Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

Every year during Spring Lent or Pisach(as you prefer!) , my mother Sarah who is now 92 and going ,used to prepare a special soup and  salad for us .

As I remember , she used to tell us that the human body needs some rest from certain foods that weigh heavy tolls on the DIGESTIVE system, like meat  for example .

"The creator gave us a garden gift to use as a source for our food.We were told that the MEAK will inherit the EARTH  .. our job as CARE TAKERS or  ..EARTH KEEPERS, is to to maintain both  our bodies and the garden.So be kind and meak my kids, NOT MEAN!".She used to say .Well , she was the EARTH KEEPER and baby bearer of our  family, while my late  father was only the bread maker and ,sometimes the trouble maker when intoxicated!

She did a hek of a work on both jobs !I used to accompany her and my grand father on their  their herb gathering field trips  during spring  and summer school breaks. On one occasion we  collected DANDELION greens and roots for the Special time of Spring Fasting.

Nowas we go into Lent, I want to share a LENTIL  SOUP and A DANDELION SALAD RECIPES as passed to me by mother SARAH .. for the BODY.Also I want to share a FOOD for THOUGHT as well:"INTUITIVE EATING", a book by Naturopath Doctor and Master Herbalist Humbart Santillo,ND.

The reason I put the two in one package is that I beleive in trusting our OWN FREE INTUITION in choosing what and when to eat at a place SERVED with LOVE and shared with FAMILY  and friends, rather than ALONE in our cars  at a drive through fast food  restaurants, for example .

Gardening and Farming helps us get connected  to  EARTH and FAMILY as well.Our relationship to our MOTHER is as much important because she TEACHES US THE FIRST LESSONS ON LOVE by just setting the example. The  quality of the food should be a sacred one too as it enters our sacred badies.LOVE is the energy that makes this connection .Lack of it breaks the sacredness both family and  food.

A)Dandelion Salad Recipe::

1)Fetch a HANDFUL BUNCH of DANDELION WEED:Wildcrafted from  your backyard or  LOCALLY grown  from a nearby  FARMER.Wash and dry,tear into tiny pieces.Set aside

2)Chop  one fresh red onion .Set aside

3) Shred 1/2 cup of carrots

4) Hand Squeeze one frsh lemon.Mince or crush two cloves of garlic.Pour  4Table spoonsf extra virgin olive oil.Dash some sea salt.

Mix dressing ingredients and toss with salad.

Refrige 5 minutesrate.Serve on Romaine lettuce bed.

Enjoy.

B) Lentil Soup Recipe::

1)Rinse then Soak 2 cups of organic brown lentil overnight.Retain water and cook on low heat until it becomes soft.

2)Saute  in a stainless sreel panwith preheated extra virgin olive oil:one chopped onion, th reegarlic cloves, a pinch of:cumin ,cayenne pepper,sea salt,ginger powder.Add cooked lentil and water mix.Simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Rinse a bunch of locally grown organic swiss chard and another bunch of dandelion greens and locally grown Spinach( locally grown Kalaloo ,if you  live in Florida!).Cut and set aside.

4) ADD chopped/ cut greens to Lentil soup, mix and cook on LOW heat for 10 minutes.

Serve soup at end of meal after salad was served.Works great as for dinner on a chilly spring night.

Enjoy and Bonne Appetite.

Happy  and Healthy LENT /PISACH/ down to earth INTUITIVE eating!

Tony .. alternative community farmer!

Once I fell into a research on the best and worst produce exposed to pesticides.The following were the best produce  lowest in  pesticides exposure:Onion,avocado,pineapple,mango,banana,eggplant papaya , greens etc..To view the whole report , go to ewg.org link:

food news.org/pdf/ewg_pesticide.pdf.

I live in Florida and I grow most of the above in season, naturally and  without the use of pesticides.I also found out that colon cancer and other colon related diseases are the number one causes of death in US.

Back to the farm and the garden.Did you know that juicing  locally grown greens and locally grown fruits helps your colon health?

We are kept in the dark by the  main stream media that bombards our heads with various news from all over the world about stuff that is so destracting and depressing like earthquakes ,wars,crimes and other disastors, but not so much about  FOOD related  GOOD news .

