Spring is on its way!

Believe it or not Spring is on its way. It's time to start thinking about what you want to do with your backyard or outdoor space. It's a great idea to start keeping a journal and observe your space: where is the sun shining at different times of the day? What birds, insects and other animals are visiting? This is also the time you can start planning out what you want to grow and where.

Earth Magic Permaculture has a series of great gardening workshops this Spring. We can also provide you with ecological landscaping, design, and maintenance. Contact us for more details - 519-694-0534 or earthmagic.london@gmail.com.

Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice. As the shortest day of the year and the day after which the sun starts to shine more brightly and longer every day (until the summer solstice), it is the perfect time to dream big and to cultivate hope.

 Earlier in the week I felt really depressed about the state of the world. Specifically, I read an article pulling together scientific evidence about the catastrophes that will result (and ARE resulting) from climate change. The article made the point that the effects of climate change are happening faster than most scientists predicted and will mean bad things for humans over the next few decades. The humans to suffer first and the most will be people living in the tropics who will, naturally, try to migrate to European and North American countries but will (likely) be denied and subject to much racism. The governments and corporations of the world are generally doing nothing to curb climate change and are, in fact, working to accelerate it. The Canadian government and Canadian corporations are some the absolute worst culprits. Even with big changes on the large-scale it might simply be too late for the human species because we have triggered a natural process we cannot control. And when we go down we will take thousands of other animal and plant species with us. Most people in North America are like ostriches, sticking their heads on the sand and ignoring the reality we face. Or, even worse, couldn't care less as long as their taxes are lowered.

So, yes, I was feeling really down and shared these very sad and angry feelings with my partner and co-workers (who then also felt a bit down). I believe all the things I just laid out to be true. I think the future for humanity is unknown. But I don't want to spend my life feeling angry and sad. I'm not ready to mourn. Instead, I need to cultivate hope in myself and - hopefully - in others. Because there are other things that are true as well. Many humans are kind-hearted and want to connect with other people and with the natural world. There are many brilliant people coming up with innovate ideas and projects to heal the Earth and create socially-just societies. Most of these people are normal folks who are passionate about environmental sustainability and social justice. Natural systems of the Earth want to heal and regenerate - we can destroy the Earth's attempts at self-healing or we can be part of it. Maybe we can even accelerate it. As destructive as humans can be we can also be creators, healers, visionaries, and allies.

We all face limits to what we can do, I face or have faced many. But we can keep a sense of solidarity, a passion for justice both social and environmental, and compassion towards all beings in our hearts. And when life gives us opportunities to act for change, to act in solidarity, to act to heal the Earth, we can take them. When life doesn't allow us to act, we can vocally support those who are able to act.

It would be too easy to just wallow in despair. I would be as useless as those who hide their heads in the sand. The Earth needs us to be hopeful. Hope is what will save us because hope is what will make us create and support alternative visions for humanity.

So on this Winter Solstice I am cultivating hope. I am dreaming big. I hope you are too.  

Resolutions, plans, visions

I always make a list of ambitious resolutions for the New Year and I think one of those resolutions this year is going to be not to vow to do anything everyday. I never succeed! But, to vow to do things more  and to focus my energy on certain areas is a great goal. This is all leading up to the obvious confession that I did not write on this blog everyday in November. BUT writing on it more is my goal for 2014.

I especially want to chronicle my permaculture adventures as I try to start a socially, environmentally conscious permi business. I have a few exciting things that will start right away in the new year. One, is that I am taking three courses as part of the University of Guelph's Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Horticulture certificates. I am very excited about doing these. The second is that I am creating a permaculture learning oasis in my backyard and hoping to do more educational workshops and some permi landscaping.

Currently I am working on a business plan and this has me thinking about what exactly it is that I'm trying to create. I want to work with my hands in the dirt and I want to help things grow but more importantly I want to help heal the human/nature relationship. I know real change must happen on a large scale because the destruction and disconnect is happening on a large scale. However, I want to do my part in helping to regenerate the Earth and helping humans to be a positive, healthy part of the natural world. When I attended the Earth Activist Training in January 2010 (almost four years ago?!!) I felt a real calling to work in the service of the Earth. I got a little distracted along the way but I also had some real stumbling blocks. The reality is that we are all only human with lots of complexities in our lives that prevent of us or distract us from fulfilling whatever we think our life's purpose is. I feel very grateful that I am now able to return to this path. I feel more committed than ever to exploring and sharing the ways in which humans can heal the earth, ourselves, and each other.

