Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

I have been asking myself this question :how to combat a flu naturally without a vaccine , as I suffer from allergies, I prefer a NATURAL ALTERNATIVE .I did a little research and I share with you the references which I consulted in case you want to bypass a vacine which might contain mercury or want to consider a second choice/opinion  .I personally beleive in NATUROPATH DOCTORS and ACCUPUNCTURE PHYSICIANS.They use herbs and alternatuves to drugs or vaccines that have sometimes ,dangerous life threatening effects.A recent incidence is the use of PROPOFOL drug by a world famous celebrity -now recalled from the market -had a morbid side effect which is now being investigated .There is a controversy from using vaccines which have mercury used as a preservative.Autism is one of the controversial issues from using vaccines on kids who acquired AUTISM .Also there is the GULF WAR  SYNDROME controversy of vaccinating the troops .More than 200,000 gulf war-I veterans have turned up with some kind of illness-side effects which are offcourse controversial! !Besides, there are the case of those who were immunized earlier ,some time ago, and came up with :GUILLAIN -BARRE SYNDROME .Now there are H1N1vaccine trials to be conducted on some volunteers ,so the  best thing is to wait and see .

HERE ARE SOME OF THE BOOKS I RESEARCHED:

1) Questions and answers about INFLUENZA,BY :Deltia Ricks,MA,MS. ISBN 078-0-7637-4501-1.

2)Natural cures for the common cold , BY:Carol Turkingston.ISBN:0-936197-38-2

3)The germ freak's guide to outwitting COLDS and FLU,BY Allison Janse and Charles Gerba.

Here are a few things which I have learned from my readings :

History of the INFLUENZA pandemic:1918-1919

4o million people parished worldwide is just an estimate as some underdeveloped countries in Africa did not keep records and the death toll was higher than anounced..It started  at a time when the flu is unlikely to spread.Spring time ,in Europe .Was named the Spanish FLU as the information was uncensored started coming from Spain.There are some conspiracy theories inspiring the source might have been BIOLOGICAL WARFARE ."Pulitzer Prize -winning author Katherine Anne Porter , who was a 28 year old newspaper reported in 1918 working at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver , nearly died in the pandemic.She advanced the notion of influenza as a possibe biologicqal weapon in the semiautobiographical 1939 trilogy "PALE HORSE,PALE RIDER:They say that it is really caused by germs brought by the GERMAN ship to Boston"Qoute from*1(Questions and Answers).I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about the HIS-STORY and HER-STORY of INFLUENZA!.What matters is your own story offcourse!:)

There was a second wave :Fall 1918...and a third wave in 1919.The highest toll came from the second wave !

Influenza strikes fast and hard.Here are the sympoms:

nausea,vomiting,diarrhea,high fevers,body aches especially in the back,chills,eye pain,dry cough,light sensitivity and headache.

Disclaimer:The best thing to do is to consult a  physician or your doctor before anything else to be sure that you are safe and your family too!This article is only meant for sharing information and personal opinion.The writer Is not responsible for the use or misuse of the information here by disclosed,does not  intend to -or incourage the-  use of this information as alternative to health care providers professional help.The reader is solely responsible of any actions taken by their own discretion and should never use the information as to diagnose,prognose,treat any disease.

The local newspaper today reported the death of the third victim of SWINE FLU -or H1N1 or Mexican Flu-in our county .They say it will be worse as the fall season approaches and dry air replaces the humidity that so far keeps a check on the spreading of the flu.A friend of mine was telling me recently that he fell ill from a cold and got over it by JUST using GARLIC TEA INFUSIONS besides bed rest .I checked out the "Natural Cures for the common cold" and it also emphasizes the use of GARLIC in addition to VITAMIN C,ECHNACEA ,ASTRALAGUS,GINGER,CHAMOMILE just to mention a few ..

 I beleive the best protection from any disease is THROUGH PREVENTION .The IMMUNE SYSTEM takes care of SAFEGAURDING our body which heals and cures ITSELF.We need to give our body some help though by doing the RIGHT THING AS WE MAKE CHOICES OF  WHAT TO :EAT ,DRINK.Also our life styles need to be checked out.Rest,sleep,exrecise also make a difference in our health.

ORGANIC Farming and gardening now is taking more of our thoughts , decisions and actions.We are opt to go back to MOTHER EARTH and REDISCOVER our forgotton habits of GROWING OUR OWN.

Schools and crowds gathering places like markets ,malls,gyms etc.. are the best environment for the spread of a flu.We need to fortify our immune system if we make a living by mixing with crowds.Fear is not a solution .Bweing proctive and vigilant and prepared is the best thing to do.I would start by encouraging the creation of ORGANIC HERB GARDENS in our schools,wellness centers,hospitals etc...HERBS have AROMATHERAPUTIC property.THEY PURIFY and CLEANSE the AIR where the flu spreads.

I personally beleive in the following herbs to cleanse,purify and repell not just pests and insects :

SAGE(for smudging)-CUBAN OREGANO-BASIL-ROSEMARY-THYME-ECHANEACEA-LAVENDER-ALOE VERA-MINT-EUCALIPTUS LEAVES/OIL-TEA TREE LEAVES/OIL

Fumigating the home by smudging with SAGE or VAPOR-boiling Eucaliptus LEAVES ,or boiling TEA TREE leaves(MELALUCA) into ..may clear the air.Native  NORTH American INDIANS and Shamans of SOUTH AMERICA do this smudging N/A- or VAPOR BATH S/A - in their PURIFICATION RITES and RITUALS!

