Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Community Gardens

The idea of growing one's food, as radical and impossible as it seems to most urban dwellers- particularly my NYC followers - is not only not radical but is the most reasonable, conventional and bland idea ever. I'm sure you know where I am going with this- humans have been growing our own food for consumption for thousands of years. Even when agricultural societies started emerging- about ten thousand years ago during the Neolithic period- people were still close to their food source. In fact, it is the idea that you are far removed from your food source that is radical. In the history of humanity, it is very recent that we've started to divorce food production from food consumption, with industrialization accelerating that separation as transport systems, pesticides and mechanized forms of production became not only wide spread but accepted and inexpensive.
The privilege of eating produce out of season transformed from an indulgent luxury to one that taken for granted in the industrialized world. The growth of pesticides and oil based fertilizers have allowed food from around the world is pumped with steroids, colored, and are genetically modified. We have lost our ability to know what grows when, let alone where, and with that any awareness of the enormous resources- energy, water, labor amongst others- involved in its production and transport.
Food is consumed- not enjoyed, and if it is enjoyed is enjoyed only as it is cooked and eaten. Growing our own food multiples our enjoyment exponentially as it creates so many opportunities for joy in the entire process- from planting to seeding to harvesting to cooking to eating it.
As a committed urban dweller, I have struggled with connecting with my food in a that does not require me to move to the suburbs or some far away way rural area. I have been intrigued with the multiple opportunities for urban farming which include reclaiming empty lots, roof top gardens and vertical gardens and reminded that less than 200 years ago our great urban playground, Central Park, was home to roaming pigs and small farmers.
Today I visited a community garden in Forress whose members are experiencing various successes, struggles and victories in growing their own food.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Eco-Village; First Impressions

I've arrived in Northern Scotland at Findhorn Village to complete 2 masters classes on sustainable development. Findhorn is an amazing laboratory of what works and doesn't work environmentally, economically and socially in an eco-village.
Today we had a brief introduction to the park as well as tour of some of the houses and explanation of the history. Lunch- a purely vegeratiran affiar made by people in the community, cleaned by people in the community, sourced by vegetables from the parks
farm- was deilcious. After lunch, one brings one plate up to the counter where cooked food and raw food are deposited in separate bins for composting, silver is separated and plates are stacked.
I am sharing a bungalow called with 3 other students from the course. Though I am impressed with the level of environmental awareness and desire to create change through the build environment-0 I am a bit skeptical of the spiritual elements. Before every meal- and in fact every activity- we "attune". We hold hands, calm ourselves and try to immerse ourselves in our task before starting. I wonder how my attitude to this will develop over the next few weeks.

Next Chapter - Good Bye Albania.

At the risk of being called lazy, I am going to repost the email I wrote to my dearest friends and family before I left Albania as I feel it does the best job of encapsulating my thoughts and cannot see what I can add to it.

Hard to believe that 2 years ago I was packing up my house and studio,selling my car and wrapping my life in New York up unsure of what this adventure would hold for me or when I would be back. After spending 20 years on that 8 mile island leaving was a big change. While there have been ups and downs, I'm certainly happy I served in Peace Corps. I learned so much about myself, about my tolerances, limits and
weaknesses. I have become so appreciative of things I took for granted: having people and not chicken/goats as my neighbors on the bus, MAIL!, bus drivers who don't stop for 40 minutes to eat their personal lunch at their friends, heat, walking outside after dark(after 4) in the winter, stop lights (none in my city of 80,000), sidewalks, toilets that can handle toilet paper, hot water, running water (I was without for 2 weeks), hot water, sleeping without a coat on, consistent electricity etc... However, I learned I can adapt to those things and live with them. The hardest challenge was the mental challenge: being alone, having no Americans around for months at a time, not speaking my native tongue at the store, work or socially, the cultural differences- some of which are obvious at first and some which take time to realize, having what I realize now is an American perspective and being painfully aware of the limits imposed on women in most of the world.

There are also things I will miss dearly: The stunning blue coast abutting mountains for hours and hours, kayaking down the canyons and in general the stunning beauty of the country. Being walking distance to the beach for the first time in my life. Living so close to Italy and having the real influence (not the Americanized version)- including amazing pizza pies for $3.00. Tasty, fresh grilled whole fish and fresh, organic salad in a hut on the sea I kayaked up to for about $7. My bread lady who shakes my hand each morning, asks me how I am and sells me the most delicious multi-grain loaf for .$50, the women at the corner who say "tomorrow" if I am every short, knowing full well I will always come back and pay tomorrow, eating fresh, organic vegetables in season and in turn greeting the seasons by the vegetables, my neighbors who always help when some disaster strikes in my apartment, my friends who always have time for a coffee with me.

Some of you have visited which was amazing and got to witness the absolute physical beauty of the country and hospitality of the people first hand. Others sent postcards, letters or emails. I'm not sure when I'll be back in the States, but I hope you're all patient with me, my stories and pictures even after the excitement has worn off (We just had our final Close of Service (COS) conference and maybe had 1
too many sessions on "readjustment").

Next week, on Thursday, I leave Albania. Its been a fast two years and am not sure what the future will hold for me, but I'm pretty sure I can handle anything right now.

Smiles and hope to see you all soon,
Molly