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Spiritual Food for the New Millennium |
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MAIL ORDER SERVICE OF SATTWIC
ORGANIC FOOD
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SPIRITUAL
FOOD FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
1-888-384-9642 4217 East-West
Highway, Bethesda, MD
20814
301-654-4899
www.SchoolOfLife.org
VOL II, No.
1
WINTER 2002-2003
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Our Mission
Statement
evolution
n.. a gradual process in which something changes into a different
and usually more complex or better form
revolution
n. a sudden or momentous change in a
situation
As we look around us it is
painfully clear that the Earth and its inhabitants are out of
balance. While we have all
the knowledge and resources we need to be a healthy, peaceful and
progressive society, we are plagued with debilitating diseases of the
mind, the body and the spirit.
The air is polluted, the soil is sick, many species are
disappearing from the Earth, our youth are troubled and dispirited, and
nations war against each other.
As our connection to a physically, emotionally and spiritually
natural and healthy way of life grows ever weaker, there is one way in
which we cannot completely sever the tie. We all must eat.
The mission of this newsletter
is to provide our readers with information that will inspire them to adopt
food purchasing, preparation and eating habits conducive to peace and
harmony in their own lives, in their communities and on this planet Earth,
our home. While we respect
every person’s right to eat the way he/she chooses, we hope to enlighten
our readers to the benefits of avoiding highly processed foods, basing
their diets on fresh, whole, naturally-grown foods, listening to the
nutritional guidance provided by each of our unique bodies, practicing respect
for the Earth and the plants and animals that provide our sustenance, and
supporting individually owned farms and enterprises. For some this may involve a
complete reversal in the way they interact with food but, if we are going
to stop the chaos and bring any kind of balance back to our lives and our
planet, it will require a (r)evolution.
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Contents
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Holiday Seasons... A Time to Celebrate
Many times yogis are depicted standing on their heads. This may well be an allegory for the sometimes opposing perspective from the conventional way of looking at things. Such is the case with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. The concept of millions of turkeys being slaughtered in order to celebrate is difficult for us to agree with. We feel that the human being is caretaker of the planet and the animals should also be under this care. That is why in the yoga center we celebrate in a different way. We give thanks to God for everything he has provided and we try to share with others whatever we have received. Fortunately, we do see this as a growing trend in our area. On that day many people visit shelters and other community centers. They help to prepare the food or give whatever is needed in order for those who are in need to also feel God's bounty.
Christmas is another such occasion. We have totally moved away from giving presents, nor do we engage in the popular convention of a big meal or office parties with a lot of alcohol and other forms of expression. At the yoga center we take the opportunity to fast and meditate in order to remember the occasion of somebody who offered the most precious gift of God, his own life, for the sake of humanity. He was well aware that He was taking this incarnation in order to make this tremendous sacrifice. So from the moment He came into the world, He was preparing himself for that tribulation. But the suffering was not only his but his mother's, who also had been warned of the mission that her beloved son was to undertake. We then have to think about the pain that those two souls had to bear throughout the thirty-three years until it came to pass; we therefore choose to spend our day reflecting on the strength of the soul that is capable of such a sacrifice.
We do not mention this to serve our egos or criticize those who express themselves differently. Experience has shown that there are other souls with similar inclinations; these are meant to be words of encouragement for them.
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A New Book About Food and Peace
"Why must we sit by and allow those who hunger for power to ignore the needs of the many: those with insatiable appetites for material wealth to ignore the damage they inflict upon our earthly home: those whose intellect and curiosity blind them to the destructive potential of their pursuits, to threaten the very existence of life as we know it?"
These are some of the questions asked by Rose Lord, General Manager and Webmaster for the School of Life in her newly published book, What I've Learned About Food and Peace. Rose is also the mother of three grown sons, a grandmother and a nurse by profession. She has been studying the food and peace relationship for over ten years and has put together an account of what she has learned through her research, through input from a wide variety of sources and from personal experience.
In addition to historical information about the human diet and nutrition and the story of her own dietary evolution, the book includes an easy-to-follow dietary plan for health and harmony, several dozen main dish recipes and a comprehensive list of vegetarian sources for all the essential food elements.
