Garden Plum
Welcome to the gardenplum.com healing blog. Read here for thoughts and inspirations about the collective consciousness of the world as we grow and develop through these changing times. Spirituality, herbal healing, the law of attraction, prophecy, abundance and prosperity- delightful creations and thoughts gather here.Archive for Farming
I Have a Question
Yesterday I was in a big retail store, and I saw a new t-shirt line POSITIVES. It looked exactly like the Life is Good t-shirts, which run about $20 in a sporting goods store. These were $6 each.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think its a free market and knock-offs are just part of the market? Or do you think that they stole a great idea?
I know Life is Good, once they made it big, went on to do some nice work by starting a non-profit called Playmakers bringing joy to children experiencing ilness or poverty.
How does our culture view this?
When I find the world over-complicated like this, I return to thoughts about nature and the way earth was intended to be used. If two farmers are both growing tomatoes – I do not see any ethical issue or competitiveness going on. If two hunters bring deer pelts, also – no problem.
The problem is we are so far off the path of sustainable living, that man can justify stealing other people’s ideas, changing a few words and pictures, getting the lawyers OK, print the tshirts halfway around the world – for the benefit of making a profit. Followed by the argument “the right to be positive is not exclusive.” (oh boy I can hear it now). This is currently how the world works and people are admired for this type of handywork, and they laugh all the way to the bank. And some consumer might see $6 for $20 and they join in on the wonderment of “buying at a steal”!!!
And these are the guys who are winning. For now.
THE FUTURE OF THE CONSUMING WORLD – 80% OF OUR OWN PRODUCTS IN 25-50 YEARS
I was recently watching a TedX video featuring John Piotti, ED of Maine Farmland Trust. He spoke words of wisdom on this very aspect. He said, “…in 25, 30 or 50 years, economic reality is going to be such that its clear that the best use of farmland is for growing food. For right now, we’re in this place where we haven’t internalized all those externalities, and we don’t take into effect the full cost of food and the system is broken.” WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.
Happy Day After Earth Day!
Farmers Market in Full Bloom
YES! The Farmers Market this year is such a HOOT! WOOT WOOT!
Just wanted to drop a note how WONDERFUL our Weare local foods movement is going. Come check it out! Summer is here!
CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE
Here is an opening day video on site:
This Friday, July 9th, Lisa of Woodbury’s Garden Center will be offering FREE Fairy Garden Kid’s Classes, sponsored by The Green Team. We have FREE Kids Activities every week, last week the kids made seed infused natural paper! Lisa is incredible!
Just wanted to drop a note we are busy buzzy with harvest season, collecting food, medicine, friends & fun! Fan the market on facebook, or sign up to receive the newsletter to hear more about the experience.
You’re on the Right Track Now
Yes we are. Each of us is individually experiencing a realization that something feels better. Something feels more right. Things are aligning.
No? Not for you? It will. Trust and have faith.
Not by coincidence, I was prompted to revisit the deep teachings of the Nicotiana flower. On the surface, it is traditionally used for treating addiction (nicotine), but read further.
What I uncovered about Nicotiana is its’ powerful action of reconnecting humans with the Earth. Reconnecting with a way of living closer to her. For those of us that live in cities or any type of industrialized place that is considered far from nature, the tendency can be to turn to cigarettes to ground yourself and reconnect with the earth, via smoking a plant.
Nicotiana can squelsh urges if you are trying to quit addictions, but it does this through a much deeper means. It reconnects us to that place that modern facility and function has disconnected us from – the simple act of living on the earth naturally, eating the food that we grow ourselves, planting a garden, talking to neighbors, having a sense of community. Being a positive part of our own ecosystem.
Trusting.
Trusting ourselves and man to do the right thing. Kind of hard to swallow isn’t it? Isn’t the number one reason we smoke, drink or do drugs is because we are hurting and want to feel better? And isn’t the reason we are hurting usually because somebody did something “to us”? Trust, trust, trust. Trust people, trust the earth and the ground that we walk on. Trust even more when the pain is greatest. Don’t clam up, shoot up or drink up because that’s what they want. The more we shut down and enslave ourselves, the more our power is somewhere besides within us. Nicotiana Flower Essence is a powerful ally to help during times of tumultuous growth and community rebirth.
A specific example of a positive change, a snapshot of “Nicotiana in action” is Ben Hewitt’s recently released book The Town that Food Saved. Awakened by a sense of urgency, the small impoverished town of Hardwick, VT recently experienced an uprising in getting back to the earth. They created their own re-birth consisting of a localvore movement, re-establishing of local farming and food economy, and at the heart is a local foods restaurant called Claire’s.
Through determination and a strong connection to the earth, this project persevered despite discouragement and negativity. Nicotiana connects people to the earth to give them the strength they need to rise above the times.
Nicotiana gets my vote for being the current Hot Flower Essence, the *Plum* pick of our current times. And Kudos to Ben Hewitt for being and outstanding example. Here is more about Ben here, and if you really want to see him “on fire” see what he says on FOXNews about our current food and financial system. One GROUNDED dude!
Waking up From a Dream, Seeing Truth in Strange Places
There is a lot of talk recently about knowing where your food comes from. But what does that really mean? I was hit with this really nice, simple example recently in the grocery store. These products appeared side by side:
Kate’s Butter, made in Maine, with natural sea salt for $3.48
vs.
Land O’ Lakes, made in Minnesota, and made with table salt for $3.79.
Look at my cat Gephetto… she is saying “hey stupid ya finally get it huh?”. Look at her practically rolling her eyes.
Its true and so simple… our food model over the last 40 years has consisted of high volume packaging, corporately funded selling through our televisions, and high volume shipping and long distance freight trucking. And a beautiful truth hit me in aisle 12. “Kate really needs my money for her cows. Land O’ Lakes, Inc., sold $12+ BILLION (not million!) dollars in 2008 and guess where their profits were returned to? “The Members“.
I think LOL (funny acronym!) can do without my support and so can Wall St. These corporate type food producers put our farmers out of business – but not in this case as Kate’s butter was cheaper! Shame on you Land O’ Lakes for your high butter prices with cheaper ingredients!”
Of course, I bought Kate’s Butter with glee and was happy to see major grocery stores beginning to carry local products.
Keep it light & enjoy your weekend!
Wendy
