Pass the Peace

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.

Etty Hillesum

An Interrupted Life

"Sadako Sasaki was two when a United States bomber dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. She died ten years later of radiation-induced leukemia. In the hospital, she began folding a thousand paper cranes (the white crane is the sacred bird of Japan, and 100 origami cranes traditionally mean the granting of a wish). Her friends asked children in Japan and 13 other countries to make a contribution to a memorial in Hiroshima's Peace Park, which was set up in 1958 with the words:

'This is our cry, this is our prayer, to build peace in the world'

inscribed on its base. In the 1980s students of the International School, looking for a way to keep this message of peace alive, set up the 1000 Crane Club; they produced a booklet and asked groups of children world-wide to become members by sending 1000 paper cranes for Sadako's memorial. The first response came from an American school in 1986. Children, almost entirely unaided, had started a movement and established a globally recognised symbol of hope for peace." copied and pasted from www.ppu.org (peace pledge union)

This year we made peace cranes for friends and family to hang on their tree with instructions and paper for them to make one and pass it on. Find instructions on how to here: http://www.pacificfriend.ca/html/how_to_fold_a_paper_crane.html

Amidst the hustle & bustle, packages & bows, tinsel & trimmings take a moment to find a little peace.....then be sure to pass it on!

Wishing everyone a Joy-full Christmas and a Peace-full New Year!

Winter is here!

Winter is here! We survived the worst ice storm in 30 years last week and are marveling over the amount of snow that has fallen in the last 24 hours- maybe a foot or more- more predicted for the next 24 hours. Seasoned New Englanders have little tolerance for our glee...."just wait" they say- "silly southerners" they think to themselves....so maybe by April the novelty will have worn off but for now it's fantasticly fun! I feel like I've stepped into a New England postcard scene....now I know what all those faux winterized sticks, twigs & berries you buy at Michael's are trying to look like.

Back by popular demand.

Hey folks. I'm back....well, sort of. I've tried over the last couple of months to update my blog regularly but my days start early and end late....with a lot packed in between the beginning and end and most nights it's like I would go into a little bitty farmer coma which made it pretty hard to write. Thank you to all who have asked, written, emailed, called, wondered and pondered about where I am and what I am doing. This has been a crazy and wonderful learning adventure and I do want to share it with you all!

I've been in farm school two months now. It has been fun, hard, rewarding, overwhelming, intense, smelly, gratifying, dirty, joyful, hilarious, cold, hot, delicious, tiring, weird, invigorating, scary, wild, and worthwhile. My day starts around 5:45am in the usual way- making lunch for Mac & Annie and cooking breakfast. Daily chores start at 7am with our first "class" starting at 9am, the last class ends at 4:30 pm which is when our afternoon chores begin. "Class" can be any number of things from an inside class on soil to farm work to a field trip to another farm. Chores are divided up between the 10 students working in pairs. Care for Pride the milk cow, our 2 Belgian work horses, Ruby Star & April, our beef herd, our sheep flock and our coop full of chickens are all on the chore rotation as well as cleaning the farmhouse (built in the mid 1700's). The students also take turns cooking lunch & baking bread during the week. We have had intensive classes in chainsawing, power tools, driving draft horses, harvesting and washing veggies, tractor driving, cheese making, tree identification and soil health. We have framed a goat barn at the home of one of our staff members and have also been building an enormous new greenhouse for our use in next season's planting. We have visited a slaughterhouse and witnessed pigs being killed and cows being skinned and gutted. As the weather turns colder, we have tucked the farm in for the winter season....planting garlic, mulching beds, preserving food, stacking hay, moving animals to the barn, taking soil samples and spreading manure & compost on beds.

Life here is good. I'm standing in the line with a neon arrow pointing to farm life...Ma, Pa, Sal the mule, the prairie & the plow...where is that dotted line? There is a simplicity to the work that I am doing that is profoundly rewarding. It feels important....meaningful....fulfilling in a real way. I think we spend alot of our time creating a pace of life that is out of sync with the rhythm of the Earth...I'm happy to have taken the time to slow down and listen to the pulse of the Land....it's as though I've spent my whole life falling through the air, flailing and helpless and I've finally come to rest in Mother Nature's arms. She says, "What took you so long?" "I got diverted by TJ Maxx along the way but I'm here now," I reply.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Pilgrim country! The air outside is crisp and the sky is blue. The turkey's in the oven roasting. The gingered sweet potatos & wild rice pilaf are waiting to go in after the turkey. The sourdough is rising & the cranberry relish looks delicious. We have prepared our meal this year with about 95% local ingredients. Local turkey, veggies, apples & cranberries. Mac & I dug carrots & picked kale (in the pouring rain) yesterday for the meal. We're using local maple syrup & honey for our sweeteners. If I could figure out how to find local coconuts, lemons, oranges and olive oil I could say that we're 98% local....but, last time I checked those things don't grow in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Vermont. Sigh....maybe I'll give those up next year....somehow it's just not a Thanksgiving meal without those flavors!

