Loving Our World

Focus on Sustainability: Falling in Love with the Natural World
One of my favorite reads is my quarterly “Yes!” magazine. Recently in the Summer 2019 issue, I read with delight an essay by Richard Schiffman, an environmental journalist, called “Off the Beaten Path at Home”.  In his essay, he encourages people to move beyond seeing the degradation of our environment as merely a mechanical problem that can be solved through changing policies, etc.  Instead he argues that the real problem is that “we don’t love the world enough.”  His statement stopped me cold.  I completely agree, but have never had the language or courage to say it publicly.  According to Schiffman, we don’t love the world because “we don’t see it… we don’t see it because we aren’t paying attention.”  His suggestion is to find a new place in nature every day, bring a notebook on your walk, create a poem about what you see and feel.  For painters/drawers, bring a sketchpad.  Lastly, he says “Don’t be afraid to put away your mapping app and get lost.” 

We hope you will come to our farm this summer so that you too can fall in love. Our farm stand usually opens in mid- to late- June.  Individuals and families will have the opportunity to build a relationship with the farm, not just the vegetables we grow, but more importantly the ecosystem that we participate in. Bring a picnic and spend time alone or with your family experiencing the wonder of the natural world. Warning: Prepare to fall in love!  Saturdays/Sundays, 10-5 pm. 
--Farmer Jane