Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

There are SOME  criminal minded   people ,whose middle name is  Hate, first name Anger and last name  Racist , loose out there hunting down humans and trafficking with their ORGANS in the black market or simply beating  them or just  stereotyping and discremenating against them because they look DIFFERENT!

Some nick name themselves "The Punisher" ,  others "The match Maker"and the list goes on...We have laws against terrorists who have no specific features or face to identify , while we do not have laws against RACISTS who do have features and faces to identify !

ORGANIC Farmers and gardeners should keep busy working the land and chasing those polluters who spray poison at our food in the field .Some who pretend to be farmers ,but in fact are SYNTHETIC ONES, busy themselves in spraying poison into our minds through their propaganda targeting human beings who happen to be different .

There are restrictions and regulations  under preparation to be passed as laws to CONTROL and CONTAIN small farmers and drive them out of business , but we rarely hear those propaganda agents utter a single word in protest.

We farmers know how to weed out the fungus among us . WE farmers are the keepers of the earth and we mean the   MEAK...not the SNEAK! We farmers need stimulus and help to stay affloat ,just like the banks and other big financial businesses who  were bailed out.How about reaching out to those elected representatives and letting them be AWARE  of our  plight not just calling them names because they are DIFFERENT!

Democracy is about being able to be FREE in EXPRESSING assent or discent.Democracy is not about ROBBING or STEALING a vote or a livelihood!We THE PEOPLE are the ones who govern through our elected representatives.So  give them a call not just call them names no matter what their skin , hair or eyes color!

WELCOME  TO MY GARDEN> NOW PUT ON SAFETY GEAR AND FOLLOW GARDEN ERGONOMICS PROCEDURES.WHAT?

Ever heard of the MSDS? Ever EXPERIENCED: BACK ACHES-NECK ACHES-MUSCLE ACHES -CARPAL TUNNELS-KNEE INJURIES-HIP INJURIES?There are no safety guidlines for gardening.There are no curriculum that teaches farmers and gardeners how to use their body and garden tools to AVOID BODY INJURIES WHILE WORKING THE LAND,LIFTING,PLANTING,HARVESTING,PUSHING CARTS,PULLING WEEDS ETC..

aLLOW ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE ANCIENT ART OF SAFE FARMING .If you do YOGA then you must know WHERE Yoga was INVENTED ? INDIA. NAMASTE !  ATCHA ! SOUNDS GREEK?

Well , the INDIANS INVENTED AYEURVEDA THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO.THEIR CULTURE DEPENDED ON AGRICULYURE.THEY USED THEIR BODIES DAILY PLANTING AND FARMING.THEY FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION FOR THE BACK ACHE NATURALLY.IT WAS YOGA.SIMPLY PUT:FARMING CONSTRICTS YOUR MUSCLES AND YOGA STRETCHES THEM.YIN BALANCES THE YANG.SOUNDS CHINESE?ANOTHER ANCIENT THING!

I WANTEDE TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF MY BACK ACHE AFTER TRYING SO MANY PILLS THAT NEVER WORKED..SO I WENT TO SCHOOL AND STUDIED MASSAGE THERAPY .YUP.GOT ANOTHER CERTIFICATION HANGING ON THE WALL!!BUT I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY.i LEARNED TO USE BODY WEIGHT INSTEAD OF MUSCULAR POWER.

HERE ARE SOME SAFETY GARDEN ERGONOMICS TIPS  IN A NUT SHELL:

1-WEAR GARDEN SAFETY  GEAR!

2-USE ERGONOMICALLY CERTIFIED GARDEN TOOLS.

3-APPLY GARDEN ERGONOMICS PROCEDURES WHEN FARMING OR GARDENING.TO LEARN MORE USE YOUR LIBRARY AND DO SOME HOMEWORK OR FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR FUTURE ARTICLES ON ERGONOMICS.

4-ALWAYS SEEK MEDICAL HELP/CHECK WITH A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE AND AFTER YOU FARM OR GARDEN OR EXPERIENCE ANY INJURY OR PAIN .TO FIND OUT IF IT FITS YOUR ABILITY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT GARDEN SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS,TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY.IT IS YOUR OWN BODY AFTER ALL!

BENEFITS OF GARDEN ERGONOMICS:

1-SAVES YOUR BODY INJURIES WHETHER FUNCTIONAL(MUSCLES) OR STRUCTURAL(BONES).

2-USES BODY WEIGHT INSTEAD OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH GRAVITY AND  MUSCULAR FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT .

3-SAVES ON MEDICAL BILLS.

4-MAKES FARMING A PLEASURE AND MORE ENJOYABLE ...NOT PAINFUL!

IT IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE OR HOMEOSTASSIS.SOUNDS GREEK , EH!

BE  SAFE .

THERE are ways to do business and ways  to live as much as of high ways and routes to TRAVEL.Diversity is the KEY word if you want to LEARN HOW TO START AN ORGANIC  GARDEN.Start SMALL and LEARN BIG!

Unfortunately for the working people who want to be a week end garden warrior it is not enough .I have found out that Communication,Culture,Community and COGNITION ,play an important role of WHO WE ARE and HOW WE FUNCTION.BINGO!So , you want to START GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD because the OBAMAS have done so or because it is the new WAVE!??Here are the GOOD and BAD news:

GOOD NEWS: You need an able body(YOUR OWN) to use other than the migrant farmer's who is now to BLAME for the DEPRESSION which is making you LOSE your HOME-CAR-BUSINESS to the BAILED OUR INSURANCE -MORTGAGE-BANKS ,BIG BUSINESS TRIO!

BAD NEWS: You need to start the LEARNING PROCESS FIRST before you  to START DIGGING YOUR OWN GARDEN.Unfortunately the books - DVD -Information Technology and  what have you ,fall short of a Shovel or RAKE!..Using the SOFTWARE is not SUFFICIENT .YOU NEED HARD WARE!TOOLS and ABLE BODY! When was the last time you moved your body other than swirching a TV channel  at a GYM?Our muscles need to be trained to use basic gardening tools like a rake or shovel so that we do not end up with back injuries etc..They call it ERGONOMICS...THIS IS BASICS prior to digging.No Horticultural school I know of teach ERGONOMICS to agriculture students.Most of FARMERS and GARDENERS I know of HAVE BAD BACKS.Be AWARE! HAVE AWARENESS!LEARN ERGONOMICS FIRST.

GOOD NEWS: There are classes and workshops fascilitated by farmers on PRACTICAL GARDENING according to THE GEOGRAPHICAL ZONE..I do have  ones ready to order or attend . HERE IN S.FLORIDA , you need to learn about what and when to grow at the TROPICAL-9-10 ZONE.Reading a gardening book or going to college  is overdoing it..You need to look for simple way..and hook up with a PROFESSIONAL FARMER / GARDENER near you! VOILA!Instead of using your plastic at a mega garden center and buy it all ready made...WHY NOT MAKE and GROW YOUR OWN: COMPOST-SEEDLINGS ..FROM A TO Z.

The gardening way is SLOW and it is a PROCESS! Meaning : IT TAKES TIME and it follows the GROWING SEASON from start to end...HERE it is less than six months from November to March.So...Why are you waiting?You can start NOW by just LEARNING THE PROCESS and GETTING THE ORGANIC GARDENING AWARENESS!BEST WAY TO DO IT IS :HANDS ON..and on the GARDEN GROUNDS! !MICRO-Urban farming  is  different than MEGA farming!You need to start small.A container will do..But you need the EDUCATION LIVE and HANDS ON APRIORI!

My experience with new comers to ORGANIC GARDENING: They come from out of state zones,ask for handouts, want the GARDEN NOW.They are overwhelmed with the notes and know-how.They need time to digest the information,.They need budget to start the garden.They need help in setting up the process.Here are the topics that you need to learn about: Compost.Mulch.Organic Brown and Green Manure.Soil PH.Irrigation.Seeds.Seedlings.Organic fertilizers.Organic pesticides.What grows and what does not in your area and season.

IT IS  GOOD TO KNOW FIRST ,  BEFORE YOU GROW!

The mainstream media   are busy  bombarding us  daily with news about the flu .Most of us give in to the propaganda and rush to get a vaccine which started as a two shots dose and now is being recommended for one shot after the Canadians and Chinese found it sufficient as so.

Well , I got the flu and I am not which category .But here is how I managed to survive and thrive without a vaccine.I learned that adults have mercury added to their vaccine ingredient.So , I opted to keep the heavy metal toxin out of my blood stream  altogether.

I started coughing and spitting phelgm ..It was a deep cough in the begining.The color of the phelgm was light green and yellow.I rushed to take my daily mega dose of vitamin C to fortify my IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Then I went shopping for herbs like MINT,CHAMOMILE for my home made  herbal tea .It is known in TCM and Ayeurveda that to counter a Flu with its opposite.So while I had a fever in the begininjg I used MINT tea to COOL my system .It worked.Chamomile is a natural ANTI-BIOTIC.Also I used a lot of RAW GARLIC...AND I DID REST TOO!

