Dire News

This past Saturday Malu Aina hosted another successful farm day.  In addition to the regulars we were joined by 3 students from the university and a young couple on holiday from Vancouver.   It rained on and off through the morning but we still managed to plant some sweet potatoes and weed the ones planted last month.

Additionally, we transplanted our “Taro Collection”.  The collection is made up of about 22 varieties of Taro which we are cultivating to help maintain the genetic diversity of Taro.  Before the Hawaiian islands were colonized by europeans there were said to be over 200 varieties of Taro being grown.  Currently, there are only about 50 or 60 in cultivation.

Everyone was in good spirits and lingered over lunch until 3 in the afternoon.  Though this was a joyous and hopeful event, I am trouble by the many ominous signs and dark tidings from around the planet.

The paper today, as on many days, was filled with dire news.  The cost of oil continues to rise, which makes everything more expensive.  Living on an island, we feel the higher cost of fuel very quickly.  The prices we pay for food seem to rise weekly and the cost of gas moves upward on a daily basis.  There are also reports from around the world of food riots.  These have been triggered both by scarcity and the fact that staple foods are becoming unaffordable.   More and more people on the planet are lacking the necessities of food, water, shelter, and basic medical care.

As a society we should ask ourselves what role have we played in the creation of this current crisis?  What is it about our societal system that is creating such privation and suffering.  Why are we “choosing”, consciously or unconsciously, to live in,  participate in, and perpetuate a system that requires that others go without?

Dorothy Day saw the systemic nature of the evils we as a society participate in with such cold thoughtlessness.  She called it the “filthy rotten system.”  As a Catholic, she saw the “Works of Mercy” and teachings of Jesus as way out, a way to build a new system based on love and compassion.   She spent most of her adult life battling the “filthy rotten system” and trying to create something new and better.

Are we willing to do likewise and challenge and change the system?  There doesn’t seem to be much time left before things really get out of hand.  Those of us living today are the ones that must do the hard work of eliminating the many threats to humanity created in the last 50 years.  If we fail in our work, or simply do not see it as necessary, some of us may be alive to usher in the end of the human era.

The transition between yugas (cosmic aeons) is always a messy affair.  It is a point of transition, a bardo of sorts.   It is a moment in time in which change happens quickly.  However, we, collectively, must be the instruments of change.  There will be no rapture or miraculous divine intervention that saves us at the last minute.  We are on are on own and must awaken to this bardo, this time of transition.

If we are to survive then we must abandon our suicidal pursuit of greed and violence and find the resources for positive change within ourselves.  We must, as Gandhi said, “become the change we wish to see.”  It is a teaching far more profound than it appears at first glance.  It is formula for change from someone who took on, and defeated, the then most powerful nation on the planet. 

The possibilities of the future lie within us .  Will we choose the path of gods, and create and protect life, or the path of demons, who love death and slavery?

Peace, Paul 

Blown Away

Friends,

Here is an article entitled: Study Based on Farmers’ Experience Exposes Risks of GE Crops.

The article is a little technical, but has some good information.  The question which we should all be asking ourselves, as we face a worldwide food shortage and even food rationing in the U.S. is, are Genetically Engineered crops really the answer?

In my mind the issues around food, resource distribution, and world hunger have a lot to do with the massive shift to industrial agriculture and away from small local sustainable farming. 

Recently I had the very good fortune to give some talks on Genetic Engineering at the the University of Hawaii at Hilo.   What blew my mind though was the the students’ general lack of knowledge about agriculture, farming, or even gardening.  In one of the classes not a single student of the the 25 or so present had even grown vegetables in a garden!  I was completely stunned.  I had just assumed that most people had some minimal exposure to growing food.  That is obviously not the case.

The statistic on farming is that less than .01% of the US population is involved in agriculture.   The students at the University made this statistic very real for me.

Consequently I had to spend a tremendous amount of time during my talk explaining very basic things about farming - like how plants grow and pollinate, how they are planted and how they can be harvested.   I gave information on all of the things that go into growing food on large farms (Industrial Ag.) and small family farms.   I talked about organic agriculture and sustainability.

