Advancement Through Awareness

Dear Reader, I have been doing some thinking, and for quite a while now. Recapturing the sentiments of my last couple of posts, I got to realising that what I’m doing here on the farm is exactly the kind of ‘lifestyle’ or ‘choice’ that a lot of my peers had dreamed about. It is a way of living that many dream about but never get to actually act upon. Getting to be apart of a larger scale of sustainability and being able to work with the many facets of agriculture and permaculture is something that many people, that I have personally come across, have only talked about but have never experienced.

If you have been following this blog, you might know that I have a very firm stance against police brutality and violence. However, the subject of what we actually do when we are not protesting is never brought up in the common discourse. I understand that a lot of the time is spent organizing the next function or the next action. Fortunately for me, however, I have been given the opportunity to experience a life where I am able to learn skills and participate in the act of being a Human Being and helping others through helping myself and gaining knowledge and skills that I can offer for the whole.

Being here is something that I talked about several years ago. It would be a lie to say that, “I never imagined I would be here” because I did in fact imagine it. And, lo, I am here doing what I love the most. Taking care of plants that in turn take care of others.

If we want to truly break from the system and discontinue the perpetual acts of consumption and violence towards others, we have to break away from what we feel is comfortable for this generation of people. The cell-phones. The television. The computer. Yes, I know, you’re reading this on a computer, but hear me out. I believe that there is nothing more important then finding a niche that will benefit the health of the Earth and for those around you.

Being part of this community has taught me that there are many important things that I can be doing, there is always something that can be fixed, there is literally always something to do in the garden, and staying idle is never a good thing. There is never a dull moment or even a time to be bored. There is always some way to progress on the farm and to get through another day feeling accomplished and wanting to strive even harder or better the next. There are always prospects of advancement and eventual completion regardless of what time of year it is.

There are feelings of happiness to know that one day I will be able to return to my family a better Human. But until I have fully cultivated the person that I am becoming, the road is ever-more tedious and at times treacherous. There are always ups, but also just as many downs.

What I really want to get across, Dear Reader, is that if we want to be better as people, there has to be an exchange. Exchange of what you ask? Your valuable time. The time it takes to figure out how to work a chainsaw because eventually during winter, you’re going to be cold. To plant during the correct time in the season so that you have a crop to eat. The time to actually sit down with those you live with and talk to them about whatever it is that ails them. The time to actually notice changes in the plants that you take care of and to have enough foresight to deal with any obstacles.

By being on this farm, I have learned that there are few things that are greater then building cohesive relationships that not only matter to you, but to those around you. Building these relationships not only helps procure bonds, but also sets an example for the youth and for those around us who want the same thing. If we can not trust each other enough to invite each other in to our own houses, what good is it to be neighbors? Being responsive in a community is very important, because you never know when some one else is in need of help.

And I can take that to heart because a lot of the time, I am the one that is in need.

Thank You, Dear Reader, for your patience. I know that it has been a crazy journey. But we all get to where we are going by taking that first step.

Post Scriptum- My pepper plants are getting big! I’m going to have to find a better camera to take my photos because I scuffed up the lens on my phone. Anyway, that’s coming up next! Thanks again!

The Alignment and a Moon in Capricorn

Hello, Dear Reader. It’s been a while. I know that I haven’t been writing as much, but I have been keeping myself busy to a point. As it is, I have a nice pepper patch with a variety of 5 different types. The photo is that of my Paprika! The first one I’ve ever grown, and I’m really excited about it! I know it’s not much, but I figure when I’m gone, It’s enough for another one person to handle. And by “gone” I mean that once again, I will be traveling. Up to San Fransisco with a few friends. It should be smooth sailing. Although, like most cases, I’ll probably have to revert to a “street-kid” lifestyle. Which I don’t mind, so long as I’m with my best friend.

I’ve written about him before, Dirt. So it goes.

I have been meaning to write, but I haven’t been able to find the right topic, and here I am now, trying to do the same. If you missed it, there was a planetary alignment of the Planets Venus and Jupiter. Equal to that star which allegedly led the wise men to Christ. Also, last night was the full moon in Capricorn I believe. Which explains all of my dreams, I think.

(See, just spouting useless info…)

I just want you to know Dear Reader, that there has been a lot of things that I have been thinking about. And maybe John was right, the more open my mind becomes the more insane the world seems. (paraphrasin’ here) And there is no helping that. So it goes. With all the headlines out there it isn’t likely that I am too far-out. Although at times I think so. When I explain my feelings to people, the try and pacify me as if I am not, but it doesn’t fool me.

Well, I don’t want to go further on this rant, so I’ll leave with a Haiku:

Every Instance Is
Corellating Another
In Mutual Depth

Thank you, Dear Reader, for you time and energy. It is much appreciated.