I know that it is too late for some things - it is too late to reverse the impact of climate change but will we accelerate it or will we try to heal the Earth from the destruction we have already unleashed? It is too late to rid the world of harmful, human-manufactered toxins but will we work to heal the poisoned soil, water, bodies or we will release/create even more toxins? Most of the powers that be - corporations, governments, etc - seem hellbent on accelerating climate change, releasing/creating even more toxins and just basically causing as much destruction as possible in the name of profit (hello, Canadian government - one of the absolute worst culprits!!). However, there are so many wonderful people with brilliant ideas working to create an alternative to this destruction. I want to be part of that in my own, small way. I want to help others to be part of that as well.

It may seem like a pretty over the top goal and I'll word it differently for my business plan. But, yes, I want to change the world because the more of us who say no to destruction in the name of profit, the better. The more of us who realize we can't ignore the destruction or just shop it away, the better. The more of us who join together to envision something different, the better. So, read along as I work on a vision of a human society that allows nature - including humans! - to flourish. And share your visions with me!

Permaculture in the 'Burbs

I am making an effort this November to write everyday - starting today (better late than never). I want to start writing in this blog again and exploring ideas of urban and suburban permaculture. I have moved to the suburbs - a place I never thought I'd find myself living. Sometimes love brings you to places where you didn't think you'd end up. At first I couldn't really find a way to live a permaculture-based lifestyle here in the burbs. However, I have found my path and actually I think it is a very important one.

There are many people doing cool things in urban areas for the environment and to build community. However, the burbs raise more of a dilemma. As we all know suburbs are built around the idea that everyone owns a car. They are not built on a grid - instead there are lots of curvy streets which makes it a long walk or bike ride to one's destination. They are often not near shopping areas (and the shopping nearby tends to be mostly big box stores). People in suburban neighbourhoods tend to live far from work - I know I do! And so car dependent lifestyles are the norm in the suburbs. And there are lots of lawns. In my neighbourhood most backyards have pools (mine included) and lots of grass (thankfully not mine).

So bringing permaculture to the suburbs is actually more difficult than bringing it to urban areas where there is more potential for community projects in public spaces and where it is easier for people to live lifestyles based around people power not car driving.

Sooo, what can I do in the suburbs?

Well, first my partner and I combined our passions and created an arts and eco festival. This happened in the summer and it was great! We found it to be a fun and rewarded experience that will be an annual undertaking.

We have also created a community organization aimed at building a strong sense of community and promoting environmental sustainability. So far, it is going well. I am very lucky that my suburb is a former town so it actually has a village centre - a strip of shopping that is based around small shops and includes the local library branch. That creates more potential for a less car dependent neighbourhood and for community building.

Lastly, I plan to start a permaculture education business (actually aiming to become a non-profit) based in my backyard. I hope to offer workshops for adults and kids using my garden as a demonstration site. I am redesigning my backyard on permaculture principles by putting in a forest garden, having a dedicated area for cob and natural building, having a more comprehensive composting system and setting up beehives. It is starting slowly this fall with the designing of the garden beds using sheet mulching. In the Spring I hope to offer my first workshops. I also hope to set up teaching gardens throughout my community - especially in the numerous schools in my area.

Exciting stuff! I will write about the journey on this blog and post lots of pictures!

Being in the moment

There are many things that I think one can learn from permaculture and more specifically, from gardening. One, is the importance of being in the present, the importance of enjoying the process. As a small-scale community gardener I have learned that, even when you plan for a great harvest, it often doesn't happen the way you plan. Last year my plot was overrun with cherry tomato plants - seeds from a previous year that were spread throughout the whole garden when the garden was plowed. I had more cherry tomatoes than I could ever eat or want. More cherry tomatoes than I could harvest. I told friends to help themselves to the tomatoes in my plot. I also had a super, crazily busy summer and, by the end, I was burnt out. I couldn't balance everything and let the gardening slip. I didn't harvest some of my plants including my lovely organic potatoes!

However, I still absolutely love gardening and will do it every year until I die. Even when I don't harvest everything, or something grows that wasn't supposed to (like the cheery tomatoes) while the things I really want to grow don't flourish. Why? The process of gardening from starting seeds inside to eating my bounty makes me incredibly happy and fills me with joy in the moment. Yes, I plan out my garden (carefully), yes I hope for a good harvest but it doesn't matter if things don't go exactly the way I plan. It is the act of gardening that makes me happy. I remember one day when I was feeling stressed about school and slightly ungrounded in my life. I went to the garden and just pulled weeds. The sun blared down on me and I got my dress completely dirty. After a while I looked at the time and realized that, in the blink of an eye, three hours had passed. I felt so much better, so grounded, so relaxed. It's like the soil/plants took my anxiety away in return for my hands working to make it/them healthier. I was completely burnt and dirty but so happy. It didn't matter if three weeks later I ate the veggies I was tending, I already had my reward.

