Archive for June 27th, 2010

There are times when forms and forces combine on many levels to reveal a portal through which our individual and collective consciousness can glimpse a vision of things to come. The Greeks called it Kairos time. It is not chronological, it is opportunistic. It is often what we make of these times that determines the course of our future. Plucking the solution from the problem, we reign in the moment.

The loophole here being that oft times these little energetic eddies just freak us out and send us reaching for the ____________(your favorite tranquilizer/comfort food here).  The more comfortable we are, the harder it is to go with the information that points to change and the more we change the harder it is to get comfy. So here's some advise from a war torn vet, get used to it bubelah, for within the apparent and endless discomfort of the process lies hidden the noogie of Truth. Heed the noogie.

So we've had a cow hanging around the property, walking through fences and taking strange and circuitous routes through the orchard to get to God only knows what. Seems very random. Remarkably little damage to the plant life has been done. I have visions of this lumbering critter on tippy toe, wearing a tutu and pirouetting through the pathways, sniffing the Malabar chestnut blooms and having a gay old time living out some bovine fantasy. No sign in the past few days, so I think the ranch guys found it.

To compound the problem, the young orphaned deer who are too weak to be scared are showing up in the lower orchard to find some green forage, but mostly to find some niche and drop dead. The other day nurse Natty had her first conniption over the walking jerky that got into the market garden and ground her recently planted and thriving comfrey into a patch of dirt. Not amused. She has now joined the N.R.A. and is saving up for a down payment on an uzi.

Project "fencemout" is in its penultimate stage. We've got about another three hundred feet on the northern border to fence and then its mostly gates for entry and exit. We're still waiting for the storied trickle down economics to move the project along at more than its usual and acceptable snails pace and have actually had a contribution from one of the farms most avid supporters. Thanks mah.

Speaking of which, thanks to all of you who made the fortieth anniversary celebration an event worthy of bottling and shipping worldwide. I consider the energy generated at these gatherings to be our nations most valuable renewable resource.

Let us rock; oh lord, in whose wisdom we reside, we pray that you let us bop till we drop so that he who cometh here will  know us for our works and will proclaim, "last time I heard music this good, I paid sixty bucks for a seat, and that was at the back of the auditorium".

Only regret. Missed Nancys peach cobbler.............again. A treat which transforms polite party goers into ravaging hordes.

Had a hiccup at the farmers market last week. Zoning department shut er' down. Yup, that's right. Shut er' down without so much as a grace period to comply with the minor fixes needed to bring full legitimacy to the proceedings. Shut er' down in spite of causing cases of incomus interrupticus  that could be felt for miles. Shut er' down because some merchants in town feel threatened by the competition and would rather see us removed than to allow the public access to our goods and services. What fun.

Me and Natty decided to get political and went down to the market site with signage explaining the situation and phone numbers for the relevant county officials. Sure enough, bunches of people intent on shopping came by and were outraged I tell ya', outraged. Why there were people flippin' their cell phones left and right, petitions being circulated and a feeling of empowerment akin to running a yellow light. We got home feelin' all full of ourselves, ate some s'mores and went into glucose shock.

We have government that preaches support of local agriculture, but what they mean is Monsanto, what remains of sugar and pineapple, cattle ranching and monocrops like onion, flowers and cabbage. When it comes to diversified ag., not a clue, and when it comes to support of the small diversified farmer, I'm not feelin' the love yet. But then I've only been at it for twenty five years. A drop in the bucket for gubmint time.

Congratulations go out to Grimes for his successful cd release/bar mitvah bash at Stella Blues. He agreed, at the last minute to share the room with the Feldmans from Boise who had lost their venue to a scheduling mishap. The combination of Grimes inspired tunes and recitation of Torah will long resonate in my skull.

We've had the blessing of rain grace our parched patch of scrub and rock. May even bring out a bit of green in the next day or two. The clouds continue to intrude by day giving us a little rest from the beating that the sun delivers this time of year. We're looking good on fruit coming up late summer and into the fall, the veggie gardens are gulping down the water and with the exception of some birds foraging the young greens,  thriving.

Always lots to do. When I set my mind on how much, the danger of spontaneous combustion looms. We've got a couple of couples coming in July which means we can get to the rest of  the fencing, the building of additional chicken paddocks (for the rotation system) and the systematic pruning of trees to create piles of mulch and allow more breeze and light into the orchard. I couldn't feel better about the slow but steady progress the farm is experiencing and how its vision continues to grow with the diversity of species and myriads of energetic connections. Its gotten to the point where I no longer have to think about what to do; the farm tells me. I'm all ears.

So welcome back summertime. Thanks for your sweetening heat and the warm ground on my feet. For the ripening fruit and the succulent root. For sunshine on tap and a serious afternoon nap. It is a time when energies converge and conspire to bring about the abundance of harvest. It is a Kairos time, full of hope and uncertainty. Expect the unexpected.

The more you show, the more we'll grow. Peace, Jp