SOMOS LA SEMILLA – WE ARE THE SEED
March 1, 2010
I recently attended a two day workshop held at a ranch in the Dragoon mountains on “Healthy Food, Healthy Future” which was sponsored by “Why Hunger?” (www.whyhunger.org), Community Food Bank of Tucson, and the Mariposa Health Clinic. All 60 or more of us gardeners, farmers, health care providers, teachers, and activists were clear of the need to encourage more people to grow food and support those who do. We came up with great action-oriented ideas from expanding school curriculums to include how to garden (from seed to seed) ; starting community gardens; making land available for those who don’t have any; having open farm/community garden days for people to tour and learn how to do it themselves; organizing interchanges of information, skills, and resources; providing responsible consumption education; increasing cross-border cooperation; improving school lunch programs; and many other inspiring plans.
Why is this so important? We live in a Food Desert (scarcity of local, healthy, and naturally-grown foods), especially in rural areas. Even a supermarket with its myriad of choices can be a food desert. We need to realize that healthy food is a Human Right for all, and we need to protect it! We don’t have enough local and healthy food grown in this area, and the education system needs to improve so the children and adults can learn the value of local foods grown in a sustainable way. We also don’t have the surplus needed to keep the market prices reasonable so that local organically and naturally grown foods can be affordable for everyone. There needs to be more farm-stands, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores with local fresh foods. The fewer miles the food travels on the road (most travels an average of 1500 miles), the more fresh and ripe it is. By incorporating growing practices that are more sustainable, we will also have less environmental pollution and better water conservation, and, of course, we can all eat healthier and live better lives.
How can we manifest these gardens to be everywhere? The first step is to commit yourselves for a whole season to do it. You need to find some land—backyard or community garden project—and then to learn as much as you can how to grow food as you do it. Visit your farms and community gardens, talk to each other, and support each other. Find a neighbor, a friend, or even better yet, a group of people to do this together so that the effort, time, and responsibility can be shared. Maybe there is already something in progress in your neighborhood. This is true community building.
Growing food is all about soil, seeds, and water. Soil building is so vital in the desert. By using real compost you enrich the soil so it can feed the plants, absorb the water like a sponge, and become itself a multibillion strong beneficial organism. Work your compost in the soil as soon as possible and then plant any seeds in the ground according to instructions given for timing and depth. Protect the soil from wind and water erosion—mulch with straw, woodchips, or other materials. At the beginning of the season you should also apply water and air permeable floating row covers to give protection from frost, wind, and sun and keep heat in at night.
My favorite plants right now are all the greens—lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, and some root crops including beets, turnips, radishes and carrots as well. The summer-loving plants require warmer temperatures to sprout and grow; you can start some in your window sill or greenhouse to transplant later.
Have you ever tried growing microgreens? Get a mix of seeds of greens you like and plant evenly and very close together; I have often simply broadcasted them with great success. Once they are at least 3” tall, you can regularly cut them down to the first inch above ground level. They will continue growing for quite a while and are a continual source for delicious baby greens salads! Feed the plants every two weeks using a spray bottle full of compost tea, kelp, or fish emulsion.
If you’re not ready to plant a whole garden, how about planting and tending food plants in a container—as you would house plants. All they need is good soil and a good light source. I have seen a lot of people grow food this way. You can start indoors and then bring them outside for the warmer months using walls for shade and wind protection. You can grow tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, squash, and greens this way.
During our conference a wonderful service-oriented Mexican lady and missionary wife from Agua Prieta/Douglas envisioned herself being the seed for her people by starting more gardens and teaching them how to grow and live sustainable. She called it “Somos La Semilla”—“We are the Seed.” The vision was so beautiful that several of our working groups adopted it for different activities. I encourage you all to see yourself as a seed that inspires not just yourself but others to grow. The cosmic energies of this spring season will give you all the support to go forth and multiply.
I look forward to visiting or hearing of your food gardens. Write me at Avalon Organic Gardens, Attn: Tarenta, P.O. Box 4910, Tubac, AZ 85646, or E-mail me at csa@avalongardens.org. Send some pictures as well—we might be able to include you in the open house garden tour in September that we are planning. Of course you are welcome to ask me any questions, too.
May you sprout and be blessed this season, Tarenta Baldeschi (Change Agent)
Comments
One Response to “SOMOS LA SEMILLA – WE ARE THE SEED”
Got something to say?
Please visit the flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmrunningphoto/sets/72157623534456746/
other interesting link:
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/59515
great interview with dr. Sedilla Paloma starting at 40: 00
http://ccegl.org/
The Center for Critical Environmental and Global Literacy (CCEGL) was founded in response to an urgent need to empower teachers, students and communities to understand and confront critical social and environmental challenges both locally and globally.