tough root system

I farmed today! I toiled with the soil! I got dirt under my nails! Sweat and blood! Wow. I spent two hours today working on the developing P-Patch behind Hall Health, and 20 minutes later my arms are still shaking. This farming stuff is hard work. All I could think about is "now, how could I convince city folk to do this?" Using the lessons from the Cuba Diet article, I have become a strong supporter of Urban agriculture. However, without the tangible crisis of peak oil and food scarcity hallowing out our kitchen cupboards, how are common city folk going to be inspired (forced) to pick up a hoe and give it a go! I mean seriously people, this was hard work, rewarding nonetheless, but I still had that voice in the back of my head saying "Ugh! I really gotta start writing that paper", or "I really need to get back to..." and of course, "I'm hungry."

We urbanites are not well equipped to fend for ourselves. Ariana, a S.E.E.D. member, told me that it took them almost 6 work parties of 6 people 6 weeks to get the land broken, composted, de-rocked, tilled and ready for planting. The time commitment, the sweat and blood and sun is really what resorting back to the land and it's natural resources is all about. No doubt, I feel great, but now I am plagued by that frightening feeling that I have no idea what real, subsistence agriculture is all about. I even wonder if half the people who work in the corporate offices of Monsanto have ever picked up a shovel. Doubt it.

Nonetheless, today was a good day: full of sunshine and hard labor. Now that that's taken care of I can shrink back into the comforting glow of my computer screen, and reflect on the smell of Earth that still surrounds me.