Poetry
I wrote this poem at the end of the Ridge to Reef course I recently completed in St. Croix at The Virgin Island Sustainable Farm Institute.
Letter to my self:
I keep thinking about that other life, back there, wherever there is. It seems like a dream. But wasn’t this supposed to be the dream? Not anymore. Where I feel the most right about myself, the people around me, what I am doing, where I happen to be- I want this to be my chosen reality. I acknowledge that my reality is what I make it. Back there seems unreal. Like a movie I’ve seen before, it’s repetitive- sometimes it goes nowhere. I don’t want to repeat anything that hasn’t brought joy to my life. I know this will be difficult, perhaps unavoidable. I want to take this away with me.
Right now there is a breeze. I can hear it as the trees rustle about- connected with each other, and me, all while I think and write. I want to multi-task more in this way, as I connect with nature more naturally- it should seep in to my bones. I shouldn’t have to do it, but I should let it do it to me. Listen to nature, talk to nature, feed from nature, be with nature. These things are more important to me now than ever.
Forgiveness and sharing, listening: these are things I want to do more, all the time, with people. Singing, dancing, laughing too. Feeling comfortable in my own skin- skin is nature, it is everything- acknowledge this and the former is possible. I want to remember this.
There are so many things I can do now, but even more that I can teach, even if that teaching is simply spreading the word. I want to teach more. I’d like to be a mentor to someone(s). Now I know how to do this. I feel confident and ready. I want to expand on and implement everything I have learned in the past two months into what I do everyday, no mater where I am. This constant is important to me. I know it’s important to others. I’ll need to continue to trust in my beliefs. They’ve pretty much always been there, always held the same truth. Reaffirmation of their qualities and new understanding of their broader connections, here, has been important. I want to maintain this notion wherever I go. I must. Beliefs matter; they are the backbone of reality.
Seeing more without looking. Feeling the tentacles of the moment. Whatever happens to be great and whole around me, around us, hold on to this- grasp it with everything I’ve got. Remember this. I want to remember this. I know that I need these things here- all of these wants. Doing and being are what you do with needs. Nothing else, especially wanting, will do. I will always take this to heart, wherever I go. I do take this to heart, at this moment sitting in a corner of the Mandala Garden, next to a morniga, banana, papaya, holy basil, neem, cranberry hibiscus, chaya, palm, cuban oregano (where I first learned of this amazing species), seasoned peppers, akee- not to forget culantro at my feet, a little friend I have come to adore. It is time to always look around and notice the plants that share my company. I do not have to know their names or what they are for. But perhaps my curiosity, this continuous fire, will lead me there. Just noticing the plants, taking them in, is a connection I will never give up.
All of which that is important to me has grown, even though there are certain things I no longer find important. And I’ve realized that it’s not just about ‘saving the planet’. It’s about the people and their interaction, their connection with each other. The planet will save itself. Only we can save each other. It’s about this giant organism and whether or not we choose to remain part of it. I’d choose to because my reality right now is in love with it. I choose to live out my reality in this way, how I’ve done for the past two months, and at times, unbeknownst to myself, my entire life, because this is worth it to me. This life, in whatever form it takes is so fascinating. I know I am so curious- I don’t want it to stop. So I will ‘save the planet’ by saving myself. My integrity is intact. I am preserving my connection to all that is. To nature, to you, to me, and especially the stars.
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r2r days 33-45 Bush skills, Project presentations, the course begins
During the final week of Ridge to Reef we explored survival and stone-aged skills during BUSH SKILLS. We also completed our final projects and presented these to the group and farm staff. Now the program is over, or everything else has begun.
I really enjoyed bush skills learning what many might think of as Boy Scout activities such fire making by hand drill and bow drill, basket and cordage making, creating natural pigments for dyes, instrument and tool making, flint napping, tracking, learning how to identify edible wild plants and more. It’s quite liberating to have these skills. There is nothing better than having the confidence that you can survive in your natural world without synthetic means. If you want to learn more about these skills and see some beautiful illustrations please purchase Earth Knack by one of my favorite instructors that week, Robin Blankenship.
