Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

 "THREE WEALTHY ATLANTA SUBURBAN COUNTIES HAVE DOUBLED THEIR USE of FOOD STAMPS..." reported the New York Times in its FRONT PAGE REPORT ON FOOD STAMPS..MORE DETAILS AT THE BELOW LINK:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html

The news that do not find its way to us like the story of a man who worked for eight years at a company that closed down manufacturing andf moved overseas under the NAFTA regulations.

This man is a real true story.Call him the DENIED STAMPS man for a nick name.He is not yet on the news but soon a lot of people like him will blow the whistle.

His last job was back in 2001.He lived with friends.He worked the land to grow his food.He depleted his 401 K and pension and when he applied for food stamps, he was BLUNTLY DENIED.IT happened recently !How many people are denied for reasons of red tape or no reasons at all?We need someone to investigate all the DENIED CASES..There are people who have applied and they are eligible but were denied.Just like those African American  voters who were wrongly stripped of their voting rights back in the 2001 elections and now they were reinstalled back into the system.There are corrupted officials- fixtures that are manipulating the system who need to lose their jobs so that the eligible can get food stamps.Fla. Governer has called for investigations of  corrupted officials lately.

In case we do not want to go that way.

Let us create another way to help those who can help themselves and grow their own food.

My idea is this:

Create FREE COMMUNITY PLOTS VOUCHERS for those who are able to work and PRODUCE their own FOOD .Let those plots be part of the IDLE LANDS to be transformed into COMMUNITY GARDENS.We created a garden in the White House .Therefore we can create similar gardens for those who have lost their homes in foreclosures or for those who have the ability to PRODUCE their own food .

This idea has worked in the past during EARLIER DEPRESSIONS and we call it : THE VICTORY GARDENS.History is repeating itself .So, let it be a full repetition for those who HAVE and those WHO HAVE NOT!

You save tax payers money.You stimulate local economy.Your reduce unemployment.You SAVE LIVES and MONEY!

Once upon a time , I was a chain smoker .It was back in the EIGHTIES.I did not smoke after quiting and recently I  met a friend smoker who challenged me that I can not quit smoking NOW in the 21 century due to the high ADDICTIVE ADDITIVES in the cigarretes.I accepted the challenge and STARTED smoking .I did that for the first  three weeks in November and told my friend I am ready to STOP and QUIT SMOKING.He did not beleive I could do it.Here is what I did to quit smoking.Note: I did not smoke for the last one week of November and forward HOLDING GOING STRONG SMOKE FREE.Here is HOW I did it:

IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAIMER:Below is a narration that represents a personal OPINION and NOT A PRESCRIPTION or an ALTERNATIVE TO SEEK MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL HELP. TO QUIT SMOKING YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT WITH A HEALTH PROFESSIONAKL .NOT A GARDENER OFFCOURSE! I DO NOT ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE ANYONE TO SMOKE.IT IS YOUR FREE DECISION TO MAKE .THIS ARTICLE IS WRITEN BY AN ADULT AND ONLY FOR ADULTS EYES.IF YOU ARE A TEENAGER UNDERAGE PLEASE QUIT READING THIS ARTICLE NOW as you were supposed to be NOT SMOKING AFTER ALL!!

1-I first started by alternating my ciggerettes from different brands.I choose the forgien full flavor ones like the "made in XYZ FOREIGN COUNTRY"

They contain less additives and addictive chemicals , by the way..I did not choose the MINT ones because some one told me they have fiber glass added to mimmick the COOL feel of mint!

2-I played a "BREATHING"  trick on my LUNGS.I found out that the lungs of people who choose to smoke usually are not FULLY expanded- due to their short breaths habits.In general , people who are stressed out take less breaths and or hold their breath more or take short ones.So smoking makes one take a DEEP BREATH ,with CO fumes offcourse!We stop fuming and become less agressive and less stressed for a moment.So we have a good time for a second followed by all the eczyma and lung cancers for LATER.NOW , I take DEEP BREATH WITH FRESH AIR FULL FLAVOR INSTEAD!EHEM!EHEM!