Recent flu  victims were young and two of them were pregnant women in their 2o's one died with her baby saved,and another one is in coma at a local hospital , unfortunately her premature born baby died upon delivery.

Building a STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM is the FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE.EATING LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC GREENS helps !

There are a lot of books and information out there , but we do not have so many courageous farmers or gardeners who write or  tell their real life tales (other than what the fox or the dear ate from their farm!) .The earth and its inhabitants could be TRANSFORMED by just going back to the BASIC SIMPLE WAYS of LIVING while keeping the EARTH a LIVING PLANET ,A SAFE HOME....for the LIVING!

TELL YOU TALE and walk humbly and RESPECTFULLY  on earth , for it might be the ashes of your ancestors that you tread on!

I want to share with you a REAL story about one of the COMMUNITY GARDENS in South Florida that are becoming history!

This community garden I am talking about was more than 15 years old.It started at a neglected African American neighborfood back in the 90's.Dads Against Drugs were the ones who intiated the idea ,the volunteers and the city provided the land for the community garden.There was a soup kitchen involved and a local college kids program as well in addition to many local volunteers.The media was summoned upon opening and lots of propaganda followed.Two years ago a local newspaper did  a report on urban farming and a columnist did the coverage.That was then!Until the times when the folks volunteers community gardeners started to get behind in paying their mortgage ,insurance and so forth bills.One by one they left the garden to work a second job or find a way to pay the bills!Come 2003 ,I was the only one left .The Parks city co-ordinator was fired  due to  budget cuts .There were lots of crimes and murder not to mention the drug dealing before the garden.situation now is back .Recently "someone" came and demolished the almost one acre garden without notice at least to salvage the trees ,containers,tools etc..Rare neem trees,grape vines and garden accessories ...all were gone.Now piles of land fill occupy the garden and soon they will be building on the lot.No notice.No nothing.Tell me about respect for the land and volunteers who work community gardens!

Urban farming is a necessity to neglected neighborhood where drug dealers and crime brew and foster.Add to this a crowd of human beings who travel from all over  to seek rehabilitation from DRUGS at this sobriety world known retreat capital.Guns and ordinances can not solve the problems of neighborhoods infested by crime, poverty and drug dealers and users!Community outreach programs like PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY GARDENS can be one of the solutions!

Check out this: In Japan and Finland...gardening is being introduced as a THERAPY at hospitalls,rehabilitation and wellness centers..How about learning from those programs and implementing them in our own backyard.Lots of people now have no jobs,no homes and are flooding the food stamp system .I suggest giving those who are able bodied a "PRODUCE YOUR OWN FOOD" voucher instead ,payable at a COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDEN near you!

Yes, we can save millions if not billions by calling all vollunteers to work the community gardens.

There are by this moment around ONE MILLION FLORIDIANS who have no jobs.Most of them will be applying for FOOD STAMPS ,if they did not already.We have hundreds and thousands of neglected lots that are either owned by city or county.Why not start a program like the VICTORY GARDEN for example and earmark some bail out funding or budget? People can be productive producing their own food especially here in the South where we are in the 8-9-10 agricultural zone .. Produce can be grown almost the whole year round!

Now please be advised that we have THREE COMMISSIONERS ALREADY IN JAIL here and an INSPECTOR GENERAL: position now is being contemplated to investigate FRAUD etc...so we need some one from above to come first and have a look from below to find out what is going on.

Food is a necessity.People who are unemployed can produce their own ib community gardens if HELP is available.

Ask me about help and I tell you:No body listens!They were dumping the mulch from the Hurricane destroyed trees at the cemetry while there was  a need to use it at the community garden but no one would care, no matter whom and how many times you asked for help.Money talks loud around here.

Save those kids from the drug dealers by teaching them how to grow their own food.Save those neglected neighborhoods by growing fruit and vegetable community gardens in their neighborhoods.Let us produce Organic food locally by those who are able and  unemployed.We can do it .

In exploring and researching the roots of growing herbs in the tropical zone of Florida I stumbled on the mystical meanings as revealed throyghthe ancient healing arts of Ayuervida and TCM(TraditionalChinese Medicine).

It is so funny that we are witnessing a revival of this forgoton healing art that was buried in history and mystic philosophies.

In our times we are now hearing stoies about the pain killer pills and the narcotics blended in them in the name of medications to heal..Lot of patients have experienced the morbid side effects of those so called legal drugs.There are victims who fall everyday and we read about them when they happen to be celebrities and we dont hear about them if they are not.

For those of us who are suffering and have no access for medical professional help because they have no insurance or a job to sustain their living who is goping to turn a helping hand when they fall ill?

Man and women have learned from experience to trust their guts .Just like aniumals when they get sick , they trust their instinct to survive and go to the woods fetching digging(bears)and sniffing(cats and dogs)for the  plants that could give them help .

We humans have forgotten about how to relate to Mother Earth as we retired to our shelters in cement boxes and wrapped our selves recently with toxic dry wals to mention the least.

Time out.

As I went searching the the woods of books I dug out some roots about TCM .The Chinese knew the benefits of herbs as well as the ancient Greeks and Indians.The Greeks gave us Hippocretes the father of Medicine who preached about using food as our medicine and "let your medicine be your food".The Indians gave us Ayuevedic medicine.Now the East and West are meeting not in the battle field like once Rudyard kippling mentioned.They are meeting in the civilized study and application of herbs as food and medicine.