Of course, I am not advocating wasting veggies; neglecting them come harvest time. I just think that there is so much to learn in just enjoying the process of gardening and - by extension - the process of living one's life and not worrying so much about the outcome. Gardeners know that there are no certainties: you get great seeds, nurture them, they grow into beautiful plants and than an early frost or band of raccoons destroy them.  It can be controlled to a certain extent but not entirely because we are working with something much bigger than ourselves. Life is like that too. We can't/don't control everything, we can't possibly know how things are going to turn out .So, it's better to enjoy and experience just being in the present. And with that in mind I recently quit school - 2-4 years of being stressed is not worth it to me and I simply don't enjoy it. I now have much more time for gardening, parenting, loved ones, taking my dog for walks, running, yoga, and simply sitting in coffee shops daydreaming. You know, the things that really matter.

Thank the Goddess for Buddha!

A few of my favourite seed suppliers

As you all start thinking about starting seeds, here are some of the favorite seed suppliers. I have used them all in the past.   Here's to a great growing season!!

(Although I am a little worried about the growing season because of our non-existent winter. Yes, I find winter very hard -- I don't like the gloominess or the cold -- but in the Northern Hemisphere so many plants and animals need a deep freeze. What will happen if they don't get it? I have no idea but I think there will definitely be a negative effect)

1. The Cottage Gardener -- http://cottagegardener.com/
This supplier specializes in heirloom vegetable and flower seeds. You can order online but I love getting the old-fashioned newsprint catalogue complete with quaint hand drawn pictures. A story about the seed's origins accompanies every item which I also love - seeds have histories that are intertwined with our own histories. It is so wonderful to know about them! I have ordered many of my veggie seeds from here over the past few years and have been very pleased.

2. Urban Harvest -- http://uharvest.ca/
Very cool - a seed company that is based in the Greater Toronto Area! The seeds are all 100% organic and support urban agriculture. The city is not just a place for some backyard gardening but some marketable organic farming can happen in cities as well! 

3. West Coast Seeds -http://www.westcoastseeds.com/
I usually like to stick to my bio-region when ordering seeds BUT this is the company I order my potato starters from with great success. I have not found a company in Ontario that has organic potato starters and they won't ship them from the United States (Potato starters aren't seeds but little potatoes that you plant to grow lots more beautiful potatoes. AS such they qualify as a plant or food or something and can't cross the border). Try the purple potatoes especially if you have kids - delicious and so FUN! Their website is not working today but keep checking back because if you want to grow organic potatoes, you should order from them (conventional potatoes are DRENCHED in chemicals so it is important to start with organic starters). I hope to the Goddess they have not closed down (that is how much I love their potatoes!!)

4. Richters - http://www.richters.com/
Richters is a herb company and they sell seeds as well as plants (and, yes, they ship the plants). Almost any herb you can imagine is sold by them. Some of the seeds and plants are organic and they have a small but growing vegetable section as well. I have always been happy with my orders from Richters. I once ordered some gorgeous seedlings from them, however, a very bad squirrel climbed onto my balcony and ate them all.  I think I'll try again this year! Richter's is located an hour or so outside of Toronto and they have a store you can visit to buy seeds and seedlings and to attend workshops.

So, there you go. I know there are many other small-scale, organic, heirloom seed suppliers. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comment section.

Edited to add one more:

5. Hawthorn Farm http://www.hawthornfarm.ca/
The seeds this company supplies are grown on a beautiful organic farm near Palmerston, Ontario. This happens to be the exact area of the world where I was born and grew up! They grow and sell veggie, herb, flowers, and grass seeds.

Inspiring evening at the Guelph Organic Conference

I am currently in Guelph at the Guelph Organic Conference. I'm feeling very inspired by the public forum I attended this evening which featured a panel of six farmers - three older men and three young women - in conversation with each other. I really enjoyed the stories and discussion and was fascinated by the fact that the young farmers were all young women, two of whom grew up in large cities. I have for a very long time thought about writing an article or even (when I'm feeling really ambitious) a book about women farmers. I remember the days when women who were doing farming work were simply cast as "farmer's wives" and not in any way considered (at least in broader society as the real or serious farmers. The framer was always the man; the wife was simply his helper. In reality many "farmer's wives" were actually hard-working farmers themselves of course. I like how some of the young organic farmers that are starting out are women who are clearly the serious farmer. And all the young women farmers I've had the pleasure of meeting or listening to have been dynamic, intelligent, and inspiring (I'm sure the men are too but it is the women who are routinely ignored). It is about time that women farmers are respected and acknowledged!