Here are some good news which we  rarely stumble upon :

the Hunzas who live in the Himalayas are the healthiest race on earth thanks to their vegeterian diets and to their backyard fruit and vegetable gardens.

The Japanese have the highest number of  living centurians on earth thanks to their seafood and SEAWEED diets.

Back to US.

We are  the number one Super power on earth , we have the vastest aerable lands ,the  most advanced technologies and the highest reserves and  resources .WE feed the world .

But ,we are so vulnerable to diseases because our diet is so saturated with chemicals and pesticides.We are the most fed but the least nourished.

Greens are the undeclared gold of the future.Water is the  next strategic food security.As farmers we are the bees of living food production.KEEP ON BUZZING!

 Some People say we are what we eat.How about being mad most of the time and HOW  certain food  and beverages help us to be under their influence!

I have a friend who falls into this category.She is on a HIP-HOP diet ..and diet sodas are her binging favorite drink even when she is on her diet.She is mad most of the time.I am not saying she is so because of the sodas.But what about the EXTRA ADDITIVES stuff we get in our food like to preserve color,retain freshness jargon etc...

The human body is made of 80% water and the cells get their nutrients through the interstitial tissues or in other words through a water apparatus of  cellular filtration and asmosis exchange.

Is it possible that what we put in our bodies could be the culprit behind our rage or anger?

I experimented with my body and found out that my moods were related to my foods.When I Eat sweats and carbs a lot ..loco I go!

When I Eat LOCALLY grown fresh organic fruits and vegies especially from my backyard .. PEACE and Harmoney reins the day.

They say if you are allergic to pollen and honey , try your locally produced and beehived  honey ones! I think this may apply to all what we eat as well.It makes a better assimilation into our  digetsive system just as it is produced by nature.No need for waxing and the additives for preserving the shelf life lists of added chemicals are needed when we switch to the local gear..

The quality of our food comes first when we want to decide about buying what we eat...not the dollar value..is what our body understands in its digestion process.

Understanding what causes lower back injuries to farmers and gardeners ,may help in the  prevention of same from happening.

Where does the lower back injury and pain occur  ?What causes the pain?What prevention methods to use?

To answer those questions from the Farmer/Gardener point of view ,we must understand   some basic anatomy and physiology of the human body  specifically about  :The structural and functional systems .Disclaimer:This is only my  personal story .If you have back injuries or pain ,please seek  help from PROFESSIONAL HEALTH PROVIDERS . The body is supported by the bone structures and functions thanks to the Muscles.Lower pain  occurs in the LUMBAR SPINE area between the L1-L5 vertebrae.The lumbar muscle gets strained triggering muscle spasm and  pain .Rushing to take pain killer pills and treating the symptoms is not enough.

Understanding how to take charge of our own body is our own responsibilty.Prevention is the key to radiant HEALTH.

I found out that we are not given enough education to do so on our own, as farmers.I am lucky because I am a certified massage therapist ,as well.I have learned how to use my body weight and proper garden ergonomics to stay fit in my garden .Here is how:

What I usually do when I am gardening is start with breathing exercises to warm up my body.Putting my MUSCLES to work right away as they are cold is an invitation to injury.Warm them up!

Going through my farming chores like Digging,Weeding,Bending to sow or harvest,Pulling or Pushing a wheel barrel/cart,and Lifting heavy soil bags for example -I learned to use my body weight and proper functional movements to stay fit.

Those functional movements included:

1-Using my lower body muscles and legs, like instead of doing repetitive spinal bending I use my knees and lower part of my body like in lifting loads .I keep stuff close to my body and my  back spine alignment  at a perpendicular angle to the ground..Working with the gravity of the earth rather than against it.

2-I ballance my movements by alternating the use of upper and lower body and right and left arms accordingly.Harmoney works  internally  like in homeostasis as well as externally like in utilizing muscular  dynamics .

3-I use proper ergonomic tools.You can find those tools on line.Careful not to fall into the shopping until you drop mood.I usually go shopping instead:Drop by drop or one garden tool at a time and I  learn as I go! 

