Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

This coming Earth day let us celebrate in a different ALTERNATIVE  way.

Here are top ten  GREEN suggestions  .

1-Honor local farmers who use NATURAL protocols in farming. Buy their  locally grown produce .Support the local farming ecconomy.

2-Refrain from using pesticides and harmful chemicals .Instead substitute with preventive organic pesticides.Example: Fight nematodes and harmful pests with Oils:/Neem/garlic/essential oils like citronella ..combine with cayyenne pepper and Dr,Bronner liquid soap water solutions.

3-Dwellers of homes-villas with a yard:Turn over the non-productive grass loan front/backyard into a productive efficient organic vegetable/herb/fruit/edible flower garden.RECYCLE:Compost your kitchen scraps!

4-Dwellers of homes without yards/Trailers /vans /tents :Join  a community garden/ a local CSA /garden club/,take a COMPOSTING  class:visit:localharvest.org/farms/M20618 and register for one/Read :an alternative NATURAL  MEDIA  like: NATURAL AWAKENING /ORGANIC GARDENING/ localharvest.org blog .

5-Dwellers of apartment /studios:Buy local organic produce/ start a patio organic container  garden  ,use  heirloum seeds/ seedlings instead of GMO 's .

6-Dwellers of the open /public space:Do not litter the beaches/streets/woods with your beer /soda cans!

7-All of the ABOVE:Reduce your carbon foot print:Ride a bicycle/Walk to work(If close by)/take the bus or train.

8-Join an EARTH/Beach clean up day-. Volunteer at a local farm/soup kitchen/school/community outreach.Donate to a green energy project/ green earth non-profit charity organization.

9-Stop smoking.Fix your car exhaust.Reduce/eliminate  your consumption of: sugar products/ coffee/drugs-alcohol.BREATHE :FRESH GARDEN SCENTED AIR!

10-Honor the NATIVE AMERICANS by remembering their teachings."We do not own the EARTH .The EARTH OWNS US".As a tribute, start using an alternative Native American Recipe to fight and prevent FIRE ANTS:CORN GRITS! Bon ants appetite.

Happy EARTH DAY! (to come

Happy New Year.Now start digging and gardening .

The new year started with  a  new vegetable and flower  gardens that sprouted in my front yard and at my neighbors' as well.Gardening is contageous..once one garden sprouts , then another one potentially gets into the mind of a neighbor..It is used as a THERAPY in Japan and Sweden.Why not here?Let us start TALKING  first.

Communication is one of my favorite topics .Most people look at it as " only MY ONE WAY  or THE HIGH WAY" ...Meaning : They like to TELL  you and TALK to you without LISTENING to you!

I noticed that people in the city ( I live in one small town/city)communicate less with their hands and more with their handsets gadgets .Hand shakes and home visits are rare may be during the HOLLIDAYS!.

So there are lot of anger and holding back of potential correspondence .Few bears and fist fights start flying around, a different kind of a hand shake which I do not mean or like!

Ignorance paves the way to stereotyping and many other bad habits..you name them!.

Ignore your neighbor and treat them with IGNORANCE(OPPOSIT TO GNOSIS in GREEK) , then expect trouble !Do the right thing and KNOW(GNOSIS) their names and  be friendly with "THEM" and happily you will live thereafter!

My neighbor "A" wanted to borrow our ladder ,so she paid us a visit and introduced herself.Before that:She wanted to borrow our trash bin and no one was home.So she took it.Once we met at our new  garden , we shook hands and confessed the "borrowing"!She  promised to bring it back.

Meanwhile she left  behind a half dozen of potted flowers for  our new garden project .She knew that we are gardeners by trade and unemployed !

She related to the struggle and wanted to give a helping hand .By trade she was a medic .She had a lot of compassion and appreciation to share .Before that she loathed the fact that the other neighbor who do not speak English had a different attitude when she borrowed his  trash bin.(He emptied her trash into her backyard out of  his borrowed  bin!)

Shaking the hands brought us closer and the garden broke the ice of communication.She came first to admire our new vegetable garden .That was the triggering good intention.After all we are beautifying her neighborhood with flowers and edible vegetables which she liked so much!

On the other side of the road is a complete different story:

Another neighbor saw us working at our new garden.He approached  and aggresively asked for our help.We were starving for some paid work .So we accepeted the offer with a good hearet expecting same!?

 The experience and  communication was a lot different With Neighbor "B".

Quite the opposit  to say the least:aggressive, offensive, ego driven and oppressive to mention the least.By trade you know whom I mean , if not make a guess!?

What I want to say...When we communicate we do that according to our  emotions.When in STRESS or (SICKNESS)),ANGER and FEAR we communicate with bullets and YELLING.When in JOY  or (GOOD HEALTH),PEACE and LOVE we communictae with hugs ,hand shakes and kisses.

Farmers and gardeners touch the soil and their sould are charged by the enegy of the LIVING and LOVING  EARTH.That is why when you meet a farmer ( I mean small/urban ones!!) you  experience so much love,generosity,help,compassion,down to earth positive attitude .Why ?

It is the CHI ENERGY that flows from the flowers and  green fields of the EARTH...Is the ANSWER my friend flowing with the WING!Does LOVE in THE AIR rings a bell?

Happy gardening and COMMUNICATING!

