Help Braxton Pursue Regenerative Agriculture at Princeton
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I’m Braxton Tanner, practicing landscape architect, artist, and aspiring farmer. Some of you watching this will know me personally, but for those of you who don’t know me, I have been practicing 10 years now, having focused on vibrant urban spaces, residential design+build landscapes, and public art. The reason that I am coming to you today is to tell you about a shift in conviction and a 'sort of' personal call to action that started about 2.5 years ago. Blending my passion for the natural world with an educational background in ecology and environmental design, I have found my career so far to be a very satisfying expression of my love for the planet and aspirations for a healthy society. However, even in the past 10 years, the troubling trajectory of the health of our planet and human communities has convicted me to broaden my own practice of landscape architecture into the areas of environmental justice, food equity, and planetary stewardship. After doing much reading and soul searching, I have come to the conclusion that the best application of my passion and energy is to use my skills as a designer and researcher to help better our agricultural systems through the discipline of agroecology and regenerative agriculture. Along with this decision to recalibrate my career has come years of writing, drawing, and research, ultimately leading me to the decision to attend the Farminary program at the Princeton Theological Seminary to pursue a masters degree in Theology and Ecology for the 25-26’ cohort. For those of you who are not familiar with the this program, The Farminary is a place where theological education is integrated with small-scale regenerative agriculture to train faith leaders who are conversant in the areas of ecology, sustainability, and food justice. It’s designed to train students to challenge society’s 24-7 culture of productivity by following a different rhythm, one that is governed by the seasons and Sabbath.
This is where I am asking for support from my community, and this is where I'm asking for your financial help in funding school related expenses for this new endeavor. Any amount of money that you are willing to donate will be extremely helpful and appreciated to bring this vision into fruition. Along with money that I have been putting aside for a while and the work-study program that I will be fulfilling while in my program, I still need to raise $10,000 in order to make this next move. Any bit of money that you could generously donate will go directly into a separate high yield savings account specifically set aside for school expenses. And understand that these funds will ultimately help me take a huge leap towards facilitating the change and healing that I feel is necessary to steward our planet its communities into wholeness and alignment. All during these years of growing conviction to make this change, I have been slowly working on the creation of an artists book set to come out in 2025. For every donation received, I will be gifting a free digital copy of this book upon its completion as a token of my great appreciation for your help.
But before you donate, you might have some more questions like: What is regerative agriculture and agroecology? As a landscape architect, why would your next step be to pursue a theological degree? Are you planning on going into Christian ministry or advancing a particular religious agenda? So allow me to explain:
For those of you unfamiliar with agroecology, it is the practice and study of the production of food and natural products with its basis in ecological resilience and planetary stewardship. Basically, it’s the work of both ecological regeneration through agricultural practices. Agroecology takes three stances that are the crux of what I believe: that humans are a part of nature, not separate from it; that better, more diverse, more resilient methods of farming and food production happen in perfect concert with the natural ecology of its context; and that the health of communities is directly linked to the health of our soils.
The truth is, no matter on which side of the political aisle you sit, even putting critical debates of climate change aside, there are some other factors affecting the health of our planet that can’t be denied. Our planet is in dire need of intervention. We are losing topsoil at astounding rates, global biodiversity is dwindling, and the systems that are vital for life on Earth are cracking under the pressure. Human activity and intervention have shifted planetary boundaries into alarming conditions, meanting that the systems that keep earth stable and keep all of us alive are frighteningly stressed. Now while human industry, resource extraction , and development isn't unnatural, the health and integrity of the world that we are all building needs some brave rethinking.
Now you might be wondering, as a landscape architect with knowledge of soils, ecology, and the human systems at play, why would I want to pursue a theological degree? And this answer all comes down to understanding what I believe is the biggest hurdle and downfall we have as humans: the tendency towards isolationism. We as humans are becoming more disconnected with land, soil, and wilderness. What we want most of all is to feel connected to something, to each other, and even more so to the physical world we all share. The Farminary is more than a theological degree, it's training in applying the principles of regenerative agriculture and environmental justice into actionable change, and is an opportunity for me to hone my mind and spirit as I work directly with vulnerable communities.
Therefore, the answer to the question ‘Why a theological program’?, is that the biggest challenges to humanity and our connection to our world is a disconnect of the heart, not of the mind. My research and professional development over the past few years have revealed that we already possess the technology and knowledge to make the necessary critical changes to revive a declining planet and society, but we struggle with the common conviction and sense of inter connectedness required to do so. My knowledge of regenerative agricultural practices and soil ecology has grown exponentially since beginning my interest in it, and it will continue to grow; but, I feel that my next critical steps is to understand how to better work with people’s hearts.
Some of you who are not particularly spiritual or religious are wondering if the Christian lens of the program implies my intent to enter into Christian ministry or to advance a specific religious agenda. The simple answer is not necesarily. There are enough things in this world that try to divide us and distract from commonality and connection. I am dedicated to work that is fundamentally interfaith and inclusionary, because interfaith work is a critical step in the dissolution of our division and isolationism. And the Farminary is a program with the open understanding that our common call to reconnect is not tied to one distinct religious tradition.
To more poetically express this, I would say: Christianity is my faith ; interfaith is my language; temperance is my goal; inclusion is my priority; and the soil microbiome is my evangelism.
The conversation around the degradation of our personhood and environments is mind bogglingly complex, woven into politics, faiths, resources, and personal gains, but in the midst of all these impassioned camps, we still seek a common connection, a way to go forward together, toward a common sense of integrity and desire for stewardship. So, please help me by donating what you can so that I can see this vision through. If you have any more questions or would liket to read articles related to anything I've spoken about, you can find links helpful links below. You can also follow me on Instagram @BraxtonCreative or on Facebook as Braxton Creative Studio. Please share this with family, friends, or colleagues that you think would like to support me, and sincerely, thank you.
Organizer
Braxton Tanner
Organizer
Somerville, MA