Let me say it again, I was stunned by what these students did not know about the growing of food!

It cannot be good for people to be this disconnected from the land and the source of the food upon which their lives depend.

Peace,  Paul

 

Around the Farm

We are into the full on growing season here in Hawaii.  The rain has moderated a bit and the days are longer and we are striving to stay ahead of the weeds and various vines that thrive in this weather.  Are farm is organic, low tech, and off the grid.  That means that we do most of the work by hand using sickles, shovels, and hoes.   (Though there is a 50 year old tractor for some of the heavier work.)  It is a good life filled with long days and hard work.

Here are some photos from around the farm, enjoy.

Our first crop of corn this year.   We just put in a second planting and are looking forward to having sweet corn for several months.

Lettuce growing in our “screen house.”  We get a lot of rain here in Hawaii and the lettuce just can’t stand up to the showers:

Here is some young taro that has recently been weeded.  For those of you who do not know, Taro is the staple crop of Hawaii.  It is a very strong plant, a good producer, and easy to grow.  You can eat the whole plant and it is quite tasty.

Here is some taro that is about ready to be cut for leaf.  The corm (root) will not yet be ready for some time:

Some sweet potatoes that were weeded today.  This is another good staple crop.  Unfortunately the pigs really like sweet potatoes as well.  So I may be sleeping in the field with the dogs when harvest time rolls around.

Here are some beans that will be ready to pick in a few weeks. (They look weedy, but really it’s not that bad!)  This is one of the crops that we sell at market.  Taro is the other main cash crop.

Everyone should grow a little of their own food.

Peace, Paul

Clean Energy Scam

Here is an article from Time Magazine on what they call the biofuel scam, tough words coming from Time Magazine.  To quote the article:

“… several new studies show the biofuel boom is doing exactly the opposite of what its proponents intended: it’s dramatically accelerating global warming, imperiling the planet in the name of saving it.”

Clean Energy Scam

Read the article and let me know your thoughts.

Peace, Paul

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear

Below is a link to an article on Monsanto from the May issue of Vanity Fair.  I have to admit that even I was shocked by some of the information revealed in the article.

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear

Peace, Paul

Farm Day

While Judy was taking her Scuba course I remained on the Farm, for our monthly volunteer day.

 

There were 5 of us total, and I was the youngest by about 20 years.  (I am 42!)  Nevertheless, “many hands make light work”, and in a few short hours we had planted 8 rows of Taro and 3 rows of sweet potatoes.  (The same task, if done by myself alone,  would have taken several long days of hard slow work.)  I was very thankful for help with the work!  

 

After working in the fields, we shared a delightful pot-luck meal.  Fresh steamed taro, chickpeas, salad, and bread mixed with joyful stories and fond remembrances to bring a warm end to the day.

 

Peace, Paul

Certified

Over the weekend of March 23rd & 24th Judy took, and passed, her Open Water Scuba Certification Course.  Yeah!

 

Here she is at a dive site called “drain pipes” in Hilo, HI.  It was a great dive.

 

 

Judy and I are looking forward to diving more sites around the island.

 

Peace, Paul 

On the Farm

After much torrential rain, we are now in a drought.  What survived the deluge is now wilting under constant heat of clear dry days.

 

However we are trying to take advantage of these weeks of dry weather.  We have cleared the “Peace Trail”, repaired the road by pouring concrete and laying down fresh gravel,  installed a new solar panel on the main house (effectively doubling our photovoltaic wattage), replaced and shifted batteries around the farm (heavy!), assembled a new “carport”, undertook some spring cleaning (We found the breakfast table and a whole new room - really.),  painted new peace placards (of course!), and continued our many peace activities (vigil-ing, protesting, community organizing, networking, letter writing, and keeping the heat on our various elected officials).

 

March 19th will mark the 5th year of the war in Iraq.  Interestingly this “anniversary” falls in the middle of the Christian holy week.  It is the week that Jesus marches into Jerusalem to face the worldly powers of his world - Rome and the Temple.   As a result of this confrontation, sedition in the eyes of Rome, Jesus was tortured and executed.

