Recently there was an article in the newspaper discussing the popularity of "Victory Gardens" during the time of WWII. During that time folks grew produce and other items in their backyards (and as during the depression, they also knew other ways to be thrifty) due to food rations and in an attempt to support the war effort.
I am fortunate to know many individuals (including at least half my family) that also embrace the idea of creating food and materials by their own efforts. When we grow our own food, we are able to get our hands dirty and to understand the joys of our labor. Eating a carrot that we planted, cared for, and dug up is much more satisfying than eating a carrot that we "harvested" from the market. Through gardening, we are also connected to nature and have a better understanding of its needs.
Another book I read as of late (Helen & Scott Nearing Living the Simple Life) described in detail their move from the city to remote Vermont and how they basically produced and constructed the majority of what they needed to survive. They built their own home and outbuildings, they cut their own wood for fuel, and they produced their own food through gardening. Their food lasted the duration of a Vermont winter through their use of storage cellars, so that in turn they could have "fresh" produce throughout all seasons. Now I know we look at that and think, hmmm, pretty extreme right? Well sometimes I ask myself if that isn't the way to which we should return.
This morning upon reading the headlines, I noticed that again there is another potential toxin scare of an item we all typically use: toothpaste. How often does it seem that we read about similiar scenes? Mad cow, Ecoli in restaurants, ecoli in spinach, tainted animal foods, tainted toothpaste, tainted peanut butter. And these are all just the ones that have to be recalled or come to the attention of the media. Think of all the products that sneak past due to the fact that the level of toxicity is one which won't greatly injure the majority of people. If you really investigate most of the products that we use and (if not organic) eat, we are consistently bombarding are bodies with exposure to many carcinogenic materials. Look at plastic, some of our food additives, pesticides, treated wood, many furnishings, paints, and the list goes on.
Now by this time I'm sure a lot of you are shaking your heads at my opinion, but sometimes as consumers I think we tend to turn a blind eye to the things we purchase and the effects they could potentially have on our long term health. Thus maybe Helen and Scott Nearing weren't too far off when they decided to live sustainability and from their own means. It seems that if we chose to return to creating some of our own products from scratch, not only would our individual creativity soar benefiting our emotional, mental, and spiritual health, but we also would know exactly what went into our products. Thus when the recalls came through the media, we wouldn't have to wonder about whether or not we bought that product.
By the way did I tell you that Helen and Scott were in their 50s when they moved to Vermont and began this life, and continued to do so for 40-50 years? INCREDIBLE!
I am fortunate to know many individuals (including at least half my family) that also embrace the idea of creating food and materials by their own efforts. When we grow our own food, we are able to get our hands dirty and to understand the joys of our labor. Eating a carrot that we planted, cared for, and dug up is much more satisfying than eating a carrot that we "harvested" from the market. Through gardening, we are also connected to nature and have a better understanding of its needs.
Another book I read as of late (Helen & Scott Nearing Living the Simple Life) described in detail their move from the city to remote Vermont and how they basically produced and constructed the majority of what they needed to survive. They built their own home and outbuildings, they cut their own wood for fuel, and they produced their own food through gardening. Their food lasted the duration of a Vermont winter through their use of storage cellars, so that in turn they could have "fresh" produce throughout all seasons. Now I know we look at that and think, hmmm, pretty extreme right? Well sometimes I ask myself if that isn't the way to which we should return.
This morning upon reading the headlines, I noticed that again there is another potential toxin scare of an item we all typically use: toothpaste. How often does it seem that we read about similiar scenes? Mad cow, Ecoli in restaurants, ecoli in spinach, tainted animal foods, tainted toothpaste, tainted peanut butter. And these are all just the ones that have to be recalled or come to the attention of the media. Think of all the products that sneak past due to the fact that the level of toxicity is one which won't greatly injure the majority of people. If you really investigate most of the products that we use and (if not organic) eat, we are consistently bombarding are bodies with exposure to many carcinogenic materials. Look at plastic, some of our food additives, pesticides, treated wood, many furnishings, paints, and the list goes on.
Now by this time I'm sure a lot of you are shaking your heads at my opinion, but sometimes as consumers I think we tend to turn a blind eye to the things we purchase and the effects they could potentially have on our long term health. Thus maybe Helen and Scott Nearing weren't too far off when they decided to live sustainability and from their own means. It seems that if we chose to return to creating some of our own products from scratch, not only would our individual creativity soar benefiting our emotional, mental, and spiritual health, but we also would know exactly what went into our products. Thus when the recalls came through the media, we wouldn't have to wonder about whether or not we bought that product.
By the way did I tell you that Helen and Scott were in their 50s when they moved to Vermont and began this life, and continued to do so for 40-50 years? INCREDIBLE!
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