The Harvest Bee Blog

Good Mornin' Friends: In college I was always taught the less you say the better. So, I apologize ahead of time for informing that advice today ??. I owe so much to this group for what you have meant to this first year of biodynamic farming for me. When I first became interested in this whole farming, local organic food extravaganza, the obvious disconnect between people and real food lit a fire within me and inspired me in a way that I can honestly say I had never felt. That inspiration, thanks to authors, activists, and farmers like Michael Pollen, Wendell Berry, and Joel Salatin, among others, came at a time when I really struggled with finding where my place was and would be in this world. I walk with gratitude every day, even when the pathway can become somewhat convoluted, that the spirits found their way to me and guided me to the pathway I currently tread. In fact, it is when the journey seems so twisted that I often find the most clarity. Going into this journey the struggle between organic food and conventional food was well under way and I knew that farming in and of itself would not and could not be the sole part to play in this battle. Activism is crucial in order to really make a difference, passive or active depending on the circumstances. What I did not expect was a battle to unfold between organic and organic itself. We have the USDA to thank for that with their deceit in labeling organic food and misguiding people to think that that USDA seal of approval actually qualifies as authentic food. In reality, all the label does is charge small, honest growers an exorbitant price for an inspection carried out by someone who most likely has never farmed before while alternatively, thanks to the various loopholes involved, allowing the big guys (and small farmers, too) to use not just organic sprays, but synthetic chemicals, as well. I urge you to take time to actually research the ownership of most of the "organic" products at supermarkets. You will find that most of these brands are owned by big time conventional companies, but by placing a USDA label on their product and a pretty farm photo on their box they get away with what is for all intents and purposes a real big hoax. Anyways, that misguided approach to growing and sharing food is what led me to "Biodynamics." Even though I was confident that I upheld what the true spirit of organic certification intended, I knew the activist part of me could not justify any sort of connection or link with such a distorted movement. And to that point, there are many small USDA certified farms who do a stand up job of upholding truth in their approach to growing food, too. For me, though, I was done and at that moment of knowing I to make a bold change in breaking away, the journey definitely became twisted. I realized I had to basically start from scratch despite having put almost 5 years into building my first farm and that scared me considerably. Slowly but surely, over the past year or so, the journey has become less twisted, but I feel so much more free knowing that the farming I believe in and most people want to believe in can be associated with a more honest movement of growing real, organic food. (I appreciate that some of you enjoy these newsletters, but in full disclosure, sometimes I find in these writings that I am actually or probably trying more to reassure myself as I strive for clarity and purpose as much as I am attempting to share information with and educate others. Thank you all for letting me ramble ??). This has already been long enough, but here is a link I wanted to share with you all that briefly outlines what exactly the term "biodynamics" implies. It really is not just some fancy word, but rather a guiding light and specific principle of how food was intended to grow that needs to be followed in order to qualify for using that term. When you get right down to the nitty gritty, it really is farming as Natives did, which is why Native American culture is so important and intriguing to me and always has been since I grew up in the heart of Iroquois Nation in Western New York. It's been a hoot, this season, sharing these Biodynamic principles with people at the market and beyond and I truly hope you all and many others will continue to share in this camaraderie of standing up for honest growing! http://www.cornucopia.org/2016/02/going-back-to-the-future-is-biodynamic-agriculture-the-newest-trend-in-organic/ In your shares this week you will find the following: •Arugula or Kale Mix •Cabbage •Zucchini •Bush Beans •Cilantro or Parsley Here is a wonderful recipe for Zucchini pasta that is so easy it will make you dance! And another recipe for a Zucchini flan that is equally as easy and totally delicious! Pasta: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016436-zucchini-pasta Flan: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017582-zucchini-flan Again, thank you for letting us "ramble on, sing my song, and find my way" in farming. See all at pick-ups! Onen, The Bees