From baseball to permaculture

Even after Sustainable strawberries and coffee and How farmers can improve the environment, I'm still not done with articles about sustainable farming practices that nourish the planet as well as people.  Here's an article I originally included in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (NASA and Super Bowl) back in February from the University of San Diego: Muno: Permaculture Farming is Better Food for Life.

When Kevin Muno wanted to be the best baseball player he possibly could be during championship seasons at the University of San Diego, it wasn’t enough to simply hit, throw and catch a ball. The Torero outfielder (2007-11) knew proper nutrition was essential.

“As an athlete, I was looking to fuel my performance with some of the best nutrition possible,” Muno recalled. “Coach (Rich) Hill did a great job of instilling in us that it wasn’t just about working out, but the nutrition you put into your body made a big impact on how you played on the field.”

He researched different diets, worked with USD’s strength and conditioning staff and learned about the Paleo movement. Muno was educated on grass-fed beef, vegetables, perennial food sources and highly nutritious foods. But what he also gained through this research was a career path for his post-baseball life — farming.

“While I was learning about where the food was coming from, I began to realize that a lot of our food comes from farms very detrimental to our environment,” Muno said. “That’s what led me to farming. This way, I’m combining my passion for nutrition and my longtime love of nature and the outdoors. It just felt right.”

Much to my surprise, I've only mentioned permaculture in this blog twice before, once in 2011 and again in 2012.  It's about time I mentioned it again.