CRUISING CLIMATE LLC
Living a life from the soil to the sea
From regenerative garden coaching and landscape design on land,
To exploring by sailboat in the Salish Sea
From regenerative garden coaching and landscape design on land,
To exploring by sailboat in the Salish Sea
In the Soil
I (Hailey) didn't grow up on a farm; I grew up in suburbs of Salt Lake City. I can't even claim to have fallen in love with growing through a course in college or through some life-changing moment. While we were living in Hawai'i, I slowly started learning more and more about the connection between food production, climate change, and social justice. It took a couple of years of consistent exposure to these ideas for me to reach the point where I even started growing my own food. Again, there was nothing dramatic about my first garden (it was in reclaimed metal food cans) and there was no one, catalyzing moment. Over time, it just kind of made sense. And over time, I made mistakes and got better and better at producing (and at bouncing back when I continued to make mistakes). But, really, I think these ideas are key to growing food- it doesn't have to take a lightning strike to start and our gardens morph with us over time, changing to fill the time and space we have to dedicate to them. Those of us who grow also ALWAYS kill plants; that's something you never grow out of. You just learn how to move forward with a lesson from your plant's untimely death.
My gardens grew, along with my comfort level in the soil, and so did my exploration of its connection to my community and the climate. In Tacoma, we moved onto a half-acre, where I began exploring regenerative practices and growing at the scale of a homestead. Around the same time, I was accepted as an intern on a regenerative, social-justice focused, human-powered farm run by the Franklin Pierce School District. Over the years, I continued learning from my yard, books, and other farmers. When our backyard wedding rolled around in 2019, I set the goal of growing the bouquets and salad fixin's for our celebration- I'm happy to say I reached both goals. That same year, I was also encouraged to create and teach a Regenerative Agriculture course to 7th and 8th graders in Tacoma.
My teaching quickly spread beyond the classroom as I began casually coaching friends and family in their soil care, planting schedules, and landscape designs. I found that I loved being the person my loved ones turned to with questions about their backyard habitats; I found a thrill in helping them grow their own gardens. My passions for soil, climate change, and nutritious food and the support from my loved ones are what gave me the courage to start Cruising Climate.
My gardens grew, along with my comfort level in the soil, and so did my exploration of its connection to my community and the climate. In Tacoma, we moved onto a half-acre, where I began exploring regenerative practices and growing at the scale of a homestead. Around the same time, I was accepted as an intern on a regenerative, social-justice focused, human-powered farm run by the Franklin Pierce School District. Over the years, I continued learning from my yard, books, and other farmers. When our backyard wedding rolled around in 2019, I set the goal of growing the bouquets and salad fixin's for our celebration- I'm happy to say I reached both goals. That same year, I was also encouraged to create and teach a Regenerative Agriculture course to 7th and 8th graders in Tacoma.
My teaching quickly spread beyond the classroom as I began casually coaching friends and family in their soil care, planting schedules, and landscape designs. I found that I loved being the person my loved ones turned to with questions about their backyard habitats; I found a thrill in helping them grow their own gardens. My passions for soil, climate change, and nutritious food and the support from my loved ones are what gave me the courage to start Cruising Climate.
On the Sea
I like to tell people that I live my life like a watershed, moving from the soil to the sea and back again. For the longest time folks asked me if I was a mountain or ocean person. I felt I had to pick one, but knew that every time I did, I was choosing to leave behind half of myself.
In recent years, I've come to learn that I can choose both the soil AND the sea; isn't life all about finding balance, anyways? Being in the soil, stewarding a space, feeds a different part of me than a heeled over boat, bouncing over the swell does. And, both pieces deserve to be seen.
But, it's not just for personal enjoyment that this connection exists. The work I do in the soil actually connects ecologically to the health of the very waters I sail on. Regenerative growing practices help keep sediment, fertilizers, and pesticides out of the marine environment, which drastically impacts the health of marine organisms. And, by drawing more carbon into the soil, regenerative practices also help slow the warming of oceans caused by climate change.
So, after years of being encouraged to choose between the soil and the sea, I now have a firm grasp of how and why it's important to choose both! I've had the privilege to sail in Hawai'i, Washington, and Canada, sometimes as crew on other people's boats and more recently on my own sailboat, Bangarang. Getting to enjoy the water in this way is a luxury I will forever be grateful that I get to enjoy. And, one that I hope to continue for a long time to come.
In recent years, I've come to learn that I can choose both the soil AND the sea; isn't life all about finding balance, anyways? Being in the soil, stewarding a space, feeds a different part of me than a heeled over boat, bouncing over the swell does. And, both pieces deserve to be seen.
But, it's not just for personal enjoyment that this connection exists. The work I do in the soil actually connects ecologically to the health of the very waters I sail on. Regenerative growing practices help keep sediment, fertilizers, and pesticides out of the marine environment, which drastically impacts the health of marine organisms. And, by drawing more carbon into the soil, regenerative practices also help slow the warming of oceans caused by climate change.
So, after years of being encouraged to choose between the soil and the sea, I now have a firm grasp of how and why it's important to choose both! I've had the privilege to sail in Hawai'i, Washington, and Canada, sometimes as crew on other people's boats and more recently on my own sailboat, Bangarang. Getting to enjoy the water in this way is a luxury I will forever be grateful that I get to enjoy. And, one that I hope to continue for a long time to come.