Most of us when we get sick swallow a pill.Not any more.It took us FIVE THOUSAND YEARS to be educated here where we stand now in the 21st century.Time is the best teacher.Time tested...Yes, herbs have been time tested for more than five thousand years.The rest is for us to open our hearts and minds to apprehend and comprehend .Understanding is the key for LEARNING.The mind is like a PARACHUTE.If you do not open the parachute then you are doomed as you jump into the world.The same thing applies for the heart .

There are four elements of creation as the Native Americans teach us:Air,Fire,Earthand water.There are Four vital fluids :Blood,Phelgm,Choler,andMelancholy as the Chinese TCM and Indian Ayeurvida teach us.Understanding how herbs can help us we need to go through the mystic journey of learning those ancient doctrines.

Happy Herb Gardening in Florida.

As more and more people lose their homes and jobs in this faltering economy, we notice a new  paradigm growing from this socio-economic -cultural DILEMMA!

Urban farmers are sprouting and transforming our community and backyards as well. Edible gardens  are now everywhere replacing the lawns and neglected lands . But , the never ending challenge remains here  in Florida: What to grow and not to grow in the BLAZING SUMMER of the HURRICANE land.

Most of the new commers to South Florida fall into the JUDGE-MENTAL trap of :"Nothing Grows in the Blazing heat and Humidity  of theS. Florida Summer"....WRONG!

Education pays big difference to clear the ambiguities and provide solutions to the new gardening challenges that are rampant here.

What grows and what does not is the is most frequently  asked question in the summer garden?BUT The most hidden question remains untackled :Which are the most HEAT,HUMIDITY,and DRAUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS?GO NATIVE is the ANSWER!

There are many questions that we need to answer  to adress the challenges in creating an Organic Edible Garden in the HOT ZONE 8-9-10 .It is as easy as 1- 2 -3 only if we treat Gardening as  a PROCESS , we need to take it one day and one   step at a time .WE need to go through the learning curve and we need to LEARN patience ,tolerance and endurance instead of"I WANT IT NOW"!Let us start with the right  PLANTS  to GROW and HARVEST during the summer  here in S. Florida:

I-EDIBLE  ORGANIC PLANTS:

A)Vegetables(that DO GROW in the summer): Pepper,okra,cucumber,Caribean spinach or calaloo,Beans(ex: lima,pinto,string,pole ),eggplant,cherry /wild tomato,corn. Gourds like pumpkins and zuchini . Tubers like sweat ptotato ,yuca ,casava and calabasa).

AA)Veggetables (that DO NOT grow in the summer):

Beats,broccoli,cabbage,cauliflower,celery,kohlrabi,lettuce,onions.garlic,mustard,heirloum tomato,carrot,endive,escargot,California spinach,

B) Herbs(Most warm loving plants do grow!):Basil,bay,chives,coriander,dill,fennel,mint,rosemary,parsely,sage,thyme,ginger,NEEM TREE.CUBAN and GREEK OREGANO and much more. Florida  warm climaste is a welcome environment to most herbs .Use shade to counter excessice hot locations.Use mist to cool the temp down!

C) Fruits(Most sub-Tropical zone  trees do GROW): Coconut,banana,plantain,papaya,pineapple,litchee,mango,fig,grape,pomgrenate,watermelon.

D) Flowers: Marygold,sunflower.

E) Succulents and cacti:Aloe vera,prickly pear.

THE GOOD TO KNOW/GROW  TEN TIPS GARDEN COMMANDMENTS:

1)-Thou Shall Diversify:Diversity makes a big difference even in the garden.Example: grow cucumbers next to sunflower to allow the use of a natural trellis (sunflower) for the vine(cucumber).Xeroscaping -or the right place for the right plant- is as important.For example: Cucumber like hills and raised ground.

2)Thou Shall Use Companion Herbs with veggie plants to prevent and ward off pests.Example: Use Cuban Oregano or basil or..your favorite herb as  companion to tomato or okra or any other vegetable-to discourage bugs from attacking your plants..

3)-Thou Shall Solarize the soil prior to planting to sterilize it and wipe out nematodes.

4)Thou Shall Utilize raised beds in flooding areas ,and trenches in high areas.

5)Thou Shall MULCH.MULCH.MULCH:That will help in reducing the heat effect on the plant ,trap the moisture in the soil for longer periods and contribute in water conservation and reducing the irrigation bill!

5) Thou Shall Create  your own ORGANIC SOIL using COMPOST,Manure,Organic ammendments like lime and other minerals enhancers etc.. .

6)Thou ShallNOT ABUSE THE land by using PESTICIDES .Instead use Alternative green prevention methods to combat pests and harmful bugs like:Neem oil,Castor oil,Tea tree oil,Castile soap,cayenne pepper,etc.

7) Thou Shall Use Organic Soil enrichments as an alternative to Chemical Fertilizers.Example:Bone and Blood meal from non-bovine source.Sea weeds.Epsom salt.

8)Thou Shall Make  use of mulch,shade, and ground covers to combat weeds and  reduce heat effects.

9)Thou Shall Use garden safety gear for personal body protection while in the garden.

10) Thou Shall not abuse your body while in the farm/garden.Instead:HYDRATE , and make use of ERGONOMICS .

