Saturday, July 31, 2010
On the farm with Jaime
II believe that everyone deserves good food: fresh, wholesome and grown without harmful pesticides. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great for healthful eating and organic farming lessens our dependence on synthetic chemicals, bringing us back to nature. It is great to understand how things work together in a natural ecosystem, without added pesticides and herbicides. It is also important to me to respect the land that I farm and give back as much as I take.
Food cultivation and farming is a gift that we should pass down to younger generations. It is just as important as geometry or history – it is our history! It blends elements of math, science and history to create something tangible.
For me, learning how to germinate seeds in elementary school was eye opening and exciting. I think that learning to grow fruits and vegetables should be included in our public education curriculum. It is a shame that kids know how to use a computer but most don't even know where a tomato comes from or how to grow it. What went wrong here?!?!
If everyone grew a small amount of food, you would have enough for everybody in your community. It is great to see small community gardens popping us to feed neighbors and friends. It brings us back to the basics and gives people time to do some good and commune with neighbors and friends.
I bought a 15-acre farm with these problems in mind. I want my daughter to grow up with an education you don't learn in school. I want to feed my family the best produce, eggs and, soon, dairy. I feel that I am going to have something really important to pass on to my grandkids...an organic farm that will nourish the soul for many generations.