My sister Jeni, her husband Joe and their son Tilson (age 21 months) are here for the festivities. Jeni & Tilson flew in Saturday and Stokes & Joe arrived last night via the rental Volvo that Joe sweet talked Patti & Judith into driving as an upgrade with no extra charge. We've all joined "Team Relax" for Thanksgiving this year....aka "The Circle of Calm"....aka "Camp Cool." We're hanging out, drinking coffee, catching up, savoring the scents of the day from the kitchen...it's turning out to be a perfect holiday so far. There's hard cider chillin' on the side porch & a fire pit ready for a bonfire when the sun goes down.

This year, in the midst of the Wall Street hysteria, the settling down from the election and uncertainty about what's to come in 2009, I am grateful for all the blessings that we enjoy...good food, friends and family....when it comes right down to it....what more could any of us need?

The art of farming.

It's happened....I feel like a farmer....the amount of information that I have learned in the last 16 days is staggering. At this point my fellow student farmers and I have successfully completed 5 harvest days for 150 CSA members and 2 farmers' markets, cared for 17 sheep, 11 cows, 6 calves, milking goats that break out of the fence at least 3 times a day and 2 belgian horses that are the biggest creatures I have ever been close to. We have also learned to drive a 50 hp tractor, set up temporary sheep & cow paddocks with electric fencing, milk a cow and make butter & yogurt from the milk.

We are reading "The Contrary Farmer" as part of our assigned reading. At one point in the first part of the book he refers to everyone's notion that farming is "back-breaking work". He points out that most of the folks refering to how hard the work is physically are journalists and haven't ever actually held a shovel or hoe. I would tend to agree with him. Trust me, it's no more back-breaking than standing at a trade show in heels for 12 hours! The work is physical but we are learning to use our bodies to our advantage to complete our tasks. I go to bed tired every night and sleep like a baby....the best sleep I've had in my whole life I'd say. It's nice looking back over the day and feeling a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment for a hard day's work.

I think....that I'm gonna' like farming....by the way, the picture is of our Jersey milk cow, Pride. She's a beauty!

Tomorrow's the day.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1....the beginning of my year at Maggie's Farm as a student farmer. I'm excited and terrified but mostly focused and ready for the blessings that are waiting.

"Go out into the world where your heart calls you. The blessings will come, I promise you that. I wish for you the insight to recognize the blessings as such, and sometimes it's hard. But you'll know it's a blessing if you are enriched and transformed by the experience. So be ready. There are great souls and teachers everywhere. It's your job to recognize them." -- Sy Montgomery

The Shift

Can you feel it? Are you part of it? Are you tuned in? Paying attention? Joining the movement? Soaking in the energy? Breathing in the love? Dancing to the rhythm?

Forget Obama. Forget McCain. Forget Wall Street.

The Shift

It's real. It's happening.

Get it. Find it. Feel it. Groove it. Work it. Shout it. Need it. Live it. Do it. Love it.

Shift it baby.

Our world. Our choice. Our peace. Our freedom.

Do better tomorrow than you did today.

Every day.

Harvest Day

Each spring the students at Annie's school plant a garden. Each fall they have a Harvest Day where they pick what has grown during the warm months. They begin the celebration by circling up, singing songs of thankfulness and talking about being grateful for the Earth's bounty. Each older child has a younger pre-school buddy that they lead into the garden and help them find all the treasures from the ground. It's an amazing sight to see: the delight in their eyes as they pull bunches of carrots out of the dirt...or find an inchworm on the potato they just dug....or struggle to lift a giant pumpkin off the ground...or get lost inside the teepees the beans are growing on. Although I'm not in grade school anymore, I can certainly relate to their glee. I am no less awe-inspired than they are each time another gift from the land emerges....every seed is full of a miracle waiting to happen...and endless possibilities and connections to the world around it....just like the precious children at Annie's school.

Picking Apples

Last weekend we drove into New Hampshire to Alyson's Orchard and picked apples. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had a great time selecting the perfect Galas, Cortland, McIntosh & Honey Crisp apples- right off the trees. We drove home with 2 bushels in the back of the car and have eaten apples (in one form or another) just about every meal since returning home. This weekend I am going to attempt to preserve some apple butter....I'll have the fire department on stand-by just in case.

Rainy Reflection

It's a rainy New England day here. Signs of fall are everywhere! The leaves are changing into bright shades of yellow, orange, red & purple, the weather is cooler and pumpkins abound. As I sit at my desk and watch the leaves fall & rain pour, it's a perfect time to reflect on the last year and update everyone on what's happening here.

It was about this time last year that I started thinking seriously about farm school. For the six months prior I had been fantasizing about the possibility but after selling my biz then turning 40 shortly there-after, I realized there was a "now or never" choice that lay before me. As obstacles slowly fell away and I gradually surrendered my control of the situation, it became apparent to me that the Universe meant for us to make this journey. I, myself, could have never orchestrated the amazing events that led to this moment- it was only through blind faith, unbridled trust and Divine Intervention that we were able to move 1300 miles away from home to embark on this crazy idea that I couldn't seem to rid myself of.