Happy Summer Gardening

Tony /Alternative Comminty Farmer  @

www localharvest.org/farms/M20618

I DID NOT BUY A LOCAL NEWSPAPER FOR A LONG TIME , UNTILL TODAY.

A FRONT PAGE HEADLINE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND I WANT TO PASS IT ON   .

It talks about kids who got brain tumors ..It asks:was it a coincidence that they lived  close by  in a  neighborhood of farms that use pesticides? Or was the culprit the  well water??Find out for yourself down below:

www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/18/0618cluster.html

I have read in the news before,about migrant farmers who had kids with birth defects due to the pesicides.I have read about the pesiticdes side effects as carried out to us through the produce.But this is something new.

I like also to mention a web page that follows pesticides and rates the least and the most of produce with pesticides ,it is good to know, check it out at :

ewg.org

It is summer time now in Florida and guess what?The rain is back with a revenge and the water ponds are everywhere.The sun is blazzing and the bugs are grazing.Mucho mosquitos are in the air.

People here take refuge in the comfort air conditioned zone.Farmers like us need to work to make a living so what is the best bugs buster to protect the plantrs and the humans as well from the common enemy that is in the air?

Here comes to my mind what my mother and grandmother reommended as a home folklore preventive remedy to shew awy the unwanted  pests:

1-Citronella  Essential oil

2-Neem tree essential oil

3-Lavender Essential oil

4-Melaleucha or Tea tree essential oil.

I use those essential oils on my skin and on my plants to ward off the outdoor pests, never in full strength though.I use 1 % strength of those oils (like in two or three drops )mixed with other oils like Extra virgin olive oil combination mixed into a gallon of water with my favorite organic soap , then I spray on my plants or spread on my skin.Anything that goes on my skin can go into the air.Anything that goes into my mouth can go into my skin and NEVER do I use toxic chemicals .

Think about it.Why do we need those toxic chemicals  in the first place?

Wait.You will be hearing more about the effects of cell phones soon....I do not have or use one.

INTRODUCING:TARAXACUM OFFICINALE" or the "OFFICIAL REMEDY FOR DISORDERS".

HERE , they learned about its invasive properties as a weed  from the pest terminator  .The Europeans learned about its MEDICINAL properties  from The Arabs.The Arabs learned about them  from the Indians.The Indians learned about it from the Chinese .The Chineses...and the STORY keeps on rolling!

I speak no Chinese , and I learned about it from my mother who is not chinese either! 

She used to harvest it wild from the wilderness  .As a little boy , I remeber wandering with mother Sarah pulling  DANDELION  _DENTE DE LIONE_or the "TOOTH OF THE LION". It grew close to the trunk of the olive trees during the spring times.No lion teeth were pulled or found during the gathering process!

Now I  know it is called so due to the shape of the dandelion green leaf that has a look alike sharp lion teeth.It is beleived to act as a tooth /scavenger on the bad bugs in our body and chew them up.

This weed is now well respected all over the world for its value in preventing liver , kidney and gallbladder disorders.It is to be considered like food though just like some of us consider it as a weed and they have the right to say so if they beleive so!.

DO NOT SMOKE IT.DO NOT USE IT TO TREAT ANY DISEASE!

JUST EAT IT LIKE FOOD , use it in salads or soup or juice it with other vegetables!Careful though it is bitter and it might interfer with your medications , so check with your doctor first !

Disclaimer:This DANDELION is not to be used as medicine to treat or cure any disease.Follow directions of  your professional health practitioner ONLY in any regards to  treat disease  .

This literature is to be taken as an educational material based on stories from Indian Ayuervidics,Chinese  and European herbalists like Nicholas Culppeper(England),Russian chemist Gerasimova, the Swiss Vogel, and Eastern European Racz and Marei(Hobbs 1985).

Studies and  research  by the above mentioned Gerazimova and Vogel found out that dandelion reduces inflammation of the liver and is rich in vitamins A,C,D and the B chain plus a good load of minerals and trace minerals.

Here is a list of the alleged benefits of Dandelion:

1-It treats liver,gallbladder and kidney disorders.It stimulates the secretion of the bile.

2-It is condidered as a tonic,blood purifier,system detoxifier,cleanser.

3-It dissolves kidney stones and improves gastro intestinal health through acting on correcting and releiving constipation or diahrea.

4-It assists in weight reduction and treats skin disorders like acne.

5-It helps in lowering high blood pressure , serum cholesterol and acts as prevention for  diabetes.

I personally beleive in following a healthy life style including a diet rich in LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC GREENS , like dandelion for example.I grow most of what I eat.You can try and see for yourself how  DANDELION GREENS can BE helpful in getting you internally CLEAN.Check it out in your backyard or from a local organic farmer near you.

So now you know.when are you going to apply what you know?

Timing is the key.When?

Like when is the best time to detoxify the body for example? Did you know that the body works by RYTHEMS.They are called the Circadian Rythems or the Biological Clock..TICK...tick ..tick

Time to go to bed time to wake up..do you have any idea how your immune sustem works...It works when you go to sleep.

You want to cleanse and detoxyfy your body just by eating dandelion.WRONG!You got to have ample rest and sleep.Your body has a program to get rid of toxins through the skin(sweating),the lymphatic system(lympho-drainage),the kidneys (filtration)-liver / gallbladder(bile excretion),the colon(bowel movement).

