On February 13, Geo and I attended the Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association (NOFA) winter conference. Farmers we are not. However, Geo is interested in the locavore scene here in Vermont, and I am interested in learning new gardening practices. Living in a most rural state, we need to be informed about agriculture.
Keynote speaker LaDonna Redmond of Chicago was worth the price of admission. Unable to find real food in urban supermarkets for her child with multiple allergies, she set forth on a mission of organizing her inner city neighborhood to grow organic veggies. She promotes a sustainable, organic, urban, and local food system that has soul. The food that is grown nourishes not just the body, but also the soul. Food actually becomes a by-product because what is really grown is community. It’s about knowing the people who grow your food, how that food is grown, how it's prepared, and with whom you share it.
She went on to say that the Hippies (who began the back-to-the-land movement) have a lot in common with the Hip-Hop Generation. Both are counter-cultural and anti-establishment, as is sustainable, local and organic agriculture. What she calls the soul-food system is about building community. Community needs to happen in urban areas as well as rural. Through soul-food, the Hippies and Hip-Hop Generation may be able to meet on common ground.
One of the workshops I attended was presented by Lee Reich on weedless no-till gardening. He advises using wet newspapers (4 pages thick) spread out over soil or grass, covering them with an inch or two of compost, and planting seeds directly into the compost. They will take root and grow through the newspaper. The grass or weeds below the newspaper, with no light and air, will smother and die. So this is my plan for my 5 packets of sunflower seeds. I’m collecting newspapers now and will be ready to plant in Spring. This I will do without digging up the lawn in the backyard. Reports to follow.
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