After attending the SFRefresh “Stargazing” workshop lead by Pancho my head has been in a cloud. I have been thinking humans can only be overwhelmed and amazed by the beauty and wonderment of this universe (perhaps animals or plants or even rocks might sense that feeling too). I also realized how much mystery there is in everything, leaving us basically not knowing. Though the science is there explaining so much, it leaves us still forever asking questions.
Then there is a feeling I got of how small we are in the big picture of things. Seeing that here are billions and billions of stars and planets out there and that our planet is just one out of billions and billions (we probably will never know how many). Certainly our conflicts and worries or joys and excitements seem so very insignificant when we think we are smaller than a grain of sand in an immense expanding universe.
Wow it makes it hard writing or saying anything after going through that head trip. Then I think: Zillions and zillions of blessings out there, we can’t count them all.
The Free Farm Stand was heavy on good vibes Sunday. Stanford students from Page’s Earth System History class came by to help and also brought 194 pounds of oranges they picked from trees on campus. There were plenty of greens on the table as well and the bread table, though short on bread, had a great selection of spreads to put on bread, including tofu pate, hummus, and citrus jam.
The local urban agriculture movement is currently excited that the Board of Supervisors voted last week to amend our zoning law to allow people to grow produce and sell it on residential land (on a small scale). For $300 one can get a permit and to grow food and sell it and also to make jams and salsa and sell them too. Little City Farms (http://www.littlecitygardens.com/), run by Brooke and Caitlyn, two of the best urban farmers out there, announced they are starting a CSA based on a week to week basis and on a sliding scale model. If one has to buy vegetables this may be the way to go.
I must admit I feel like in I am in the minority of urban farmers who believe that as beautiful as friendly capitalism seems from one angle, I think in the long run it is the wrong direction we should be going. Here is one example of a project that I think is a better model to follow: http://www.alpinegarden.blogspot.com/.
Let’s rocket to the stars and other galaxies and spiral forward. Our dreams will propel us! Let us create a world now where our Earth’s resources are shared equally with all.
Michael Pistorio posted a cool video of the Free Farm Stand on Youtube (check our sidebar under Videos….). No words just a short video record of a the Free Farm Stand with jazzy music by Jimmy Smith.
Save the date for our fruit tree planting on Mother’s Day Sunday May 8th from 11am until about 4pm. This could be the beginning of more Community Orchards planted in city parks.