I have tried garden ergonomics and it works for me..My back is right on the track...Give it a try.

Have a HEALTHY Farming Day!

Tony

Take note:Fertile soil and local Small Bio-Dynamic Urban Farmers are  the next  undeclared endangered species..Unless We Act!

There are laws that protect certain ANIMALS who are listed as endangered species .If you shoot an endangered species bird you go to jail.In contrast ,there are no laws that protect a HUMAN BEING who is showing legal free speach dissent for cutting down a 1000 years old HISTORICAL TREE!

Two  local environmentalists in Florida ,were  handed jail sentences instead as they were among the environmentalist group that staged the protest.make way for more .

Ironically enough  , another local  commisioner _total so far indicted are five_was sentenced  and sent to jail for Developers related payoffs or  pay for play and other corruption charges.

We have lost almost all fertile farmland that follow natural horticultural procedures in South Florida .Now we have a lot of NEW gated communities and vacant buildings locked up and stalmating in a real estate market that is in financial limbo .

Hydroponic farms are now  sprouting as the alternative  .Not only did we lose the fertile soil of those fertile farms forever , but also we lost the jobs and the BUSINESS as well!

Lots of small local farmers are struggling to stay in business and  are moving  out of state  as the cost of living is skyrocketing , especially in Palm Beach County.

The good news is:There is a new  administration now and a stimulus plan help is on the way.Are there any incentives in the plan for small struggling local farmers ?Any legislations to protect and preserve farmlands from development?Any news about saving the Historical trees from deforestation that is causing more draughts .

Remember the RAIN FOREST...it is called so because it attracts rain.What are those concrete structures attracting other than FINANCIAL gain for property investment  institutions (and financial pain for taxpayers!)that were recently bailed out . DRAUGHT!

Gardening in the tropics...are you going bananas!

Lots of Snow birds(South migrating Up North folks) flock to  warm Florida every year .I meet a lot of them at  local community gardens who approach me with this question: How come your VEGIE garden is so BEAUTIFUL and BOUNTIFUL?

I ask them to sign up for my next FREE GARDEN WORKSHOP and they disappear. THEY WANT ANSWERS RIGHT NOW!

Gardening first of all is a PROCESS!You learn as you go and grow.

 Gardening in the Tropics is not the same as  in New York, for example.

I try to explain to them that they need to LEARN THE FLORIDA WAY which is different, but not difficult.Best way to learn is HANDS ON! Most prefer to ask questions and read books.Ok ,it is good to know , but practice makes perfect.JUST DO IT.

You need to start somewhere ,anyhow.. a container will do!

In order to spread the awareness ,I self published a garden manual .I give  copies of it  for free for those braves  who dare to invite me to help them set up a fruit and vegetable garden and replace the inefficient lawn  in their front or back yards.

Gardening books , college courses ,most advertized garden WORKSHOPS are so easy to get access into .True ,they all cost MONEY.Mine are for FREE!

It is not BUSINESS AS USUAL for me to sell gardening /farming EDUCATION.I do not go to those workshops and classes that ask for money, just to give you information that is FREE to get at your local library,internet  sites:like localharvest.com ,for instance.

Here are some FREE tips from my  garden manual in case you fall into the SNOW BIRD category, and love to ask questions :

1- Find a good location for your plot.Florida has  mostly SANDY soil..Let us say you want to grow a garden in South Florida  .First thing you need to do is check out the PH of the soi,to find the scale of alkaline /acidic level .

2-Next step build your own top soil and ammend accordingly.Best PH for you Florida 9-10 zone region is the one above 5 and less than 7..Remember that the Ph is the most important indicator for a healthy absorption and assimilation of ingredients by the plant.

3- Soil texture:I use mostly compost and manure in building my top soil.There are ingredients that you may want to add to enrich the soil like bone neal,blood meal,seaweed,sawdust etc..

4-Check out what native plants grow well in the region.From my experience, I start with :Native plants which are draught tolerant, like the KALALO , caribean spinach,wild cherry tomato,papaya etc.

5-Wear and carry a safety garden gear:Sun glasses,hat,gloves etc.

6-Drink your water ,learn about the garden ERGONOMICS, and get the right tools.

