21 Mar Sat 2009
Farming with a Spiritual Frame of Mind
I want to relate a real story that happened to me that might draw in some meaningful gardening spiritual lessons .I facilitated a workshop on Container Gardening at a local (UMC) church that offers me a space in their backyard to experiment on my Draught Tolerant Container Gardening pilot project.
Lately, we have been enduring severe drought conditions in Florida .Our last consecutive good rain is tracked back to Christmas Eve 2008.
That was true until yesterday, Wednesday March 18, 2009, when we had our latest good consecutive rain that made HEADLINES in the local papers.
For example, here was what the Palm Beach Post reported TODAY March 19, 2009 on its first page, "WEATHER CHANGE STALLED FRONT HELPS PROVIDE NEEDED RAIN.” We have not experienced such severe drought since 1930 here in Florida .This is how bad it is, especially for small farmers who do not exist on the list of “Disaster Help” when it comes to receiving financial or marketing support, to mention the least.
As a local ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY FARMER, I try to raise the awareness about the importance of locally grown Pesticide and Synthetic Chemicals FREE urban sustainable farming, through a series of FREE workshops. My last one was on Saturday March 14 at the local church as mentioned earlier. The thing that motivated me to write this article is what really happened before, during and after the workshop.
Last week, BEFORE the workshop, I was at the church preparing for the presentation, when I met a “special spiritual” friend, Rev. Jannette ,a member of the church .I mentioned to her that I want to dedicate this workshop in my prayers for getting rain. She corrected me and suggested that I pray for NEEDED WEATHER CHANGE.
I did just that at the workshop. For a close, I asked the pastor of the church to conclude with a prayer. As we joined hands altogether, Pastor Jim did a brief prayer and ended it with “so be it”. In my heart I was praying for a needed weather change as I was told. It happened on Wednesday March 18, 2009, AFTER the workshop.
Another significant spontaneous coincidence that happened DURING the workshop:
As I was introducing the tomato crop and mentioning the health benefits of eating locally grown tomatoes, I referred to LICOPENE the amino acid that is found in tomatoes and was clinically tested and proven to fight cancerous cells.
I stopped there to ask a doctor attending the work shop to give us her opinion about how cancer cells are formed and prevented .Dr Nadia Malik, a local Chiropractor, gave us a brief talk on the CANCER CELLS, then I proceeded. Also, I introduced a water management expert and author, Dr. Christopher who did a brief talk on using rain barrels in sustainable gardening. Dr. Christopher, his wife Kimberly and myself are experimenting and building together a drought tolerant fruit and vegetable garden to replace the grass in their front yard. One way to fight global warming, other than by words, is to grow more fruit and vegetable gardens, especially using rain harvesting. Trees and plants have been proven as best friends in replenishing carbon with oxygen besides drawing in rain. The RAIN FOREST is the living example. MEANING: FORESTS and particularly TREES …attract RAIN. On the other side: CONCRETE BUILDINGS and DEVELOPMENTS attract DROUGHT!
It was not until the end of the workshop, when Dr Nadia handed me a copy of the March newsletter that she publishes .I was astounded to read the title: “ARE YOU AT THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER?” Here is a sample from the article, I quote:” Sensitive breast tissue is being exposed to inordinate amounts of toxins in our food, air, lotions, creams, just about anything you can think of, that mimic the bad estrogen in the body. Unfortunately these false estrogens are the kind that promotes cancer development.”
She goes on to elaborate on the prevention way, I quote:”Several studies point to the value of healthy diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits.” Unquote.
Toxins in our food: To talk about pesticides and chemicals loaded in our food is to talk about a small amount of those toxins that cause and consequently leads into a significant health damaging effect.
The list goes on to the air, lotions and creams, toys and prefabricated walls imported from China and lately toxins were found in pants distributed to firefighters!!
To find more about the least and most produce exposed to the toxins pesticides, visit this web site: ewg.org. Look out for pesticides report .You will receive a copy of the report to your email if you choose to do so. It is FREE of charge.
Back to the SPIRITUAL frame of mind .I want to mention that my intentions and my spiritual intuitions have a lot to do about why I garden .I believe that gardening is a therapy especially if we approach it from a spiritual mental point of view.
Was it a coincidence that now hospitals in Japan and Finland are incorporating it in their hands on therapy treatments of their patients?
Mother EARTH needs more earth keepers like farmers and gardener’s .You could be one if you tune with the new spiritual awakening that is at the works now at our present time. We waited FOUR HUNDRED YEARS to have one AFRICAN AMERICAN president. BY the way, the New York Times reported on March 19 that the Obamas are set up to start their White House VEGETABLE GARDEN.
First time since the Victory Garden was planted by the President of F.D ROOSEVELT. More details at the direct web link:
Nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19gardens-web.html
The living earth can not wait for more years of irresponsible damage to the environment. I have learned that GIVING appreciation works better than TAKING advantage in our human relationships .The latter (taking) is one of many faces of the COMPETITION WAY of living. The former (giving) is one merit of many of the COMMUNITY way of living.
I SHARE my good thoughts, intentions and deeds for the benefit of all the living.
I SHARE the harvest of my garden with the needy, equally with the affluent. I give thanks for what I receive in gratitude, that may the giver have more abundance. I pray for the needed weather change and the needed economy change for a better life on earth to all my relations. Aho-meta-kwe-yasen.
Tony
Alternative Community Farmer