And so here we are...one year later....living a life that looks very different from where we were. We've been here about 3 months....give or take. We are settled in our little farmhouse and adjusting to a much slower pace of life. The kids are thriving in their new schools and each day excitedly report what they learned that day. We are preparing for our first real winter....learning about snow boots, cross-country skis, insulating pipes and oil burning furnaces (a mythical machine in my life up until now.) We've been up-close and personal with lots of wildlife in our yard: coyotes, deer, wild turkeys, garden snakes and a groundhog that has taken up residence under our barn. We have eaten veggies from our garden and local farms all summer long.

Admitedly, while having a wonderful time here, we are all a bit homesick. I miss the beach, the lake, ABC coffee & having a tan. The kids miss their friends terribly and are keeping in touch through letters, email & many many Verizon minutes. We all miss Stokes and are looking forward to his October visit. Pierre & Lulu, our crazy poodles, are at the top of the "wish you were here" list- especially Annie's.

As the seasons begin to change so will our experience here. My school starts next Wednesday, October 1, which will no doubt spin our casual attitudes in a different direction. I have no idea how my schedule will work out to deposit each one of us to our designated location at the correct time....I just know that it will work out....for some reason the how doesn't seem that important to me- a positive indication of my recovery from control addiction.

Life is different, slower, happier, healthier, richer, funnier, dirtier, quieter and more fulfilled than one year ago. It's been a nice 40th year, if I do say so myself. I'm eagerly looking forward to the 41st!

First Day of School

My kids have never been "the new kids at school" before. Other than, of course, 3 year old preschool where everybody else was a new kid too. I knew that letting them experience something new and unknown was a good decision for us and I was fully confident that the schools we chose would be a good fit for them...but admitedly there has been that nagging voice in my head.... "What if they are not accepted....What if no one plays with them on the playground.... What if they are miserable and blame me..." You know that voice that seems relentless even though you know it's irrational. It's that voice that keeps many of us living in fear instead of living the best lives we can...what if, what if, what if? I've gotten better through the years at ignoring the voice- sort of like a mom driving a station wagon swatting back children that keep hanging over the front seat. Often now I watch them throught the rear-view mirror before they pop up...."I see you....I know what you are up to...Don't even try it." This was a big one though...some days I felt like all of the kids were hanging over the seat and some of them were even in the front seat with me trying to drive! Our minds are really funny that way- especially when our sense of normalcy and security is threatened....or when there's a chance that your child might feel awkward or left out....that's a doozie.



A couple of weeks ago Annie made a friend (her name is Ruby) that is in her class at school. They played together a couple of days and had a blast doing all the things that 9 year old girls do. On the way to school Wednesday Annie said, "But Mama, what if Ruby only plays with all of her old friends- what if she doesn't want to play with me." From her tone she had obviously been thinking about it for a while. The voices of doubt start young! I reassured her that Ruby would include her and she had nothing to worry about....gulp....crossing my fingers and saying a prayer as I said it. As I walked Annie to her classroom, Ruby came running up to us, gave Annie a big hug and said, "Annie put your backpack by mine." I knew in that instant it was all going to be ok.



When I picked her up from school that day, I could tell by her bright smile and posture that she had a fantastic day. She filled me in on every detail- including the part about her deciding to play soccer on the playground so she could meet some girls that she didn't know yet. That's my girl! "Math is awesome!", she said yesterday when I picked her up. They went to the Post Office (which happens to be right across the street from the school), divided up into groups and looked for as many arrays as they could find. As she gave me the blow by blow you would never know that she was talking about the subject she called the most boring thing on Earth 6 months ago. Yesterday during dinner she said, "You know Mama, it's like I've known the kids at my school all of my life." And there you have it....I needn't say more!



Mac's experience has been wonderful as well. He told me yesterday that he, Perry & Grady (his 2 school buds) had discussed politics over their lunch. He said they had figured out why McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Ummm...ok....I didn't even know Mac knew who McCain was... He said that they had decided that since McCain is very rich and powerful and had lots of houses and things that he chose Palin to be more on the People's level because, you know, she's like a hockey Mom. Well...alrighty then. He was thrilled with the science class he had yesterday which was in a group "problem solving" format. They discussed "conflict" during class discussion time- the causes and solutions- and he could report every single students' answers and the conversation that ensued...voluntarily, I might add....no blood from turnips this year apparently.



So, once again, I get to put those silly voices to rest. Mac & Annie are fine....as I knew they would be. Yet another lesson for me on listening to and trusting my intuition and not paying attention to those crazy kids in the station wagon....In fact, I'm banning them to the way back for the rest of the trip!

More information.

Wow! I have had an overwhelming amount of responses to my GMO comment rebuttal....cool. I've had a few people ask for suggestions of where to turn for more info. I know how confusing and overwhelming the subject of "what to eat" can be....who do you listen to? who do you trust? why is this so complicated?

My first suggestion would be.....relax....my posts are meant to be informational only and not create fear, panic or hysteria. Use the information as you can- trying to implement better choices slowly into your daily diet if possible. If it feels overwhelming- step back.....breathe.

