Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

The future is set on Legal Immigrants Farmers to replace the Illegal Migrant Farmers.There is an EXODUS of illegal migrant farmers here in the US back home.

The immigration laws set by the STAES like Arizona,Alabama,California,Georgia etc..are encouraging immigrant farmers to migrate back home .Who will be the hands to replace those farmers is the question yet to be answered?

Here is a report by the NYT that sheds a light on the alternatives:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/us/refugees-in-united-states-take-up-farming.html?_r=1&ref=localfood

The case is not just so easy to tackle.Controversy is always the answer.Many alternatives chief among those in the short run will focus on Legal Immigrants and Refugees  skilled farming hands and education .

In the long term, focus should be on EDUCATING our young generation to take Farming Jobs SERIOUSLY!

The future is set on Legal Immigrants Farmers to replace the Illegal Migrant Farmers.There is an EXODUS of illegal migrant farmers here in the US , goung back back home to Mexico and central and south America.

The immigration laws set by the STAES like Arizona,Alabama,California,Georgia etc..are encouraging immigrant farmers to migrate back home .Who will be the hands to replace those farmers is the question yet to be answered?

Here is a report by the NYT that sheds a light on the alternatives:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/us/refugees-in-united-states-take-up-farming.html?_r=1&ref=localfood

The case is not just so easy to tackle.Controversy is always the answer.Many alternatives chief among those in the short run will focus on Legal Immigrants and Refugees  skilled farming hands and education .

In the long term, focus should be on EDUCATING our young generation to take Farming Jobs SERIOUSLY!

As we hear a lot of TALK on CREATING JOBS , we barley mention anything about incentives,stimulus,fringe benefits that are essentially needed to be allocated to Farmin Jobs to attract more Americans to fill in the THE BLANK!!!

Organically speaking , in order to learn HOW to grow your own food NATURALLY, you must first shift your mind ,body and spirit into the ORGANIC gear mode!

Nature grows fruits and vegetables in a PROCESS.So , you need to slow down and be patient while working with  the elements and tackling the garden challenges.

Next step is to hook up to a local organic gardening network ,community garden,local urban farmer  to learn from their experience.

Taking a series of Organic Gardening Classes from certified and experienced HORTICULTURIST is  HIGHLY recommended!

From my experience teaching Organic Gardening classes ,here in the TROPICS, I found out that people have a WISHFUL THINKING  DESIRE to grow their own food and $ave, but they take their time and procrastinate before DOING IT!

The prices of organic produce have been sky rocketing lately due to inclement weather ,like flooding,draught etc..

Remember that spending big money on expensive classes that teach you THEORIES and overwhelm you with BLA BLA BLA ,is not enough.

Hands on and practicing what you learn in class is of the ESSENCE, especially  on one on one!

Small group classes give you an opportunity to interact and ask questions in addition to practicng  what you learn right in the GARDEN!

Planning ahead of time for a garden budget,classes,garden work schedule and a small area to start with your experimentation , is of extreme importance.

Practice makes perfect as they say.This is your chance to apply what you have learned.I prefer that you hire a gardening coach to walk you through the gardening process.Learning garden ergonimcs helps you keep your back on track and..your farm firm body out of harm way!

Start small with baby steps .Rekindle  your  zest by reconnecting with MOTHER EARTH!Go grow a productive  garden!Go GREEN and SAVE on GREEN BUCKS before too late.Produce prices are set to SOAR as per study:

http://www.produceretailer.com/produce-retailer-research/organics_set_to_soar_123000273.html

 Stay tuned and learn MORE @:

localharvest.org/farms/M20618!

There are so many speculations and hypothesis now bidding for a financial collapse  if the US dollar falls.The Farmers financial market is showing a distress signal as the heat and draught harvest the crops and more of the grain goes to produce the green oil for cars rather than for food.Prices for cotton and grains are soaring as more speculations are influencing the commodities market.

