While on the topic "Fermented food as medicine" - for anyone interested, I published a stack on sauerkraut and its wondrous powers on 1 Jan (my homepage- under most popular).
Finland has a long history of fermented cabbage and amongst the choices at the supermarket we can get very good live types as well as pasteurised options.
Every year my uncle and a group of volunteers make hundreds of kg of fermented cabbage and sell it with the proceeds going to charity.
Hah! I did not know that it is possible to get proper live sauerkraut in the supermarket.. Must be that it is used in big quantities in Finland.
Here in Croatia, majority of people are eating it only in fall/winter - with beans or bloodsausage. And they heat it up - so they do not care if it is the supermarket pasteurized stuff with an additive.
I do not cook with it, seems like a waste ... on the other hand, we always have farmers-markets and usually proper live sauerkraut can be bought.
Thank God, it seems people are really realizing how food is the only medicine - traditional food is slowly but surely coming back.
Though 95% of what is available in stores here is ultra mushy chemical laced nutritionally depleted garbage kraut, we can purchase real (unpasteurized and no chemicals) sauerkraut here in Canada at the big supermarket stores now but it is very expensive.
In this post ( https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/decembers-delight ) where I shared some of my photography (and some pics of fermented cabbage preserves I made that month) I did a bit of math to calculate how much one cabbage worth of real sauerkraut would be worth (using our store prices) here is what I came up with.
Here, a typical medium to large sized cabbage cost me a few dollars but it will allow me to make 4 liters plus of Sauerkraut or Kimchi. In our area, a tiny 250 ml jar of unpasteurized sauerkraut costs about 10 dollars CAD (7$ on sale). That means by combining one cabbage with a little salt and some elbow grease with a little patience, I can increase the value of this cabbage from 3 or 4 dollars to 150 dollars worth of kraut or chi. That is a 3650% increase in value. Through teaming up with our elders and allies in the bacteria kingdom (allowing them to carry some of the work load) we are empowered to beat inflation (while increasing our health) one cabbage at a time.
I was reading a lot of comic books as a kid. It turned out that many authors were somehow predicting the state of the world in near future, as well as giving out clues about esoteric knowledge.
So I always found the idea of super expensive GREEN food funny. At least while I read that issue of Alan Ford comic book. Spike in price on all organic food like you desribe, so that only rich people can afford it.
Some 15 years later, when I saw how it is becoming a reality I realized that writers of books and comics etc "predict" the future A LOT. And thats not the only case from comic books.
Good example would be J.Verne's "20000 Leagues Under The Sea" - and, I think it was 50 years after it was published that we had submarines.
So, Is it predicting or is it predictive programming or just catching what is floating in the Akash is an interesting question.
That said, I am a DIY guy mostly out of necessity, so I know the value of work and material; and I hate to see anything that is overpriced... tough world to be in hahah...today every other enterprise is trying to sell smoke&mirrors.
And I agree, as individuals who are accepting the full responsibility as humans, only thing we can do is try and change what is wrong with a better example. And what will be will be...
Food forests are so bad ass, once you get them going (even in cold climates) they can produce amazing abundance with very little work. They gain momentum as nature starts carrying the work load through leaf litter building soil and retaining moisture (also trees create their own rain patterns so this creates a microclimate that means less drought in the area).
There are a multitude of different food forest design techniques that have grown out of ancient cultures all over the world. Each of them has its own set of benefits and each climate and soil type these approaches are utilized in yields different results (calorically speaking, nutritionally speaking and in other yields that are not food related). One theme that all functioning regenerative agroforestry food cultivation systems (aka food forests) share is that due to the inherent biodiversity and positive feedback loops that exist between the crop producing plants (and fungi) within that system and the soil organisms that support those crop producing plants, the nutrient density of the crops produced in food forests are superior to food produced in conventional agriculture systems. Based on my direct experience with such systems in a couple different areas, I am confident that if you looked at a range of different climates and approaches, you would find that that are forest gardens that produce a great deal more calories (as well as vitamins and minerals) per acre than conventional agriculture.
One can begin to glimpse the potent difference in the vitamins and minerals found in food that is grown as part of a functioning ecosystem composed of symbiotically connected organisms, vs food that is produced in a monoculture in dead dirt, via this study:
When compared to crops from conventional farms, crops from regenerative agriculture farms (which means grown in living soil like you would have in a food forest and/or regenerative garden) had 34% more vitamin K, 15% more vitamin E, 14% more vitamin B1 and 17% more vitamin B2. The regenerative agriculture crops also had 11% more calcium, 16% more phosphorus and 27% more copper.
The study also compared wheat crops. Regenerative wheat crops were planted in a crop rotation pattern that included cover crops between crops of spring barley and winter wheat. The regenerative wheat samples had 41% more boron, 29% more magnesium, 48% more calcium and 56% more zinc than conventional wheat samples.
When you grow crops at home or in a community garden (using regenerative and/or forest gardening techniques) in living soil (created via adding homemade compost, companion planting and mulching) the produce you harvest is significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown store bought.
Those metrics do not even begin to address the many non-food related gifts which are offered by regenerative farms, gardens and forest gardens that serve to enhance the resilience of individuals who tend them (and their communities.)
Also, for those that eat meat (or just want to keep goats, sheep or cows for milk or chickens for eggs) there is so much potential for integrating animals into food forest systems for grazing.
In ancient times here on the plains of Turtle Island (aka "North America") the people who lived here did controlled burns of brush and grass land in the proximity of their food forests which stimulated lush green grass re-growing there. In doing so, they would entice the large migratory herds of Buffalo to graze where they wanted them to (for easy hunting and also because the Buffalo would build soil through their manure deposits and roll around in the grass creating microclimates for other animals, increasing biodiversity and resilience in their food forest systems).
That link above from Lyla June goes into some of how that was accomplished and I think there is a lot of potential for customizing a similar approach when we design food forests in present day and we want to keep animals (and find easier cheaper ways to keep them fed, while also building soil faster in our food cultivation systems).
I often watch gardening videos and find it interesting how fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown from "seed." Gardening is an enormously popular avocation and there's a zillion YouTube channels on horticulture attesting to that. Many find growing organic vegetables and fruit very satisfying and of course tasty.
In this fucked up hellhole known as planet Earth if you find a peaceful and rewarding endeavor pursue it as long as it makes you happy.
That being said, if shit hits the fan and civilization goes down the tubes a juicy homegrown organic tomato or a fresh batch of ripe strawberries won't save the day. But, at that point who gives a damn.😁
Your comment on heirloom seeds and your Red Russian Kale is so spot on I just wanted to elaborate a little. We have ‘invasive’ species here in East TX that folks are always complaining about and using herbicides to ‘control’, like bindweed and henbit and vetch and all those that get in the way of their harvests. And I do get it, to a point, they can be a real nuisance in the garden. But, when you consider how much livestock love them and the pollinators too, and then they kill all that and wonder why their cucumbers aren’t growing and they have to buy so much feed and fertilizer. DUH!
There are lots of invasive species in our garden now, like cilantro and wild carrot and sometimes even tomatoes and melons, we call them ‘volunteers’ and make sure to save their seed because they clearly like us and want to be around. For years I was unsuccessful with many plants I wanted because I was ordering them online instead of getting them from my local community--like strawberries and poppies and nigella seeds, which I tried for many years--now they are thriving thanks to gifts from nearby friends. Persistence pays off, with a little help from our friends. 😆
I love your perspective on so called "invasive" edible plants, I have a similar attitude. In fact I take it a step further and actively go out of my way to spread the seeds of exotic species in the abandoned fields and edges of forests here hoping they will become declared the next "invasive" species by native plant fanatics and government idiots haha
Can you imagine if some self-righteous government native plant freak found me doing that in the national park here, I would probably be fined for "contaminating the park" haha
Can you imagine, Forests of Oak, Maple, White Pine and 60 foot tall wild Malus sieversii trees with an understory of service berry, paw paw, blueberries, goji berries and medicinal herbs covered in purple blossoms beloved by bees! I think we can make it happen, one handful of seeds at a time ;)
I also like to pay attention to the so called "invasive" edible "weeds" that are already present as well, such as Asparagus (technically its not "native", so it must be "invasive" right?) well I say invade away asparagus ! :)
I appreciate you highlighting the value of tapping into locally acclimatized genetics with regards to heirloom seeds, it is a very powerful practice indeed.
