one million onion seedlings going great guns. (whatever does that mean?)
Told you I'd be back.
An unexpected gift arrived yesterday from my beautiful friend Pingring. THANKYOU PINGRING! A copy of the book "Animal Vegetable Miracle" which I have already started dipping into. I like the authors writing voice - especially in the narrative sections. Thank you for the gift and thankyou for thinking about me my love.
The other week I was invited to attend a dialogue on food security. I think I was invited because of my work in waste and composting, rather than the fact that we grow lots of our food and buy most of the rest from local folks. It was an interesting day. I have been mulling over the whole thing for a while now. It seems the day was attended by two types of folks - those who are JUST DOING IT - living the change they want to see, growing the services and options and markets and produce and activities that are part of a sustainable, vibrant, healthy future. These were the farmers, the graziers, the gardeners, the businesses using and selling local food. These were the drivers of local food production, nutrient dense food and the ESTABLISHERS of farmers markets. They were also people with their own veggies gardens, no mater how large or small, the lovers of trees, the members of community gardens and the organic growers.
The other half seemed to be folks that just wanted to WHINGE and WHINE and make speeches about the PROBLEMS and what EVERYONE ELSE should be doing. These people blame the big supermarkets, the government, the public, the poor people that make bad food choices - pretty much EVERYBODY except themselves. They were mostly academics (god bless them) and my assessment is that they REALLY need to get out more - perhaps just into their own backyard - with a packet of parsley seeds, or even seedlings.........
I think it would be sad to live in such a problem saturated world. Sad to feel so powerless (and perhaps arrogant and lazy) that problems and solutions are located OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.
But don't worry, I was on my best behaviour - mostly. I resisted asking people directly about their own eating and growing habits or exploring what part they played in either the problem or the solution. I was a little bit thrilled to see that one of my waxing lyrical quotes of the day made it into the draft report.
"Everyone has a tradition not too far beneath the surface linking them with food production. it is simple and easy to encourage people back to those roots. People are yearning for that connection. "
I think this one popped out because the whingers were whinging (or the problem identifiers were identifying that) Australia is made up of convicts and immigrants and therefore, there is no connection with local food production or any food production for that matter. piffle I say. Every country and every culture has a tradition of vibrant, fresh, beautiful healthy food. Even dreary old England. I suspect one doesn't even have to go back much further than their Nanna to find it either.
Anyway. I am determined not to despair about people that happily wait for the GOVERNMENT to fix things. hilarious. I do try to point out that governments are FOLLOWERS not leaders, and we would be very well served to remember that. And that we may perhaps DIE waiting for a public policy SOLUTION to climate change and local food security. Meanwhile, you just gotta get on with it. Why not LIVE as though it was normal to take a certain amount of responsibility for your own food security and fossil fuel addition? The worst that could happen is that you get to enjoy beautiful fresh veggies packed full of flavor, nutrients and antioxidants.
On a happy note, one outcome of the day, that folks agreed that could all commit to was to plant JUST ONE THING. Just one thing. That's how it all starts folks - just one thing.
meanwhile, I'm off the the garden to do some weeding.
rant over.
Proof that even an early spring ONCian garden can be generous cornucopia - spring garden soup of freshly picked leek, parsnip, turnip, beetroot, carrot, broccoli, bay leaves and the last of the stored garlic.