Farming Land is shrinking .As the markets for food production now react negatively wityh the Debt Default..how do the small farmer react ?

I am reading a book by Dr.Stephen Leeb : GAME OVER" and much of the hidden financial news are beibng revealed in thw pages.

Here are some glimpses for you to share and be patient to watch the story unfolds on your blank screen.Count for 30 before you give up watching it also as you click on top of page:The Cash Cow!..Be Patient :

http://www.leeb.tv/leeb_cashcow_pl.html

During the GREAT DEPRESSION the worst who were hit were the farmers and the factory workers.So far the GREAT DEEP RECESSION of our days is keeping us in a safe HAVEN altogether protected by trillions of DEBTS and virtually healthy market if you only read/watch  the "DAYLIGHT"MAIN STRWEAM MEDIA .

Farmers unlike politicians and merchants have their hands dirty with soil .No blood on their hands and green fingers unless they have an animal farm .I mean an actual anim,al farm different than the one of GEORGE ORWELL. WELL ..you know what I mean..or don't you?

Come the financial draught news about the default and rising the level of national debt ..Are we going to receive those SOCIAL SECURITY checks in August or not.Some of my SENIOR friends are now considering to start a VICTORY garden in their backyards.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/obama_default_would_interfere_with_social_security_checks-207220-1.html?pos=adp

The news is not new to them , they lived in the DEPRESSION and they know how it looks like.So my senior citizen friend wants to get rid of the grass and start a tomasto garden..incase the socila security check did not arrive in August!

Here are some of the un MUTTED news to refresh your memory about the DEFAULT and the DEBT$ that iare  threatening our daily bread and butter:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43756545?par=ft

As thwey say it is good to know.If you want to get into it is BETTER to know more ...watch LAST WORDS FINANCIAL PROGRAM  at CNBC .THE NIGHT LATE NEWS IS NOT THE SAME as the day light news..Is that why we have this as truth   "BEING KEPT IN THE DARK".???Wake up and read /watch the LATE DARK  NIGHT news.It is different!

The supreme court UPHOLDS  an Arizona 2007 law to hire only legal status employees.Check oput the New York Times front page headlines of today.Fourteen restaurants were raided and the owner fined 10 million for hiring illegal immigrants.Learn more about the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/us/politics/28immigration.html?_r=4

Also ,Check out :

http://conservativenewjersey.com/justices%E2%80%99-decision-on-illegal-immigration-emboldens-states

This is good news for the American work force who want to work menial jobs in restaurants/construction/farms with less pay and no insurance and benefits.Now let us find replacements for the ones fired to avoid more business banckruptcy!Now let us send more unemployed to work in the farms and restaurents targeted employing illegal immigrants.Now let us bring more opportunities for the LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who WANT to WORK in RESTAURANTS?HOTELS?FARMS...etc..

Canada has an immigration policy that attracts EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS.They have opportunities to fill for those who arrive to work and follow the law of the land.Why not follow  Canada's immigration steps that enrich the ecconomy with skilled /educated immigrants .I beleive the Obama Administration is doing the right thing by targeting employers who hire illegal immigrants and break the law by doing so.The Administration is sending a message by hurting the law breakers at their pockets!

There is CHANGE in the AIR!

Climate changes are now adding more hardships to farmers and gardeners.In addition to the unprecedented current floodings/twisters-tornadoes that are destroying more of towns and structures, the impact on crops production is not that better either.More crops are lost as the inclement weather harvests / destroys the crops as well as the homes!

There is now a new map on the works for new Agriculture Hardy Zones to replace the old one.We need more helping hands reaching out to the small farmers community.Your voice counts in the coming elections.Vote for small farmers in office who REALLY stand up for the farmers and not for the LOBBIESTS of BIG AGRI-BUSINESS!! 