Second suggestion....simplify....we've made eating far too hard. Stop listening to diet gurus and the latest food trends. Listen instead to your body...it will tell you everything you need to know. Think about food that your great-grandmother would have eaten- chose those over modern foods that make grand exclamations about what they can do for your health. Ever read a box of Triscuits or Smart Start? With all those claims you would think we could solve all the world's health problems just from eating them! Use your common sense and intuition...we've forgotten how to do that because everywhere we turn there's someone else telling us about "good vs. bad" foods. Keep it simple. In the words of Michael Pollan: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Third suggestion....ask for help if you need it...my sister and I have put together an affordable 6 week phone program to help you add more whole foods into your diet step by step. We will focus on understanding, preparing, eating & enjoying food as it was created in nature. Click here for more info: Greenlight.... ok...it's a shameless plug but I believe that the info we share is the key to creating your best life...isn't that what we all want? It starts this Tuesday, September 9, so don't dilly dally if you're interested in joining us.


Want to continue to educate yourself?

Here are some great books that have excellent information about our industrialized food system:

Fast Food Nation
The Omnivore's Dilemma
In Defense of Food
Real Food

These books are written by people....not nutritionists, health food or supplement distributors. They are all easy reads, full of humor and contain easy to understand information about our food.

My favorite cook book:

How to Cook Everything

This is the only cookbook you ever need to learn how to prepare food in a simple and delicious way. It's not a "health food" cookbook but most of his recipes call for whole foods and fresh ingredients- that's all you need!

DVD's worth watching:
The Future of Food
Sicko
The Secret
The Moses Code
Two Angry Moms
An Inconvenient Truth
Broken Limbs
Peaceable Kingdom
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

I own copies of all these with the exception of Peaceable Kingdom....come on up and visit & we'll have a movie party! These are all informative, inspirational and motivating. Enjoy!

Please feel free to comment or email me with questions or if you need further info about any of the above information!

Wishing you all peace & health.

Farm Aid 2008

I love Willie Nelson. I really do. In fact I really love people who just are what they are....and they don't apologize for it or change to fit someone else's view of who they should be. I also love people that fight for the underdog or to change something they think is wrong. I also just think he's very darn cool. Willie- along with John Mellencamp & Neil Young started Farm Aid back in 1985. I always sort of chalked it up to a fluffy all hype non-profit org. that threw a fantastic concert with alot of great press but probably didn't do a whole lot of good. I think....that I was wrong. I have just checked out their website and it is impressive. They are doing alot to not only help family farms financially but also spread the word about how important it is for us to support small farmers. Their website has a wealth of information about food and farming- it's really fun to look at. They move their concert around to different parts of the country each year so that it promotes farmers everywhere- not just in one location. They source 100% of the food sold at the concert from local, organic family farms....get out! They are putting their money where there mouths are....literally! Mansfield, MA is the site venue this year...which, of course, delights me to no end! Anyway, check out their site if you're interested- you can click on their logo above which should take you there.

Interesting comment.

This is a comment I received in response to my "Say NO to Frankenfood" post. It was posted anonymously. Mr. or Ms. Anonymous doubted that I would publish the comment because it doesn't fit with my "world view." I decided not only to publish it but to create a whole new post about it too! Buckle your seat belt....here goes:



Anonymous said (I copied & pasted): "Yep OK, because you have made such a convincing argument about the dangers and you told me to "NO to GM food" Let me guess... you've never been truly hungry have you? I say that because if you have you wouldn't dismiss agricultural science so quickly. You want natural, then go and catch a fish becuase thats about the only food that isn't genetically modified through conventional breeding.If you want ecoli, then eat organic. It comes from the raw sewerage they use to fertilise your food.I doubt you will publish this comment because it doesn't fit with your world view, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve to hear it."



Mr. or Ms. Anon.- based on your sarcastic tone I take it I didn't convince you to say NO to Frankenfood in my post about the subject. Well, I've been walking down this path for a long time and trust me- you are not the first "roll & blow" I've encountered. Perhaps I should have put a whole lot of boring statistics and frightening facts about how our food is being tampered with. I figured the evidence is out there and easy to find. I took the less casual slightly humorous approach instead. I find this to be a more effective way of piqueing interest. In addition, my post was not really to debate whether GMO's are right or wrong....of course they are WRONG in my opinion....but to educate people that they are eating them and they probably have no idea. I believe that we should have the right to choose and refuse.


So, sir/ ma'am, let me answer your first question. Have I ever been truly hungry? This actually brings up 2 different points- both of which I will address.



First point: The simple answer would be "NO." I have never been hungry...I'm actually hoping if you've read any of my other blog posts, or if you know me even a little, you would pose this as a rhetorical question but I wanted to be sure and cover all the bases by answering. I am certain that if I were hungry the idea of eating genetically modified food would not bother me enough to refuse a meal. However, this does not make the introduction of GMO's into our food supply without our consent or package labeling right- even for people that are hungry.