So here is the good news why farmers live longer than anyone else: They wake up early and go to bed early.The key is "Sleeping time"!

The liver is called so because it is the one that determines the LIFE SPAN!

It does so by keeping the body clean from the inside free of toxins.It has a working schedule.

The human body  detox process  according to TCM ( Chinese Traditional Medicine) and Indian Ayuerveda teachings:

11PM-1 AM Liver time detoxification process takes place.

1 AM-3 AM Gallbladder detoxification process takes place.

3 AM- 5 AM Lungs detoxification process takes place.

5 AM-7 AM Colon detoxification process takes place.

Farmers wake up and start work early just like the  birds so they empty their bowls first  upon arising from bed.They get mucho oxygen intake as the earth releases more oxygen into the  air in early hours of the day.

LIFE SPAN?It is all about LIFE STYLE and the STATE OF THE LIVER!

Diet is one aspect.Sleep is another...Sleep tight..tonight!!

Urban Agriculture as defined by Wikipedia is :"The practice of cultivating ,processing and distributing food in or around a village,town or city...It contributes to food security and safety in two ways:

-It increases the amount of food available to people in the cities.

-It allows fresh vegetables to be made more available to urban consumers through the bio-intensive method ..and is seen as susatainable practice."

Urban farming in history was predominant in ancient cultures of :Mesopotemia, the  Incas, Persians  and Egyptians .

Urban Farming is now making it  to the headline news with the decline of the economy .Income loss is forcing many middle class households to revisit their back yards /front yards and transform them -from the lawn  inefficient , unproductive and expensive water bill , not to mention  the draught and dwindling water resources side effects-to flourishing vegetable gardens .

Here in the Sub-Tropical Florida hot zone frontier , those are few of the felt impressions by some URBAN FARMERS :

A) CHALLANGES:

1-Ecconomic incentives: With the budget cuts that are prevailing now, no or less  financial aid/incentives are made available or accesible by local  public authorities or and private  organizations to small urban farmers. Green markets mostly are run to attract tourists like the snow birds during the season and they are shut down during the summer, for example.Green markets offer no affordable or subsidized stands to small urban farmers.Grocery produce stores like extensions stands are mostly invited to sell produce that is mostly conventional that has been shipped from abroad or  travelled the  road of the 1500 miles!

2-Available agriculural land:Developers and Big Agri-Business have the lion share of the land here.  Farms (mostly conventional)have been dwindling in size tremendously and losing the battle to the developers.No programs are available for urban farming such as the ones in neighboring Cuba.There are a population of hispanics and Caribean Islanders who are experienced in urban farming but have no access to agricultural land.Lots stand idle and neglected after the shrinking of real estate market .

3-Lack of Sustainable and Permaculture  Education:Even though the talk of the town is about GREEN ENERGY the reality is still :Agri-business as usual!

B) BENEFITS of  Urban Farming:

1-Stimulates the local economy:It helps in generating and creating more businesses opportunities , job opportunities and contributes in reducing local unemployment.It boosts and diversifies the green markets to include other than merchants : Local enterpreneurs and  small farmers.

2-Provides a beautification touch to urban neighborhood landscapes through the addition of more green settings.

3-Contributes in providing more affordable locally grown ORGANIC produce to lower income families.

4-Socially , it helps in reducing the crime rate and increases the level of community interaction,awareness,diversity and racial tolerance.

5-Helps in transforming neglected and crime infested arenas and lands used to dumpdebries into flourshing beautiful vegetable and flower gardens.

6-Saves energy by reducing the carbon foot print of the average 1500 miles travelled by produce shipments by offering a locally grown produce harvested from a neighborhood near you.

This is to be more on the GREENY positive side and less on the GREEDY negative one!

New beginings awaits those who venture to embrace new GREEN PRODUCTIVE opportunities even in the city .

Help out in stimulating the economy on a smaller local scale: Be an urban farmer!

 Tony

Alternative Community Farmer

When I was in college I took students from the biology class I was tutoring to volunteer at a community garden .They were rewarded with credit hours for the community service effort.

Now with the schools being vacated for the summer break the best homework is to get busy outdoors in a community garden or a farm near you!

There are so many schools in the country that now have added vegetable gardens next to the play ground.California leads the states in their Permaculture and green school yards.

Studies have pinpointed ADHD and other cognitive issues besides high rate of Asthma and bronchial disorders among school children who spend most of their time indoors.

Outdoor gardening activities can do a lot of help to our children by taking them away from idle and boaring times spent watching TV or playing video computer games etc.

learning productive skills like growing vegetables can produce a positive influence in so many ways.

Learning social skills like communication , diversity interactions,community involvement is just an example.

Outdoors activities has been recommended to avoid the indoors pollution effects .Mental health improves as well as the physical health , studies have shown.Instead of complaining about disruptive behaviors and countering such with punitive and  negative judgemental parental approaches.Try the positive productive approach of the outdoors activities like gardening.

Kids love to play in the "dirt".They are drawn into playgrounds naturally and they deserve a HEALTHY meal from a local organic source.It takes a village to raise a child and IT TAKES a VEGETABLE GARDEN to PROVIDE NOURISHMENT.

It is your choice to raise your kid to be HEALTHY and PRODUCTIVE by leading in EXAMPLE .You can choose the CARROT -Nourishment -over the stick_Punishment. 

The decision is yours. 