“It’s Systemic”

Dear Reader, I wanted to focus a bit on how much more synchronicity I see within the very nature of the plants I tend to. Yesterday I was sitting down on a brick, handling my sprouts carefully so I could transplant them properly into bigger pots. I began to once again connect-the-dots between the similarities of my actions in the Garden and how it could be applied in the involvement of members in the community.

Carefully bringing out my peppers into my cupped hand. Then in to a nice pot of soil. Such a simple action that is analogous in depth and origin to love. My action of transplanting peppers is an act of love, and through that action I can bask in the joy of watching them aspire to maturity through a larger space to grow.

With this concept, and through social insertion (read my post here: “On Social Insertion”) I believe that more people would find it easier to communicate and accept one another. Through actions and intentions of care and love we can transplant ourselves, in a sense, to collectively grow.

I see in this Country, that so many people are fighting for what they believe in. They forget other movements that retroactively involve them, albeit probably not on purpose. I personally fight against the injustice that stems from a system of greed and hate. That goes with standing up against Nestle and their bottling plants. The loggers in the South American Rainforests and in Oregon. The constant and daily police violence. Racism. Prejudice and intolerance for humans and animals. All while I try bringing awareness of
the indigenous practices of spiritual and sustainable existence on this Earth.

So many movements one gets lost in all the information.

My point, Dear Reader, is that we should be aware and bring awareness. If you are involved in a movement or activism, realise that there is always more going on. I would like this post to be a platform for information on all different subjects. What movement interests you most? Which would you like to more about? Let me know and let’s bring awareness! Save the Bees!

Brevity

I have been thinking quite a lot on many subjects that I have yet to seriously ponder in my life. Right now, it seems, that my recent goals have been ones that are fundamentally temporal and are accomplished by the fading away of many things, not to mention the feeling of “losing” time.

I am not getting any younger Dear Reader, and you might know the feeling. And it brings me back to one of the reasons why I have made this blog. What will I take from life? What will I leave behind?

Bringing awareness is something that I see a lot of, even if it isn’t about something worth learning, we still become aware of it. Learning how to be sustainable can go a long way, however, there needs to be a way to put those ideas into action. I know it’s not impossible on this land, but it still might be a bit difficult.

There is talk around here to move up to Oregon, but I don’t know how long that would actually take. I hope for the best.

My next project is to build a bed out of used bricks and broken cinder blocks. I have an idea of what I will make it out to be, I just need to separate all the pieces to put them back together. And that is kind of how I feel with all the things I have been thinking about and exactly where I fit in the grand scheme of things.

I need to step back, take a deep breath, and analyze what’s really going on. I see my country, and how it’s falling apart, and how we, society as a whole, have become so detached from one another. Without ever trying to build cohesive relationships, people blindly accept their faith that they’ve learned from mass media outlets that govern most of our information. Filtering it to benefit their agenda.

I will save that for another post, and I will leave this post with some positive vibes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a lot of pepper sprouts popping up, and I’m really excited that I have so many. With this many, it would add up to about 15 more then I had the previous year. They are why I have assigned myself to the task of creating a space for them.

Variety of: Paprika, Thai, Jalapenos, and Bell

Thank you Dear Reader, for your time. Goodnight.

Growth and growing

“Slow and steady” is a perfect set if words to describe the duties of gardening around here. As it is, this small space has provided a lot of surprises along with many expectations and mistakes.

It seems like not too long ago, these gourds were but small sprouts. They have grown so much! Using a recycled pallet for something to climb up on.

My peppers are doing very well, although 3 of the Paprika peppers were starting to flower, I topped them off accordingly. Their nodes have already developed sets of new leaves, and I’m confident that in a short amount of time they will be quite vigorous and strong.

Topped Paprika Peppers c:

Before I topped the Paprika. Beauty!

Other  part  of the garden are lush and green and the constant battle between the the bugs is actually kind of fun. Right now the weather is cold, and it is supposed to rain on Friday. That puts a lot less stress on the watering seeing as we have a drought here in Beautiful Southern California. Even a little helps.

Thank you, Dear Reader for your time. I’m off to read more of that Hermann Hesse Book. It’s been a strange read, bit I do love Hesse’s story telling. The eloquence in which he perceives the abstract entices my senses. Captivating every inch of me. Cheers!

Inch by Inch

Or in this case, really, Square foot by square foot.

I’m sure that I’ve mentioned that I’ve started reading Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and has proven to be filled with useful information. Although, I must admit Dear Reader, that I feel as if most gardening books always start off the same. Going over the basic terms and jargon of the gardening world, so-to-speak. Explaining the importance of soil. How to check your soil. How to check pH. And what the letters NPK mean to a gardener.

Getting through the first couple of chapters, (I’m currently on the last page of chapter 5) I find myself saying, “well, gee, I know that”. Which is something that I think I can be a bit proud of. Knowing most of what Mel is talking about in the beginning chapters, it feels good to go through a sort of refresher course. There is a rewarding feeling in getting some answers right, right?