After Bush Skills we presented our projects to each other. Jon and I finished up our hand book for a mini food forest and explained we planted a small urban/suburban demonstration garden at the farm- so visitors can take a piece of the beautiful farm home with them and learn to grow their own food.
Now the course is over and we are working on our next steps. Off to Vieques and then Puerto Rico next week. More on that soon.
r2r days 21-25: SLOW FOOD
Numbering the days of this course, I realize, has very little meaning to you or me for that matter. So let me go on by saying that this week we have explored slow food. It’s Slow Food week here in the Ridge to Reef course at the Virgin Island Sustainable Farm Institute. This means that we are looking at all the ways to remind ourselves of where our food comes from and lean how we can invest in local, culturally connected food that is connected to us beyond that fact that we purchased it from a mega super market. The concept was originally founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy to combat fast food. Here in St. Croix we looked at ways the farm has embraced slow food such as introducing and implementing an edible garden at two elementary schools, hosting Slow Down dinners, and striving to feed its staff and students a majority of food directly from the farm.
During this week we also looked at different ways to cook and preserve food including fermentation with Sandor Katz, author of the Wild Fermentation and The Revolution will not be Microwaved. Sandor was a lot of fun to work with and especially to learn from. We made lots of interesting krauts and several fizzy beverages including a ginger beer and sorrel carambola soda. We also learned how to make tempeh and I learned to like tempeh. We canned tomato sauce and served a dinner for forty people during one of the farm’s Slow Down Dinner, a donation-based six course meal of farm fresh ingredients. I had a lot of fun helping to organize this dinner and think I’d like to host one my self one day.
Ag Fair
This past weekend we participated in the 40th annual St. Croix Agricultural Festival. This felt like the West Indian festivals we would go to back in New York, except now we’re in the West Indies.
Organic Cropping Week Photos
Amaris tests some soil.
Our group overlooks the bean crop we planted on the first day of the course to seek out possible pests.
Turning a six week old compost pile made from kitchen scraps, plant matter, fish guts, animal manure, wood chips and straw.
Making compost tea.
r2r days 19 and 20
Organic Cropping/ Agroecology Week
I have learned a lot this week and definitely feel more confident in my growing skills. Very exciting. I also got sick this week, hence my lack of posts, but am better now and ready to write.
This week we discussed the why’s and how’s of organic, or better, pesticide and synthetic fertilizer free agriculture. This type of farming or home-growing may seem new to many of us but did you know that before 1909 there was no such thing as chemical agriculture, and in fact all farming was done so organically? It wasn’t until after the World Wars, when a surplus of deadly chemicals (the same type that produces agent orange) were generated that some geniuses decided to use them on our food supply. At first it seemed a dream come true. The plants really liked all the nutrients that these chemicals could provide (at first). By the 1950′s America had established the Green Revolution thanks to Haber-Bosch and we became officially hooked on the chemicals (for now and some). Fortunately some notables such as Sir Albert Howard, Rudolf Steiner and J I Rodale shed some light in the harm that chemical ag was causing our planet and the need to revive organic ag with some stringer methods for best production. Today, this is what I am focusing on: learning and sharing knowledge about how to grow food in the most productive way without causing harm to my surrounding ecosystems.
The first thing to really study is SOIL and its vital importance to the health of our food and ultimate our own lives. Healthy soil is full of micro-organisms, has good aeration, the capacity to hold on to water and nutrients and can be replenished by the farmer. After a more lengthy and detailed discussion of soil biology, soil fertility management and a long list of beneficial microbes we moved on to explore the wonderful world of compost and the use of cover crops.
