Ways To Simplify

I recently read an outstanding article from the LA Times about a gentleman named Pat Marfisi, who applies “no-dig” techniques to create a garden that he estimates produces enough food to feed three people daily.

Marfisi was not always involved with gardening. According to the article, he is a former consultant for big-name clients such as Sun-America.

I can relate to Mr. Marfisi’s story. I grew up enamored by technology. I thought of myself as the first kid on my block to get a personal home computer back in the 80’s. Being around computers was the thing to do for me, and I spent years involved with them..

That is, until not too long ago, when I began to discover that the more technologically savvy we have become, the more we have lost touch with the earth in some cases. Of course I am not advocating being a Luddite, and throwing away technology. On the contrary, technological advances have greatly benefited humankind. The fact that this blog can be read by someone around the world is a testament to the wonders technology can bring.

However, there are those moments of truly Zen-like peace and clarity that seem to only be found doing such activities as tending to one’s garden or flowers. When we are gardening, we are reconnecting to the Earth and the Great Spirit. We are becoming one with Nature and the Great Spirit.

Being involved with gardening not only brings you a sense of peace and tranquility, but you are also contributing to the concept of sustainability and care for the planet. In the afore-mentioned article, Marfisi sites author Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food. In this book, Pollan estimates that the distance traveled by food to the plate of an average American is 1,500 miles.

1,500 miles! Can you imagine that for a moment? We have truly lost touch with the earth if we are consuming food that has been grown 1,500 away.

By growing food locally, you are cutting down on fuel costs needed to transport food from one part of the country to another as well as contributing to a sense of community. One of my favorite pass-times is to visit the local farmers’ markets. I know the food I am getting there is the freshest it can be, grown with love and care by people who love doing what they do.

Nature is all around us; We have only to look in our own backyards. Maybe we do not have backyards; That’s okay! We do not need huge acreages - Just the desire to grow something and some ingenuity.

A very interesting book that deals with this concept of how the micro farm movement is changing the world is Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth by Barbara Berst Adams. In this book, the author demonstrates how people all across the world are doing what they love while at the same time contributing to the sustainability of this planet and bringing joy to their communities.

We have, I believe, come to a point in society where people are no longer satisfied with fake or genetically modified food. People are literally taking things into their own hands and contributing to the sustainability of the earth.

In the near future, I hope to start my own micro garden, which I will share with you via photos. We have only just begun, and the journey promises to be an enchanting, magnificent one!

Filed under: Gardening on June 17th, 2008