Excellent observation, some plants come because they should be there with you :)
When I am in my garden, contemplating or meditating in certain spots, later I notice slight changes, flowers popping up as well as new species of plants. Bees and snails and praying mantises and gekkos behave unusually-ish.. Birds as well
But the first one to come to my patch out of nowhere, to a place where they usually do not thrive, was Calamus grass (Iđirot in Croatian).
I have also had the "luck" to see how the opposite can happen as well. If doing gardening and being under stress, having negative thought... strange plants appear,maybe not that good to have around.
What many call weeds I call "pioneer plants". They have the difficult job of growing in poor soil, often when the humus is lost or ploughed under and the subsoil is exposed so what sprouts first are weeds. Their job is to heal the land and make it fertile for the more abundant crops to follow. The presence of a weed is just a reminder to put down more mulch.
But seriously, no mention of kimchi? "Korean sauerkraut" has got to be the best fermented food I've ever had and I'm not Asian. Wife makes it and the family goes through about a gallon every two to three weeks for a couple of years now.
I am even more into Kimchi than I am into Sauerkraut, so much so that I have created recipes for three different kinds using our seasonal garden abundances! :)
If you click on the hyperlink in the second paragraph into the post above that says "I find that low tech (nutrient dense) preserves (which include things like fermented cabbage) serves both those functions beautifully." it will take you to my basic Kimchi recipe. However, given you and your wife are likely a bit more adventurous and into exploring complex kimchi variations i`ll also share a link to my full recipe for something I call "Purple Dragon Chi" below:
I would say that kimchi "knee caps" big pharma's plans to keep us sick and dependent on their synthetic drugs even more effectively than Sauerkraut due to it containing Ginger and Hot Peppers.
I published in depth articles exploring the medicinal/nutritional benefits of both of those ingredients that go into kimchi and i`ll share those below as well:
i used to live in Korea where I experienced the benefits of Kimchi and I still eat it. Kimchi is a Korean present to humanity. I remember the local saying that one man can live without a woman but surely not without Kimchi.
In my recently published book I sought to relay the message that in order to regenerate and restore the integrity of our society and the ecosystems (ecosystem restoration) outside of us, we must first engage in “ego-system re-story-ation”. I elaborated on why this path of inward exploration and healing is essential in the essay discussed in the interview above (titled "Why Involuntary Governance Structures are Not Compatible with The Permaculture Ethical Compass").
In that essay (and in others, some of which I linked above) I elaborate on why I believe that only through consciously and willingly embracing this love within, knowing our own eternal spirit and being present in the moment to recognize that same eternal spark in all other beings, can we truly know (lasting) peace, happiness and fulfillment through engaging in ‘ego-system re-story-ation’ and then eventually ecosystem restoration as well.
Thus, I do not simply "Ask people to behave wisely" but rather I advocate each and everyone of us living by example, learning to recognize the eternal spark within, fanning it like a spark to make it a flame and in doing so helping others to light that same flame within themselves. Each of us can do this in our own way. The Creator gave each of us unique gifts that can be put to use for the purpose of fanning that flame and engaging in "‘ego-system re-story-ation’. Some have the gift of music or physical art forms, some create art with words, some stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, some shine a light into the shadows to make them flee and others plant seeds and tend the rich living Earth.
It is also important to point out that the pathway to walk in the forest and work in the garden with humility is a catalyst for moments of inner clarity and transcendent awareness of the soul to shine through the drudgery of the 9-5 life, thus, taking the step to learn from nature and grow food in the garden invites one to take steps to nurture the garden within simultaneously.
The time we are living in now calls us to walk not one of those paths, but both paths simultaneously. The Creator calls on those with the courage to walk the mystical path with practical feet.
I tried the hugelkultur... I didn't have to water as often but... I got a mess of unknown mushrooms.... which made me ditch the root crops because I didn't know if they were deadly or not.
Also.... what about gophers.... and other critters? They have eaten all the best produce :(
That is a fascinating with the mushrooms. It would indicate that the wood you used was on an accelerated path to become good healthy soil so in that sense I would describe the presence of mushrooms in that kind of planting as a "good" thing. Unless the root crops were rotting out then the mycelium of the fungi (the underground part of the organism) which produced those mushrooms would not be infiltrated or contaminated by the fungi (even if it was a poisonous species) so I do not think you have to worry about that aspect.
I have not dealt with Gophers, but i`ll share the same thing I shared with Mishelle in another thread where we were discussing animal pressures on gardens as it applies universally.
Since I always look to nature for guidance, my first step would be to assess whether or not the population of the given animal that is digging up/foraging on my garden crops exists in an unnatural population density due to a crippling of the predator prey relationships/natural habitat they would have had in an intact ecosystem before humans may have interfered. If that was the case, I would attempt to encourage the predators that would have originally kept their numbers in check (and their grazing sporadic/well spread out) to set up shop in that ecosystem again, so they can do their important job in that web of relationships (as Mother Earth and Creator intended). Owls are great Gopher hunters so might be worth looking into creating owl habitat?
If introducing a wild predator to that situation was not viable (due to lack of my ability to encourage them to set up shop there, the fact that I have domesticated animals outside that would be harmed or some other variable involving humans preferences/needs) I would seek to find the closest facsimile (likely a few large domesticated canines) and give them the job of patrolling that space in exchange for the food, companionship and shelter I would provide them.
If those potentials are not viable for what ever reason I would likely dive into understanding more about the biology, grazing habits and psychology of the herbivore/omnivore in question (which is digging up/foraging on my preferred garden crops) and see if there is some other aspect of their natural habits and relationship with their environment which I could extrapolate a strategy from to discourage or deter them from focusing on my garden as the place to dig and forage.
Other methods focus on deterring via smells like Garlic or "Bone Sauce" like this
Gopher hot wings?! 😂. Thanks for all this, lots of food for thought. We tried cats. Did not work. But that could be because we spoil our pets terribly making no one want to work!
hahah ya why not!? :) If the predators from the wild cannot do the job, perhaps some people can take on that role themselves to bring balance to the equation.
I think our cats and dog would be the same if we had any gophers or wild pigs in the garden, they are too spoiled. Well except maybe one feral cat we rescued named Gracie. She is a super motivated hunter of all things (even sometimes our poor Great Dane's wagging tail!) which results in him putting her in her place and now she has a missing piece of one ear.
Thank you so much for all the information!! The year I caught 30 gophers I had a helper so I didn't have to dispose of them myself - a raccoon. I tied string on the trap and secure dit to those little garden decor flag poles. I'm convinced the raccoon just looked for the flags to know where to check for breakfast! Raccoons didn't try carrying off their prize but coyotes did.
I have hawk families and falcons but they can't keep up. Owls live here too but I've more seen them go for the mice/rat type.
I have a trail camera and the coyote makes a trip through here about every 3rd night but gopher must not be on his menu. I know they say the gophers are here to soften up the soil but I have great soil and in some areas I have no idea how their runs don't collapse.
Right now I've resorted to all raised beds for vegetables and figure I've got a ready supply of meat for the apocalypse :) I couldn't do it though... they have such lovely soft fur....
The only thing with raised beds if you really have to cover them or the rats and other night critters get at things..... I'm thinking some sort of rat terrier is needed to keep the varmints reduced but that's a commitment all on its own.
Wild Hogs and Gophers! That must be super frustrating.. since you guys eat meat, do you end up having a lot of wild game bbqs? or are they mostly too sneaky for hunting?