Gardening helped me a lot.Deep breathing exercises in the garden did the trick by supplying FRESH OXYGEN to my depleted cells.Lots of fresh salads and GREENS supplied the NEEDED CHLOROPHYL...

It is taking its toll...So I was PATIENT and stayed home to avoid infecting others.Sun bathing and beach walks were practiced to enhance the D vitamin production and reduce STRESS.

That was my personal narration to combat a FLU...Whta ever you do is UP TO YOU...It worked for me!

HERE,The fall season is the BEGINING of the growing season...not the END!

We in  S.Florida,are at odds with most of the other US regions ,with respect to our planting and harvesting timetable! While you guys UP NORTH prepare to harvest the pumpkin , we here DOWN SOUTH get ready to plant the pumpkin seeds!WE have no HARVEST YET, except for the summer crops like OKRA,CALALOO,WATERMELON...

So , what is required first ?

1-Setting our awareness compass to the SOUTH front .Get some education on GROWING YOUR OWN FROM A LOCAL FARMER.Books confuse you because they are written for general purpose.You need information abiout your AGRICULTURAL  REGION 9-10.

2-Adjusting our gardening skills to the way of the TROPICS.

Look for what grows best and not what you like and want.Attend classes and workshops in your area.Buy or exchange seeds from local growers .

3-Patince.Patience.Patience.It takes TIME!

4-Gardening is a process.So let there be a starting date .You learn as you go, but the best thing is to get a professional help at hand while you garden.

5-Join a Community Garden in your area.Learn the process first and then apply it to your own backyard.

6-Set a budget and make it feasable and workable, without the need to  file for bankruptcy or exploit  your Garden Counsultant !

I have met a lot of people who have a wish list to start a garden and it takes them years before they do it.They fail to ask for local prodfessional help.They rush to buy stuff from the garden center and expect that this will be it.They buy gardening books that were writen to accomodate colder regions.They are confused ,angry and still WANT TO GET THE GARDEN STARTED RIGHT NOW!So,they  go shopping for the convenient ready plants,bagged soil,chemical fertilizers ,pesticides ...and the bill : You will be AMAZED!!!!SOOOOOOOO expensive! So , what is the alternative?GROW AND MAKE YOUR OWN !WE CAN HELP!

Wait a minute.I know out side is soooooooo   HOT!There are zilions of mosquitos, and "NOTHING GROWS IN THE SAND...MAY BE BEACH CASTLES!"kind of attitude.Well , let us start small.Choose an area that is not prone to flooding .Raised beds is a safe way to garden in S.Florida just in case .

We need to work on ourselves first before we start digging.Awareness is important.Application of what we learn is important as well.Our attitude and our dedication to the GARDENING PROCESS will determine whether we fail or succeed.

HAPPY  GROWING SEASON!

Are you a fan for the ZESTY Jalopeno  ? Are you in love with a CALIENTE ensalada?Are you addicted to PEMIENTO?I am!

Why not start a MEXICAN GARDEN in the ZESTY and MUCHO CALIENTE TIERA land of Florida?

Here are some tips on HOW TO GROW a Mexican garden :

We share a common denomenator  here in Florida, with Mexico: Growing vegetables and herbs that love  TROPICAL CLIMATE !

Here are some tips to start with:

Vegetables:Grow Quelites or Ca-La-Loo,verdolagas or purslane,radishes,cactus corn,pumpkins,tomatillos,lima beans ,hot peppers:Cayenne,serrano,jalapeno,chili de arbol,habanero.

Herbs:

Grow chapote,la ruda,basil,minta,yerb buena,cilantro,culantro.

Always start small .That is the smart way to learn as you grow.

The secret key : Experiment and be creative!

Here are some recipes to taste:

Greens the Mexican style:

10 cups of Quelites greens( Known in Florida as :CA-LA-LOO)

1 Table spoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Serrano pepper , minced

1 Jalapeno minced

1 Glove of garlic , minced

3 Medium tomatoes , peeled and chopped

Garnish : 2 tablespoons crumbled,aged Mexican cheese

wash the QUELITES GREENS and remove tough stems.Chop tender stems.Put the greens in pot,cover,and steam for five minutes.Do not add water.Remove the greens ,cool and set aside.

