In case you hadn't noticed - there's a provincial election in B.C., and of course, being the social activists we are, several Pacific Gardeners are involved.
Some are supporting the NDP, others the Greens, and those political choices fit with our social justice and environmental values.
But it also means some of us are going to very busy, and that includes me. In fact, that's why you haven't seen any blog posts from me for more than 10 days.
I will be focusing my attention on campaigning for my local Green Party candidate until after election day, May 14th, which means you won't be hearing from me as often.
It's not that I don't think writing about cohousing and the values it embodies are not important. It's just that right now, the election is way more important.
I feel - as do others - that we are at a crossroads in our society. We can choose to go one way or the other, and which way we choose will have enormous consequences.
It distresses me that so many seem to think that we continue on with an economy based on over-consumption, continual growth, and destruction of our environment.
I believe we must change the way we live our lives if there is to be any future for the next generation - that's why I live in cohousing. I want a different way.
I won't preach or hector you about this. But I am going to do my damnedest now to elect people who care about the environment, and have the courage to fight for it.
I hope you will, too.
Kathryn
Showing posts with label social justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sowing Seeds of Community
When I was at the Harvest Festival 10 days ago, someone left a Fall and Winter Gardening Guide put out by West Coast Seeds on the Pacific Gardens display table.
Intrigued, I brought it home to take a look, hoping to get some understanding of what's involved in gardening, and in particular, growing your own food - since I know almost nothing about the subject.
Wow - it was amazing! Page after page of detailed instructions on when, how and where to plant everything from arugula to turnips, and how to do overwintering, heirloom, spring, summer, fall and winter harvest gardens.
Then there were all the cover crops, the sprouters and the microgreens, not to mention the equipment with strange names such as soil blockers, cloche tunnels and cold frames, which help plants grow.
It made me understand why my neighbour Chad is a midnight gardener during the growing season, and why he works so hard. Last night at a meeting on gardening I also found out why he is so committed to this.
He - as do most of us - sees that in the not too-distant future we will face economic collapse due to the destruction of the environment and the effects of climate change.
That's scary. But the way to deal with this is to become as self-sufficient as possible, and food production will be crucial to our survival. That we could all understand.
But I also found out that other members of our community, like myself, have concerns about how this was being expressed. What if your heart is in doing other kinds of community work besides gardening, both within and without Pacific Gardens?
Are you a second-class citizen if you are passionate about social justice, and want to give voice to those who are marginalized, or are a young Mum with the big responsibility of small children to care for? Is what you do less worthy?
This was a tough issue for us to wrestle with, and our community members spent two hours trying to understand the ramifications. To say we were tired and stressed-out by the end of it would be an understatement!
But it was important work. We were sowing the seeds of community, building up the inner gardens of our hearts and minds, and that, just like growing our own food, will take a great deal of time and commitment.
We will keep sowing, and one day we will have a rich harvest for all of us.
Kathryn
Intrigued, I brought it home to take a look, hoping to get some understanding of what's involved in gardening, and in particular, growing your own food - since I know almost nothing about the subject.
Wow - it was amazing! Page after page of detailed instructions on when, how and where to plant everything from arugula to turnips, and how to do overwintering, heirloom, spring, summer, fall and winter harvest gardens.
Then there were all the cover crops, the sprouters and the microgreens, not to mention the equipment with strange names such as soil blockers, cloche tunnels and cold frames, which help plants grow.
It made me understand why my neighbour Chad is a midnight gardener during the growing season, and why he works so hard. Last night at a meeting on gardening I also found out why he is so committed to this.
He - as do most of us - sees that in the not too-distant future we will face economic collapse due to the destruction of the environment and the effects of climate change.
That's scary. But the way to deal with this is to become as self-sufficient as possible, and food production will be crucial to our survival. That we could all understand.
But I also found out that other members of our community, like myself, have concerns about how this was being expressed. What if your heart is in doing other kinds of community work besides gardening, both within and without Pacific Gardens?
Are you a second-class citizen if you are passionate about social justice, and want to give voice to those who are marginalized, or are a young Mum with the big responsibility of small children to care for? Is what you do less worthy?
This was a tough issue for us to wrestle with, and our community members spent two hours trying to understand the ramifications. To say we were tired and stressed-out by the end of it would be an understatement!
But it was important work. We were sowing the seeds of community, building up the inner gardens of our hearts and minds, and that, just like growing our own food, will take a great deal of time and commitment.
We will keep sowing, and one day we will have a rich harvest for all of us.
Kathryn
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