I was also very inspired by the words of Martin DeGroot, the owner/farmer of Mapleton Organics. He has a Dairy farm in southwestern Ontario in the same area my family had  a farm when I was a child - I went to elementary school with his kids. He spoke passionately about the importance of organic farmers to stay small, not to sell out, to resist the constant pressure to grow bigger and bigger. It was so refreshing to hear him say that and then be enthusiastically applauded by the audience of (mostly) other farmers. Mapleton Organics does farm tours and I think my kids and I will be doing a trip there in the summer. Even though we are vegan, I let the kids eat some dairy ice cream in the summer. Mapleton Organics seems like it is one of the best dairy farms around in terms of commitment to ecological sustainability and treatment of animals. If my kids are going to consume ice cream out of cow's milk I would like to at least meet the cows and the farmers, and see the land where the cows graze. 

Tomorrow, I will be attending the conference again, this time attending some smaller workshops and the organic expo that happens as part of the conference. the morning will first begin though with a trip to the Guelph Framer's Market for breakfast and some shopping (and COFFEE!).

Nature hike

Tomorrow morning when it will be -8 degrees out, my kids and I will hop on a bus in full winter gear to go to a homeschooling nature hike. I am slightly dreading it since it will be cold and I don't like the cold. I know we will all be tired and so it will be hard to leave our nice wamr house. But the program is offered by a small private school that has a focus on teaching kids nature awareness nd it is fantastic. The homschooler's hike is lead by former homeschooling mamas and they do a great job. My kids always love the program once we actually get there. Waking up early and taking the bus is no fun but running around with other kids through the forest is tons of fun!

We are all a little worried about doing the hike in the winter, though. Afterall, we have to walk to the bus stop and the then from the bus stop to the hiking site and then repeat it all over again when the program is over. We will be outside for hours! But we will dress as warm as possible - many layers, snowpants, mitts, scarves, everything! - and hopefully we'll be pretty toasty. I did tell my kids that if it turns out they don't like it in the winter, we won't go again until the spring.

I hope it works out - I think there is so much value in kids experiencing nature in all seasons - and experiencing nature in intimate ways. Being able to explore what the earth is like - the trees, the animals, the ground, the sky, the wind, the sun - in the winter is pretty amazing. Of course, I am being a bit bad because while my children will be experiencing the natural beauty of the season I will be sitting in a coffee shop sipping a nice hot cup of coffee :p

Eco Resolutions

Here is my list of Eco Resolutions, one for every month of the year.

1. January
I will not use any disposable food or drink containers when outside the house (not counting grocery packaging). This includes any snacks, coffee, meals, etc. Bring food/drinks or my own containers.

2.  February
I will significantly reduce hydro - by at least 25% - from the same month last year

3. March
Beginning this month (and continuing until November) I will not use public transit or taxis except in emergencies.

4. April
I will not buy any new products (excluding necessary toiletries and food) this month. I will make what I need/want or buy it used.

5. May
Starting this month and continuing to November I will eat only local produce

6. June
This will be the month of closing waste loops. I will significantly reduce my garbage, including reducing the amount of wasted food (even if it goes into the composter - it's better to eat the food I buy/make/grow!!). I will try to reuse all that I can instead of even putting things in the recycling. I will recycle grey water into my house/balcony plants

7. July
This month one day every week, will be electricity-free (except for my fridge) - including battery operated gadgets (cell phones, MP3 players, DS, laptops, etc). Edited to add that this month I am also going to not use the dryer at all (I am in a building and will have to use my balcony which is what makes it a bit of a challenge) and this is the perfect month to eat all raw.

8. August
This month I will harvest and process my food from the garden and this will continue until November. My goal is to process and save as much as possible and to learn a wide range of processing/preserving skills

9. September
Beginning this month, I will save seeds from every plant that I grow.

10. October
This month I will knit the winter warm things needed for me and my kids - scarves, hats, socks, and mittens.

11. November
I will make all my food from scratch or use only what I previously processed - including salsa, spaghetti sauce, veggie stock, condiments, and the big one - breads. I will also grind my own flour and rolled oats.