"Little did I know, when I stopped to take a look at my diet, of the incredible life changes it would lead to," says Rose. "What started out to be just a simple change in lifestyle led to much deeper analysis of my seemingly innocuous way of life and a profound desire to learn a more peaceful way. What I discovered is what many people have learned, that a conscious shift in the way we look at food can be the catalyst for attitudinal changes that will bring greater peace, understanding and contentment into our own lives and the world as a whole."
To get a copy of Rose's book call Spiritual Food for the New Millennium at 301-654-4899 or 1-888-384-9642.
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Winter CSA Offers Pure Food All Year Round
Another reason to celebrate is the beginning of our first Winter CSA. In previous years we tried to get this endeavor started but for various reasons it didn't happen. This year, with a small group of members (thirty-two at the time of this writing), we have managed to put together all the necessary resources to make it happen. We look at it as a very important step because it guarantees the continuity, not only of our year-round support to the farmers but also of the supply of this extraordinary quality of food on a year-round basis. It means that during the winter months, people do not have to lack of this wonderful service.
What is most satisfying is that agreements with several farmers have been made who, according to the new evaluation system of SFNM the Selection Committee has ranked high as providers of food for our service. Jeff Poppen of Long Hungry Creek Farm will provide us with butternut squash and sweet potatoes, Hugh Williams at Threshold Farm with apples, Gena Nonini of Marian Farms with grapes and raisins, John Krohn of Ladybug Oak Grove in Florida with citrus, Bruce Walton of Walton Orchards with apple cider vinegar, and Seven Stars Farm with yogurt. Of course, from Kimberton we get the bread that is being made especially for Spiritual Food with the grain that we have obtained from Thomas Farm in North Dakota; we got a truckload of grain from him that will keep us going for a while. We also have the cheese from Kimberton Farms and, not the least, extraordinary ginger from UAI, Hugh Lovel's farm in Georgia. We will possibly be flying in greens from Marian Farms for whatever we cannot provide locally from Heinz Thomet of Next Step Produce in Maryland. We are hoping for eggs from the Winters' farm in Maryland and from Kimberton. In storage is a whole pallet of brown and white rice brought from Brazil that has been very well received by many of our members of the summer CSA. We are still looking for more sources to make the CSA as complete as possible. Our intention, as we have said before, is to eventually provide our members with everything they need direct from the farms that are producing it so that they do not even have to stop at the grocery store.
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Global Coalition for Peace
We also want to celebrate the creation of Global Coalition for Peace and its official status as a non-profit organization on May 31st of this year. As you have probably seen on our website, many actions have taken place, the latest being the march in Washington, DC on October 26th, of which you will see some pictures. The beautiful banner was designed and made by one of our members, Frank Valley of West Penn Sign Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We look forward to the next march that will be on January 18th to which we are inviting all of the sixteen organizations that are now part of the coalition to come to Washington. Plans are to hold a small conference where each organization can share experiences from its local area and make plans to work together on future actions.
The purpose of GCFP is to help bring more of a non-violent mentality to conflict resolution and consequently contribute to bringing peace to this nation and to the world. Of course we recognize the limited scope of our influence but are happy to say that our invitation for individuals to join the sequential meditation and for organizations to join the coalition has been very well received - people from many other countries are combining mental efforts to contribute to make world peace happen.
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Marching for
Peace
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Farm Evaluation System In Place
Next is a development that really gives us a tremendous sense of satisfaction - the implementation of the questionnaire for the evaluation of farms. We would like to recognize the extraordinary work of the Selection Committee started by Woody Wodroska, Christy Korrow, Chris Stearn and Betsy Cashen and later joined by Jim Marquardt and his wife Charlotte, and then by David Griffiths. Woody Wodroska, after having contributed his many wonderful ideas and experience, had to withdraw but his contribution certainly has made a big mark on the questionnaire.
You may remember that we started with another group of farmers who initially gave the basic recommendations as to the form in which the questionnaire could be developed. The important thing is that at this point we have tried it and the results have been more than satisfactory. It seems to have the capacity to serve a double purpose; to help us to know better our farmer friends who are dedicated to this work but also to help those farmers who are thinking about changing their methods to Dr. Rudolf Steiner's way of farming. The questionnaire gives them basic guidelines on how to approach this work. Once they are interested, of course, they will have to seek the necessary resources that can give them the orientation needed to move forward. We are very happy that this seems to be serving as an invitation to those who are curious and has resulted in some calls as to how to get started in this form of agriculture.