Most folks trap the hogs rather than hunt them, b/c yes, they are very clever and sneaky. We used to have a Great Dane who would hunt them, and actually learned the difference between our free-range domesticated pigs, which she was not allowed to chase down and eat, and the wild ones which she was allowed. Smart dogs! But she passed away and a colleague from the city could no longer take care of his Dane, so we adopted him, already about 3 years old. Unfortunately, as awesome a dog as he is, he’s something of a sissy boy, wouldn’t dream of hunting his own food when daddy cooks him 3 squares a day!
Ah okay, that is helpful info, thanks for the details.
We rescued a Great Dane at age 3 (he is all scarred up from someone wacking him with something when he was a pup). Jasper is very good as a guard dog for people (one bark when some stranger is at the front door or in yard makes the windows vibrate and they step back pretty quick haha) but he is a wimp for unpleasant weather, water and doesn't go for critters in the garden. At least the squirrels are scared of him so they stay out of the yard when he is roaming around but ya I doubt he would go for gophers or hogs.
I caught 30 one year just in the backyard :( ... I recently read that they don't like mint and supposedly putting mint down their holes will drive them off.... haven't tried it yet as my thinking is they will just plug off that section and go merely on their way to their next meal.
I will say, from my own experience — gophers don’t mind mint when (I guess) they’re hungry? They have popped up in my mint. Tho, they didn’t pull it all under ground.
I dislike them, a lot!
I also read, if you put castor oil or cat/dog droppings (💩) in their hole, they will disappear — not in my experience );
Exactly my experience.... so many things I've read and zero of them work. But I've got to catch the one I've got now... altho he may be frighteningly large.... he's not only eaten the root off my rose but also my seflera bush and now a 12 ft tall california pepper tree!! Very strange as there is plenty of grass to eat.
Another thing I saw - (which I’ve not attempted) was to fill a hole with propane. Plug all other holes and ignite ! My property would probably not survive - lol
I swear, on the video you could see the land rise and fall !!!
Wow man, that is fantastic! I have never tried counting how many I can identify here in the Carolinian Forest but I think that will make a fun game for my forest walks this year. Thanks for the inspiration!
I admire your tenacity and the wisdom of your intended path to gather botanical literacy knowledge through direct experience. That is the kind of experience and knowledge that only increases in value as time goes on and can enrich many people's lives who you cross paths with.
Precisely. My daytime job as a bus driver usually goes like this:
"Good morning."
"Crickey, look at all the dandelions growing there."
"Geeze, bumper crop of pods on that flame tree this year!"
"Oh nice, madeira vines on the train line fence here."
"Someone's neglecting that grapefruit tree."
"Wow, look at that patch of blueberry lilies!"
"Is that... yes! Pecans!"
"The chickweed is dying back... summer will be here soon."
"Ha, look at all you amaranths popping up from the neighbour's side of the fence!"
So I practice my IDs as I go about my normal day. The constant reinforcement creates a solid memory foundation on which I can then hang the extraneous information, like medicinal and other uses of the plants.
I also married a Korean so we do a lot of fermentation, too!
How nice to see you two together producing a delicious content buffet! Fermenting is the only global culture we need--bit of a pun there--culture, get it. 😁. Another reason it must be part of the revolution is I’m pretty sure it makes you smarter, just break down the word--‘fer’ (iron) + ‘ment’ (mind, which in some languages is the same word as ‘spirit’). Definitely going to craft a re-post around this one this weekend, thanks for the inspiration!
Posted with your best quotes according to me, along with a bit of personal story, thanks again for the inspiration and your awesome work! Here’s my own fav quote from me: “Thanks to guys like these, in the coming decades I predict courageous fellowship will become the new sexy.” https://kenshohomestead.org/2024/02/04/pseudocaring/
Looking at this world "according to you" often brings a smile to my face and hope into my heart.
You are a really good story teller and your succinct and no fluff writing style is very appealing to me.
Thanks so much for offering that potent delineation between pseudocaring and the real thing and I am humbled you would describe me in that way. Here in Canada our government is infamously adept at pseudocaring.. so much so that we are now considered the "The Euthanasia Capital of the World" thanks to the MAID program being expanded to be applicable to non-terminal patients.
I tried sharing your excellent post on facebook and the fact checkers honed in on me in 5 seconds flat! This is a sign you are uncovering some important truths!
I am grateful to have allies and friends such as you, Riley, JEP and Cassie.
Thanks for the kind words and for what I would describe as an empowering, illuminating and heartening prayer and ethos to live by when you said:
"Believe in yourself, believe it can change, but don’t practice in sidestepping the hard stuff. And the hardest of the hard stuff is care, real care—for yourself, for others, for the future—that is why we are here. How you go about that is your personal journey and your only real duty to discover and live. That is all there is to do in a life well-lived."
HI Gavin, I am thrilled. I am sure I would receive more than I can give. I have been saving seed from organic veggies for a couple of years, and dating the containers...Let me figure out where I can garden My terrace might be all ( it was very successful last year.) Also I gardened at a friend's and made her promise not to use herbicides or pesticides on the area I carved out of her lawn...I also forage a lot, so I have collected coltsfoot and horsetail( but I don't know where those seeds are...) and Yarrow, and comfrey, and mugwort ( artemisia) and white pine needles and plantain, and red clover, but I really can only identify the seeds on the dried yarrow and mugwort and comfrey...I could grab the white pine cones if I knew when their seeds are ripe. But what a thrill and an honor!
Diana Right now, since my terrace gardening is screened-in, I think I only can use tomatoes and can share butternut and buttercup and acorn, from the Amish....Maybe you have something else to suggest for the pots. I have very limited light indoors so have only been able to maintain my thyme and rosemary and aloes through the winter. If you are anywhere near Vermont at the Canadian border, I could dig up some great rhubarb for you.
That is beautiful, thanks for describing your experiences gardening over the past couple years.
I also love to forage, perhaps you could collect some wild seeds for me this summer from medicine plants local to your region?
Yarrow seeds would be much appreciated.
I had an enchanting experience with wild yarrow in the high alpine of BC last summer (I share some pics about half way down this post: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-jubilation-of-june ) and I was not able to save seed since the flowers bloom so late in the season up there at 7000 feet above sea level. I have wanted to source out some wild seeds ever since though.
I have germinated some seeds I saved from 150 year old plus Eastern White Pines that were growing in Algonquin Provincial Park and I hope to give them a safe home here in southern Ontario out of the reach of the loggers that will be targeting their beautiful parents.
I love that you want to do a stealthy cross border rhubarb gifting operation! I have a lot in my garden but your generous offer warms my heart, thanks for that.
As far as what to grow in pots, have you ever tried growing Ginger as a house plant? What about Tusli (aka "holy basil")?
Home economy in a rural/bucolic environment is the actual genuine, neglected, normal. Saurkraut is special! Neo-paganism/idolatry/gaianism/new-age religion stinks, however! A little, superficial insight, for we are under attack from the entities of darkness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaianismhttps://spells8.com/lessons/gaia-goddess/
Thanks for the comment and for sharing your thoughts.
While I never claimed to subscribe to nor endorse "Neo-paganism, idolatry, gaianism, nor 'new-age' religion" I suppose my recognition of the planet Earth as a sentient living organism could be labelled as "gaianism". Though I am sure that word is seen as meaning a bunch of things that I do not agree with, so I tend to avoid such labels whenever possible and just live the truth (allowing people who like labels to either apply them to me, or not, with me not paying much attention either way).
I have no interest in religious dogmas, I advocate people should use their own God given senses of perception (both physical senses and senses that allow for perception of non-physical aspects of this universe) to directly perceive the truth of what is for themselves so they can know the truth (rather than simply believing what someone else is telling them to accept as true). Most religions attempt to train people into seeing themselves as being dependent on books, gurus or priests of some sort to be able to know what is true and what is not. I think that type of system is a scam.
I advocate for autodidactism as a more reliable form of learning and being capable of discerning what is true and what is not.