Second point: The Monsanto Corp (aka -in my home- "The Axis of Evil") is the leader of GMO production. They've also developed and distributed such lovely products as Roundup, Aspartame, Ambien and rBGH- touting their benefits to both health & agriculture while ignoring the well- documented harm they are causing.....and becoming one of the biggest, richest, most powerful corporations in the world in the process. One of their marketing schemes to convince us that GMO's are a "good thing" is that GM crops will help solve world hunger. Apparently Monsanto must think we are all really naive, stupid, or both. World hunger is NOT created by a shortage of food but, among other things, by corrupt and greedy governments. So if your question about hunger was an attempt to imply that GMO's will help feed the hungry, I'm sorry you bought into that nonsense.


Your next point is about my dismissal of agricultural science so quickly. Wrong. I never dismissed agricultural science and I have been studying what's right and wrong with our food supply for over 20 years now...that's not very quick on my calendar. Feel free to blast me but please, do it with facts and not information you are reading between the lines that you have no knowledge of. Again, if you've read my other posts or know me even a little, I have moved away from my home, friends, family & life to study organic farming....I would say that actually makes me a FAN of agricultural science.

Quick question for you Anon....are you a parent? If you are then I'm sure you can sympathize with the following scenario and if you're not, well, just try and stretch your imagination. You are sitting watching your child at a birthday party happily devour a nice big bowl of ice cream. Your child has some severe food allergies but everything found in ice cream is perfectly safe for him to eat. Then imagine your horror when, before your eyes, your child's throat starts closing as he has an allergic reaction. See, there was fish DNA in the ice cream....and your child is deathly allergic to fish....the ice cream package wasn't labeled as containing genetically modified food so how could you have known? I'm sure, if this were you and your child YOU wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the effect that GMO's are having in our world. Luckily, my children and I haven't ever been in that situation but I've spoken with countless other parents who have. As a believer that children are our future, I think that as parents we should pledge to protect ALL children...not just our own.


It seems it might be in order to clearly define (in over-simplified and non-scientific terms) what GMO's are as they have nothing to do with conventional breeding practices. Species in nature are created to breed with their kind...humans with humans, llamas with llamas, tomatos with tomatos. This conventional breeding (sometimes scientifically generated) creates hybrid varieties. Never in nature would a fish breed with a tomato....until, of course Monsanto figured out how to penetrate the cell wall of the tomato (by using bacteria like ecoli to break the barrier) and inject fish DNA into it. This is, of course, a very oversimplified and dumbed down version of the process and just a single example of the ever-increasing list of GMO's. As I stated in my first post about GMO's, they have now been unleashed in Nature...there's no turning back. I firmly believe that when you educate people you empower them to choose for themselves. We should all have the choice whether to say YES or NO to genetically modified food...but how can you choose when you've never even heard about it?

Fish....ahhhh.....another good point of debate. Me, catch one? Again, no thanks. Not only are our wild fish now dangerously contaminated with high levels of mercury (due to the run-off from coal burning electric plants) but also because of over-fishing practices many species are dangerously close to disappearing- within my childrens' lifetimes. What about the fish in the grocery store labeled "farm raised"?...don't think for one second that those fish are free of conventional breeding practices. Oh, and they're fed....guess what....genetically modified corn. GMO's have, at best, created a well-tangled web that is far-reaching across many different types of foods you might consider safe.

As far as raw sewage in organic food.....I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh out loud at that sentence. I've heard alot of people justify their "organic food is a hoax" opinions through the years....this is probably one of the best. I won't even take the time or energy to debate....instead I'll just wait to share this with my fellow student organic farmers. I'm sure it will create some humorous dinner conversation.

I'm tickled that you brought up "my world view." Gosh....it just sounds so radical and hip and informed like I might consider going on a hunger strike, starting a riot or running for political office or something. Before you mentioned it, honestly, I didn't even know I had one. Your declaration got me thinking though...exactly what is my world view? I actually looked up the definition just to be sure that I completely understood the meaning before stating what it is. "The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world." It would appear from your original comment that you are well-informed of my world view....but, just in case you might have missed something, let me try to define it as clearly and accurately as possible- just so there's no mistaking what I think.

My world view:

We, as Americans, are fatter, sicker and more depressed than we've ever been despite the fact that we spent $2.26 TRILLION on healthcare in 2007. We suffer from chronic headaches, allergies, PMS, low energy and digestive disorders. We jack ourselves up on caffeine, sugar & anti-depressants during the day then put ourselves to bed with alcohol and sleeping pills. Our infant mortality rate is the 2nd worst in the developed world- right behind S. Korea & Cuba and just slightly above Croatia, Lithuania & Taiwan. "Adult-onset Diabetes" has now been changed to simply "Type 2" because of the numbers of children who are developing it. It is estimated that 40% of the children born after 2000 will develop it in their lifetime. Our Standard American Diet has gradually trickled out into other parts of the world....and with it....our Standard American Diseases.

We have lost control....we've given our health away to doctors, pharmaceutical companies & insurance companies. We've given our food away to factory farms, mega- corporations & processors. We've given our creativity and individuality away to marketing firms, mass media and paparazzi. We've given our right to be a nation of, by & for the people away to politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats.

We are in deep doo doo.