Have you ever wandered in the wilderness searching for a wild edible weed /vegetable to eat?Man's best friend the dog does that.

Unless it is advertized or certified or recomended or imported or whatever,people wont eat it ..because it is wild or weird to them.

Introducing the indegenous Wild  Spinach Amaranth,Calalou "en Francais" or Kelite "en espanol".

This highly valued vegetable dates back to the times of the Incas and ancient indeginouspeoples of India and South Asia.

Mention Popeye and you will remeber Spinach.Now the wild Amaranth Calalou is MUCHO loaded with protein and  Vitamins like :A,C,D and the B chain .It is also known for its abundance with minerals like IRON ,calcium,magnesium.This has been known for ages to ancient INDEGINOUS peoples of the Americas, India and the Caribean nations .

It helps the immune system by charging the body with essential nutrients as mentioned earlier.It has some beleivers who swear by its VIAGRA like potency for stimulating the libido.DISCLAIMER:Remember that this plant is not a medicine or herb or drug.It is just a  vegetable grown for food purposes ONLY.It does not cure any disease.You need to check out FIRST with your health professional when in doubt apriori !

Here are some Calalou Food recipes:

Calalou Soup:

Steam a handful of cut calalou with half an onion diced.

Choose any favorite beans.Soak beans overnight.Cook beans after draining water for half an hour.

In a cast iron or stainless steel pot with two Table spoons of extra virgin olive oil:Saute garlic, half bulb,Half onion, half Table spoons of:Cuban oregano,cilantro,basil.Add pinch of sea salt and cayenne pepper.

Cut and dice:Two carrots.one green pepper,one unpeeled sweet potato or any other favorite veggies.

Boil half full of water pan.Add the above ingredients(except calalou) and simmer for fifteen minutes.Add steamed calalou at the end .Serve hot at end of meal.

Bon appetite.

Calalou Spinach salad:

Cut and peel stem of whole FRESH Locally grown Calalou bunch.

Cut/Mix the following locally grown vegetables and herbs in bowl: One Romaine Heart,TwoTomatoes,one cucumber,half onion,one tanle spoon of Cuban oregano,half cup of parsley,quarte cup of mint.

Combine the above together .Prepare a Tahini* salad dressing and mix with the Calalou salad.Refrigerate for ten minutes.Serve cold.Serve fresh at beginning of meal.Enjoy

*Tahini salad dressing:Two Table spoons of sesame paste(tahini).Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil.One lime or lemon.Pinch of salt.Crushed two garlic gloves.Mix all salad dressing ingredients.Add to salad upon serving fresh!

Last week we had a RARE visitor to South Florida:RAIN.

Mother Nature rained with a vengeance .Luckily , I am experimenting with a Flood/Draught Tolerant Container Garden .This reminds me of a friend who wanted to garden in a shallow area and I advised her to use  RAISED BEDS BORDERS to counter flooding.She did not want to listen. Imagine what happened to her vegetables? All oversoaked and lost.TOO much water is as bad as NO water at all.The ROOT system of the plants can be destroyed by either way:  Flooding or draught.

It is best to safegaurd against inclement weather , by implementing safe procedures  to protect the plants.

Here are some thoughts to share with you from my experience in gardening in South Florida areas prone to inclement weather hardships.

1-It is HELPFUL to consider PROFESSIONAL ADVICE from a local farmer/gardener before you attempt to start a veggie garden.

2-It is a MUST to study and measure the topography and the nature of the area intended for a veggie garden.Is there a slope or other hidden obstacles in the ground like :Pipes,entangled thick roots, toxic debris, etc?.Is the soil PH right ?Is it Alkaline or is it Acidic?

3-It is RECOMMENDED to get some LOCAL Gardening Education  by attending a  class or workshop and cultivate an INNER AWARENESS before you start DIGGING and cultivating the ground.Ask yourself: What kind of gardening methods to follow?What is best for your location: Raised Beds?Double Dig?Containers?Organic / Conventional?Ask questions.Read locally oriented gardening books.Check out and visit vegetable gardens in your area.Knowledge is power.ACTING on your knowledge is SELF EMPOWEREMENT! Do not let Ignorance or Fear interfere with your Passion to garden. JUST DO IT!

Here is what I do to safegaurd my garden against flooding and draught:

1-I choose native plants and  SEASONAL rotating crop- planting .

2-I build a protection border around my plots .I make sure that the location I choose is not prone to flooding.

3-I use  trenches for draught tolerant gardens .I  harvest  rain water by using rain barrels. I safegaurd against top soil erosion by using raised beds especially in areas that are subject to flooding.

Practice makes perfect and mistakes are our best teachers.

In an economic reckoning or meltdown or crunch or whatever you name it , the best bet is to save money if you can not make more !

Penny saved is a penny earned.

Now we who shop for Organic produce at an "X" health food store know how EXPENSIVE is the PRODUCE TAG. There are so many of us who are labeled "Green Thumbs"and  outdoor lovers , have opted to start a veggie Organic garden to replace the unproductive lawn in our front/backyard to save on the grocery bill.Others ,who do not garden, imagine that they have a "BLACK" thumb and go outdoors only to shop for their produce at the grocery store instead of growing it.Here is an easy way to harvest produce that is FREE for the grab for both categories of the imagined "Green and Black" thumbs .To save on the grocery bill ,shop for FREE at your front/ backyard  for NATURALLY , LOCALLY and LEGALLY grown Weeds! What inspired me to write this article is a book which I read recently  by Pamela Jones: "JUST WEEDS" !