I feel that the Earth is indeed a conscious being, self aware and very much alive. This feeling I have, this inward knowing, was not born out of scientific data, other’s opinions, or any kind of external stimuli, but rather it was something I came to understand through spending much time in nature, consciously entering into stillness of mind, and learning to enable my heart to act as an organ of perception. It is in that state of inward stillness that I came to directly sense the consciousness and life pulse of this world in which we inhabit.
Since that experience I have learned that though we live in a 3 dimensional universe, this physical form and experience we all share here does not represent the true essence of who and what we are. It is understandably difficult to approach the question above without knowing that innate truth. To ask your self if a planet is alive and sentient, while seeking to define the housing, mechanisms, and structure of a planetary consciousness limited by the assumption that it is purely 3 dimensional, is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without having all the pieces. You see without acknowledging our own multidimensionality, and learning to move beyond the limitations of the 5 senses, human brain and ego we cannot see the full picture.
Science is the system of thought which explores this universe through the truly amazing intellectual capacities of the human brain (a bio-mechanical molecular electromagnetic computer) the operating system for the most advanced machine known to exist in the universe, the human body. So while this brain may be exceptionally well versed at navigating and perceiving this 3 dimensional plane of time and matter, through the 5 senses. It cannot perceive that which exists beyond, and there lies the limitation of the science of the current paradigm on earth to understand the nature of the universe and existence.
That being said, it is possible to gain meaningful insight into this reality through the true scientific process (that being the exploration of the world and universe around and inside of us, through measurement and observation, while always being open to the possibility that the 'facts' we think to be absolute and fundamental could indeed be proved to be wrong or need an improved understanding). Modern science tell us that there are aspects of this universe that are very real that cannot be perceived with our 5 senses, things that are all around us, microbial life, higher octaves of light, gamma and ultraviolet rays, and frequencies of sound and vibration beyond the spectrum that we can detect. A few hundred years ago, if you told someone that in a cup of pond water there are multitudes of strange lifeforms taking many shapes smaller than the eye can see, you would have probably been told that you are crazy.
Throughout human history paradigms of thought and 'science' have asserted them selves and their principles as absolute only to be proven false by new understandings subsequently coming to light. Do we really think that we are exempt from this historical lesson? Are we so arrogant that we claim to be standing on the pedestal of absolute knowledge, like so many before us, closing ourselves to new ideas and understandings that challenge our current paradigm of thought?
There are now many scientists who do believe that plants possess some form of sentience. That in fact they have intelligence, perception, thought and that their behavior is often altruistic. Many are surprised to find out that the truth, is, that like animals, plants communicate, feel, think and respond to their environment including interactions with humans… and similar to humans, plants actually reason. Here are a few of the links I found related to this.
So, even working within the constraints of the current scientific model, we are now learning that plants possess a far greater level of intelligence than was previously assumed, at the same time we are also learning that these intelligent plants are connected over large distances through vast networks of mycorrhizal communities. These communities of fungi which form a symbiotic relationship with the plants roots, also have now been shown to serve as a communication system between plants. Even plants of different species have been documented using this 'organic internet' to communicate directly with others, warning each other of impending aphid invasions and even sharing resources to a seedling in need.
Given that we are only beginning to understand these intricate inter-relationships, and that some of these living networks of mycorrhizae are very ancient, connecting entire old growth forests, I think it would be reasonable to consider that we may indeed be starting to understand the working physical parts of a planetary organism, a part of some kind of her 'central nervous system' perhaps. It is also in my opinion possible that the physical housing, mechanisms, and inter-relationships that make up a 'planetary mind' may exist in the form of subtle energetic frequencies, harmonics, or electromagnetic expressions that are not detectable by our current instruments, or at least not discernible as a coherent representation of a sentient mind.
I feel it is also worth noting that the living Earth has been measured to communicate in the language of energy in a way that is life affirming and in a way that nurture’s coherence among the beings that call her body home. She does this with her eternal heart beat (which some call the Schumann Resonance) that harmonizes and connects all living beings on the Earth. I believe that in doing so, she offers us inspiration on how we might emulate her way of speaking with the heart to consciously communicate (energetically, anchoring that energy and seeding it through what some might call the “morphic field”) to bring peace and healing to this world.
As we look to define what is intelligent, sentient, and conscious, I suggest that we should be cautious not to go about looking for these things through the limitations of a very 'anthropomorphic lens', and in doing so obscure the discovery of truths and understandings that could benefit and enrich all of our lives. Since we are not separate from nature and are indeed an integrated facet of it, I do feel it would be prudent to begin acting like it. We are like cells of a larger organism in this way. The planet is very alive and we are among the mutually interdependent parts of her that function together to weave the fabric of the biospheres that when in balance, thrive and exist symbiotically. This interconnected web of life fosters the physical evolution of lifeforms that unfold into ever higher levels of complexity, intelligence, and beauty.
Rather than allowing the comforting stagnation of ego flattering ideas (that lean towards self-importance and humanocentric hubris) to guide our thinking (at this critical fork in the road) I would instead humbly suggest that we consider using the sentience (that many so covetously claim is unique to humans) to consciously choose to work in collaboration with each other and the organism we are a part of, lending our creative genius to be a source of creation and inspiration, as we nourish the living world that sustains us, forging reciprocal relationships with our elder species, accepting the wisdom they offer us gratefully and unfolding ever higher expressions of human potential in the process.
The truths I have come to directly experience described above are able to be perceived by anyone willing to let go of ego flattering myths of human exceptionalism and actually use their mind and senses to directly perceive what is.
Excellent stuff Riley!
Sauer-anarchists UNITE! ;)
While on the topic "Fermented food as medicine" - for anyone interested, I published a stack on sauerkraut and its wondrous powers on 1 Jan (my homepage- under most popular).
Cheers
Viva la Sauer-revolution! :)
I love this line from your post:
"I am talking about the real sauerkraut, proper homemade stuff.. ..Not that supermarket chem laced sauer-crap."
You also included some top notch info on the microbiome, thanks for helping educate people about the importance of nourishing the ecosystem within.
Finland has a long history of fermented cabbage and amongst the choices at the supermarket we can get very good live types as well as pasteurised options.
Every year my uncle and a group of volunteers make hundreds of kg of fermented cabbage and sell it with the proceeds going to charity.
Excellent - your uncle is a good man!
Hah! I did not know that it is possible to get proper live sauerkraut in the supermarket.. Must be that it is used in big quantities in Finland.
Here in Croatia, majority of people are eating it only in fall/winter - with beans or bloodsausage. And they heat it up - so they do not care if it is the supermarket pasteurized stuff with an additive.
I do not cook with it, seems like a waste ... on the other hand, we always have farmers-markets and usually proper live sauerkraut can be bought.
Thank God, it seems people are really realizing how food is the only medicine - traditional food is slowly but surely coming back.
Though 95% of what is available in stores here is ultra mushy chemical laced nutritionally depleted garbage kraut, we can purchase real (unpasteurized and no chemicals) sauerkraut here in Canada at the big supermarket stores now but it is very expensive.
In this post ( https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/decembers-delight ) where I shared some of my photography (and some pics of fermented cabbage preserves I made that month) I did a bit of math to calculate how much one cabbage worth of real sauerkraut would be worth (using our store prices) here is what I came up with.
Here, a typical medium to large sized cabbage cost me a few dollars but it will allow me to make 4 liters plus of Sauerkraut or Kimchi. In our area, a tiny 250 ml jar of unpasteurized sauerkraut costs about 10 dollars CAD (7$ on sale). That means by combining one cabbage with a little salt and some elbow grease with a little patience, I can increase the value of this cabbage from 3 or 4 dollars to 150 dollars worth of kraut or chi. That is a 3650% increase in value. Through teaming up with our elders and allies in the bacteria kingdom (allowing them to carry some of the work load) we are empowered to beat inflation (while increasing our health) one cabbage at a time.
I was reading a lot of comic books as a kid. It turned out that many authors were somehow predicting the state of the world in near future, as well as giving out clues about esoteric knowledge.