12. December
I will aim to make 80% of the gifts/cards I give for Yule.

Skills I hope to learn on this journey: canning, dehydrating, bread baking, sewing, flour grinding, more intricate knitting, some modest building skills, more sophisticated seed saving etc

12 months of sustainability

I want to make a promise to myself to get as environmentally sustainable - beyond even! - as possible this coming year. So, in that spirit and for this blog, I am going to make 2011 the Year of (beyond)Sustainability. Every month I will have a new goal - 12 altogether. The goals will all accumulate, of course, so by the end of the year I will have made some wonderfully radical and permanent changes. Now I do have limitations: I live in a  building; a housing co-op and so I can't just do what I want to my living space, outdoors or indoors. And as a permaculturalist, the goal is not to make these changes by buying lots of "green" products, that is generally not in the spirit of permaculture when we as a society produce such an amazing amount of waste. Actually I might make every month a different permaculture principle. I have to work through this - stay tuned I will post a list of goals on January 1!  

permi reading

Recently, I decided to drop out of the Urban Agriculture program at the University of Guelph. It was online and really not inspiring to me. I need a break from academia, I need to get my hands dirty and splinters in my fingers. But I do lkove to read and learn and I want to increase my permiculture knowledge along with my skills.

So, I am compiling a reading list - kind of creating my own intensive permaculture course. I hope to get these books read by the spring. in the spring I will start gardening again and doing lots of workshops so winter is the time to fill my head! I have read parts of all these books but I intend to read them completely and on a deeper level.

Here is my list so far:

1. Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren
2. Tools for Sustainable City Living by Scott Kellog
3. Earth Path by Starhawk
4. Edible Forest Gardens Volume 1 and 2 by dave Jacke
5. Myceleum Running by Paul Stamets

My goal is to have these books read deeply by Spring Equinox,

I'll post my thoughts on them while I am reading. Join along with me if you want!

Multiplying worms

I just got around to giving some much needed attention to my worm bins. Two of them had been sitting for a couple months and had turned into bins filled with black gold with a bunch of slow-moving worms in them. They needed fresh bedding (damp shredded newspaper), food, and they still need a harvest. The third bin was a failed experiment. In the summer I tried to set up a worm bin for composting my bunnies' poo. It didn't work - it dried out and the worms died. Gasp! I have been meaning to add some new worms and have it going as a third bin (hey, I eat A LOT of veggies). After months, the ENTIRE autumn, I finally did it.

If anyone needs some worm poo for their house plants let me know! I have lots of gorgeous, rich, earthy poo!

Gift making

I love the winter holidays. I'm not Christian so Christmas is not a spiritual holiday for me but, as a pagan, I find great meaning in the Winter Solstice. The whole season is exciting. I love the first snow (my city is now completely covered in about 4 feet of snow!!!), I love all the lights people put on their homes, I love the feasting. No matter what is celebrated December is a time to be with loved ones (which can mean created families, birth families, or both) and a time for renewal and rebirth.

I hate the consumerism of the holidays, though. Even though I do engage in it to a certain extent, I find that all the shopping takes away from the positive aspects of the holidays. The more I shop, the more depressed I start to feel. My kids don't get into the consumerism at all which astounds me because I was a kid who made my Christmas list in the summer and by December had memorized the Sears catalogue to such an extent that I knew how much had been spent on each gift (and got upset if my siblings got something more expensive - I had middle child issues). My kids just like the excitement of the season and they are pretty happy with whatever ends up in their stocking.

There are a few traditions that I have started with my kids to counter the consumerism. One is giving as much money to organizations of our choosing as we do (on average) to one of the members of our immediate family. We usually divide it between an organization that deals with environmental issues and one that works for social justice. We try to find organizations we feel good about which usually means small organizations that engage in grassroots advocacy. I try to make a big deal about this giving and my aim is to give as much as we spend on each person in our immediate family.

Another tradition is that we make a lot of our gifts for family and friends. To be honest, we don't engage in tons of gift-giving. The other day I listened to co-workers discuss what they give to family and realized I don't give a lot of gifts. But I love giving special gifts to people especially gifts that are homemade. The main gifts that we make are cookies and squares, lip balms and other "beauty" products, and art. I have collected some excellent lip balm recipes over the years and am always on the look out for great containers. In addition to lip balms I like to make salves (very similar recipes) for dry and damaged skin and this year I am also some facial sugar scrubs. All these things are exceptionally easy to make with kids. Earthboy has little interest in helping make the gifts which is ok but Earthgirl loves to help. She especially loves to decorate the containers afterwards with stickers and "jewels"     

I also buy blank canvases and have the kids paint pictures for family. This is something that Earthgirl also enjoys more than Earthboy but both kids take it very seriously. And we make cookies - lots and lots of cookies.