I'm not radical. I'm just a Mom who has Hope. Hope that I can help make the world a little bit better place....for my children and the generations that will follow. Hope that I can continue to educate myself with Truth so that I can educate others and empower them to make good choices for their health & happiness. Hope that I can teach my children how to respect their Bodies, their Minds, their Spirits and their Earth. Hope that when it's my time to leave the physical world that I'll rest easy knowing that I tried to do something worthwhile instead of burying my head in the sand pretending like it all might go away and be just fine. Hope that we can gain some of our freedom and control back....one small step at a time. Hope that my actions will inspire other people to live healthier, happier, more fulfilled lives....and that they might inspire others.....until the grass-roots effect is far reaching enough to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry or cold at night....World Peace is not out of the question you know....but first, is Hope. My world view is full of it and I'm finding that it's pretty contagious- careful because you might catch it.

So, my friend, thank you for your comment. It helped me more clearly define my world view and affirmed my convictions about GMO's and organic food to an even more impassioned degree.

Buddy's girlfriend.

Now, we're not ones to go 'round spreadin' rumors....really we're just not the gossipin' kind....but....word on the rural route....Buddy Boots has got a girlfriend. Yes, scare love is in the air! She lives right around the corner. She's a sassy gal, wears a pink moo moo and accessorizes with a fly swatter and sponge rollers. Her skin is a creamy white and scary red is her favorite lipstick shade. She's quite a looker- and very good at her job- Buddy has every right to be smitten. They're making plans to meet after the harvest is over....trick or treating at Halloween may be their first scare-date...they're deciding now what they will dress up as for the occasion.

Say NO to Frankenfood.

Remember when we were little and all went with our Moms to stand in line and sign the release for the genetically modified food experiment that started back when we were kids. We all held hands, sang songs and rejoiced at being part of history. We knew that the experiment would deliver all the things it promised and we signed our names with pride to be part of the progress it would bring the world. What a happy happy day that was.....

What? You don't remember that day? Sadly, I don't remember that day either, yet we have been the guinea pigs in one of the largest biological experiments ever conducted on the human race.... conducted unknowingly. Where exactly was the dotted line to sign on before I became a lab rat?

Think you're exempt? Have you ever eaten processed food, drank a soda or eaten at a restaurant? Well, chances are pretty good (almost definitive) that you have eaten genetically modified food. Commonly known as GMO's (genetically modified organisms) or GEO (genetically engineered organisms) or just GM or GE. Most of the corn and soybeans currently raised in this country are genetically modified....aka Frankenfood.

The implications of genetically engineered food are frightening- environmentally, financially and for our health. The statistics are astounding at best...and unfortunately GM crops are here to stay (ever watched Jurassic Park?) Didn't they listen to the Chiffon Margarine commercial in the 70's..."it's not nice to mess with Mother Nature!"

So what can we do? Say NO WAY to Frankenfood. Say UNH UNH to fish DNA in your tomatos & Brazil nut DNA in soybeans. Say I WILL NOT eat food injected with bacteria and e-coli to make enormous profits for the producers yet compromise my health & that of my family. Read your labels- if you buy packaged food be sure that it says NO GMO's (organic is your best choice)....otherwise, if it's in a package and doesn't say it, you can place a pretty good bet there are GMO's inside.

For more specific information on GMO's, their dangers and how to SAY NO click here:

http://www.saynotogmos.org/

Our last week.

My mom & sister have been here for the last week. We covered many miles traveling through Vermont and around this area while they were here. We saw Lake Champlain, The Shelburne Museum, Ben & Jerry's and the Simon Pearce glass factory in Queechee, Vermont. We enjoyed visiting with friends in Amherst and spent last Saturday at the Brattleboro Farmer's Market (aka, my favorite place on Earth). We ate too much good food, spent too much on souveniers, saw beautiful scenery, stayed in good places....the vacation turned into an action-packed week of fun. Here are some pics with highlights from our travels!

The livin' is easy.

I have always had high hopes of creating a lazy summer. Somehow the vision in my head of "summertime and the livin' is easy" got sidetracked with busy-ness: day camps, organized activities, play dates, swimming lessons & packing for "vacation" time (you know those vacations where you come home needing a vacation because you're exhausted from your vacation)...all the while trying to design and produce new product for summer market and fill market orders.... Ours was more like "summertime and the livin' is chaotic with too much reality." "Summertime and the kids are out of school so Mom's got to shift gears 34 more times during the day (up from her normal 57 times a day when they're in school) to figure out who goes where when and try to get a few hours of work in here & there sporadically so the business doesn't go under." I never wanted to wish the summertime away and pray for school to begin but....I always did.

One of the things I've come to understand here is that this whole experience of coming to Farm School was Life's little trick to help me get back on track. Sometimes when we can't do it on our own we need a little Divine Intervention or a good ole' Universal Kick in the "you know what". I had not been here long when I realized that farming had actually moved way down the list of importance in the reasons that I came here.

The livin' here is easy, simple, uncomplicated, unhurried. Some days we stay in our pajamas until noon and some days the kids are on their bikes riding through the garden rows by 9. There are probably 340 less "things" to do here than when we lived in Dothan but I haven't heard the phrase "I'm bored" once. We've spent time playing games, cooking, picking out books at the library and reading, tie dying tee-shirts, watching movies, picking wild blueberries and working in the garden. It's a picture of contentment that I could live in forever.