So I always found the idea of super expensive GREEN food funny. At least while I read that issue of Alan Ford comic book. Spike in price on all organic food like you desribe, so that only rich people can afford it.
Some 15 years later, when I saw how it is becoming a reality I realized that writers of books and comics etc "predict" the future A LOT. And thats not the only case from comic books.
Good example would be J.Verne's "20000 Leagues Under The Sea" - and, I think it was 50 years after it was published that we had submarines.
So, Is it predicting or is it predictive programming or just catching what is floating in the Akash is an interesting question.
That said, I am a DIY guy mostly out of necessity, so I know the value of work and material; and I hate to see anything that is overpriced... tough world to be in hahah...today every other enterprise is trying to sell smoke&mirrors.
And I agree, as individuals who are accepting the full responsibility as humans, only thing we can do is try and change what is wrong with a better example. And what will be will be...
Thank you Gavin! Much appreciated :)
With your excellent post, we now have a "monumental sauerkraut foundation"!
Cheers mate, have a nice day
Excellent and educational interview!!! I've never heard about food forests before.
I make sauerkraut from locally produced cabbage every year. It's nice to think of it as act of rebellion against Big Brother :)
Thanks Natalie! :)
Food forests are so bad ass, once you get them going (even in cold climates) they can produce amazing abundance with very little work. They gain momentum as nature starts carrying the work load through leaf litter building soil and retaining moisture (also trees create their own rain patterns so this creates a microclimate that means less drought in the area).
There are a multitude of different food forest design techniques that have grown out of ancient cultures all over the world. Each of them has its own set of benefits and each climate and soil type these approaches are utilized in yields different results (calorically speaking, nutritionally speaking and in other yields that are not food related). One theme that all functioning regenerative agroforestry food cultivation systems (aka food forests) share is that due to the inherent biodiversity and positive feedback loops that exist between the crop producing plants (and fungi) within that system and the soil organisms that support those crop producing plants, the nutrient density of the crops produced in food forests are superior to food produced in conventional agriculture systems. Based on my direct experience with such systems in a couple different areas, I am confident that if you looked at a range of different climates and approaches, you would find that that are forest gardens that produce a great deal more calories (as well as vitamins and minerals) per acre than conventional agriculture.
One can begin to glimpse the potent difference in the vitamins and minerals found in food that is grown as part of a functioning ecosystem composed of symbiotically connected organisms, vs food that is produced in a monoculture in dead dirt, via this study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35127297/
From the study linked above:
When compared to crops from conventional farms, crops from regenerative agriculture farms (which means grown in living soil like you would have in a food forest and/or regenerative garden) had 34% more vitamin K, 15% more vitamin E, 14% more vitamin B1 and 17% more vitamin B2. The regenerative agriculture crops also had 11% more calcium, 16% more phosphorus and 27% more copper.
The study also compared wheat crops. Regenerative wheat crops were planted in a crop rotation pattern that included cover crops between crops of spring barley and winter wheat. The regenerative wheat samples had 41% more boron, 29% more magnesium, 48% more calcium and 56% more zinc than conventional wheat samples.
When you grow crops at home or in a community garden (using regenerative and/or forest gardening techniques) in living soil (created via adding homemade compost, companion planting and mulching) the produce you harvest is significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown store bought.
Those metrics do not even begin to address the many non-food related gifts which are offered by regenerative farms, gardens and forest gardens that serve to enhance the resilience of individuals who tend them (and their communities.)
Also, for those that eat meat (or just want to keep goats, sheep or cows for milk or chickens for eggs) there is so much potential for integrating animals into food forest systems for grazing.
In ancient times here on the plains of Turtle Island (aka "North America") the people who lived here did controlled burns of brush and grass land in the proximity of their food forests which stimulated lush green grass re-growing there. In doing so, they would entice the large migratory herds of Buffalo to graze where they wanted them to (for easy hunting and also because the Buffalo would build soil through their manure deposits and roll around in the grass creating microclimates for other animals, increasing biodiversity and resilience in their food forest systems).
That link above from Lyla June goes into some of how that was accomplished and I think there is a lot of potential for customizing a similar approach when we design food forests in present day and we want to keep animals (and find easier cheaper ways to keep them fed, while also building soil faster in our food cultivation systems).
Thanks for the comment!
This is based AF.
I often watch gardening videos and find it interesting how fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown from "seed." Gardening is an enormously popular avocation and there's a zillion YouTube channels on horticulture attesting to that. Many find growing organic vegetables and fruit very satisfying and of course tasty.
In this fucked up hellhole known as planet Earth if you find a peaceful and rewarding endeavor pursue it as long as it makes you happy.
That being said, if shit hits the fan and civilization goes down the tubes a juicy homegrown organic tomato or a fresh batch of ripe strawberries won't save the day. But, at that point who gives a damn.😁
"if shit hits the fan and civilization goes down the tubes a juicy homegrown organic tomato or a fresh batch of ripe strawberries won't save the day."
Why not? and what would "save the day" more effectively?
Also, saved from what?
Also, what exactly does the day being "saved" look like?
and, what are we trying to "save the day" for?
Maybe, that's why I said who gives a damn at that point.
Your comment on heirloom seeds and your Red Russian Kale is so spot on I just wanted to elaborate a little. We have ‘invasive’ species here in East TX that folks are always complaining about and using herbicides to ‘control’, like bindweed and henbit and vetch and all those that get in the way of their harvests. And I do get it, to a point, they can be a real nuisance in the garden. But, when you consider how much livestock love them and the pollinators too, and then they kill all that and wonder why their cucumbers aren’t growing and they have to buy so much feed and fertilizer. DUH!
There are lots of invasive species in our garden now, like cilantro and wild carrot and sometimes even tomatoes and melons, we call them ‘volunteers’ and make sure to save their seed because they clearly like us and want to be around. For years I was unsuccessful with many plants I wanted because I was ordering them online instead of getting them from my local community--like strawberries and poppies and nigella seeds, which I tried for many years--now they are thriving thanks to gifts from nearby friends. Persistence pays off, with a little help from our friends. 😆
I love your perspective on so called "invasive" edible plants, I have a similar attitude. In fact I take it a step further and actively go out of my way to spread the seeds of exotic species in the abandoned fields and edges of forests here hoping they will become declared the next "invasive" species by native plant fanatics and government idiots haha
I spread Tulsi seeds, Goji berry seeds, Cannabis seeds and Wild Apple seeds (from this region: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-wild-apples-of-the-tian-shan ) all over the place when I go on walks, just hoping that they will become "invasive".
Can you imagine if some self-righteous government native plant freak found me doing that in the national park here, I would probably be fined for "contaminating the park" haha
Can you imagine, Forests of Oak, Maple, White Pine and 60 foot tall wild Malus sieversii trees with an understory of service berry, paw paw, blueberries, goji berries and medicinal herbs covered in purple blossoms beloved by bees! I think we can make it happen, one handful of seeds at a time ;)
I also like to pay attention to the so called "invasive" edible "weeds" that are already present as well, such as Asparagus (technically its not "native", so it must be "invasive" right?) well I say invade away asparagus ! :)
I appreciate you highlighting the value of tapping into locally acclimatized genetics with regards to heirloom seeds, it is a very powerful practice indeed.
Thanks for the insightful comment my friend.
Excellent observation, some plants come because they should be there with you :)
When I am in my garden, contemplating or meditating in certain spots, later I notice slight changes, flowers popping up as well as new species of plants. Bees and snails and praying mantises and gekkos behave unusually-ish.. Birds as well
But the first one to come to my patch out of nowhere, to a place where they usually do not thrive, was Calamus grass (Iđirot in Croatian).
I have also had the "luck" to see how the opposite can happen as well. If doing gardening and being under stress, having negative thought... strange plants appear,maybe not that good to have around.
What many call weeds I call "pioneer plants". They have the difficult job of growing in poor soil, often when the humus is lost or ploughed under and the subsoil is exposed so what sprouts first are weeds. Their job is to heal the land and make it fertile for the more abundant crops to follow. The presence of a weed is just a reminder to put down more mulch.
