-profit organizations throughout the world since 2012. Our trainings involve a mix of class time and hands-on experiences. We base our curriculum on Bill Mollison’s Permaculture Design Manual and our own knowledge gained through practicing restoration agriculture. We believe that everyone has something to learn and something to teach. Therefore, our trainings are facilitated in a way that also builds on the skills and knowledge of farmers who attend the trainings – who are the experts at growing food in their respective regions.
Restoration and Conservation of Land
The Valley Foundation works with landowners who want to focus on restoring and/or preserving their land for future generations. The exact methods depend on the landowner’s goals and the natural ecology of the land itself. Examples of activities include setting up wildlife monitoring systems, protecting or improving habitat for endangered species on the land, installing rain fed water management systems, and other methods as appropriate.
Restoration Agriculture Installation
The Valley Foundation does direct installations of Restoration Agriculture or Permaculture fields for individuals or organizations throughout the world. We have worked with schools to install perennial gardens, with landowners to improve production practices, with cities to install food forests, and land conservation organizations to regenerate protected land.