In the following days we discussed Agrobiodiversity. Diversity is super important when it comes to growing anything because it supports less pests, creates structural diversity, more food security, avoids economic risk, improves nutritional needs, beneficial relationships, creates constant income, and is more adaptable to change. Important to this biodiversity is a wide variety of healthy seeds. Many people are used to purchasing seeds from large companies, perhaps from the largest and most controversial of all, Monstano. But saving your own seeds is a good practice to ensure that you continue to have quality food at a low cost. We were recommend to read Seed to Seed by, Suzanne Ashworth which I plan to pick up when I get a chance. This book will share all the information needed to properly save seeds and get the most out of them.
The past two days we have gone over different irrigation techniques, including how to install drip tape. We also reviewed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and brewed our own home-made organic pesticide from neem and guanabana leaves and chili peppers.
What we all gathered form this week is that an organic farmer may have to deal with all the same challenges as a conventional farmer, but does so in an holistic way that works with nature and not against it. An organic farm yields 90-100%, frequently the same or higher the chemical-based agriculture. This is a strong case for it, but what’s even better is the fact that organic agriculture is resilient which is the capacity to absorb shocks while maintaining function… i.e. as the climate changes organic will remain as the stronger, if not, the only producer. Too bad the majority of ag in the states is not organic. This needs to be changed.
r2r days 17 and 18
Solar panel install on electric car with Don Young.
Our first garden, more stages… raised beds consisting of top soil and compost, mulch… living trellis consisting of moringa and quick stick.
r2r day 16
This morning I put my higher education to work by assisting a friend on the farm with writing the application for a $25,000 grant. I am not a huge fan of grant writing, or development work, but I felt a bit empowered today when I was able to effectively understand the grant langauge and turn out a kick-ass attempt at c0-writing it and turning it in on time.
Frequently I bemoan my education and the severe debt it has incurred. I often forget that there was perhaps some value to my two years in graduate school so when the opportunity presents its self to use the skills I gained I get a glimmer of hope. I suppose it was worth it… today at least.
Otherwise, my stance is what some might call bitter: Higher education is a waste of your money, perhaps a waste of your time. These days no one is guaranteed a job and there are many ways to get experience and make connections outside of campus. Furthermore these days I am interested in skills that don’t take rocket science courses to master, like farming.
On that note today we installed a solar power system on to an electric vehicle to give it twice the amount of power needed to go further on its journey. Okay, so this may be technical work that requires some classes. But it can happen outside of a degree program and its a trade skill that many are turning to in a time when renewable energy is needed.
r2r days 14 and 15
This week we have moved into Renewable Energy with Don Young. VISFI is 100% off the grid (aside from its vehicles) securing it’s electricity from a solar power system that Don installed and water needs from a large water catchment system. They also have composting toilets and solar water heaters for an occasional warm shower.
With Don we discussed why renewable energy is a concern and a need for our society, our planet and what are the “alternative systems” that can be made use of to secure an end to our fossil fuel reliance. As many of us know, but perhaps don’t remember, we have hit peak oil, meaning that more than half of the worlds oil has been used and that much of what is left is becoming increasingly difficult to access. Prices do and will continue to go up, oil will become more and more difficult to come by, but as of now we still rely on it.
Over the past two day we have explored the basics of how off-grid solar power system are constructed, how to size how to size and design systems in different situations. We’ve looked at voltage, ampage, power and energy and how they relate to one another.
In the US we consumer about 3,400 GW a year, that’s a lot of energy man. Just look at your electric bill to compare your personal usage (then try to decrease it). The number one way to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels is not to increase our renewable energy capacity, but to reduce our overall energy consumption. Conservation is the answer, technology can only do so much.
And remember the more you slow down, the less energy you consume.
r2r day 13
Friday is Day 13 to us and what some say a full moon.
Today we got the chance to help Shannon with her project by building the foundation of her new wood burning sauna as part of the farm’s future wellness center.
Cutting the posts and floor joists.
Raising the post into the three foot hole we dug.
Making sure we are level.