Exactly. Small plants come to aid the patch of land and its inhabitants. And later maybe some trees come :)
And there is value to most of the "weeds", either as medicine or as food for earthworms.
Great article and practical!
Wow. I'm going to check out a lot of stuff now.
But seriously, no mention of kimchi? "Korean sauerkraut" has got to be the best fermented food I've ever had and I'm not Asian. Wife makes it and the family goes through about a gallon every two to three weeks for a couple of years now.
I am even more into Kimchi than I am into Sauerkraut, so much so that I have created recipes for three different kinds using our seasonal garden abundances! :)
If you click on the hyperlink in the second paragraph into the post above that says "I find that low tech (nutrient dense) preserves (which include things like fermented cabbage) serves both those functions beautifully." it will take you to my basic Kimchi recipe. However, given you and your wife are likely a bit more adventurous and into exploring complex kimchi variations i`ll also share a link to my full recipe for something I call "Purple Dragon Chi" below:
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/purple-dragon-chi
I would say that kimchi "knee caps" big pharma's plans to keep us sick and dependent on their synthetic drugs even more effectively than Sauerkraut due to it containing Ginger and Hot Peppers.
I published in depth articles exploring the medicinal/nutritional benefits of both of those ingredients that go into kimchi and i`ll share those below as well:
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-generosity-of-ginger
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/hot-peppers-for-health
Always glad to cross paths with another kimchi fanatic :)
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks
i used to live in Korea where I experienced the benefits of Kimchi and I still eat it. Kimchi is a Korean present to humanity. I remember the local saying that one man can live without a woman but surely not without Kimchi.
I'm not telling that to my wife as she'll answer "make it yourself then" LOL. She has her recipe down to an art form.
People will only care about the earth, the future and other human beings when there is an awakening of intelligence.
Without love, all action (and all designs) will only lead to further chaos and misery.
Asking people to behave wisely is useless. Ideals are an escape from reality. What is useful is looking within, looking at WHAT IS.
I agree that "What is useful is looking within" which is why I posted these questions and messages for our human family
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/poll-of-the-month-are-we-accidental
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/dispelling-the-most-detrimental-myth
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/spiritual-autodidacticism
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/meditation-as-medicine-for-humanity
In my recently published book I sought to relay the message that in order to regenerate and restore the integrity of our society and the ecosystems (ecosystem restoration) outside of us, we must first engage in “ego-system re-story-ation”. I elaborated on why this path of inward exploration and healing is essential in the essay discussed in the interview above (titled "Why Involuntary Governance Structures are Not Compatible with The Permaculture Ethical Compass").
In that essay (and in others, some of which I linked above) I elaborate on why I believe that only through consciously and willingly embracing this love within, knowing our own eternal spirit and being present in the moment to recognize that same eternal spark in all other beings, can we truly know (lasting) peace, happiness and fulfillment through engaging in ‘ego-system re-story-ation’ and then eventually ecosystem restoration as well.
Thus, I do not simply "Ask people to behave wisely" but rather I advocate each and everyone of us living by example, learning to recognize the eternal spark within, fanning it like a spark to make it a flame and in doing so helping others to light that same flame within themselves. Each of us can do this in our own way. The Creator gave each of us unique gifts that can be put to use for the purpose of fanning that flame and engaging in "‘ego-system re-story-ation’. Some have the gift of music or physical art forms, some create art with words, some stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, some shine a light into the shadows to make them flee and others plant seeds and tend the rich living Earth.
It is also important to point out that the pathway to walk in the forest and work in the garden with humility is a catalyst for moments of inner clarity and transcendent awareness of the soul to shine through the drudgery of the 9-5 life, thus, taking the step to learn from nature and grow food in the garden invites one to take steps to nurture the garden within simultaneously.
The time we are living in now calls us to walk not one of those paths, but both paths simultaneously. The Creator calls on those with the courage to walk the mystical path with practical feet.
I tried the hugelkultur... I didn't have to water as often but... I got a mess of unknown mushrooms.... which made me ditch the root crops because I didn't know if they were deadly or not.
Also.... what about gophers.... and other critters? They have eaten all the best produce :(
That is a fascinating with the mushrooms. It would indicate that the wood you used was on an accelerated path to become good healthy soil so in that sense I would describe the presence of mushrooms in that kind of planting as a "good" thing. Unless the root crops were rotting out then the mycelium of the fungi (the underground part of the organism) which produced those mushrooms would not be infiltrated or contaminated by the fungi (even if it was a poisonous species) so I do not think you have to worry about that aspect.
I have not dealt with Gophers, but i`ll share the same thing I shared with Mishelle in another thread where we were discussing animal pressures on gardens as it applies universally.
Since I always look to nature for guidance, my first step would be to assess whether or not the population of the given animal that is digging up/foraging on my garden crops exists in an unnatural population density due to a crippling of the predator prey relationships/natural habitat they would have had in an intact ecosystem before humans may have interfered. If that was the case, I would attempt to encourage the predators that would have originally kept their numbers in check (and their grazing sporadic/well spread out) to set up shop in that ecosystem again, so they can do their important job in that web of relationships (as Mother Earth and Creator intended). Owls are great Gopher hunters so might be worth looking into creating owl habitat?
For some additional info: https://theecologistcowboy.com/2020/07/14/coping-with-gophers/
If introducing a wild predator to that situation was not viable (due to lack of my ability to encourage them to set up shop there, the fact that I have domesticated animals outside that would be harmed or some other variable involving humans preferences/needs) I would seek to find the closest facsimile (likely a few large domesticated canines) and give them the job of patrolling that space in exchange for the food, companionship and shelter I would provide them.
If those potentials are not viable for what ever reason I would likely dive into understanding more about the biology, grazing habits and psychology of the herbivore/omnivore in question (which is digging up/foraging on my preferred garden crops) and see if there is some other aspect of their natural habits and relationship with their environment which I could extrapolate a strategy from to discourage or deter them from focusing on my garden as the place to dig and forage.
Other methods focus on deterring via smells like Garlic or "Bone Sauce" like this
https://www.permaculturenews.org/2014/06/05/bone-sauce-a-tool-for-deterring-browsing/#google_vignette
and this
https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/get-rid-of-pests-with-garlic/#:~:text=Using%20garlic%20water%20for%20plants,is%20treated%20with%20garlic%20water.
Then if all else fails and you are someone that eats meat and is willing to kill and process them, there is always .. https://outsidebozeman.com/culture/culture-more/food-drink/gopher-hot-wings
Hope this helps!
Then if that fails there is building buried fence systems (which could stack functions as a trellis so maybe multi-functional).
Gopher hot wings?! 😂. Thanks for all this, lots of food for thought. We tried cats. Did not work. But that could be because we spoil our pets terribly making no one want to work!
hahah ya why not!? :) If the predators from the wild cannot do the job, perhaps some people can take on that role themselves to bring balance to the equation.
I think our cats and dog would be the same if we had any gophers or wild pigs in the garden, they are too spoiled. Well except maybe one feral cat we rescued named Gracie. She is a super motivated hunter of all things (even sometimes our poor Great Dane's wagging tail!) which results in him putting her in her place and now she has a missing piece of one ear.
Thank you so much for all the information!! The year I caught 30 gophers I had a helper so I didn't have to dispose of them myself - a raccoon. I tied string on the trap and secure dit to those little garden decor flag poles. I'm convinced the raccoon just looked for the flags to know where to check for breakfast! Raccoons didn't try carrying off their prize but coyotes did.
I have hawk families and falcons but they can't keep up. Owls live here too but I've more seen them go for the mice/rat type.
I have a trail camera and the coyote makes a trip through here about every 3rd night but gopher must not be on his menu. I know they say the gophers are here to soften up the soil but I have great soil and in some areas I have no idea how their runs don't collapse.