A final word is to say that now that the questionnaire is at a stage of refinement, which will hopefully be concluded soon, we will be able to put more of our time and effort into marketing the food from the farms that are working with Spiritual Food. For that, of course, we ask for your help. If you send us your e-mail address, whenever there is a good opportunity to help one of the farmers or whenever something comes into season, we can keep you all informed quickly and efficiently without much cost. So please remember, send us your e-mail address and we will keep you posted of the different opportunities the seasons bring.
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Ashram Changes and New Yoga Programs
We would also like to celebrate that the Shanti Yoga ashram is going through a period of expansion. Ashramites Saraswati (Jennifer) and Durga (Amy) are now full time, dedicated completely to work in service of the community. This has allowed Lakshmi (Linette) to develop instruction on healthcare for mothers and babies using the Ayurvedic approach complimenting the yoga classes. The program, Spiritual Motherhood, covers all the way from pre-conception through childbearing to caring for and raising young children. So the scope of ways in which yoga can contribute to the development of the family as a whole and the attainment of inner and external peace by learning to deal with everyday challenges and situations from different aspects of the need of the human being is becoming more clear and accessible to the community.
I must say that it is with great pleasure that I look forward to the opportunity this newsletter offers to share with all of you the different occurrences in the life of our community of which we consider all of you a part since we partake of the same food and of the same love and respect for the environment, for our fellow human beings and for our spiritual growth.
Om Shanti,
Victor (Vyasa)
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Fragrant Farms of New Harmony
No, this is not going to be an article about manure. The fragrance at Fragrant Farms is of a much more pleasant nature.
When asked what he does better than anyone else, Mark Trela's answer was,
"We grow the finest peonies in the country."
In fact, in the past year they have sold over 21,000 fresh flowers to florists, wholesalers and individuals.
Located in New Harmony, Indiana, a stones throw from the Wabash River, the farm encompasses 25 acres, nine of which are presently under cultivation. The vineyard takes up six-plus acres and the remaining cultivated land grows cut flowers along with some vegetables and herbs. The prize flower on Fragrant Farms is the peony.
Mark Trela was introduced to Steiner Agriculture, (referred to by Spiritual Food as Sattwic/Organic) in the early 1980's by Peter Dukich in California. His ten years as a landscaper in New Harmony gave him the opportunity to see how well peonies respond to Rudolf Steiner's method of agriculture by the time Fragrant Farms was born in 1994. Mark's early introduction to Steiner Agriculture has been enhanced by the opportunities he has had to learn from the likes of "Hugh Courtney, Hugh Lovel, Harvey Lisle, Jeff Poppen and a host of others." Perhaps having had the opportunity to learn from these masters is what has given Mark the desire to do more teaching and sharing with other farmers and gardeners, something he looks forward to in the not too distant future.
Fragrant Farms is not a typical self-sustaining farm but they are employing some innovative ways of coming as close to self-sustaining as possible. For example their compost comes from the immense quantity of leaves that the town of New Harmony vacuums up in late October and November. All of these leaves are then windrowed in Fragrant Farms' fields. What this means is that, using a modified silage wagon with chutes off the front and side, the vacuumed leaves are deposited in a distinctively shaped mound alongside Mark's fields. Mark describes the "almost primitive looking mounds" as being about 6-8 feet high, 10-12 feet across at the bottom, 4 -5 feet at the top and about 350 feet long. He states that the special shape of the mound actually seems to give it a certain energy and suggests that anyone who is interested in learning about such phenomena read Christopher Bird and Peter Thompkins'
Secret Life of Plants and Secrets of the Soil.
Although they do not have domesticated animals at Fragrant Farms, as Mark puts it,
"We do have an abundance of creatures: deer, moles, birds, rabbits and many, many
insects." When asked whether this wealth of wildlife had caused any major problems on the farm, Mark responded that this past season had been particularly difficult due to the dryness. The deer were thirsty and even deer netting did not keep them from getting into the grapes. Japanese beetles were also a problem this year, particularly on the grapes and roses. But nature's cohabiters are not what Mark considers the greatest challenge of his farming career.