Slowly, I am beginning to feel a shift within myself....which, I believe, is the real reason that I was drawn here. I am "remembering" something I didn't even know that I had forgotten....or maybe I knew it, I was just far too busy to go look for it in an intensive way. We come into the world with our minds, bodies & spirits connected- perfect pictures of spiritual beings within human bodies. Unfortunately many of us lose that connection as we go through life....forgetting a little more each day amidst the material world we live in...seeking answers for why we feel a void. We read self-help books & listen to Oprah about how to get it back, go to church- kneel & pray, sing hymns and give our monthly tithe, we do yoga & qi gong, eat the right foods and acquire alot of stuff. We all find "our truth" in different ways....seeking is the important part.... and slowing down enough to receive the answers when they come.

State of affairs part deux.

Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Time now: Approx 2 pm

Weather: Sunny & 84 degrees- low humidity....gorgeous blue sky

Activities this past weekend: Picked up fam at airport Friday, headed home after a stop at Whole Foods, fam picked blueberries & marveled at the size of the plants in the garden, kids picked squash and more squash and a little more squash then we harvested our first cucumbers, visited Brattleboro Farmer's Market Saturday morning, our friend Sally came to visit for Saturday night- Farmer Bill came over for our first dinner party- we played games, cooked a local food dinner, laughed, talked & visited, went to Boston Sunday- played tourists extraordinaire- saw great Freedom Trail sites, met Denise & Phil (friends from Boston) for dinner- Pizzeria Regina and cannoli in the North End, stayed in Cambridge, quick ride by Harvard, dropped Stokes at train station (subway to airport), drove home yesterday, crashed for 2 hours when we got home!

Activities today: Recovering from a full weekend of family, friends, food & fun/ A trip to the recycling station/ mailing Annie's school forms/ washing car/ picking blueberries

General attitude: Mixed feelings: tired from an action packed weekend, relieved kids arrived safely, sad to leave Stokes at airport yesterday, relaxed at having nothing on our calendar for 2 weeks.

Ate for lunch: leftover Sour Cream Hamburger Bake and fresh salad from the garden

What's for dinner: Squash soup, fresh garden tomatos and cornbread

Hardest adjustment since kids' arrival: Moving from a house with 5 bathrooms to this house with 1 tiny bathroom....we're working on figuring out a system!

Donkey philosophy.

My apologies to anyone offended by this little diddy....it was just too good not to share the love.

A little off-color humour with a good moral. The pastor entered his donkey in a Race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the Race again, and it won again.The local paper read:
PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another Race.The next day, the local paper headline read:
BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:
NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN
The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10. The next day the paper read:
NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild. The next day the headlines read:
NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE
The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is .... being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery... even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

Pesto anyone?

This week I harvested about a wheelbarrow load of basil out of the garden. I decided to make pesto to put in the freezer for the winter. It's delicious tossed in with pasta or veggies or spread on a cracker or piece of bread with a slice of tomato...ok, my mouth is watering. It's very simple to make....a bit messy but well worth the clean up! I would recommend using the best olive oil & fresh parmesan cheese you can find. I never use the pre-grated parmesan (they put lots and lots of preservatives and junk in pre-grated cheeses to keep them fresh....ugh) and whatever that is that comes in the green can doesn't even qualify as cheese in my book. Don't use it.....I mean, ever.... not just for this pesto recipe.

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil (give or take)- leaves only- stems can go to the compost pile
1/3 cup fresh parmesan
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 med to large cloves of garlic (more if you like it really garlicky)
approx 1/3 cup good quality olive oil (more if you like it runny)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

throw everything except olive oil in food processor- sometimes it's better to drop the cheese and garlic in through the top with the blade running to make sure it gets chopped up good. slowly drizzle olive oil in the top until you get the consistency you want. you can also use a blender if you don't have a food processor. be patient....sometimes it takes a while for everything to get good and blended up....adjust seasonings for your taste buds and enjoy!!!! this will keep in the freezer up to 3 months.

Be like squash.

To everything there is a season...and a time to every purpose under heaven. The squash plants in my garden know their purpose....producing lots and lots and lots of fruit! They have taken the term "garden party" to a whole new level....they are having a party all day & night....and reproducing at an alarming rate! I'm not sure whether I'm in squash heaven or hell. Bubba Gump is to shrimp what The Waddell Garden is to squash.....Sauteed Squash, Stir Fried Squash, Squash Soup, Squash with Pesto, Squash Casserole, Squash Soufle, Stuffed Squash, Steamed Squash, Squash Delight, Squash Patties, Marinated Squash.....whew.....and that's just the last 2 weeks! At the rate they're going I think there might be some potential in there for world peace or at least solving the global warming crisis.

How would the world look if everyone was that clear about their purpose....can you imagine....everybody just getting their groove on to whatever their groove is supposed to be....not paying attention to what the tomatos or cucumbers or scallions are doing....not trying to be an eggplant or a rhutabaga....just fulfilling their squashy purpose in the finite amount of time they have. What a delicious and interesting thought....Ah! To be or not be like squash.....now, that is a question!