In the times of economic crunch , best refuge is the farm/garden.

I have accumulated enough COMMUNITY FARMING EXPERIENCE during my last twenty years and I want to share it with you : FREE.

Sign up in my Free Workshops or invite me to your events /network/school/wellness center/meet-up group-If you LIVE in FLORIDA , close by  ...I will stop by.

Bye for now.

Tony  :)Florida

It is good to know where the TOMATO comes from ..Put a chip in it and try to trace it by our satellite GPS system .Yes?

It Is Good to know what, where and when  to grow and eat our  fruits and  vegies , offcourse, just in case there is a backtrace!

Humans may consume  planted potato chips  but not the new editions- yet to come- of silicon vally hi-tech implanted chips in our produce, to say and stay within what is politically correct .

Tracing TOMATO,where does it come from in REAL?

Mexico? Close..

In the begining,tomatoes grew WILD in the Andean regions or what is known now as : The Corridor of Ecuador,Peru,Clombia,Bolivia, and Chile.

The Aztecs -not the Incas-  were the first to cultivate it and extensively use it in their diets.They called it "XITOMAL".The Spanish Conquisadoros took it back home and spread its seeds among their empire .The Italians  discovered its aphrodisiac properties and incorporated it into their national cuisine.The English suspected tomato to be a poison and traced its origin to Italy and banned it as a Poison!

In fact to be unbiased to any one race..in our trace , John Gerard the English Herbalist in his 1592 herbal ,found out that the leaves and stems were poisonous.TRUE!

The UN-INFORMED Executive chef at the Royal palace tossed away both tomato fruit  and potato root  and cooked instead their green tops !BAN ,BAN,BAN .Poisonous tomatoes decree was born!

Back to our present time of 21  century.Check out LICOPENE in tomato as  cancer fighting - ingredient .Not to mention Vitamin C!

How come some got food poisoning not long ago from eating tomatos ,jalopenos,lettuce and spinach for example.AHA..need to find out the source..

Tomato and Jalopeno were out-sourced in Mexico .BAN! BAN!BAN!

But , how come tomatoes do not tatse like tomatoes anymore?Check out the Fumigation by growth hormones like ethylene.How come those migrant farmers spraying the tomato had deformed babies?Shut down that  cherry tomato grower.The Tomato Brands war of survivor: the fatte$t vs the fittest!

Remeber back in 1994 that company which introduced the Tomato hybrid called "FlavrSavr"?It incorporated an anti-sense gene that shuts off the gene responsible for making a ripe tomato get soft and keep it well for as long as 14 days after harvest fit for consumption right on the store shelf.

The altered gene was labeled as food additve and approved as safe.

I personally check out Heirloom and wild cherry tomatos seeds as produced and preserved by nature.

End of the Tomato Talk...

It is Spring already in Florida ...HEYYYYY!

The hurricane season,the cold fronts coming from Canada,the draught,the floods,the economic crunch and all the other blablabla depressing talk:Forget about it!

Let us switch to purging and Spring inner- house cleaning  with some  local recipes to fill in a new resolution promise."LOSE that extra weight BABY,Lighten up!"

I am going to share with you a REJEUVINATING story  to tell at your next food DETOXIFICATION station chat chat chat!.

No Romaine lettuce,spinach,jalopeno or peanut butter ingredients for sure..you know why!ehem ehem!!!

IT is called  TABOO- LEE.There is nothing ugly  in it except its prefix sounds like taboo..and  the suffix is prounounced as in  "LIE" .The word comes from the PHOENECIAN heritage cuisine,  now  for real known as Lebanese cuisine.No politics or cussing ,please!

The mother word  derives from  :TAWABLE,  which means "SPICES" and  rare as they were then they were found and BLENDED together in a formula of seven spices one of them is cumin.. another... black pepper, another: I am not going to tell you all my secrets! Make  up your own!

Here is one more KEY ingredient :MEDITERRANEAN SEA SALT..well get those spices together mixed up and put all in a mortar and pound ,mix with1/2 bunch of Organic fresh green scalion.Set aside .

Move to those Organic freshly harvested garden Parsley  get as many bunches as one bunch per two family members participating in this cleansing food" festivity".MInce the parsley .Set aside.