I sometimes have dreams of knitting lots of fancy sweaters and hats for family and sewing my own toys. Plus i would love to make even more more complicated health and beauty products. maybe in the future. I know some people get very serious about their gift-making. But, I think even making small and simple things are symbolically so important. It allows us to participate in the important ritual of gift giving without participating in the destructive practice of mass consumerism. It allows us to be creative and expressive. It gives us an opportunity to spend time together having fun while also putting a lot of time and effort into doing nice things for people we love and appreciate.

And it is a million times better than dragging my kids to the bus stop, pushing our way into a busy busy and shopping for products made in sweatshops at malls filled with people spending lots of money they don't have!

(I just want to add, though, that I do sometimes shop in yucky stores and malls. I'm not perfect, there are many things I can't make, some things I will not buy used, and a few things I can't find fair trade or in small shops. The world is not perfect. However, I do what I can and look for positive and creative ways to do more.  The point of this post is not to induce guilt but to give ideas and encouragement!)

Let it snow!

Today is the aftermath of a big snowstorm - or actually, I think it is the calm between two big snowstorms. Over the next 24 hours 40-60 cm will fall on my city. I know all this snow will be difficult for many folks but I am happy that it is finally snowing. It doesn't make me happy when it is unseasonably warm. The month of November had lots of days that were warmer than usual and that was really starting to upset me. I know that climate change will bring about weird and wild weather and isn't just a simple matter of creating warmer weather. It will mess with the seasons though and that scares and saddens me. Even though winter often leaves me feeling depressed by mid-January, it has an important biological function in this part of the world. It's a time when plants rest to conserve their energy for the next growing season. Plants that exist in this part of the world need the break of winter in order to be healthy. The freeze is also necessary to regulate bacteria and insects. Change, of course, is part of nature but drastic change caused by human abuse of the Earth will have serious affects on all life and I don't welcome it.

Psychologically, winter is also useful for humans. We need a time to retreat as well. A time to reflect and a time to move slower. We know the sun will return, green things will grow again, and we will be out in our gardens in a few months. But before that we have a chance for renewal, a time to think about what we are happy with in our lives and what we want to change. Even though I will be sick of the cold in a month or so and will yearn for warm and sunny days, I hope this winter isn't unseasonably warm. I hope to use the winter to plan eco-education workshops for the Spring as well write grants for a children's garden. I also will use the time to think about how to change my life to bring about more happiness and to joyfully live in line with my principles. Maybe it's a good opportunity to facilitate the permaculture bookclubs I have been thinking about for a few months? So that thinking about how to live more sustainably can be done with other people as well - we can plan together how to heal the earth while also being collectively healthier and happier.

Magical gardens

Garden season has officially begun for me and my kids. We started indoor seeds about six weeks ago (and they are doing very well) but we just got access to our community garden plot last week. I dug out a design yesterday while the kids played at the playground. There are few things I love more than having my hands in dirt. I don't wear gloves when I garden and I get way dirtier than my children! I'm truly a child of the earth.

Our community garden plot this year is in a garden that was newly established last year - after years, I think, of community members trying to get permission from the city to start one in their neighbourhood. The garden is a short bike ride from my house. The design of my plot was supposed to be a mandala shape but because the plot is small, I just dug out a circular path, leaving beds around the path and in the middle. Yesterday I planted mustard greens, lettuce, swiss chard, radishes, daikon, spinach, potatoes, and rhubarb. Today we went back and with Earth Girl's help, I planted parsnips, carrots, onions, and peas. Earth Girl is very interested in gardening, tending to our seedlings at home, playing with worms in the garden, and planting seeds. Earth Boy is not into the garden; he sits and reads history books or plays at the playground. I am at my happiest and most peaceful in the garden. Today with my hands in the dirt, I could feel my anxiety draining away.

A good friend of mine joined us for awhile, digging up her garden as well. I have also been very pleased to find out that some old friends who I spent a lot of time with when Earth Boy was younger have garden plots in our new community garden. There will be lots of kids to play with!

The benefits of community gardening can be summed up with nice word and phrases "connecting to nature", "accessible organic food", "positive social interactions", etc. But there is something truly magical about working the earth and planting seeds something, as one of the interviewees for my thesis explained, "that can not be explained with words".