3-I am using my bike instead of my car to commute in town.I am going more to the movies and taking more trips using the bus instead of my car.(Smoking is not allowed there!).I am switching alliances to friends and family members who are non-smokers to hang around!

4-I am eating more green grapes to FEED MY CRAVINGS for a ciggerrete in my mouth!

5-I am drinking more spring water to quench the burning for a fire smoke in my head.

6-I am spending  more hours outdoors, and smelling more roses and flowers to replace the addiction of smelling cigerretes carbon monoxide fumes!

7-I am sweating the smell stuff out of my lungs and skin by working out more HOURS  at the GARDEN.

8-I am EATING  more salads and ORGANIC LOCALLY GROWN GREENS(Rich in LIQUID soluble and NATURAL Vitamins and minerals) .That will help the body to absorb and assimilate- especially when PH balanced!

9-I am DRINKING more green VEGETABLES.Mainly WITH :Dandelion,Collards,Parsley,Carrots included and FRUITS:Mainly included  WITH CITRUS  and APPLES JUICES (Rich in Vitamin C).

10-I am SAVING my HARD EARNED MONEY to be spent HEALTH-WISELY,not on my FUTURE MEDICAL and HOSPITAL BILLS (I have no Health Insurance)TO TREAT THE VOLUNTARY  SELF INFLICTED DISEASES from SMOKING CO- a by product of cigerrettes and known to cause health HAZARDS! 

HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS!

If you subscribe in one of those magazines that tackle agricultural and horticultural news...take note!

Here in Florida we have a shortage in magazines that really tend to farmers or gardeners who choose to go the ORGANIC way.There are few magazines that are full of pictures and narrations about ornamentals and flowers .No news about Organic farmers or Organic CSA or gardeners.Why?As an Organic Master Gardener I was approached once upon a time to sign a paper by a certain agency that takes care (at least assumes to ) of agricultural services to the local community.I was asked to put my agreement in writing that I mention fertilizers and pesticides in my volunteer work .I refused to do so and altogether withdrew from the program.

Recently,I met a volunteer who supervises a community garden locally-  he was telling the gardeners and media -that it is best to  use pesticides to scare away the bugs in a community garden that he calssifies as ORGANIC. I went to that community garden that is classified as ORGANIC and asked the same person to remove the plastic and other toxic PCB and other debris that are apparent in the soil of the community garden and he answered that we are not totally organic.He pressed so hard on my hand as he was leaving that almost I felt my fingers cracking.He was angry at me being honest.

This will take me to another venue where we gardeners like to stroll the pages of the media that carry our passion.I was so excited to find that there was a full page dedicated in the HORTICULTURE magazine edition of December 2009/January 2010 to ORGANIC APPROACH /Community Supported Agriculture.I was so happy to read the article that also referred the readers to localharvest web site.Thank you!

We need more visibility and more pages to reach out to the community and teach our ORGANIC WAY of working the land.We need more help and more land dedicated to the  sustainability way of LIFE.I sent the magazine a thank you note and attached couple of articles.Would they get me published? I really must wait to next year to find out.Meanwhile check them ourt at:

hortmag.com

One of their editors :Peter Garnham contributed and wrote the article on CSA.May be we need to let them know that we appreciate that they refer their readers to our web site here at local harvest, and may be we can contribute and help out too by making them more visible to our MORE than 2500 CSA farmers here at localharvest.org.

My point is :Let us reach out not just by our hands that plant and harvest but also by our minds and hearts in writing and teaching about what we do to the the EARTH and to our LOCAL community .I personally fight GLOBAL warming LOCALLY by just spreading more GREEN SHEETS that bear organic fruits and vegetables and beautify my neighbourhood.What about you?

There are many GREEN WAYS to help out if there is  a genuine WILL to do so.Doing is the PROOF .Lot of people SAY they support the EARTH and the COMMUNITY by just moving their LIPS.It is time to move  the HANDS folks.