Thursday, December 18, 2008

Seeds and Snow

It is that time of year again where we dive into the Seeds. Such a rewarding and quiet time as well as infinitely stressful as we wait for seeds to germinate and germinate well! For me there are 2 main things that give me such a boost when I am feeling the immediate stress of this work: Kind and lovely people who encourage us and appreciate what we do, and the amazing seeds themselves. Looking at "Tigers Eye" dry bean today as my child and I shelled them by hand, I was stunned by their beauty and the intricate life inside each one. I am brought back to warm Summer days and the green of lush plants thriving in the sun. Somehow I seem to bypass all the work that went into those greenly waving plants when I am sitting inside watching the snow fall!

Which brings me to the snow...the snow that is falling outside in great heaps(for this town anyway)and shows no sign of stopping for days! This is so wonderful and different and cold. Today I skied around and around our neighborhood and then later, Brian and I went out for a late night ski around Lake Padden. Quiet, white, and snowing still. I realized that I am a great skier when I cannot see what lies ahead! Fearless I surge ahead, following the path and carefully trying not to ski into our nearly blind and deaf 15 yr old dogfriend.

It is almost time to start packing seeds and sending them out into the world. I am thankful for this work that connects me to a multitude of stories and in turn gives me the opportunity to pass them on. I love stories and love the vitality and spirit that they hold and embolden in others. These seeds really are gifts. Gifts to the body and spirit and to the multitudes who crave story, meaning, and good food in their lives.

And let's not forget the politics! Save your own seed or buy OP and/or Heirloom varieties. Continuing interest in these varieties will ensure that they continue on and that seed savers around the country will be able to continue saving seeds. With Huge, corporate seed companies buying up more and more seed companies it is vital that we research and support the work of so many amazing and dedicated growers on small family farms.

Happy Holidays to you all!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you back on line! Good luck with your growing seed business. Just imagine all the people that will enjoy the magic of putting your seeds into the ground and producing wonderful organic food and flowers.

Nana