 I recommend you READ it if you really want to have a full grasp and learn more about edible weeds.I hereby try to give some highlights and qoute selected excerpts  as a sample to invite your appetite!

Important note:.If you are suffering from a health condition , please check with your health professional first. The below information   is only meant to educate about wild edible weeds  considered by some as invasive  to be rounded up and eliminated from the garden.They are  NOT  to be used for whatsoever reason as food or medicinal alternatives to your doctors recommendations.They are only mentioned for informative and educational purposes and are NOT  recommended or intended to heal or cure any disease or condition.It is your sole responsibility to do whatever you choose to do on your own.

1-Couch Grass/Dog grass/Dutch grass (Agrpyron/triticum repens): "A perenial with both culinary and medicinal use.Part used is the root.The World famous Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper describes it:"The stalks are jointed like corn,with the like leaves on them,and a large spiked head ,with a long huskin them ,and hard seeds in them.If you know it not by this description,watch the dogs when they are sick , and they will quickly lead you to it."Europeans have long prepared juices or teas from the rhizome/root to purify blood.Also recomended, the dried and ground rhizomes by a French Dr.Cazin ,for gout,gallstones,hemorrhoids,scaby skin conditions,acne.."

2-Watercress (Nasturtiumofficinale):" A perenial aquatic weed that is usually located at springs,brooks,freshwater ponds...It is said to have high content of iodine and iron,as well as vitamins A,B2,C,D and the minerals calcium,copper,potassium and magnesium.

3-Purslane/Pussley/Pursley/Pigweed (Portulaca oleracea):"Annual weed that grows intermittently throughout summer in fertile and sandy sunny areas.It is used for culinary and medicinal puposes...According to Euorepean world famous Herbalist  Icholas Culpeper :...the seed expels worms..also Purslane soothes the heat of the liver...when applied to the eye it takes away inflammation".

Recently it was discovered that puslanes is rich in OMEGA3.

4-Dandelion (taraxacum officinale):" A perenial that grows at road sides,meadows,lawns,fields,waste places.Parts (leaves,flower and roots) are used for culinary ,medicinal ,cosmetic and commercial purposes.Nicholas Culpeper found it very effectual for the obstruction of the liver,gall, and spleen,for jaundice,urinary infections..."

Spring is in the air and weeds are everywhere..

Be aware of what is edible versus what's NOT and  terrible!

It is good to KNOW :what 's  legal to GROW!

When markets CRASH , just stash your CASH!

Most people look you in the eye and check out your color ,your accent and your clothes then they give you a label or a stereotype of what kind of a person you are according to their own standards..People in general judge and have preconceived ideas and want to know about WHERE other people COME FROM..They in contrast do not ask the grocery store produce clerk where their FRUITS and VEGGIES COME FROM !!!

DRAUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS....Which actually is a creation term of our own imagination, just like any other stereotype labels , keep the fashion of promoting and circulating the innocent LIES we learned or created.

Best thing to identify  people is  by their  culture /environment /earth or soil where their roots developed.The environment:Earth or soil and climate are the major differential  that gives us an identity of who we are and where do we belong to grow.The food which we  grew locally harvested and consumed tell the tale about our body and mind constitution. Apply the same concept to plants.Input equals output.Feed oneself trash and junk and be what you eat.Feed your GMO plants synthetic chemicals and pesticides and reap the same .

The soil ,the humidity,the temperature construe important factors that determine which plant or person fit in which land or soil.Those factors are so interdependent and interrelated to both  humans and plants.So I find the people who come from the desert or the tropics eat food that fits into their nature and the environment where they grew up.

We hear stories about Global Warming and people start repeating those stories.Hear this: The Farmer Almanac - 2009 is talking about Global Cooling...how many of us beleive it is the opposite that is going on.

So , back to the LABELED"Draught Tolerant" plants. .FIRST, Look for those pointers :Good soil preparation and drainage,mulch,organic matter,Shade,Good Root System and the dooubledig/trenches/raised beds dimensions depending whether your garden falls in areas prone or not to flooding!

Then pick a native plant and grow it.So many garden books describe native shrubs and ornamentals and ignore to list any veggies or herbs, for example.

I will make an exception and give  you a sample of what I grow in the draught of Florida summer, as an example:

A)Veggies: Okra , beans,eggplants, cherry tomato, tubers like sweat potato,cacti,kalaloo or caribean spinach,corn and Armenian cucumber.

B)Herbs: Cuban oregano,aloe vera,rosemary,lavender,lemon grass,NEEM Tree,Bay Tree.

C)Fruit: Watermelon,mango tree,papaya tree,pineapple

Practice makes perfect and the more you garden or farm the more of an expert you become.There is a learning curve to cover and local HANDS ON workshops offered by your local farmer or gardener are the best to check out first.

Since Rodale wrote his first article on ORGANIC GARDENING back in the 60 's we have evolved tremendously in the way of our consumption into more of ORGANICALLY GROWN PRODUCE.

Now in the 21st century with the inauguration of the second presidential Organic Garden in recent memory in the WHITE HOUSE ,we are ready to hit the ground and start growing our own.

First let us emphasise the importance of geting a  HANDS ON EDUCATION .

