This is a little piece I was asked to write for the upcoming bio-dynamic newsletter. It gives a little more detail as to what we up to and what we wanting to create.
Agricultural Alchemy, the re-birth of earth

Times are changing. We see it and feel it at every farm we visit, doors being opened, ideas being exchanged, a new era of agriculture is dawning.

My best friend and partner, Justin and myself have been on the road about a year now, starting in tropical East Africa, Tanzania and Kenya and now travelling around South Africa. Our exploration has been about sharing and networking with the organic, biodynamic and permaculture farms who, as we have called it are endeavouring to forward farm. We recognized whilst running an organic farm and spiritual awareness centre in Tanzania how these ’Forward Farms’ are creating a model for which society as we know it now could grow towards in these precarious times. The practices and concepts on such farms are by no means new theories but are timeless ways of living ethically and holistically as true custodians of the earth. When was it that the majority of people on this earth forgot about their intrinsic relationship with nature and turned away from these timeless ways of being, and what does this mean for our present time here on Earth?

Well as far as events occurring presently on the planet, I’d say we’ve got ourselves into quite a mess, but is this not perhaps the climax end to an era of destruction and the beginning of a new way? We are in the change, and we are the change, together and now is when we can create the future, and what we have been witnessing is an inspiring leap back to the re-birth of earth. We saw the potential and at the same time the isolation many people feel embarking on their timeless organic journey, their reconnection to the natural rhythm. So after completing a permaculture course in March with the inspiring Avice Hindmarch and Hazel Mugford we thought we could go and share our energy and knowledge with people on a similar path, hopefully connecting farms and folks of like minded aspirations in a community or network of another kind. We have been travelling and staying on farms in a WWOOFing manner, that’s food and accommodation for a days work, this is also similar to old kibbutz style farming system in Israel. Some farms we have stayed a few weeks to a month on, some we have just visited for the day, all have been joyous to be where they are and doing what they are doing, to be part once more with the rhythm of nature and a witness to the abundance of the earth.

From fire ceremonies, to planetary formulas, full moon compost singing and whispering to hard working worms, the magic of the universe is re-igniting the stoic coals of lost hearts, the powers of observation and patience are paying off and slowly once again we can rejoice in the innocence and splendour of harmony with mother earth. The younger folks are tired of the superficial attractions of a crumbling society and more often are returning to the country, to set down roots and raise families in the older traditions of community and caring, and of relationship with the earth. We too long to care for a piece of earth, to grow and nurture a family surrounded by the love of a healthy, abundant environment and a food forest that will feed many generations to come.

We would love to hear from all you bio-dynamic farmers out there, any feedback and ideas are always welcome. If you interested you can go and view our blog
www.forwardfarms.blogspot.com or email us at earthstomper@hotmail.com

Societies disappearing soil

To plough or not to plough, so sad to see the soil go. Blown away on the whispers of wind or washed far from it’s source into the rivers and beyond to the oceans. No good will precious top soil do swimming about in the Indian ocean, feeding fish full of pesticides and fertilizers, and creating an even bigger disturbance in the ecology and fragile under water environments of reefs and swaying kelp gardens than on the land.

So why is the soil not staying put, not sticking to where it comes from and doing what its suppose to? Why is it being licked clean of the bed rock and ground and whirled about in the atmosphere, lost? At the moment, the earth is left gripping tentatively to the remaining percent of fertile ground on which all food for all the hungry mouths of the world need to be feed from. Strangely enough at the same time, society is left clinging hopelessly to the last remaining moral fibres that maintain a degree of peace on our hurly burly planet, however these too seem to be whirling about on the wind. Presently practices of commericial farming such as mould board ploughing and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are rapidly decreasing that fertile percentage and coupled with societies obscene addiction to consumerism, how will all those hungry mouths be fed and how will society sustain itself?
Its criminal really, because behind the glossy magazine advertisments and the world wide campaignes of humanity, the feeding of the people of the earth has been taken over by money hungry corporates and not agricultural intellectuals. Is it a surprise then, when I suggest that the quality of food being produced is hardly a scratch on the amounts being consumed. Quality can not be made up by quantity, and the quality of your produce is directly related to your soil, to the earth your crops are growing on. Taking it a step further we observe that we often think of food as mearly fuel to feed our physical bodies with, but often neglect to realize the effects of certain foods on our mental and energetic faculties and how the old saying of ‘you are what you eat’ has strong scientific holdings.

When we eat something, it breaks down and becomes assimilated into our bodies, effecting all our organs, cells and life fluids. The matter breaks down but the chemical compositions stay as is and are absorbed into our beings. This means that if you eat something that has been fattened with hormones, treated with pesticides or herbisides, or injected with anti-biotics you too will absorb these compounds… Knowing this, is it still a surprise that thousands apon thousands of humans are affected by the same ailments that the foods they are consuming are being treated for? Not only does such foods contain chemically destructive compounds but energetically carry the negative vibrations of the conditions it was grown or farmed in. It is in a similar way saying what goes around comes around, and if you are comfortable supporting mass feedlots, animal cruelty and the pilage of the earth, you will start to attract those very things unto yourself.

