This is the third lesson from our food garden.
The first lesson was about the processes it takes for something to manifest; It took the interweaving of many processes to create our food garden in Jerusalem.
The second lesson was about the gold found in our compost bin, in our waste. The realization that through our waste we could recreate the vegetables we had enjoyed over the last year.
Today’s lesson has to do with synergy and cooperation among us the food gardeners.
I know that my food garden has inspired my neighbor Michal to plant hers by mine. And since Michal planted her garden we have decided to be of mutual help to each other in the nurturing and maintenance of our gardens. We have split the week in two and take turns in watering the gardens.
In my mind’s eye, I see all of Jerusalem apartment buildings’ garden plots, as well as rooftops turning into food gardens. My imagination loves running wild with this scene; expanding the vision to include the whole of Israel. Then my imagination travels to Athens, Greece my native city and includes Greece in this vision too. The wild imagining goes on and on to include Europe, Africa, America and guess what, the whole world.
I sit and bask in my imagination’s fantasy for a while. What a great world that would be!
Then a pragmatic voice pops in.
What if we women took it upon us to create food gardens by our homes? What if we women envisioned a world where we would be able to feed, sustain and nurture all of our children? What if we women, created compost bins by our homes to make sure the seeds from the foods we enjoyed would be replanted by using the compost in our gardens?
In my imagination’s eye, women and our food gardens can be a key. A key towards the sustenance of all of our families, towards the eradication of famine and the ushering of a new era of abundance, sustenance and peace for all.
My imagination runs its course, projecting a future narrative that seems idyllic.
But now truly. Back to reality. Could we make this possible? Could this vision become a reality?
What we need to render this vision possible, I sense, is synergy and cooperation on a local, interpersonal level gaining an international momentum; How? By holding the vision alive in our hearts, and sharing it with our friends and family. By teaching each other the way and cooperating towards making it happen.
At these times where old systems are crumbling before our eyes globally, the time is ripe to step in and co-create a different paradigm, a paradigm of synergy and cooperation for the good of all.
Going back to the earth, stepping out of our apartments and going down to the garden, home-producing at least part of our vegetable and fruit supply could be a good place from which to start creating the sustenance, abundance and peace for all vision we dreamers envision for our communities.
From Jerusalem with love,
Yvette Nahmia-Messinas
Love and peace from my garden to yours!!
Love and Peace received Miriam! Happy to receive an image of your garden through the comments section if you feel like sharing!
In blossom,
Yvette
The food justice work is also important because communities of color are disproportionately suffering from diabetes and obesity and heart disease. In the United States, all communities are suffering from processed foods. Government subsidies are going to foods that are turned into high fructose corn syrup. The government could be subsidizing fresh fruits and vegetables, but they aren’t. We feel that food is not just the problem but also the solution. Food is what brings people together and a way for people to create change in their communities.
Indeed, people have the power to create positive change in their communities, by distancing themselves from processed foods and opting for fresh home produce instead cultivated in their backyard food gardens!