 

The question that should be before all Christians this week is:  What meaning does Jesus’ life and death have for a country that is at war?  Is the killing of 100s of thousands of Iraqis - men, women, and children - really the “fruit” of the Christian tree?

 

Many would argue that Christianity has nothing to do with this war.  Perhaps they would be right in arguing that proper belief is all that is required of Christians.  The life and death of Jesus has meaning only for those concerned about the afterlife and the state of their “souls”, and not for our lives lived in society.

 

If this is indeed the case, and there is much evidence to suggest that it is, what need do we have for churches at all?

 

Peace, Paul

Visiting New Orleans

New Orleans is in heavy recovery mode from Hurricane Katrina.  A tremendous amount of damage can still be seen in and around the city.   Additionally there are deep political and spiritual struggles for the future of the city.  There is money to be made and many are interested in “cleaning up” the city.  Others are more concerned with justice and making things right.

 

While I was in New Orleans there was a controversial city council vote on the destruction of some public housing.   It seemed that the majority of New Olreanians supported tearing down the public housing.  However, from my perspective as an outsider, the proposed plan to provide affordable housing is out of touch with reality.  Housing in New Orleans, at the moment, is unaffordable. 

 

Consequently, there is a serious homeless problem in New Orleans.   Everyone I spoke with seemed to be unaware of this problem.  In fact, I was constantly told that there was low income housing, vouchers, and public assistance available.  Never the less, I saw with my own eyes, large homeless camps under overpasses and near city hall.   These people were well dressed, clean, and some were families with children.  So while the political spin seems to be that there is “affordable housing available”, the reality is the opposite.   There is not enough affordable housing, or perhaps the barriers to getting affordable housing are too high, or confusing, or demeaning.  No matter the cause, there are people, good people, living on the streets - homeless.

 

Peace, Paul

Last Week

It is the last week at Malu Aina before Judy and I travel to the mainland for the holidays.  The last few days on the farm have been wet.  There is standing water in all of the fields and everything has become damp and limp.  Our little cabin in the woods has held up nicely.  There is mud everywhere and keeping ones feet and clothes “clean-ish” has become a big challenge.

 

From our cabin we can hear cars on the main road and cows lowing in the distance..  Closer to the cabin we are surrounded by the sounds of frogs, birds, and the vibrant aliveness of nature.

 

The sun in Hawaii comes up quickly in the morning.  One moment it is night and the next, or so it seems, day is upon us.  The slow drawn-out predawn show of the northern latitudes is missing here.   As the sun leaps into the sky it is greeted by crowing and tussling of Roosters preparing to leave the roost.

 

Tuesday I spent the morning working under the cover of the screen house.  This is the small shelter where we grow all of our salad greens.   Without the protection of the screen house, the fragile lettuce plants would not survive the torrential rains of the rain-forest.

 

In the afternoon I sat with Martha, Judy, and Jim around the dinner table stuffing and stamping envelopes while drinking coffee and “talking story”.  I was happy not to put my wet socks and muddy boots back on and trudge out to the the fields.

 

In the evening Martha prepared a delicious dinner.  We finished the day with pumpkin pie, of which we all ate too much.

 

Several of the Banana plants on the farm, have been knocked down by the wind.   On Wednesday, covered in rain gear and dodging the worst of the rain, I replanted many of the stumps.

 

In the evening our local Hawaii Seed group had its monthly meeting.  We discussed GMOs and how to protect Taro from becoming the next crop contaminated / poisoned by Genetic Engineering.  The New Year will mark the begining of the Hawaii Legislative session.  It will also be a busy time for us as we struggle to convince our legislators to resist the enticements of money and power, and instead do what is right - protect our food and our children from the dangers of GMOs.

 

On Saturday morning we will leave for New Orleans.  I will miss the quiet and routines of Malu Aina and life on the farm.  However it will be good to be with family for the Holidays.  It is something that we missed last year.

 

Peace, Paul