The really big challenge he says is, " To balance the repetitive nature of the work and the economic pressures with the spiritual striving and healing nature that naturally comes with [this way of
farming]." When asked whether he had any suggestions on how to achieve this balance, Mark's unhesitating response was,
"Regular spiritual practice - do it every day."
What about the weather? Mark states, " The weather calls forth different responses with each day. Our climate here in southwest Indiana is warm and humid and this is very difficult on grapes and their growers as
well." Nevertheless, Mark states, "Relating to the weather and the seasonal cycles deepens one's awareness of the workings of nature within the farm
organism." He finds that the most amazing thing about his farming career is that realization of
"what an integrated system nature is and how it is an honor and privilege to work with
nature."
And nature has repaid Mark's compliments. Despite her challenges, she has allowed him to grow incredibly beautiful peonies which can be viewed in beautiful color on the School of Life website (www.schooloflife.org - click onto Spiritual Food for the New Millennium link and page down to Fragrant Farms Peonies). She has also allowed him to experience firsthand the energy generated by Steiner's agricultural practices.
"While checking out a pit of buried cow horns, thirty cow horns with their tips toward the
center," Mark relates, "myself and another fiend experienced a definite vibration emanating from the spot. It was like a heartbeat, a rhythmic
pulsing."
When asked what is the most beautiful thing on his farm right now, Mark's response was.
"The most beautiful thing on our farm is
everything!!!"
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Peonies From Fragrant Farms
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Extending the Harvest
This is the time of year when many of us find ourselves with too many tomatoes or peppers or onions to know what to do with. We have worked hard to grow this wonderful produce and the last thing we want is to see it go to waste. Of course there is always the option of putting the excess on the compost heap and allowing it to contribute to next year's harvest but wouldn't it be nice if we could salvage at least some of it for our nutritional needs and culinary pleasure during the long winter months? Here are some suggestions for making that possible.
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Harvesting
For storage purposes, choose your most perfect specimens, un-bruised or damaged fruits and vegetables. Pick them on a day when the weather is cool and dry so the produce is not wet or heat stressed. Brush off loose dirt but do not wash.
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Curing
As far as the bulbs (onions, garlic, shallots) are concerned, the first thing you should do is to cure them. That involves 1.) spreading them in a dry, shady spot, 2.) cutting off the tops and roots - near the base of the bulb and 3.) letting them dry until the tops are quite dry and the outer skin is papery thin. If the weather is rainy, step one should be done on screens indoors. Once these bulbs are sufficiently dried they can be hung in mesh bags from the ceiling of your basement, garage or a spare room. However, be forewarned that the "fragrance" of the bulb, especially garlic, will permeate the area in which they are stored, at least for a while. Humidity in the bulb storage area should not be higher than 70%
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Types of Storage
Indoor
Many vegetables can be stored indoors in wooden crates or boxes but this should be done in a cool, dark area such as a basement or un-heated spare room. Some vegetables, especially the root vegetables will require high humidity, in the 80 - 95% range. The vegetables should be set in such a way in their storage boxes so they do not touch each other. Such root vegetables as carrots, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage and leeks should be dug up with their roots intact and stored in boxes of moist (not wet) builders sand, exactly as they were growing in the ground and, again, not touching each other. They should be sprinkled occasionally with water. The roots will not grow but will draw moisture from the sand. Carrots will keep all winter.
Outdoor
Window Well - Line the bottom of a window well with dry twigs, leaves and some straw or hay. Alternate layers of straw or hay with the vegetables, making sure that the veggies do not touch each other. Put a board over the top and cover the entire thing with a tarp or heavy plastic held down with bricks or stones.
Pit - Dig a pit or a trench, 2-3 feet deep. Cover the bottom with layers of stones and cover the stones with dry leaves or straw. Put vegetables in a barrel or metal garbage can, alternating layers of straw, dry leaves or wood chips with the vegetables. Put the containers in the pit and pack straw or hay around them with a 6 inch layer on top. Cover the pit with a board and anchor the board with bricks or stones.