I was reading lately an article from the OPRAH Magazine June 2009  edition number 55 titled " Yours for the picking".What caught my attention in the article is the EASY and SIMPLE way it sounded how gardening is versus the general  public opinion of HOW HARD IT IS .  .It is not so EASY neither  so HARD if we learn the KNOW HOW from a professional gardener or farmer.Only the professionals who have experience and education can teach us how to garden.There are tons of books and magazines and thousands of web sites that we may refer to , but we need to pay attention to the location and the zone we live in.There are different climates and different seasons and different crops all depending on the LOCATION .That is why it is important to buy and grow LOCALLY besides getting a local gardening education as well!

It is more convenientand  easy to read a book or an article on gardening while in bed or behind a desk or in the comfort of air conditioned indoor environment, but the best way is to learn HANDS ON right in the garden OUTDOORS.

There are so many of us farmers and gardeners now offering workshops and classes to educate the public.Switch on to the blog sites like the one of \\\\ localharvest.org/blogs   , for example and search the   local events .It makes a difference.Tell a friend or bring one with you.

Gardening and farming was one of the first occupations since man took residence on earth.The ancient  Greeks built a garden first and later constructed the home around it.Villages and towns in ancient Egypt and Mesopotemia sprouted around fertile lands by "the Rivers of Babylon " and the Nile Delta.The Romans invented the canals for drawing water to arid lands.Recently the modern Gulf States are cultivating the deserts and farms are sprouting out of the sand!

What happened to this occupation in our culture of the push buttons and hi-tech cyberspace?As an after shock to the recent economic meltdown,people want to start a garden right now because that is the only job oppening close to home after being laid off!Also , it makes sense to follow the path of the Victory Garden which was introduced back in the 40's with a similar economy of  meltdown melieu / environment.Take deep breath and do some home work.Take it easy and have some patience.Gardening is a process and it starts from cultivating self before digging and cultivating the ground.

Here are some personal conclisions gathered from various workshops fascilitated on local organic gardening topics:

1-People have phobias of the outdoors in Florida.It ranges from fear of bugs ,sun,snakes,dirt to gardeners/farmers strangers with a different color or accent or class or you name the stereaotype you want..

2-People want your labor intensive expertise for less and want to grow the plants that they are used to from other states .Hello, we are in the Tropics..the land has a distinct and different taste of  HOT REGION PRODUCE.Get to know your locally grown and forget about taste and being picky.If you want to adjust just start talking to your nearest local farmer , visit his/her garden and get acquainted with what he/she grows or  knows .Get educated.Attend a class or a workshop for a start or read a  local veggie garden book ,if you can find one!Be pro-active!

3-Have ready a garden gear: Hats,gloves,boots,water,sun glasses

4-Lack of gardening knowledge is called ignorance not a BLACK THUMB.Have a hands on training session .Learn more about garden ergonomics .Ask questions related to the garden not about NATIONALITY or ethnic backgrounnd!

5- The times of affluence are over and now is the time to do it yourself and grow your own.Allow a transition period to re-adjust behavioral traits ,like learn how to meet people whom you have never imagined to meet  before because they are different from your already preconceived set of human standard.Respect makes no offence.Humiliation and judgement and intimdations are the worst tools to make the best of human relations .

6-Learn how to deep breathe when you are in the garden .It will open your lungs and also your mind will receive more oxygen and you will feel tired no more.

7-Listen .Learning the gardening process starts with an open mind and ear.

8-Just do it after you have learned it.Do not procrastinate beyond this point.

For more directions read my other blogs to further construe the cognitive as well as the constructive attitude to follow towards fulfiling the PRODUCTIVE GARDEN DREAM!

The journey of thousand miles starts with a mile.Bon Voyage!

I have more than eight peacocks that are protected as wild endangered species here in Florida .Lots  of other animal kingdom wild friends like IGUANAS also roam the garden freely and still I have vegetables to eat.The secret is grow what those friends do not like to eat.For example.I grow on the boundaries pineapple .They have spikes and so I use them as natural fence to discourage animal ( or human)trespassing !

Another technique I use is feeding the birds in certain area away from my garden so they get to know me as their friend and know that the dinning table is away from my garden.Animals have feelings just like plants and offcourse HUMANS do! So we get along and by respecting each others feelings we get by.

I found out that Tomatoes also can be a good safe crop at least for myself.The peacocks stear clear of the tomato plant because they know that the leaves are poisonous.They did find out about my Kalaloo spinach though and had plenty of free meals and I had to put a net around those spinach to save them.

The spuirrels ate all my sun flower seedlings once so I decided to distract them away from the garden and had some plates of nuts and sun flower seeds next to water bowl and man it worked they left my seedlings alone !

We need to learn our lessons from the plants and animals on conflict resolutions withoyt using FORCE POWER! I beleive offered food can be used as a good tool to make new friends with those animal intruders at the garden.How about feeding the hungry of our fellow human beings .I donate to a local soap kitchen and share my extras with those needy who I happen to know or who volunteer at my garden.I do not THROW AWAY FOOD in the dumpster.You will be surprised how many of us DUMP good food in the TRASH!

Those days of excess are gone and now we have less whether in money or resources.Let us make use of RECYCLING and COMMUNITY SHARING and renew the olden habits of the past which were passed to us by our mothres/grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers.History repeats itself and the lessons we learn and apply can make life more enjoyable and worth living.Giving is the key word.Acting on this word makes a DIFFERENCE.