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| Beet relish on left, pickled beets in rest of rows. |
A vegetable garden can be so prolific that the abundance is overwhelming this time of year. The past few weeks we have been eating, freezing, canning, dehydrating, and storing as fast as we can.
How we go from the abundance of nature to the scarcity that our economic system is based on, takes heaps of harmful thinking, mixed with equal parts of lies and evil manipulations.
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| A quick trip to the garden yields enough beets, beet greens, and kale for days of wholesome cooking and eating. |
In a consumer society, if something is free, it is treated with suspicion. Many would rather pay for things because that feels normal. But money is anything but normal, or natural. Where is it? What is it? And can it hug you back?
Everything in nature is provided for free. Our system, where we know the price of everything and the value of nothing, must monetize everything.
But how can the store sell limp and listless kale from thousands of kilometres away, when I have more of it growing than I can eat, process, or give away?
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| Want to reduce dependence on a sick system? Grow a vegetable garden - the ultimate, and most enjoyable, form of resistance. |
Nothing explodes the myth of scarcity more than growing even a small garden. A vegetable garden resists all such fake ideas, and shows us the way, which is abundance freely given.
Along these lines, in response to my earlier post on garlic self-sufficiency, Karen commented:
Along these lines, in response to my earlier post on garlic self-sufficiency, Karen commented:
"This is excellent. I'm keen to try to grow my own garlic so this post is very inspiring. I love being less reliant on The System.
I think regardless of whatever "little" steps we take to do this kind of thing equates to so much more collectively.
Independence and any degree of self sufficiently is love in action for Mother Earth.
Would love to hear what other NBAers are doing to remove themselves from complete dependence. "
In closing, I have two questions.
1) What do you do to reduce your dependence on our sick system?
and,
2) Can I give you some kale?
1) What do you do to reduce your dependence on our sick system?
and,
2) Can I give you some kale?
"If I sowed, planted or dealt in seeds; whatever I did had first in view the destruction of infamous tyrants.”
- William Cobbett
Gardens promote sharing. I didn't plant zucchini this year in hopes that the bugs that attack them would move on. But my neighbor brought me a giant zucchini. I made muffins and took her some only to find she had a zucchini bread factory in her kitchen with ten loaves in the oven I came away with a freezer bag of grated zucchini!
ReplyDeleteI laughed at the vision of you walking in on your neighbour's (clandestine) zucchini bread factory, with loaves in the oven. It makes me think about creating a new show about her called "Breaking Bread".
DeleteHaha. Good one!
DeleteI have to laugh as when our gardens are producing everyone is trying to give away extra. Right now we have too many eggs so I am sending my husband out to deliver to older friends who want them. I cannot imagine not having a garden.
ReplyDeleteWow. Eggs to share is very nice situation to be in. After gardening for a while it feels very strange to buy food in a large grocery store. And it doesn't get any fresher, tastier, or more nutritious than stepping out the door, picking a carrot, cleaning it and eating it pronto.
DeleteThat would be good if we could do a egg - kale swap.
I remember giving zuccinis away last year to anyone we could! This year though we didn't get the yields we did last year unfortunately. I can never understand why people don't grow more vegetables - nearly all of them can be stored, canned, frozen etc.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, it does take some work to grow and process large volumes of food. But going to work every day from age 16-65 to get money to buy food is a lot of work, too.
DeleteI have a renewed respect for past generations for whom food growing and preservation was as much a part of life as grocery stores are for most of us today. They did so much hard work, but with massive pay offs for individuals and the environment. For me, it is very satisfying work.
I have garden envy after reading this post and the comments. It's sad that so many places prohibit people from gardening. We are allowed a small plot if it is well hidden in our community. (No outside drying of laundry though) It's crazy that the look of your "community" is placed over practicality. Growing our own food is power!
ReplyDeleteLoving hearing about what other people are doing in their gardens! Loving even more reading about the barter/trade systems going on. That's brilliant. In our new country town I've noticed that fejoias are literally given away in summer, there's so many of them! That means I don't need to plant that tree lol. However I've planted extra cucumbers, zuchinni and tomatoes in anticipation of a hot summer. I'll be delighted to give excess away to anyone in the community. I'm also building up my kefir grains and kombucha scobies to swap for things... Maybe eggs ;)
ReplyDeleteMarla... I cannot comprehend living anywhere where gardening must be hidden and hanging washing out is prohibited?! Why and how does this happen? I think if someone tried to encourage that told in this country they'd be laughed out of town at the absurdity of it! I feel really sorry for anyone who has to put up with that. It's very strange x
Karen- It is strange that these kinds of rules have come about. Growing up we wouldn't have imagined that such a thing could exist. It's really common here in the US. Home Owner Associations decide what color paint you can use, what trees you can plant, where to sit your garbage cans and on and on. We've received warning letters for having a light bulb burned out in a front light. You can be fined for removed from the community! My parents moved here over twenty years ago to live in a quiet retirement community. When my father was alive, he was always butting heads with the rule makers. I don't think in hindsight they would do it again. I have other family members who are encountering the same situations in the communities where they live. Just madness!
DeleteThat is... Weird. I would do so badly there lol. Sometimes here you'll come across covenants on bare land (sections) for sale that guide what you can or cannot build... Supposedly to 'protect your investment'. That's more along the lines of height of fence allowed, size and type of home etc. Have never heard of it being particular down to colour of paint though. Your situation sounds very difficult. :(
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