Pick those garden fresh Roma Tomato or even better fleshy ugly or "local harvest catalog" Heirloom tomato.Chop chop chop.Set aside.

Sacrifice couple of  locally grown cucumbers into dices.Set aside.

Meet your garden mint.Pluck a bunch.Mince it up.Set aside.

Fetch a dandelion weed in your backyard .Pick the green leaves.cut.

Throw away the dead bulgar and replace with LIVING QUINOA SPROUTS.

Assemble all of the above in a deep bottom bowl.Baptize with Extra virgin alive oil and Florida or California fresh squeezed lemon.Hand bless/mix all

Put in a refrigerator for five or ten minutes.Set on the table.Sit down at the table.ATTACK.

Later on  you will feel cool and RELAXED. Consider this as a more palatable laxative per se , not to say a non-prescription spring cleanser!

Bon Appetite!

Tony Florida :) @ localharvest.org/farms/M20618 

There has been little or no rain for the last two months here in WPB/Florida.I noticed that the water canals are bottom dry around the Acareage and my friend who has an herb nursery is on the brink of shutting down operations as her water supply has shrinked not to mention the decline of business due to the economic crunch!

Never the less I kept my garden undeterred and coping with the draught by applying an ancient water conserving technique known as "the Roman Canals farming".

Secret # 1) SHAPE:

I simply built a garden in the oval SHAPE of a Roman Stadium with a water collecting canal in its circum- center. Whenever it rains , the water instead of running off and out collects in the canal and spreads out  .Whenever it does not rain I use city water once a week and it is working.

Secret #2)Plant NATURE:

I choose draught tolerant native plants that have been culyivated and harvested in Florida.Their DNA has already been developed to tolerate the climatic effects of the TROPICS..Example:Wild cherry tomatoes ,caribean Spinach(kalaloo) , Southern collard green,Tropical Neem fruit tree,Tropical Papaya fruit.

Secret # 3) Soil texture:

I build up my soil from scratch using mainly compost and manure plus other organic ingredients -offcourse I wish to keep my formula for myself! The trick is to get the soil trap as much moisture as long as possible and be insulating to the Blazing Florida Heat !

Secret # 4) Location Location Location of your garden plot!

Happy farming .Tony

IMPORTED ROSES ARE RED( alert code!) MY LOVE..

This valentines day , check out the red roses you dispatch to your loved ones: WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? They may be toxic!

An article by the AP in the USATODAY back in 2007 about Toxic red roses raised eye browses .I was ready to order my bouquet  when it  struck me as I researched the internet about best buys! " By the time Valentine roses reach your valentine , they will have been sprayed , rinsed and dipped in a battery of potentially lethal chemicals" I qoute the USATODAY  article* by AP.

Will imported  Roses join the list of other  tainted items like toys and so forth?

 I have not of  heard any news recently about if any renmedial action was taken to correct the situation with the imported roses.So I guess, caution should be taken .

"US requires imported flowers to be bug free, but unlike edible fruits and vegetables  they are not tested for chemical residuals". I qoute the 2007  USA article by AP.

Here is a suggestion.

Why not start stimulating the economy this Valentines day by ordering locally grown organic Red Roses or baskets of greens decorated with edible Red Nasturtium.

 At least we will reduce the current scale of alerts on tainted foods , toys , roses,etc.... 

*REF:usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-02-13-rose-toxic_x.htm

Have a Happy Healthy VALENTINE/Tony

BE MY GREEN VALENTINE.

This Valentine day why not send a HOLLISTIC and HEALTHY gift delivery to a LOVED one ,rather than the chemically grown and pesticide tainted OVERSEAS imported RED ROSES!

Wonder why roses do not smell like roses any more?

They are raised in plastic green houses with all kinds of synthetic fertilizers etc. . It makes more common sense to send a basket of locally grown greens and edible flowers like : Nasturtium , Marygold and Sunflower instead .

I grow and deliver same .If you live in Florida/Palm Beach County, I will do the delivery for FREE if you order a  delivery in WPB area.

More details and info at: localharvest.org/farms/M20618.