Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

From my experience as Organic Urban Farmer and my educational Background as Certified Horticulturist and Certified Massage Therapist, I have learned a lot about how to use my body when I do Garden or farming chores.

People who come to my Organic Gardening Class here in S.Florida forget to ask me about how to garden using their body as a TOOL.They are mostly focussed on the OUTER IMAGE whether of their garden DESIGN .They need to educate themselves how to cope with the OUTDOORS CLIMATE of TROPICAL S.Florida FIRST>

The human body adapts to the environment once we expose ourselves to the heat and humidity of SF.Gardening in the air conditioned COMFORT ZONE is not practical.

Here are some ERGONOMIC and Anatomy and Pysiology  tips to follow :

1-Use your body weight when you garden, especially:When pushing,pulling,digging,lifting etc..Use correct  postures hwen maneuvering your body in the garden chores.Listen to your body.

2-Use -and be MINDFUL of -the Gravity factor , when you position your functional and structural movements to do garden work.Remember that gravity encounter resistance from your body, so the less focal points of resistance exerted by your body the more efficient your work.

3-Study Anatomy and Physiology of the HUMAN BODY .There are plenty of learning channels especially if you check out INTERNET resources.

4-Choose the less STRESSFUL time to garden in S.Floida.Early morning or late afternoon where the temperature is not so HIGH  for example.

5-Put on Garden Gear:Wear a hat,a sun screen .Drink plenty of water etc

6-Visit your health professional,chiropractor and make sure that your body is fit for gardening work.

7-Train your muscles gradually.Do stretching exercises to counter the constrictions of musles.Yoga is my best stretching exercise .Massages are very helpful too!

8-Use ERGONOMIC TOOLS that are fit for your body.Try them before you BUY THEM.There are so many tricks to sell you tools just to make a BUCK!Women and men have different standard tools to use depending on their body weight,size  in addition to mental and physical muscular strength/endurance.

9-Train with an  ERGONOMICS educated and gardening experienced farmer /therapist/mentor.

10-Sign up for Ergonomics classes and learn how to keep your body fit and safe while farming or gardening.It is good to KNOW!

Happy Ergonomic gardening!

There are a lot to learn in the gardening process.Here are some tips to consider in case you are considering taking some organic gardening classes;

From my experience teaching organic gardening in South Florida for the last ten years, I have gathered a fortune of advice to the new garden comers.Here are the top ten tips:

1-The head .The Heart.The Hands are your virtual garden tools.Eventually!USE THEM!Protect Them!

A)Clear your head from misconceptions-preconceived ideas-judgements apriori .Empty the excess baggage.

B)Open your heart to new dimensions of exploration and observations.Animals trust their instincts .Humans are more skeptical when they rely only on their heads.Try the heart and guts instincts .You will get connected to the earth vibration through the third eye and heart chakra.Garden is a Therapy and a Spiritual experience not just physical chore!

State a purpose like:You are going to LEARN  HOW to grow and PROVIDE for Your Family and Save on the Grocery Bill ,for example!.You are not going to fight and chastise the messenger -in this case the garden teacher or mentor-You need time to digest what you learned .

C)Doing what you have learned will be the best.hands on classes fair better than the theory only classes.Your hands will be the tools to implement.Your body will be the vehicle to take you to the garden chores.So take care of both your hands and body and learn ERGONOMICS!

2-BE PATIENT.Gardening is a process.You have to learn how to get grounded and do nothing other than immersing your hands in the soil .Take a silence vow to be able to observe and meditate while in the garden.LISTEN!

Some  of my students have the habit of a non stop chatting.They keep their cellphones handy.Their tongue muscle is  always flexed while their hands and body muscles are fluffy and not trained to garden.Train and flex your whole body muscles not just your tongue!

3-Take more than one class in gardening.Try didderent and diverse teachers/mentors and benefit from the knowledge USING IT!

Give yourself the time when you are at the class to learn,observe,ask questions and please do not bring along your cell phone,dog,cat.