The vitamins in organic plants not only maintain the health of the body but, they neutralizing the highly reactive and electrically charged molecules known as free oxygen radicals, which are potentially active disease fighters as well. Free radicals are produced by air pollution, radiation, ozone, tabacco smoke, pesticides, animal and dairy fats and by normal body metabolism. They can reprogramme genes, and have been implicated in more than 60 diseases, including cataracts, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Because they have lost an electron, free radicals have a powerful tendency to bond to other molecules, including genetic material, resulting in an alteration of a cell’s genetic code. That’s the science and simply without all the scary words it’s saying, you are what you eat!

This is not meant to scare you, it’s to wake you up, to make you realize that your diseases, your ailments are all of your choosing. And in realizing this you will also realize that you have the power to change what you eat, and heal yourself and your family completely. To do this we have to go back to the beginning, and the beginning is the soil on which we stand together. The forgotten Self and Soil, the most important corner stones of any healthy functioning society. Caring for your self is not just skin deep, it is a true inner nuturing that incompases your physical, mental and spiritual self. In that care we find compassion, for ourselves, for other beings and all creatures that live on this earth. Only then can we attain harmony and balance with the natural rhythm and realize the importance of caring for the earth, ourselves and each other. First Slow down.

The way society has lost its structure is very alike the disappearing soil structure. Today it is just possible to care for your immediate nucular family, outside that isolated nucleus is a battlefield of competition and war far. We have lost our sense of community and care amongst all fellows and further intensifies our feelings of solitude and desperation. Its impossible these days to find the quality time to fullfill all aspects of family, work and recreational life, all of which would in a healthy society be shared responsibilites but now, fall solely on both or most times one of the adult figures shoulders. Life, one would say is being leeched, everyone is in a rush, getting as much out of their time as possible, and why is that a bad thing?

Well its not, but after a while such a system will collapse, it will lose it’s lustre and become a dead thing. Much can be done, but with how much care and consciousness is another question. We can look at the soil and now compare, at how the precious top soil is sapped of all its organic matter, is drowned with chemicals and pesticides and all the living organisims imperative to healthy soil are destroyed. These atrocious practices have been carried out in order to harvest maximum produce at minimal risk with as much speed as possible. In this way the quality of produce is lost, the soil is left mutilated and as with life too, the faster we seem to go, the sicker we become.

So now you know, and you know you have the choice. Support organically grown local produce. It may appear a bit more expensive now, but if you understand that the world runs on supply and demand, the more people supporting organic farming the cheaper and more accessible it will become. This is a real investment, take care of your health now, be conscious about what you consume and avoid dis-ease later.

Green backpackers

For a while we’ve been rolling, collecting no moss and encouraging ourselves through the backdoor of winter. We have halted briefly along the remaining section of the Garden Route at some places that attracted our attention and again fuelled up on the inspiring stories and events that see us through each day. We heard of three backpackers who all were adopting ecological and ‘forward farming’ principles to their environments and encouraging conscious green thinking to their patrons through the nature of their establishments, so naturally we went where the going was forward and the idea’s were green.

Our first stop was Wild Spirit Backpackers in Natures Valley. We arrived in the wet windy night (seems a trend with us) and were greeted by a blazing fireplace and the friendly folks who dwell there. I had phoned earlier to make a reservation and I was convinced over the line by Jared that we should most definitely join them for dinner tonight. “Nut roast” he declared, “the finest you have ever eaten”. He had so much conviction in his voice about that nut roast that it felt as though he had some sort of spiritual affiliation with it. Well Jared turned out to be spot on about the dinner that evening, it was quite simply divine. Jenny the owner, matriarch, head chef and manager of Wild Spirits for the last 32 years had made it herself, and one could taste the love and care baked into it, like most things in the place. It turned out Justin had been there before, about ten years ago with Tristan and some other monkey punks probably round about Plett Rage, its almost a miracle the place is still running after that whirlwind swept through, even more it is thriving and seems to be acquiring an unmissable status in the backpackers choices.Jenny runs Wild spirits also known as Khoinania with her husband and her daughter Ola and a team of ’Earth Angels’ who arrive from time to time and help care for the place and have some nurturing themselves. They have embraced environmental issues like water awareness and recycling in a well thought out eco-centre on site. Here visitors can come and learn about recycling waste and water and perhaps even turn their hand at making some of their own African ornaments out of waste plastic or old car tyres. By each water outlet is a reminder of water shortages and how to conserve water in the area by using their ‘Bongi’ bucket system to save water. The vibe was relaxed but enthusiastic and the forest was meters away from the viewing deck with enticing walks into the forest starting at the backdoor. Well worth a stop over if you in the area, and perhaps an early request can organize you one heavenly nut roast.