Cold Frame - Cold frames can be used for storage as well as for growing vegetables in the cold winter months. Layer the vegetables with packing material (same as for window well or pit) ending with a 6 inch layer of packing material. Cover the lid of the cold frame with a tarp to keep out light and anchor the tarp.
Processing
If you are going to process some of your fall harvest by freezing or canning, process them as soon after they are picked as possible and store them in usable quantities.
Freezing
Most fruits and vegetables, with the exception of leafy greens, can be frozen and, if properly prepared, will keep well from one harvest to the next. They should be prepared for freezing as soon after picking as possible; immediately is best. All produce should be thoroughly washed in cold water and drained before preparing for freezing but should not be left soaking. Wash small amounts at a time with frequent changes of water. Cores, pits, seeds, skins or shells should be removed. Vegetables are generally scalded or parboiled and then plunged into ice water. Many fruits can just be peeled, if necessary, and sliced before "dry-freezing" but many people like to sprinkle the fruit with a little bit of sugar to bring out some of the juice and create a syrup. A natural sugar such as Sucanat is recommended.
All frozen produce should be stored in good quality freezer bags or heavy-duty plastic wrap and packages should be sealed so that they are air and moisture-proof. It's also important to label and date each item. You may want to make a puree of certain items such as spinach, pumpkin, squash, cranberries and strawberries before freezing. The purees can be used in recipes, as sauces or simply served by themselves.
A Word About Canning
My German born grandparents lived on a dairy farm in Albany, Minnesota. When I was a child my grandmother would send us a box of goodies for Christmas which included canned fruit spreads from her own garden. They were wonderful! Canning is time-consuming, tricky and, if not done properly can be dangerous. Very few people in our society have the time to learn about this process or to do it properly. For those reasons we will not discuss it in this article. However, if you do have the time and want to learn this time-honored means of extending the harvest, there are still books on the market that will tell you how to do it. Or, better yet, find a grandmother who can teach you.
Recommended Reading: Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans and Other Good Things by Lois M. Landau and Laura G. Myers
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Editor's Journal
Extending the Harvest of Good Fortune
Looking back on this past year, there can be no question as to whether or not life has changed significantly since September 11, 2001. It has! Maybe not on the surface, in our daily routines or our lifestyles. We still go to our jobs, come home, do whatever it is that we do to relax and renew. Some of us pay more attention to the news than we have for a long time. If we have to visit an airport, we are momentarily more aware of the changes. We see a lot more American flags flying in front of homes and small businesses and from cars and pick-up trucks. But, for the most part, on the outside, things look pretty much the same. The real changes are inside of us.
Some people have become fiercely patriotic. Some have experienced a resurgence of the need for religion or spirituality in their lives. Others have found themselves stepping into the role of peace activist - perhaps for the first time in their lives. The terrorist attacks and their aftermath of violence seem to have stimulated extremes of anger, fear, and confusion at one end and love and compassion at the other. Perhaps at the core of all of these extremes of emotion is a shared sense of vulnerability - and justifiably so. What could make one feel more vulnerable than seeing thousands of his fellow countrymen annihilated while sitting at their desks in their place of work?
I've asked myself, 'what has made us so vulnerable?' Aren't we the most powerful, most affluent, most gifted and privileged society in the world? How can this happen to us? Perhaps it is in the very act of isolating ourselves, setting ourselves apart from the rest of the world, that we have created our own vulnerability.
Most people do not feel threatened by their own families, friends and loved ones. It's those "others" who give us cause to worry. So what if there were no others, no "them and us," just "us"?
Some of us may not feel particularly proud to be an American lately but when one looks at what citizens of some other countries have to contend with, it's hard not to at least feel fortunate. What if we decided to really extend our beneficence to the rest of the world, make every effort to share our good fortune, instead of trying to hoard what we have and consume as much of the world's resources as we possibly can? What if America made every effort to create a world community? We have been so successful in almost every other endeavor we've taken on. We could do this, too. We could extend the bountiful harvest that has been America for over 200 years and help create a better world than has ever been known. Or.......
Peace and Joy,
Rose
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October 26th Peace Rally in DC
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Spiritual Food for the New Millennium |
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4217 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-654-6759;
fax: 301-654-2702
toll free:
888-384-9642
email: spiritualfood@schooloflife.org |
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