Right now I've resorted to all raised beds for vegetables and figure I've got a ready supply of meat for the apocalypse :) I couldn't do it though... they have such lovely soft fur....
The only thing with raised beds if you really have to cover them or the rats and other night critters get at things..... I'm thinking some sort of rat terrier is needed to keep the varmints reduced but that's a commitment all on its own.
Thanks very much for the links! Much appreciated!
We have a constant battle with gophers too, so frustrating!
Wild Hogs and Gophers! That must be super frustrating.. since you guys eat meat, do you end up having a lot of wild game bbqs? or are they mostly too sneaky for hunting?
Have you had any dogs that like to hunt them?
Most folks trap the hogs rather than hunt them, b/c yes, they are very clever and sneaky. We used to have a Great Dane who would hunt them, and actually learned the difference between our free-range domesticated pigs, which she was not allowed to chase down and eat, and the wild ones which she was allowed. Smart dogs! But she passed away and a colleague from the city could no longer take care of his Dane, so we adopted him, already about 3 years old. Unfortunately, as awesome a dog as he is, he’s something of a sissy boy, wouldn’t dream of hunting his own food when daddy cooks him 3 squares a day!
Ah okay, that is helpful info, thanks for the details.
We rescued a Great Dane at age 3 (he is all scarred up from someone wacking him with something when he was a pup). Jasper is very good as a guard dog for people (one bark when some stranger is at the front door or in yard makes the windows vibrate and they step back pretty quick haha) but he is a wimp for unpleasant weather, water and doesn't go for critters in the garden. At least the squirrels are scared of him so they stay out of the yard when he is roaming around but ya I doubt he would go for gophers or hogs.
Thanks again for the thoughtful comments.
I caught 30 one year just in the backyard :( ... I recently read that they don't like mint and supposedly putting mint down their holes will drive them off.... haven't tried it yet as my thinking is they will just plug off that section and go merely on their way to their next meal.
I will say, from my own experience — gophers don’t mind mint when (I guess) they’re hungry? They have popped up in my mint. Tho, they didn’t pull it all under ground.
I dislike them, a lot!
I also read, if you put castor oil or cat/dog droppings (💩) in their hole, they will disappear — not in my experience );
Exactly my experience.... so many things I've read and zero of them work. But I've got to catch the one I've got now... altho he may be frighteningly large.... he's not only eaten the root off my rose but also my seflera bush and now a 12 ft tall california pepper tree!! Very strange as there is plenty of grass to eat.
Another thing I saw - (which I’ve not attempted) was to fill a hole with propane. Plug all other holes and ignite ! My property would probably not survive - lol
I swear, on the video you could see the land rise and fall !!!
lol.. yes I've seen that... and dissuaded my husband from trying same....
This is so awesome, given I like both of you!!
I think it was your conversation with Riley back in February of 2022 ( https://youtu.be/lMi8JfVK0kM?si=URaIWBtBkItV4pT2 ) that first introduced me to his work, so thanks for that! :)
I can ID probably 150 or so edible Australian plants and introduced herbs and weeds. Not going to stop until it's at least 2,000.
Wow man, that is fantastic! I have never tried counting how many I can identify here in the Carolinian Forest but I think that will make a fun game for my forest walks this year. Thanks for the inspiration!
I admire your tenacity and the wisdom of your intended path to gather botanical literacy knowledge through direct experience. That is the kind of experience and knowledge that only increases in value as time goes on and can enrich many people's lives who you cross paths with.
Precisely. My daytime job as a bus driver usually goes like this:
"Good morning."
"Crickey, look at all the dandelions growing there."
"Geeze, bumper crop of pods on that flame tree this year!"
"Oh nice, madeira vines on the train line fence here."
"Someone's neglecting that grapefruit tree."
"Wow, look at that patch of blueberry lilies!"
"Is that... yes! Pecans!"
"The chickweed is dying back... summer will be here soon."
"Ha, look at all you amaranths popping up from the neighbour's side of the fence!"
So I practice my IDs as I go about my normal day. The constant reinforcement creates a solid memory foundation on which I can then hang the extraneous information, like medicinal and other uses of the plants.
I also married a Korean so we do a lot of fermentation, too!
How nice to see you two together producing a delicious content buffet! Fermenting is the only global culture we need--bit of a pun there--culture, get it. 😁. Another reason it must be part of the revolution is I’m pretty sure it makes you smarter, just break down the word--‘fer’ (iron) + ‘ment’ (mind, which in some languages is the same word as ‘spirit’). Definitely going to craft a re-post around this one this weekend, thanks for the inspiration!
Yes I love that!
Thanks for that illuminating etymological de-construction.
Looks like the scientists agree that fermented foods make for more adept and intelligent revolutionaries :)
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216880/
- https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3227387/why-fermented-foods-are-good-your-brain-not-just-your-gut-and-which-are-best-experts-explain
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6027668/
- https://livingnutrition.co.uk/fermented-food-benefits/#:~:text=The%20evidence%20is%20clear%3A%20probiotic,function%20and%20a%20positive%20mood.
Iron Minds Unite! :)
Posted with your best quotes according to me, along with a bit of personal story, thanks again for the inspiration and your awesome work! Here’s my own fav quote from me: “Thanks to guys like these, in the coming decades I predict courageous fellowship will become the new sexy.” https://kenshohomestead.org/2024/02/04/pseudocaring/
Looking at this world "according to you" often brings a smile to my face and hope into my heart.
You are a really good story teller and your succinct and no fluff writing style is very appealing to me.
Thanks so much for offering that potent delineation between pseudocaring and the real thing and I am humbled you would describe me in that way. Here in Canada our government is infamously adept at pseudocaring.. so much so that we are now considered the "The Euthanasia Capital of the World" thanks to the MAID program being expanded to be applicable to non-terminal patients.
I tried sharing your excellent post on facebook and the fact checkers honed in on me in 5 seconds flat! This is a sign you are uncovering some important truths!
I am grateful to have allies and friends such as you, Riley, JEP and Cassie.
Thanks for the kind words and for what I would describe as an empowering, illuminating and heartening prayer and ethos to live by when you said:
"Believe in yourself, believe it can change, but don’t practice in sidestepping the hard stuff. And the hardest of the hard stuff is care, real care—for yourself, for others, for the future—that is why we are here. How you go about that is your personal journey and your only real duty to discover and live. That is all there is to do in a life well-lived."
😊🙏👏
Just great interview!
HI Gavin, I am thrilled. I am sure I would receive more than I can give. I have been saving seed from organic veggies for a couple of years, and dating the containers...Let me figure out where I can garden My terrace might be all ( it was very successful last year.) Also I gardened at a friend's and made her promise not to use herbicides or pesticides on the area I carved out of her lawn...I also forage a lot, so I have collected coltsfoot and horsetail( but I don't know where those seeds are...) and Yarrow, and comfrey, and mugwort ( artemisia) and white pine needles and plantain, and red clover, but I really can only identify the seeds on the dried yarrow and mugwort and comfrey...I could grab the white pine cones if I knew when their seeds are ripe. But what a thrill and an honor!
Diana Right now, since my terrace gardening is screened-in, I think I only can use tomatoes and can share butternut and buttercup and acorn, from the Amish....Maybe you have something else to suggest for the pots. I have very limited light indoors so have only been able to maintain my thyme and rosemary and aloes through the winter. If you are anywhere near Vermont at the Canadian border, I could dig up some great rhubarb for you.
I also have red pepper seeds, apple seeds. lemon seeds....
Hi Diana
That is beautiful, thanks for describing your experiences gardening over the past couple years.
I also love to forage, perhaps you could collect some wild seeds for me this summer from medicine plants local to your region?
Yarrow seeds would be much appreciated.
I had an enchanting experience with wild yarrow in the high alpine of BC last summer (I share some pics about half way down this post: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-jubilation-of-june ) and I was not able to save seed since the flowers bloom so late in the season up there at 7000 feet above sea level. I have wanted to source out some wild seeds ever since though.