I was reading the NYT of today and I was shocked to read an article about the abuse of animals at the farms...here is an excerpt, I qoute the NYT:

"States Look to Ban Efforts to Reveal Farm Abuse

By A. G. SULZBERGER

Published: April 13, 2011

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A Humane Society video from 2010 showed conditions at Iowa farms owned by two of the nation's largest egg producers.

Video: Animal Abuse at Iowa Egg Factories (via The Humane Society)

More details at the web link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/us/14video.html

I am naive about the way humans treat each others in this INFORMATION past industrial age..not to mention being an URBAN farmer living in a Southern city .

Most of us do not know how to communicate well without the F and M F rich vocabilary of profanity.Add to this the racial divide among whites,blacks,moslems,christians and you name it.People here in the South are so much addicted to UNDER  the influences whether racial or halucinational ones...you name them!

Excuse my naivity ,and try to explain to me so I can  understand , why we here in this 21st century regime change facebook revolutions and demionstrations :why we feel dormant and timid here in the heart of DEMOCRACY  country We invade other countries with bombs to teach them a lesson in democracy ??.What is the point? It is not the ecconomy stupid! Its we  stupified ,nullifed,and pacified by the ecconomy .

WE are losing our jobs,homes,cars,farms,lands (soon our minds)to the banks and we go and deny it all and point the finger at a dictator like kadafi or Hussein and let the programmed TV audience be distracted rather than demonstrating  against the local evils done to their lives and homes.

While Americans are  now being thrown into the streets as homeless by our own banks and partners ,politicians etc We still go to wqars to preac Democrady by FIRE."To whom are you reading your psalms , David?" The bible asks!..

What matters most?Being rational or racial?Being one will negate the other..You choose!You can not be both and stay mentally stable!

Some prefer to be financially stable rather than mentally..Thats why we are here!End of venting!

I want to talk about peiople  who put on masks and hide their intentions and identities to inflict pain emotionally and racially on others and go by the traditions of sifting people by being defining them as either  gentiles or  jews.Blacks or whites.Immigrants or citizens ...and so forth ...This is exactly what happened in Germany during the THIRD REICH...First they went after the JEWS.Then they went after the GYPSIES.Then they went after the Comminist and the homosexuals ...and by the time it was XY turn ...no one was left  to HELP.

Here is another ficticious   scenario ."They started with the Moslems, then the Latinos and immigrants ...next the Christian radicals ..then the you name it radicals.. bY THE TIME  they WILL come to GET  you,,,nobody will beLEFT to HELP you.JUST SAYING A FICTITIOUS SCENARIO..IT  HAPPENED ONLY IN A DREAM!!

So keep on feeding  the racial profiling beast...by the time it will reach you...no one will be left to help you.

The Roman Empire  did good things, excluding  conquerring other countries and trading and using slaves ,  to remember like for example: Introducing canals  systems for irrigation.

One other thing that most of us do not know was that the Roman Empire employed and enlisted FARMERS to go to wars.They had horses ,  and that was a prerequisit to join the military then,owning a horse!

So what is common now and then aboutThe Roman  Empire and Farmers? 

Simply speaking as many SMALL local  farmers now struggle to make a living (may be you have heard that they do well,but in reality they DO NOT!):They are  getting out of business and relinquishing their farms to the Big Agri or just abandoning it to the banks as they default on  mortgages or fail to  compete with the Mexicans or Chinese farming products .

I found a common an interesting denominator while watching a  below video clip , may be you can find the same thing too:It is good to know  that farmers of the Roman Empire were the soldiers as well , and much more,as this video clip shows:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/1064.html

The Chinese introduced Feng Shui while the Japanese introduced REI -CHI pronounced as REIKI.

Both are towards alignment and balance of the CHI , the latter for BEINGS and the former for OBJECTS .Gardening is a Therapy as used in Japan .Touch is a Therapy as used by TWIN-NA and TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE.in China .Both are meant to align the CHI and bring in balance.

The native Americans speak of the four elements of creation:Water,Air,Earth and Fire.The chinese added to them Metal.

