Big Sandy, MT—Dr. Robert “Bob” Quinn, founder of Kamut International and a Naturally Informed speaker (view his session, Naturally Informed: Climate Change, Pandemics & Public Health—A Call to Action, on demand), announced the launch of Quinn Institute, a “research and demonstration hub designed to foster the evolution of regenerative organic agriculture and a place-based approach to solving the national food and health crisis.”
5 Pillars of Change
Quinn, who has been a pioneer in the regenerative organic agriculture movement for many years, has long envisioned a rise in the number of successful regenerative organic producers growing nutrient-dense foods. He had constructed the institute to serve five pillars for system change:
- Creating a partnered environment and building an engaging community to address some of our greatest challenges.
- Advancing the science, understanding and promotion of food as medicine.
- Leading place-based agriculture research and the practice of regenerative organic agriculture and healthy food production.
- Understanding and promoting the solutions that regenerative organic agriculture has for mediating climate change and reducing chemical pollution on our planet.
- Using a regional approach with far-reaching, national, and global implications.
"The U.S. faces interwoven crises around a resilient solution to nutritious food production and the tsunami of chronic disease that is sweeping the country,” Quinn cautions. “Establishing the Quinn Institute is a timely response to a growing need to craft a healthier future for our population.”
The Practice of Organic Farming
The Quinn InstituteQuinn Institute will be situated on 700 acres of fertile donated land, where Quinn Farm and Ranch previously resided, in North-central Montana. The land will be divided into sections of approximately 60 acres each, designated for various agricultural systems. Among those: the interaction between livestock, nature pasture, and different crop rotations. Ranted acres from a nearby non-organic farm will facilitate the studies between organic and non-organic farming practices.
The mission of the Institute will go beyond the fields, introducing orchards, small gardens, a teaching kitchen, and small processing facilities. These programs will allow participants to explore topics like culinary arts, and soil management. The institute will also work in partnership with health practitioners to align farm practices with health outcomes.
The unveiling of the institute marks a milestone in Montana’s history of agricultural development. Quinn hope It will also bring hope for healthier, more sustainable food system.
"We see a future where many prescriptions are wholesome food, directly from the farm, not pills from the pharmacy,” Quinn added. “At the Quinn Institute, we aim to turn that vision into a sustainable reality.”