State of affairs.

Today's date: Thursday, July 24, 2008

Time: 4:30 pm- ish

Temperature outside: 71 degrees/ raining for the 3rd day in a row

Best experience here so far: It's a tie between the Brattleboro Farmer's Market & my first garden harvest

Most excited about: The kids arrival tomorrow!

Things I've given up since I've arrived: TV, dishwasher, air conditioning, ziploc bags, seran wrap

Hardest to give up: ziploc bags

Next on the chopping block: Wrapping paper and greeting cards

Activities this week: Making pesto & chicken stock for the freezer, putting finishing touches on kids' rooms

On ITunes right now: Amos Lee

Other sounds in the background: Birds singing & chirping, the rooster down the street crowing and the cows across the street mooing....haven't heard the church bell in a while

Procrastination point: Taking the recycling to the recycling center

Book on the bedside table: The Celestine Prophecy

Next in line for the beside table: The Mindful Woman by Sue Patton Thoele

Attitude check: relaxed, grounded, rested, calm, peaceful, nourished, grateful

And the beet goes on.

When I was in college there was a fad "3 day" diet that I stayed on for a while. One of the required foods was beets. I can still remember the disgusted feeling I would have as I opened the can of bright red circles and forced myself to choke them down. Ugh. I swore to myself that I would never put another beet in my mouth again after I got off of that diet. Well......never say never.

2 years ago I had never seen a fresh beet, nor did I particularly care to, and the idea of actually cooking one terrified me. I can be very silly like that about things....can't we all? What I didn't know at the time was that Gary was happily sowing his beet seeds in anticipation of spreading that red root of love around to all of his CSA customers. When the first bunch arrived I tucked them away in the veggie drawer hoping they would vanish into thin air and I wouldn't have to deal with them. In the end, the beet bunch won the Mexican stand-off we were having and the rest is history! The fresh beet and I have made up and I have apologized for any and all derogatory things I might have said about their distant cousin- the canned beet.

Now, if you're one of those silly people like me who don't try new things because they're too lazy or scared or they tried it once 17 years ago and didn't like it or are afraid it won't turn out perfectly (need I continue?)- take a breath....I'm gonna' tell you how to cook beets so that you can join in on the fun. We all need to have a party in our mouth from time to time and the beet will surely take you there. And.....you won't believe how easy they are-really!

Here's my favorite prep:

First- Try to buy local organic beets. Look for beets with the greens still on- they should look fresh and not wilted. The fresher the green part is, the fresher the root is (which is the beet). The root will keep in the fridge for a couple of days if you don't want to cook it right away. Be sure to remove the greens to keep the root fresher. Cut greens off about an inch above the root.

Second- Wash the beet well removing any dirt. If there's a long stringy root on the bottom you can cut that off. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on pan and roast in oven (400 degrees) for approx 45 minutes to an hour. They are done when a fork can be inserted easily.

Third- Remove from oven & open foil packs (careful of the steam). Let cool until they can be handled. Rub between your fingers and the peel will come off easily. Slice or chop.

That's it! They are delicious by themselves as a side dish-just add a little sea salt & pepper. I often put them on a salad topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, goat cheese & balsamic vinaigrette. I've also made a sauce of a little butter, honey, orange juice & cinnamon which can be reduced on the stove (boil for about 10 minutes until slightly thick)and drizzled over them for a side dish.

In the picture above I took a bunch of raw beets & peeled them. I grated them in my food processor and added between 1 and 2 tablespoons of whole wheat pastry flour and a large pinch of cinnamon. I heated a little butter in a skillet and formed them into patties and sauteed until slightly brown on both sides- I flipped them a couple of times for even cooking. I served over braised kale (you could also use the beet greens) with a little drizzle of balsamic reduction. This is a kid favorite- we call them beet pancakes & Mac & Annie love them up.

One note about the gorgeous color of the beet.....it will stain anything and everything it touches that is stainable, your hands, your clothes, your countertop, your floor, your shoes, your sink, your light brown poodle or other food- so use caution unless you want your world to be very very red.

Oh, and one more thing: I shouldn't fail to mention that the beet is a nutrition powerhouse. Now, on that note, I believe that you should eat food because it tastes really good not just because it's good for you....the beet gives you the best of both worlds! The roots are a great source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, carotene, B vitamins, and vitamin C and the beet greens are even more nutritious than the roots!

First Garden Harvest!

We have tried our hand at gardening on South Park with great intention and energy but with little to show for our hard work. One year we got 1 cherry tomato...which we split into 4 pieces and each enjoyed a piece. Last year we had a few pieces of squash, a little lettuce & spinach and 3 pieces of okra. Our garden here has been enormously successful! I am attributing this success solely to luck and the help from our farmer friend Bill rather than any green apendages on our part. Buddy has also been doing his job quite well keeping birds, turkeys and other varmits away.

Yesterday I harvested lettuce (3 kinds), basil and 3 kinds of squash. I made a giant salad, homemade pesto & squash baked with tomatos & onion. It was so fresh and tasty- the first of many meals I plan to eat from food that I planted, grew & harvested!