personal column

  From

Jules Dervaes

Hey! They can’t do that. That’s my food--my life--they’re messing with. They have gone too far now; somebody has got to stop these guys! These were my angry reactions when I heard that US biotech corporations were bent on introducing their freak creations—GMOs--into the food supply. They will do this as a service to mankind? Please!

We are what we eat. Not wanting to be GM'ed myself, nor to have GM sons or daughters, I felt the cold, clammy reality of being personally under attack. I knew that I had to protect my family from this mad experiment. Could a society, as advanced as we say we are, turn us into guinea pigs in a lab that is the whole outdoors? Where, oh where, are the controls?

I grew up during the cold war era when people were preoccupied with the fear of nuclear holocaust. At least then that danger was obvious to ordinary people, as no one wanted to be consumed by a radiated fireball.

Now, who wouldn’t want to consume a hearty bowl of steaming rice, a golden ear of corn, a red, ripe tomato? That’s why GMOs are so SINISTER; they speak to our hunger. And they also appeal to our wallets. That combination makes for a lethal one-two knock-out punch.  Would resistance be futile?

Railing was never going to put that evil, corrupting genie back into the bottle. And, I was being cornered because I had no other convenient (read: cheap) way of getting genuine food anymore. Even though for many years I had been gardening (I had even killed my lawn and gotten into edible flowers), I hardly relied on these plantings for our "daily bread."

 My harvests were always small--like getting a bonus at times, not like having a regular salary. Really, I had only been fiddling around in the garden. My family was tied, as we always had been, to the supermarket, dependent on another to deliver our nourishment to us. Like the mother-and-child relationship, this way was safe and warm.

So there it was. Mama-- the food market. Me--attached by the traditionally secure and comfortable "umbilical cord" that the city dweller could not cut. Or so I thought, until I took this path.

to be continued... 

In this issue...

Frugal Feast - Green Pets - Woman's Care Garden - How A Salad Changes The World -

Raw Strawberry Pie - Berry Good Garden -

DIY Tire Sandals - Following In Gandhi's Footsteps - Hand Spinning Tutorial

  Interested in doing things yourself instead of relying on outside sources for basic necessities? We are personally not as self-sufficient as we would like to be, but we believe that many are on same the path, some farther along than others. 

  We hope this newsletter will be a source of inspiration and information to those who want to break free from the modern environment and culture we are subject to. 

 See you along the path...

Words of Wisdom

And Finally...

	EVERY DAY, EARTH DAY!    To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival. ~ Wendell Berry ~    > Calculate your < ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

ramblings...

Mon 4/21

Spring is finally here!

   Nope, we haven't dropped off the face of the earth. We've  just been very busy; so, we decided to combine the March/April issues. We're back! ;-)

   The warmer temps and longer daylight hours find us spending more time outdoors -- after all, what gardener would WANT to spend time in front of a computer anyhow! ;-)

   This is the time of year that beckons you to be outdoors as much as possible before the hot weather of Summer makes you downright lazy. Right outside the window, where I'm sitting now, is a mama and papa mockingbird busily constructing their nest in the chilacayote vine. I can also see the little house sparrows doing their annual spring dance of love. All the goings on of nature captures the fascination of our two cats who will sit and watch the activity for hours. The butterflies are starting to visit the wildflower patch to sample the sweet nectar of the blooms. Unfortunately, we aren't seeing many bees this year. I believe that they are being eradicated due to the African killer bee scare. In our neighborhood this year, we've seen a couple bright yellow signs stating: "DANGER BEES!" A garden without bees buzzing around doing their business is like an orchestra sans violins -- something is certainly missing!

   In May we are hoping to get some Khaki Campbell ducklings which will be another useful addition to our ménagerie of animals. In addition, as spring lengthens towards summer, we can see the garden starting to come together nicely! However, the unseasonably cool weather has kept things a bit stunted and a few veggies are starting to show signs of stress with the spotted beginnings of blight and mildew. So, we've been busy brewing up natural and herbal potions to combat the onset of disease.

   Happy Gardening and Growing!   

Editor of PTF

« Read MARCH  & APRIL entries»