The ancient Greek s introduced to us Hippocretes the father of Medicine:He said:Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.The greeks like the Chinese and the Native Americans gathered herbs and harvested food from the wilderness and back yard gardens.Where are we now?

Happy Feng Shui Gardening!

To learn more about Organic Gardening :Come to my Classes .Schedules @:localharvest.org/farms/M20618

Check out coming events box.

This memorial day let us be kind to the living as well.I am writing this article from the office next to a rammage sale of three community churchesthat have a Hunger project and another act of charity to feed the homeless through a food pantry that draws donations from neighbors and the community by just knocking on doors and asking for donations to a food drive .

Today the traffic at the rummage sale was slow.There is a truck that is full of clothes , it is being offered for free because customers did not show up in numbers and the clothes need to be recycled to humans and not to the trash bins.

Yes, the trash bins get a lot of our excess.I am going to give a class next week in collaboration with a city official about composting.Awareness helps as well.So spread the good news and be part ofit ratgher than condemning darkness:Light a candle!

How many of us recycle our food scrapings from the kitchen?How many of us share thier leftovers with a hungry soul?

Compassion is ssomething we humans grow in our heart and harvest as a spiritual and emotional fulfilment that brings us joy and comfort .

Acts of kindness will remind us that we are mortals and need to  help each others and recycle LOVE in acts of kindness even to strangers.

I feel good today becasue I donated few bucks to the teens who were  were selling water to raise funds for their summer camp.I felt good because I shared the joy and the smile with those school kids who were working for collecting funds for a youth program that will keep them active in a positive way.You can do it as well.

Happy memorial day. 

Children and the disabled share one thing in common:Difficulty to EFFICIENTLY  utilize body functional movement in gardening chores.Whether it was the tiny hands , weak and still developing muscles and bone structure of children or the physical disability of the adult .The outcome is the same .DIFFICULTY in pushing,lifting,pulling,bending movement.To adress this we need to adjust the garden to fit into the world of both of children and disabled adults.

A)-HAVE A SAFE GROUND LOCATION :

There are many ways to garden for  children and the disabled.Here are some samples of  tips to choose from:

1-Container Gardening or planting box

2-Raised beds , trellises and vertical gardening accessible with special routes for wheel chairs.

3-Hanging baskets sitting on tables and accessible for wheel chairs.

4-Small pots and containers for seeding and seedlings transplant.

5-planting in bags of top soil placed on elevated ground.

B)-APPLY Gardening ERGONOMICS:

ERGON-OMICS is a GREEK word.The prefix refers to" work injuries "and the suffix to the "study of"!

1-ERGONOMIC TOOLS.There are tools in the market that are labeled as ERGONOMIC , take advantage and buy some.

One must pay attention though and double check the tools by trying them first and feeling them!They must be light and bent at certain angles to fit the grab of the tiny wrists of kids and the vulnerability of the disabled.Some tools are labled ergonomic for the purpose of influencing the PURCHASE DECISION more or less.An experienced  certified horticulturist/gardener or farmer should be consulted prior to making the purchase.

2-Follow ERGONOMIC BODY functional movement:Being a certified massage therapist and a certified master gardener, I speak from my personal experience and education .I studied both the anatomy and physiology of the human BODY  in addition to  Plant botany and gardening as well.I beleive that the positioning of the human body is of the essence.Functional movement of the muscles and body postures are of utmost importance to study and apply what is SAFE while in the farm or the garden to avoid injuries .An ounce of prevention is worth more than a ton of medication .A wise advice can bring you a prize!

Most Horticultural educational proograms, I know of, do not include gardening ergonomics in their curriculum.So, it is best to do your own home work or hire someone who has the know how and the HANDS ON GROUND experience to teach you.I stray away from opportunists and self proclaimed organic gardeners who do not have the appropriate LOCAL EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE! Always consult with your health practitioner before engaging in any kind of gardening or physical work .A gardener must not be a substitute to your DOCTOR.A lot of  gardeners I know of suffer back pain from injuries in the garden or other accidents due to IGNORANCE and wrong body movements or tools utilization.