I also love White Pines, I wrote an article on them which you can read here: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/an-encounter-with-an-ancient-healer
I have germinated some seeds I saved from 150 year old plus Eastern White Pines that were growing in Algonquin Provincial Park and I hope to give them a safe home here in southern Ontario out of the reach of the loggers that will be targeting their beautiful parents.
I love that you want to do a stealthy cross border rhubarb gifting operation! I have a lot in my garden but your generous offer warms my heart, thanks for that.
As far as what to grow in pots, have you ever tried growing Ginger as a house plant? What about Tusli (aka "holy basil")?
You can get in touch with me via :
recipesforreciprocity@proton.me
For exchanging mailing addresses etc.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful response.
My life changed forever with a three-week course at the Tree People in LA, taught by Bill Mollison. My photographs of this gifted teacher are here: http://www.dianamarahenry.com/InlovingmemoryofBillMollison-Mylifeinpermaculture.htm
Thank you very much for sharing Diana.
I am always up for an heirloom seed swap if you would like to infuse some ancient genetic diversity into your gardens :)
Home economy in a rural/bucolic environment is the actual genuine, neglected, normal. Saurkraut is special! Neo-paganism/idolatry/gaianism/new-age religion stinks, however! A little, superficial insight, for we are under attack from the entities of darkness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaianism https://spells8.com/lessons/gaia-goddess/
Thanks for the comment and for sharing your thoughts.
While I never claimed to subscribe to nor endorse "Neo-paganism, idolatry, gaianism, nor 'new-age' religion" I suppose my recognition of the planet Earth as a sentient living organism could be labelled as "gaianism". Though I am sure that word is seen as meaning a bunch of things that I do not agree with, so I tend to avoid such labels whenever possible and just live the truth (allowing people who like labels to either apply them to me, or not, with me not paying much attention either way).
I have no interest in religious dogmas, I advocate people should use their own God given senses of perception (both physical senses and senses that allow for perception of non-physical aspects of this universe) to directly perceive the truth of what is for themselves so they can know the truth (rather than simply believing what someone else is telling them to accept as true). Most religions attempt to train people into seeing themselves as being dependent on books, gurus or priests of some sort to be able to know what is true and what is not. I think that type of system is a scam.
I advocate for autodidactism as a more reliable form of learning and being capable of discerning what is true and what is not.
I feel that the Earth is indeed a conscious being, self aware and very much alive. This feeling I have, this inward knowing, was not born out of scientific data, other’s opinions, or any kind of external stimuli, but rather it was something I came to understand through spending much time in nature, consciously entering into stillness of mind, and learning to enable my heart to act as an organ of perception. It is in that state of inward stillness that I came to directly sense the consciousness and life pulse of this world in which we inhabit.
Since that experience I have learned that though we live in a 3 dimensional universe, this physical form and experience we all share here does not represent the true essence of who and what we are. It is understandably difficult to approach the question above without knowing that innate truth. To ask your self if a planet is alive and sentient, while seeking to define the housing, mechanisms, and structure of a planetary consciousness limited by the assumption that it is purely 3 dimensional, is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without having all the pieces. You see without acknowledging our own multidimensionality, and learning to move beyond the limitations of the 5 senses, human brain and ego we cannot see the full picture.
Science is the system of thought which explores this universe through the truly amazing intellectual capacities of the human brain (a bio-mechanical molecular electromagnetic computer) the operating system for the most advanced machine known to exist in the universe, the human body. So while this brain may be exceptionally well versed at navigating and perceiving this 3 dimensional plane of time and matter, through the 5 senses. It cannot perceive that which exists beyond, and there lies the limitation of the science of the current paradigm on earth to understand the nature of the universe and existence.
That being said, it is possible to gain meaningful insight into this reality through the true scientific process (that being the exploration of the world and universe around and inside of us, through measurement and observation, while always being open to the possibility that the 'facts' we think to be absolute and fundamental could indeed be proved to be wrong or need an improved understanding). Modern science tell us that there are aspects of this universe that are very real that cannot be perceived with our 5 senses, things that are all around us, microbial life, higher octaves of light, gamma and ultraviolet rays, and frequencies of sound and vibration beyond the spectrum that we can detect. A few hundred years ago, if you told someone that in a cup of pond water there are multitudes of strange lifeforms taking many shapes smaller than the eye can see, you would have probably been told that you are crazy.
Throughout human history paradigms of thought and 'science' have asserted them selves and their principles as absolute only to be proven false by new understandings subsequently coming to light. Do we really think that we are exempt from this historical lesson? Are we so arrogant that we claim to be standing on the pedestal of absolute knowledge, like so many before us, closing ourselves to new ideas and understandings that challenge our current paradigm of thought?
There are now many scientists who do believe that plants possess some form of sentience. That in fact they have intelligence, perception, thought and that their behavior is often altruistic. Many are surprised to find out that the truth, is, that like animals, plants communicate, feel, think and respond to their environment including interactions with humans… and similar to humans, plants actually reason. Here are a few of the links I found related to this.
https://www.plantbehavior.org/
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence#t-811430
http://goodnature.nathab.com/research-shows-plants-are-sentient-will-we-act-accordingly/
So, even working within the constraints of the current scientific model, we are now learning that plants possess a far greater level of intelligence than was previously assumed, at the same time we are also learning that these intelligent plants are connected over large distances through vast networks of mycorrhizal communities. These communities of fungi which form a symbiotic relationship with the plants roots, also have now been shown to serve as a communication system between plants. Even plants of different species have been documented using this 'organic internet' to communicate directly with others, warning each other of impending aphid invasions and even sharing resources to a seedling in need.
Given that we are only beginning to understand these intricate inter-relationships, and that some of these living networks of mycorrhizae are very ancient, connecting entire old growth forests, I think it would be reasonable to consider that we may indeed be starting to understand the working physical parts of a planetary organism, a part of some kind of her 'central nervous system' perhaps. It is also in my opinion possible that the physical housing, mechanisms, and inter-relationships that make up a 'planetary mind' may exist in the form of subtle energetic frequencies, harmonics, or electromagnetic expressions that are not detectable by our current instruments, or at least not discernible as a coherent representation of a sentient mind.
I feel it is also worth noting that the living Earth has been measured to communicate in the language of energy in a way that is life affirming and in a way that nurture’s coherence among the beings that call her body home. She does this with her eternal heart beat (which some call the Schumann Resonance) that harmonizes and connects all living beings on the Earth. I believe that in doing so, she offers us inspiration on how we might emulate her way of speaking with the heart to consciously communicate (energetically, anchoring that energy and seeding it through what some might call the “morphic field”) to bring peace and healing to this world.
As we look to define what is intelligent, sentient, and conscious, I suggest that we should be cautious not to go about looking for these things through the limitations of a very 'anthropomorphic lens', and in doing so obscure the discovery of truths and understandings that could benefit and enrich all of our lives. Since we are not separate from nature and are indeed an integrated facet of it, I do feel it would be prudent to begin acting like it. We are like cells of a larger organism in this way. The planet is very alive and we are among the mutually interdependent parts of her that function together to weave the fabric of the biospheres that when in balance, thrive and exist symbiotically. This interconnected web of life fosters the physical evolution of lifeforms that unfold into ever higher levels of complexity, intelligence, and beauty.
Rather than allowing the comforting stagnation of ego flattering ideas (that lean towards self-importance and humanocentric hubris) to guide our thinking (at this critical fork in the road) I would instead humbly suggest that we consider using the sentience (that many so covetously claim is unique to humans) to consciously choose to work in collaboration with each other and the organism we are a part of, lending our creative genius to be a source of creation and inspiration, as we nourish the living world that sustains us, forging reciprocal relationships with our elder species, accepting the wisdom they offer us gratefully and unfolding ever higher expressions of human potential in the process.
The truths I have come to directly experience described above are able to be perceived by anyone willing to let go of ego flattering myths of human exceptionalism and actually use their mind and senses to directly perceive what is.
Thanks for the comment.