This was our first  Earth Day event at the Lake Worth Resource Center.It weas packed up!More than fourty people filled in  the lobby ..There were people from different ethnic backgrounds who flocked to attend the workshop on sustainability and the organic urban farmer ,  listen to Chiropractor Dr.Tim Kehrig  presentation and watch the movie:The power of community .We have a high unemployment and forclosure rates in our area especially among minorities and ethnic groups.The LWRC provides the local community with lots of services to help out the unemployed find jobs,attend different kinds of mentoring classes and workshops,obtain Buss passes and other services.It is amazing how much resources we have hidden and untapped.Coming together opens up so many opportunities .Helping one another through community events that take a solutions oriented approach to alleviate the daily struggles of those who have lost a job,a home orhave  health issues but no medical insurance.Dr.Tim has areaching  program that fits all to maintain a vibrant health based on the science of Chiropractic and nutrition.He is a master of Both.He tops that with a compassionate heart and healing hands .He enriched our event  with a  presentation on nutrition and sustainabilty.He talked about the foods that fit and those that do not into into maintaining a healthy body mind and spirit.He brought hand outs in both Spanish and English to reach out for the multicultural  of our community.I invite all farmers to reach out to the community through educational workshops or donating from their harvests to soup kitchens and community pantries that help the underpriviliged.We learned .We prayed and we played together watching a movie on the power of community.This Earth Day make a difference by reaching out to others.Ask yourself:What have I done to others?Words and toasts and songs sure make us jolly..but the PRACTICAL works of our hands and hearts is what really matters especially when we try to touch human lives that are struggling.The road of a thousand mile starts with a mile..and a smile for the road!Thanks to all and especially to the LWRC CEO Mr.Don Wilson for making this event happen!Unity tthrough community.Yes, we can do it !

Happy Earth Day

Tony

Alternative Community Farmer

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M20618

1-Recycle your and "their" -to be trashed PRODUCE/KITCHEN FOOD SCRAPP.Ask your local neighborhood health food store/supermarket/barn/restaurant etc,if they like to save their unwanted food scrapp ,for you to  compost. Otherwise...you know what to do!

2- Commute on foot/on a bike/in a bus/car pool.Take a break from your car.Give a break to the  earth.Do not burn fossil fuel!Do not smoke.Do not drink and drive.

3-Give away your unwanted:Absolete/idle/stored/dust accumulating treasures like old shoes, old refrigerator,bike,clothes.In this Economic meltdown ,there are hidden lines of "HAVE NOTS" displaced human beings.So, give them a hand .I suggest Garage sales or Church Rummage for better affordable delivery!

3-Replace your inefficient lawn with a productive veggie garden.Or even join a community garden if you have no back/front yard.Garden in containers , the least, if none of the above exist! 

4-Install the following:

 a) A rain barrel irrigation system to save on the water bills and survive the draught in S.Florida.

b) A solar panel electric and water heating system.Green energy is the new fashion.Wear it!

5-Buy locally grown produce ,if possible  switch to ORGANIC!

6-If you are a farmer, fascilitate a workshop or attend one on promoting the awareness of green energy/organic and locally grown produce .

7-Volunteer at a local community garden/soup kitchen/church/csa/farm/earth day or green events.

8-Do no harm to yourself/others/environment by following the NATURAL ONE AND ONLY ONE LAW: LOVE.An avallanche of laws were created as we broke this one law...Business as usual is not THE motto for EARTH DAY.GREEN and SIMPLE LIVING IS!

9-Do NOTHING .BUY NOTHING.SHUT OFF ELECTRIC.TURN OFF TV.Switch off your cell phone.GO OUTDOORS .TAKE A NAP in the garden.Spend the day in NATURE.HUG A TREE,a friend ,a stranger.Use eye contact to connect!WE ARE ONE WITH THE EARTH .IT IS OUR HOME for now and for later ,when we depart to the other side!Our first HOME was in the garden so will be our last one!RESPECT the soil by refraining from polluting with your hands/mouth or any other means!

10-Reward yourself .Be with your family at the  dinner table,at a park or visit a family member/friend .Schedule a massage treatment to yourself or a loved one. LEARN HOW TO RELAX...in NATURE.TAKE A LOT OF DEEP BREATHS...BE CALM!BE GOOD!

Have A Healthy Happy Earth Day

Tony :)

Alternative Community Farmer

What does the WORD EARTH means to a LOCAL COMMUNITY  FARMER like myself? 

SOIL!

Here in south Florida soil translates into SAND.So to make the soil ready for the EARTH..I have to: COMPOST.Here is a true story on the subject.

Once ,I asked a local barn to let me recycle the hay which they throw away in the dumpster and I was bullied and shown the door with A BIG NO for an answer!

Here in Florida we have a lot of cow manure that is recycled and sold in bags as compost.Consider what they feed and inject into the cows and you will understand why I choose not to use cow stuff!

This Earth day a lot of people like to ONLY EAT  and TALK GREEN while at the same time they walk BROWN .Meaning : there are a lot of hypocrecy in our approach in celebrating EARTH DAY.

We go shopping at a health food store  "X "that throws away its produce scrapp into the dumpster for example , while the hand outs and brochure talks green !

Wwe do not hear of LOCAL FARMERS or LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE  and we do not see any in the " X" HF Store.Usually they are painting a picture to make them LOOK good in the eyes of the SHOPPERS.

Let us change this .Let us go to celebrate the EARTH DAY where the EARTH BELONGS : in the GARDEN .at the FARM.!

What has Earth day done to me .It is what I have to do for EARTH DAY instead.Guess what.I am fascilitating a workshop on RECYCLING nad COMPOSTING.

You could do the same and skip the market shopping and eating party.

Doing GOOD things to the EARTH is the best answer. RECYCLE!

Happy Earth Day.

Tony :)