Your human body is the vehicle that moves you around ,take care of your body first.Be safe.Wear safety garden gear.Drink a lot of water.

Have a Happy and SAFE gardening.

Welcome to the TROPICS.Now start TO LEARN SPANISH-CREOLE-CARIBEAN and HOW TO ADAPT to the TROPICAL HEAT!Are you kidding me?Most people who want to start a garden think about HIRING a MIGRANT FARMER to do the DONKEY DIRT work while they only want to eat the fruits and veggies, no sweat included!

We need to UNDERSTAND and be AWARE of the following BASIC CONCEPTS before we break grounds:

1-Organic Gardening in the TROPICS is not same as Organic Gardening UP-NORTH.The following variables and differentials must be accounted for before we embark on the endeavor:

a-We must accept the fact that there is going to be heat and sweat and dirt on our hands and clothes.Being a partner WITH OTHERS AND THE earth IS GREAT, BEING a spectator or supervisor is not enough!

b-We need to shift awareness gears from  COLD North to Hot South .Meaning , we must get out of the AIR-Condition comfort Zone first and get our body used to theOUTDOORS TROPICAL CLIMATE.

c-CONSIDER:Breathing exercises , ergonomics lessons on how to use the body in performing garden work without injuries.Also  procure ergonomical garden tools too!Reading a gardening book or taking a virtual class via THE INTERNET OR THE PHONE are not enough.One must have HANDS ON LEARNING  EXPERIENCE !Look for local small farmers who offer HANDS ON GARDENING  workshops not just THEORIES VIA CYBERSPACE or TELECONFERENCE!You must be in the GARDEN to learn about GARDENING!

d-In order to learn the way of COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDENING  you must toss away your EGO.Instead you need to start thinking in the WE-GO way! We come in UNITY in the community concept.If you do take issues with people of color or tan or of those who speak another language which you do not understand,get over it!Learning means you need to have an open mind and a desire to learn even if it takes to listen .Diversity is the common grounds in the community garden!

e-All MEN AND WOMEN are created equal.So ,FORGET ABOUT BEING THE BOSS OR THE FIRST IN COMMAND !LEARN INSTAED TO EMPLOY your hands without working your mouth with profanity or your mind with prejuidice in case you are a chovanist or consider yourself of a better race.Accepting others is very important in the community garden for a simple reason: You are a member of the community garden with other human beings who share with you equally the rights and duties . 

F-HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA WE HAVE sand NOT soil .sO, START THINKING ABOUT MAKING YOUR OWN COMPOST AND LEARNING THE KNOW HOW OF MAKING YOUR OWN SOIL!THERE ARE OPTIONS OF BUYING OR USING OTHERS PREPARED SOIL .BE EDUCATED ABOUT THE SOIL YOU WANT BECAUSE WHAT 'S IN IT  MIGHT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON  YOUR HEALTH !(EX:HEAVY METALS-CHEMICALS-PHARMACEUTICALS -UNSAFE OR UNCERTIFIED  HUMAN SLUDGE  ETC)!

2-Once a plan is drafted to start a community garden, the following must be established :

a-A DOING IT TEAM versus a TALK ABOUT IT TEAM!

b-A BUDGET-A NAME-A CO-ORDINATOR-A PLOT FOR EACH MEMBER.

c-A RULES AND REGULATIONS PROTOCOL with  pertinent CONTRACTS and AGREEMENTS .

3-Classes and workshops to educate the members are essential.An experienced LOCAL ORGANIC FARMER with certification from a local Horticultural institute is commendable to fascilitate the LEARNING PROCESS.