Ubuntu means community in IsiXhosa and it may well have been that a loving, laughing band of surf crazy nature folks came to Jeffreys Bay and thought well here’s a fine place to make like a community… Its not exactly a community in the sense of people staying for prolonged periods of time together, well apart from some of the staff that intended to be passing through and ended up becoming part of the ubuntu and the surfing aura that surrounds J’bay as it is better known. And as one looks over the world famous super tubes waves from the balcony and takes in the easy going vibes of a mid week morning its easy to see why they stayed. Not only are they providing a quality service with their comfortable accommodation and lush relaxation Zen gardens but doing it with the environment in mind. By encouraging guests to utilize the different recycling and worm composting bins and observing the need to be water wise with slogans and messages throughout they add a touch of green consciousness to the already water wild crew that pulls through. Ubuntu is stretching out and not only enriching this own circle of influence but are also part of a local community outreach programme. Justin got a surf in which left him happy and I found a little book and coffee nook just by super tubes that did a brilliant fair trade flat black with honey in 100% compostable cups made of plant fibres, Baloo’s continued successful meaty bones manifestations means he too is as the surfers say ‘stoked’.

This may be a good chance to pause and reflect on how two sweet vegans as ourselves could be supporting our little wolves growing carnivorous appetite for bones and flesh. Well that’s what he wants, that just what his growing canine body craves for and perhaps it seems a bit queer giving a little creature what he wants but instinctively he knows exactly what he needs to strengthen his bones, build good body muscle and have a healthy shiny coat. It’s not just because he’s a wolf, this is applicable to all dog owners, more to the point conscious and loving dog owners. A man called Tom Lonsdale wrote a book called “Growing your pup on raw meaty bones” it’s a detailed account of the multitude of reasons why commercial dog foods are creating sickness in dogs and why a return to a diet of raw meaty bones, rice and lentils and some raw vegetables is the way forward for any healthy pooch. Sad to say but majority of folks feeding their best friends on convenient commercial feeds are mis-lead by packaging and sometimes even the vets who recommend it. Alike many doctors who are given little tit bits on the side from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe their drugs, vets are recommending to you certain food brands not for lassies benefit as much as their own back pockets. An honest vet suggested Baloo’s diet to us, he has been feeding his dogs like that for many years and both are in top conditions. A natural raw diet is not only cheaper but also decreases the amount of wasteful packaging and harmful plastics moving through your home. There plenty other reasons why the commercial pet food industry is nasty news but if you really want to find out all the details they are out there.

Ok so in the Eastern Cape now and off to one of my and as it happens ol’ J.R Tolkien’s favourite spots in South Africa. Yip you may have heard of him, Mr Tolkien, he became very popular with a series of books he wrote inspired by the very place we headed for. If you guessed Lord of the Rings you would be right and Hogsback the place. Terra-khaya, after the Greek terra meaning earth and the African khaya meaning home has been established on a wattle invaded mountainside overlooking the three Hogs Backs. It’s a breathtaking view over the hackled horizon, one is so high up that on occasion people have stayed submerged in the clouds for the duration of their stay. Shane a successful former catering company owner from Cape Town, had a very special connection with the place and decided to create this heavenly earth home. Along with a business partner, they have over the last three and a half years cleared massive sections of wattle, built beautiful adobe, wood and recycled material structures that accommodate backpackers and volunteers, and established spaces for vegetable gardens and livestock. Shane prepares some of the most delicious gourmet meals around and runs one to three day horse trails through the magical Amatole mountain range. He is very knowledgeable about natural horsemanship and has formed a special relationship with each of his horses. He is in the process of creating a food forest, which hopefully we will be around to help him with, and is mulching and composting in preparation for spring vegetable growing. He has succeeded in creating a very comfortable and homely atmosphere, while at the same time being conscious of recycling, water, and energy matters. One thing we enjoyed greatly was the open air bath, which uses water from the passing spring and is heated by a wood burning donkey system. On a starry night, it is an experience that can’t be missed. We also had the very good fortune to meet up again with Lily, an amazing girl who was on the permaculture course with us in Stillbaai. She had come to wwoof at Terra-khaya and share some of what she had learnt on the course with the folks here. It keeps happening like that, making synchronized link up’s and creating a network of like minded people. Hogsback itself is a very special space, with some epic hikes to waterfalls and bathing pools. If you looking for a space to come home to and reflect, this is it.

Next up we go visit Justin’s family in Dordrecht, have a good play in deep African snow, and go into some of the finer points of commercial farming.
Look forward to your comments and ideas,

Blessings to ALL
LOVE

Gervaise