Ponderings, wonderings

Where have communities gone? They still function so far as giving inhabitants a place name to associate with and providing most of the essential basics in order to live, but how many of these nessecities can be provided within the community? Food is good place to start. How much of Wilsonville, OR foods come from within 20 miles? What I gather is that no one has surveyed local consumers, merchants and producers for the answer. The area is within one of the richest agricultural lands in the state, with adequate rainfall and favorable climate, yet grocers shelves are lined with carrots, lettuce and spinach from Southern California and oranges, grapes and kiwis from South America. The city largely forgot about food production in the design phase, but design is eternal, always changing and shifting with necessity. Who knows, in 6 years suburban homes may be bulldozed and reclaimed as small farms. Rosy picture surely, here's to hoping that suburbia comes to their sense before that. And what of this habit of tossing your trsh for someone to pickup. Curbside pickup still exists even as municipal budgets nationwide shrink, this service is still offered here. Across the river Canby has faired exceptionally better in their development, contructing residences around farmlands hence allowing ample space for communities to produce food within sight of tthe kitchen.

Have we really devolved into hoards of nuclear families that simply exist to work, consume, watch tv and repeat the process? One would gather that from the mindset most us are in, as we stand idly by and watch our country be bankrupted into a third world nation. Ignorance is blissful and we'd rather sit aside and watch CSI than help nieghbors start a garden plot or confront what is really happening.

Is letting wealth trickle down striking fear in the heart's of wealthy folks?

I have been pondering these questions lately and trying to decipher why I have become a proverbial invasive, maybe transplant or non-native may be more appropriate as I have yet to reproduce uncontested as an invasive specie can. Call it wanderlust or itchy feet, but there is something unsettling about knowing that indigenous communities have never strayed too far from thier homes. Maybe it is because they know that all they'll ever have is right at their feet. Soil to bring food forth from and ancestors who stewarded the land for centuries insuring future generations will have the opportunity to use that same earth.

Spring cleaning

Wow I really let this page go to shambles or maybe it was just winter dormancy? Now as the dead shoots push out new growth the blog must do so as well towards alerting gardeners as to what needs to be done. That said their is much work to be done and there are plenty of us to do that work to feed ourselves, our friends, neighbors and those who need the food the most; the homeless, working poor and unemployed. It is going to take all of us to do the tasks that must be done to ensure resilient communities and it is not going to be as easy as sitting in front of the television and being lulled to sleep, nor will it be as easy as spending all afternoon on gmail, but it will be abundantly more fun and rewarding when there is food to eat and friends to share the bounty with.

What did computers ever provide for us anyhow? A cheap thrill, instant gratification or instant shopping? Computers have failed to provide us with clothing or food and have ultimately made us passive beings so far removed from our agricultural heritage that most of us now cringe at the thought of self-sufficiency.

Our ancestors would probably be appalled to see the rat race we pursue and its effects on our health. Some of us will never see the light as they are caught in the darkness too much to ever reveal their own light. That is unfortunate, just pray for those to bring their light into fruition and give to others. If you believe it, you can manifest it. If all you believe is negativity and darkness that is what you'll reap. So let us reap something very good and come together as a transitional community focused on food production as our first goal. Soon enough we will need to take a step backwards and think: "What do we really need to survive and what is menial to our human existence for the next generations."

The garden has not fallen into disarray fortunately. Plots are cover cropped and ready for spring planting. A fence is going up around the garden soon to keep the deer at bay. Something will be planted for them to snack upon outside the fence. Many entities are arising to help out in the process and all of them are needed to put a brush stroke in and create a masterpiece.

Wish List:

Shed for storage
Interpreter
PR person
Farm hands
Educators
Hoop house materials
Compost crew

Things to be done:

Move compost bin and barrels
Plow the plots
Double dig beds
Plant beneficial plants
Plant native plants
Build a grape arbor
Build drip irrigation system