He said: "I have to ask you to do one thing - stop growing crops. Start growing soil. Once you are growing soil I have to ask you to stop growing soil. Start growing people, that is to say, people who know how to grow soil. Now, I have to ask you to stop growing people, and start growing mini-ecosystems. In growing mini-ecosystems you must grow: crops, soil, people and mini-ecosystems."
With that I heard a big ol' vuuuup! in my mind as all the loose ends were tied up, the dots connected, my efforts summed! These words were spoken by John Jeavons author of How to Grow More Vegetables, founder of Ecology Action and mind behind GROW BOINTENSIVE Mini-Farming (just to mention a tiny bit of his contributions) not to mention a mountain of inspiration, husband to a lovely and inspiring woman, and father to an equally delightful daughter.
Some years ago I attended a presentation given by John. The presentation highlighted the work of Ecology Action and BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farming techniques, the wonderful work that was, and is, taking place around the globe using these methods of growing soil, and feeding the people of our world. At that time I was nearing the end of a five year program studying Landscape Architecture and Land Rehabilitation. It was a time of looking deeply at what I really valued most. What I wanted to focus on, and carry forth beyond the walls of the design lab, where I often stayed days upon end - without sleeping! John's lecture also coincided with my course work in Holistic Management. A method of managing not only land, but ranches, farms, business and family from a holistic viewpoint; with a focus on healthy soil, healthy earth, healthy people- for a sustainable future.
My focus turned, or just focused. I felt that all my life I could work with this information, this value set informing my design process, but in the end it would have been of little noticeable contribution. I become convinced that for me, and my work, it was of paramount significance that I turn to the children of our earth. I deviated dramatically at that point from the design work of my classmates and began an intense final year designing and teaching an environmental education curriculum "Inspiring Wonder on the Road to the Future". Since that time I have become a mother, life has changed in so many ways, but what has not changed is a love of our earth, and a drive to grow our way towards a healthier future.
A month ago now, I took one step further down the path of realising my dreams and attended a three day workshop at Ecology Action to study the GROW BIOINTENSIVE methods. It was a jam-packed time, chalk full of great information. It is my dream (or one of them) to inspire the children to love, and tend this earth, for their health and security, but also the health of our home.
Today, I have the honor of developing our school's garden. In this growing, outdoor classroom I garden with our earth's most precious resource - our children, and look towards a day that I can say I am successfully growing mini-ecosystems!
All of that said, join me for a tour of this eye-candy-filled, few days of mine! Will you?
{well loved, much coveted (by me) tools (available here), hanging in the barn}
{learning to double-dig, correctly!}
{I am so proud of our new seeding flats at school, but holy smokes look at this collection!}
{almost all crops are started in these flats first before being transplanted to the beds}
{ I have since childhood visited barns of all sorts with an eye for "how could I live in this space?" I love them so!}
{my future bedroom view, I mean the hayloft}
{garlic hanging in the barn}
{fantastic drawers with seed names written on each - beats my little filing system}
{threshing and winnowing grains}
{screens for separating the chaff from the grain}
{the drying of a bountiful harvest }
The workshop was held in Willits California at the Golden Rule Community Center and Garden with field trips to the Ecology Action Mini-Farm.
Dreams do, indeed, come true!
What are you dreaming?