4-COMMUNITY GARDENING is a NEW  working arena and a learning process.It is afterall a collective endeavor that needs to focus on the group and not on the INDIVIDUAL only!Here in the South , we had slaves assigned to the plantations work in earlier  15th-19th centuries ,and now we hire migrant farmers while we ourselves disdain doing this kind of MENIAL work and have NO RESPECT in general for people who do it! This ATTITUDE needs to change if we want to have a successful PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY GARDEN!

5-There ARE LOTS OF vacant plots THAT CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO COMMUNITY GARDENS HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.THERE ARE LOTS OF ATTEMPTS THAT ENDED UP IN FAILURE BECAUSE THERE WAS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENES OF COMMUNITY CONCEPT AND OTHER  CULTURAL-FINANCIAL ISSUES ETC!!

There is a BLIND SIDE for CHRISTMASS.Check it out at the faces of those who are:

1-Unemployed!

2- Homeless!

3-Hungry!

4-NEEDY and Lonely!

5-Lost their home-car-land to the BANKS and MORTGAGE MOGALS(NEW VERSION OF MONEY LENDERS)!

6-Separated from loved ones because they could not afford to buy an airplane ticket this holliday season!

Their is also a BRIGHT SIDE of Christmass.Check it out at:

The hearts and souls of COURAGEOUS AMERICANS who give willingly from their OWN :Shelter ,food,clothes,jobs and comfort -to all of the ABOVE!

It is so DIRE here in South Florda.Next door lives the ULTRA RICH in PALM BEACH ISLAND.On the other side those WHO DO NOT HAVE are multiplying every day!

Most of the churches who operate programs to help the needy have shortages of EVERYTHING.Their phones ring and machines answer!I visited so many and I can tell you that there is so much LACK !Most of all there is IGNORANCE,RACIAL and CULTURAL bias.Threre are plenty of BREAD which is LOADED with yeast that makes you fat and sick .BUT NOT ENOUGH or NOT AT ALL of ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES-Here is what one official at a charity told me today when I asked her about the shortage:We have tomatoes to be picked for free , but we here have no time to go and pick the FREE vegies.I offered to do just that .She ignored me.They do not want unconditional help but rather they make their own conditions(ignorance) and RED TAPE to block HELP !

Most of the churches are DOING GREAT JOB and even outscoring some welfare programs ..They have land that could be converted to COMMUNITY gardens that produces organic vegies for the NEEDY but they take no action to activate them!

SOME of their volunteers are locked in RED TAPE and Racial BIAS.For example:Most of the people who DO NOT HAVE and are seeking help are with some TAN color.On the other side Most of the volunteers who are offering helping hands are of the opposite UNTANNED color.They do not UNDERSTAND the struggles and the language sometimes become a barrier.

There is LACK OF COMMUNICATION on the other side of CHRISTMASS.

If you need more illustrations. PLEASE:Check out the movie playing in theatres near you:THE BLIND SIDE !

There are plenty of FAVORITISM and of those who try to scope and skim the good goodies  for themselves and be selective in their charity.The spirit of the HOLIDAYS is lost and needs to be FOUND NOT IN THE MATERIAL CELEBRATION and SHOPPING SPREES.Rather the SPIRIT of the season lies within our HEARTS and SOULS that need to be AWAKENED!

Imagine that the farmers

Their harvests  all ORGANIC

Imagine that the barbers

Grow hair on heads that PANIC

Imagine that the climate

Delicious  as DAAS and HAGEN

Imagine not a STALEMATE

An ACCORD In COPENHAGEN

Imagine that the bankers

Donated all their gold

Built shelters for the homeless

Saved souls from death and cold

Imagine all those who ROBBED US

Our  homes ,our cars and SAVINGS

May all  them  DEVIL EVIL :

Who lived by sword and LIE!

Be dumped from France "TOUR EFIL"

To fall in HELL and DIE!

Imagine TODAY at winter SOLSTICE

ALL FARMERS win their STIMULUS!

Merry Christmass-Happy SOLSTICE -Happy New Year!

Tony

localharvest.org/farms/M20618