I think that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done in the garden, but as the title of this post suggests, there is progress happening inch by inch. Which is a great feeling. I have decided that because of my situation, I am going to start a whole lot of pepper starts so that I might have something to trade later on in the season. When I think about all the peppers that I could have, it makes me kind of excited. And I know that people love peppers, and to be honest, it’s the one plant that I really know how to grow.

My plan has started, and with it I have 5 varieties of peppers. Giving me a good chance to do some trading or at least make some really spicy sauce. Which could also be a trade.

The only thing that I wish I had more of is Herb seeds. It is the only thing that this Garden lacks. However, I believe that I will be able to acquire some soon. Thank you for your time Dear Reader. Happy Gardening!

Spring and Sprouts

So as you might know, Dear Reader, I’m working on beautifying the backyard here. And it is coming along smoothly. This morning I woke up to find that my start tray had come to life over-night! It makes me happy to finally be gardening again. It’s one of the things that keep me sane in this concrete jungle. When I see all this concrete, violence, and ever-more concrete, seeing the beginning of a life-cycle that will eventually become food gives me hope.

I made a key hole bed (after battling with the crabgrass for about 3 hours) and it turns out that the soil, if you could call it that right now, is completely depleted. So now, one of my tasks is to turn that dirt into soil. You know what they say, Dear Reader, “Dirt first!”.

So far, we have a 1 year pepper plant with multiple starts ready to go. Romaine Lettuce sprouts. And broccoli sprouts. (The lettuce and broccoli amazingly took only two days) The squash and gourds are all volunteers. Last but not least, Cucumber that we have just transplanted. We have a bunch of different veggies that we’ll be growing one they get started, but for now I’ll keep those for another post.

I know that I said I would start including photos, but I still don’t have the device that would do this garden any justice, as they say. I’m excited for Spring, and all the joy that comes with gardening. I know that there will be a lot of things that I will have to say about all of the wonderful things I will learn, and I will be posting as I go along. As always.

I do have a question for you Dear Reader, how do you fix your soil? Any tips or tricks? Thank you for your input and time. Cheers!

Changes in plans

8rd been a while, Dear Reader, and there has been a lot of great opportunities that have been given to me this last month. I was visiting old friends and they went on to tell me that there was a bit of conflict at his job between the workers. Long story short they were laid off and the boss needed a hand. After a short interview at a really great Indian restaurant I got the job.

So I’m super happy about that. After worrying about how I was going to cover travel expenses to WWOOF, this was a huge weight off my shoulders. It’s going to make it a lot easier to get where I need to go having federal reserve notes.

I will be back to talking about farming, and permaculture so I’m excited about that. There are animals on the farm where I’ll be working, so some husbandry posts will be included. But what I’m really happy about is getting back to growing peppers again. I’ll be trying out some super hots this time around.

And if you are pepper enthusiast, such as myself, remember that super hots can take 100 days to start fruiting. Starting right now is probably a good idea if you want a head start in spring.

Well, thank you again Dear Reader for your time.

Hot Peppers Under Temporal Ban In European Markets

Article Here

A certain “False Codling Moth” has been found after inspections were made by the Uganda Export Promotions Board and has started a government training programme to help farmers with proper inspection methods. It is interesting note that this False Codling Moth’s larvae is hard to detect because it’s eggs are laid inside the fruit of the plants. That’s not something that I think can be easy, but hopefully with this new information, more farmers will be able to track these little buggers down and save their crops!

Membership and getting better

Dear Reader, I have successfully become a WWOOFer. Due to my recent situation, I found it necessary to get my ass in gear. I could have felt sorry for myself a lot more and just been in a rut until my money was all spent, but I figured out that this is the quickest way to get back on a farm like I said I would. Waiting in vain is something that my old self would have relished in, but I can see that that won’t help me this time. Not like it ever has.

So in true travelling spirit, I will venture off alone into this wonderful new community and share my experiences with you Dear Reader. You have inspired me, and because of you’re comments, you have made me realise that I do need to cultivate myself in order to achieve enlightenment. Romantic love and Greater love(love of self or spiritual love) are both love and I recognise that they are same. So thank you Dear Reader, for affirming that for/with me.

I hope that everything goes smoothly, and I will be typing down my adventures as they come along. Even though I still feel the emotional tears of my heart, I can’t let that stop me from being the best that I can be and to help provide information and skills to my community. I’m currently working on my WWOOF profile’s “about me” and I’m not exactly sure of what to write. So off to the forums I go, and until next time, Dear Reader, thank you again for stopping by.

post scriptum(p.s.) I am putting it out in the universe that I really want to land in a place that specialises in pepper plants or at least has a lot of peppers to take care of and if you know of any place Dear Reader, I’ll be more then happy to help out! Anyways, Cheers!