Saute in extra virgin olive oil the following:Onion,serrano,jalapeno,and garlic.Chop the green QUELITES or Ca-La-Loo add the minced tomatoesto the pot.Mix EVERYTHING above mentioned and cook for five minutes.Remove from pot and garnish with the crumbled Mexican cheese.

Serve warm for  four.Enjoy !

By: Tony

localharvest.org/farms/M20618

You do not have to SPEAK FRENCH to qualify for FRENCH FARMING.

Simply ,you can start gardening in a SMALL space and still harvest MORE,the intensive way! VOILA!!!

The French started this intensive way of gardening after the first and second world wars to grow herbs,vegetables and flowers in the small spaces adjacent to their houses.A tribute to the lost loved ones in the wars!The intensive methods of farming -which they used out of necessity- were considered unattainable by the scientific mechanized way of mass production that utilizes vast acres of land in the AGRI-BUSINESS.

Simply they used intensive spacing for vegetables and companion herbs and utilized the FOURTH DIMENSION in their DIVERSIFIED plasnting.

Fourth dimension refers to TIME.There are crops that require more time to mature and others lesser time.By planting both one acheives more harvesting using this succession way.For example,large plants like peppers ,eggplants,tomatoes will occupy larger space comparatively and require a LONG time to mature.Planting next to them Fast maturing crops like radishes,lettuce,spinach will do the trick!

Also, they used high yielding crops like mustard ,chard,french sorrel and imployed a prolific method by cutting those greens back to 2 inches or less several times during the growing season.

Here in the South Florida hot zone ,the vegetables that are compatible to grow now, include:

Beans,cabbage,beets,celery,COLLARDS,CORN,EGGPLANTS,CHERRY TOMATOES,PEPPERS,RADISHES,SPINACH/Ca-la-loo),ONIONs,cucumbers.

The Insect repelling herbs are also popular here in the South .They are used as companions to the vegetables to help the fight against the bad bugs!Here are some samples:Marigold,chives,garlic,mint,sage,basil,thyme,oregano(Greek and Cuban),rose mary,aloe vera,parsley and LAVENDER.

If it happens that you visit France, and you are a fan of the herbs ,like I am, take the train to AIX EN PROVENCE the CAPITAL of HERBS  of FRANCE! I did the "TOUR DES HERBS "while I was in AIX EN PROVENCE...ENCROYABLE !MANIFIQUE !

You will be flooded with so many kinds of LAVENDER ...THE FRENCH use it in their EVERYTHING:cosmetics,food ,bedrooms,cupboards , ebven in their intimate clothing(CYLOTE~:)etc....

To finish up,here are some tips to start with: Use vertical farming by utilizing a double dig method if your area if  not prone for flooding .If it is , then use the riased beds method.BON CHANCE et BON APPETITE!!SALUTE!

PS:If the French could do it and start a vegetable garden with HIGH yields in a small space,sure you can too!Forget about what they teach you in the  books.Best lessons are learned in REAL TIME FROM REAL PEOPLE- NOT PAPER PEOPLE!IT does not take a rocket scientist to grow a garden...even though some gardens were tested positive for rocket fuel in their lettuce!!!!

Have you noticed lately that your friends,family ,significant others ,customers etc.. are angry ,blaming ,yelling or breaking up with you for no reasons?Check out your check book.Foreclosures,job loss,depression due to dwindling money may be the culprits .NOT YOU!

Here are some remedies to encounter  the stress without HURTING OR counting  out a dear or  loved one  .

1-FRESH AIR:Take deep breathing exercises daily.They are free ,and will set you free of rage and histirical bursts of anger.Mind your adrenaline and keep it low!

2-FRESH WATER: Drink your daily organic chamomile herbal  tea.If not available, use a fresh orange juice.If not available, drink spring water.If not available, slowly swallow your own saliva!

3-FRESH GREENS:Eat your locally and organically grown greens.Immerse your fingers and hands in the soil as you pick your greens from your garden.Give thanks to mother earth.Take your time to masticate and chew.

4-FRESH EARTH:Dig out a garden,pull out the weeds.

5-Visit a spa or a retreat.Get a massage or give one!.Practice yoga.Take a vaccation.Travel.Take a day off .Go to the beach!Do nothing!

6-Sleep.Walk.Call or visit a family member.

7-Switch off the gadgets:TV,Cell phone,internet...etc, for a while

8-Prtactice TLC.Forgive and forget.

9-Slow down.Speak less.Listen more and more....

10-Hug .Smell a flower.Tell a joke.Laugh more and more ...

By :Tony

AN  URBAN  FARMER !