4-Respect other students  and  the place where you are invited to learn .Respect the mentor or garden teacher.Some people bring in their negative attitudes to the class.That is not the best thing to do.Instead:turn on the positive attitude with a smile on your face ,a peace in your heart and an open window in your brain.

Do not arrive late to the class.Do not leave early , especially sneaking without paying the class fee.Do not haggle the class fee.Do not ask  racial profiling questions like:Where do you come from?You have an accent, I am curious?Etc.Respect all class associates regardless of their color,ethnic background,religion,race etc..

5-Do your home work :read the information posted at the Web sites of the school or garden teacher:Show that you are a partner in learning and doing what you learn!Bring on your garden questions.Follow class protocol.Avoid chatting in class.Silence your scell phone in class.If you disrupt you might be asked to leave.

6--Be prepared:Put on garden gear , that means no tank tops,no shorts and no flip flops.Pests may be present and garden bugs etc.. .Drink plenty of water .Use the restroom before you enter into the garden class.Take notes.Bring along a pad and pen.

7-Take deep breaths before ,during and after the class.Oxygen helps your brain and your muscles and circulation .Relax .Smell the roses or the herbs of the garden without mutilating or cutting them from their mother.Employ the faculty of TOUCH.It is OK .to touch the soil.the plant .Discard all fear from connecting to other form of life .gardening is the art of growing your living food.Be a live gardener.Beleive in what you are doing!

8-Start small :When you are not sure about the garden budget,the time commitment ,the space limit.

9-Check with your Doctor before you do any physical activity, if it is OK.Especially when you are on medication or disabilty.Learn Ergonomics .Follow safety procedures when in the garden.Florida weather is Extremely hot,humid.Pay attention and listen to your body.

10:Take rest often.Enjoy gardening .It is a THERAPY after all for Body Mind and Spirit..It is not a hard work ,if you work smart.Choose times when the weather is suitable to garden for you.Avoid alchohol , it dehidrates your body.Drink plenty of water.Breathe deeply and have fun.

Most new comers to S.Florida productive urban farming fall into the trap of the beach sandy soil in their back and front yard.

They end up in the garden center spending fortunes on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.For those who are familiar with organic gardening the case is not so.

Recently many research studies have revealed that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are harmful for the earth soil population ,plants and humans that comnsume vegetables contaminated with synthetic chemicals.Check out the following web sites for more info about pestyicides contamination of food :

http://www.ewg.org

http://www.organicconsumers.org

What are the alternatives to Chemical fertilizers and pesticides?

 In Europe there has been a trend to ammend the soil different than we usually do in the US.Europeans are steering clear from Genetically Modified Organisms crops and Synthetic chemicals.

 Here are some suggestions of what we can use from the perspective of Organic and Bio-dynamic Natural Farming.

1) Peat Moss:Some call it Sphagnum.It is an organic matter that has a fluffy texture , perfect to hold moisture.It tends to be neutrasl slightly acidic.

2)HUMUS /Worm castings ,not just cow manure saturated with hormones-antibiotics etc

3)Shredded newspapers/papers,a good food source for worms.

4)Composted Acceptable Manures:I personally prefer to use composted horse manure and home grown FREE RANGE chiken manure.Both manures from the above are free from hormones,antibiotics and other chemical contaminents.

5)Organic Coffee /TEA Grounds:Rich in organic nitrogen.A great food source for worms.

6)COTTONSEED MEAL:Rich in organic Nitrogen-Phosphorous and Potassium.Add directly to soil.

7)Blood Meal:Rich in organic nitrogen.Add directly to compost.Add as tea or diredctly to soil

8)Bone Meal:Rich in phosphouros.Add directly to soil or as tea.

9)Fish Emulsion:Rich in organic Nitrogen.Add directly to compost or as tea to soil.Also some use as spray to deterr garden  pests .

10)Alfalfa Meal:Rich in Minerals and nitrogen.Add directly to soil or as tea.

There are more INorganic Ammendments to be revealed in the following  part -II .

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 !

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