Seasons A Guide for Growing
Book 2:
Sowing Seeds A Project of Little Tree Farm & Retreat & UMAR Art oN MaiN
A Joint Project of: Little Tree Farm & Retreat www.littletreenc.org UMAR Art oN MaiN www.umarinfo.com
All visual art selections were created by UMAR participants and staff. Poetry by Amy Vaughn (AV) Reflections by Amber Dunn (AD) Amy Vaughn (AV) Joanie Williams (JTW) Jason Williams (JRW) Garden Tips By Derek Dunn (DD) Printing Provided by Steele Rubber Products If you would like to promote your business in Seasons, please contact Jason Bolton at jbolton@umarinfo.com.
Introduction [Gardening] is – in addition to being the appropriate fulfillment of a practical need – a sacrament, as eating is also, by which we enact and understand our oneness with the Creation, the conviviality of one body with all bodies. Wendell Berry, writer, theologian and farmer Welcome to the first volume of “Seasons”. Little Tree Farm & Retreat has partnered with the artists from UMAR Art on Main to bring you this magazine-like publication. In this book, you will find reflections, stories, garden tips, poetry, quotes, scripture and visual art that journey through the growing season. In this first issue, released on the Spring Equinox, we explore the process of growth that happened during the Winter and how the earth begins to emerge and get prepared for the upcoming season of growth. This issue is presented in five sections: The Long Sleep, Tilling & Turning, Amending Soil, Early Light and Awakening. Our intention is for you to spend one week with each theme. Read one poem, study one piece of artwork, think through one reflection each day or read them at your own pace. The second issue will be released on Earth Day and subsequent issues will be released approximately
each month throughout the growing season with the final issue in October/November. We encourage you to use this guide as you see fit and allow yourself to explore your own personal season of growth. You may place this magazine on your bedside table and reflect on a written piece or one of the pieces of art work each day to see how the Spirit may be speaking to you. You may keep this next to your coffee pot to ponder over as you enjoy your cup of coffee and start your day. Maybe you will choose to place it on your desk at work to pick up when you need to take a deep breathe in the middle of a hectic day. However you choose to use this material, we pray that you may experience growth with the Creator. So, as we explore the seasons of growth and many aspects of agriculture and creativity together, may you experience the beauty of this “sacrament” and find glimpses of “our oneness with Creation.”
What’s in a seed? Worth To love as God loves To see in each small, pent up bundle, Encased sometimes by a hard shell, Impossible to see what could come from it, Sometimes needing much nurturing, Softening, Endless thirst, Good soil, much extra care, Planted deep enough But not too deep, Protected, Watched And then the waiting, Waiting for all the efforts All the gifts given To burst forth, In tiny tender shoots.
AV
We are all seeds. Full of potential, Worth the wait and work. To love as God loves Is to see a worthwhile seed In everyone we meet.
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 ...the kingdom of God is within you.
Seeds are great metaphors for potential. Within a seed lies the potential for life, for newness, for growth, for fruit. Seeds encourage us to see that today’s efforts will give rise to something more tomorrow, particularly if we patiently tend to the needs of the seed. Hope, responsibility and patience are, therefore, three of the great lessons which seeds have to teach. Yet seeds have more to teach us than the mere potential they represent. A seed exists in a liminal state between one life and the next. It is the embodiment of transition, a snapshot of change. A seed can exist in this liminal state - that is, remain dormant - for months, for years, even for decades before sprouting. That we humans focus so exclusively on the potential of seeds, overlooking their liminal reality,
Luke 17:21
is, perhaps, because we are so uncomfortable with the in-betweenness of change and transition. We experience liminality as uncertainty. The future-oriented foundation of our modern society presses us to constantly look toward what is coming, and this keeps us from embracing the presence of the in-between. William Bridges says it this way: Most people do not resist change. What we resist is transition. Change is a situational shift. Transition, on the other hand, is the process of letting go of the way things used to be and then taking hold of the way they subsequently become. In between the letting go and the taking hold again, there is a chaotic but potentially creative “neutral zone” when things aren’t the old way, but aren’t really a new way yet either.
A seed is not really the old plant, yet it is not really the new plant either. It is a capsule birthed by the old which will one day birth into the new. An individual seed is concise in both shape and form, containing only the basic things it needs for its transition - an embryo, a food supply and a protective covering. Wind can carry the seed through the air for miles, yet they remain unharmed. Darkness does not damage it. The seed re-
sists breaking, pressure, decay and a variety of natural processes that are designed to decompose, digest or destroy it. Thus, the seed exists in a form which is highly resilient as it moves and transitions through the world around it to find rest in a place which can nourish it. Plant-life embraces change and transition through the liminal form of a seed. Perhaps, we can learn to embrace the liminal times of our
JRW
lives as well by becoming seed-like - that is, considering what is needed to sustain us through the seeming chaos of transition and put us in a position to create life anew no matter where we find ourselves at
the end of the journey. Liminality does not have to mean uncertainty. Rather, when we are in-between, we can embrace a time of great stability that carries us through the most amazing journey of our life. JRW
You are frustrated because you keep waiting for the blooming of flowers of which you have yet to sow the seeds.
Steve Maraboli Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
Biodiversity Lesson from a Cornfield The fields are quiet as we walk these rows, No humming sound of bees, And the birds seemed to have forgotten Where we are. Row upon row, Stalks of corn line up like Mechanical soldiers Pointing their tassled tops to the sun. They tell me that These 600 acres in Iowa Used to be home to dozens of Living creatures: Birds and bugs in the air and In the living soil. But now, One thing grows Everything else is erased. A scene from Planet of the Apes In a cornfield. What does it mean, then, When one parasite, One disease, One vulnerability in this Unified field is found? It means each plant is equally Susceptible, And grave problems are a real Possibility. Think potato famine. Strength comes from diversity In plants and in people. In these rows
Rows and rows of people Who all look alike Who know the same songs Grew up in the same place, Share the same history, They, too, are susceptible, Weaker, Less likely to grow and thrive. Biodiversity in our lives is not Just a lovely rainbow colored Sign carried in a parade. Diversity makes us stronger. Where I am weak, Your strength blooms and Feeds us both, Where you have no experience I can help you up to ride on mine. In churches and cornfields, Communities and farms Diversity means life abundant, The strength of our gifts Multiplied by who we are, Uniquely. Let us learn from the sterile Cornfield, And the problems in our fields, To work to make our houses of worship, Our communities, Our lives, Imbued with all the wonderful, amazing, Different faces that form the strength of Who we are Together. AV
Biodiversity is the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in a specific environment which work together. Just as bees, for example, need an array of pollen producing plants to provide them with adequate nutrition, plants need diversity because different plants provide different nutrients for one another. At its highest level you can look at all the different species of life on the Earth. On a lower level you can study the biodiversity within a pond. The primary nutrients needed for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Traditional farming uses chemical fertilizers to add these essential nutrients to the soil. In a barren field, all of these nutrients that are needed for plant growth have to be supplied by the farmer through fertilizers. If the same field, however, was planted with a diverse species of plants prior to and along with the desired crop, then the a natural process of amending and imporving the soil would occur, each different plant giving the soil the nutrients needed for other plants to thrive.
One important plant type that adds vital nutrients to the soil is legumes. They provide nitrogen to the soil and can build soil quality. Natural amendments are also be used to increase productivity. For example, bone meal produces phosphorous oand gypsum increases sulfur. Biodiversity is also useful for planting because plants rely on one another for survival. For example: root vegetables such as carrots, dandelions, and radishes have deep tap roots which break up the soil and bring the moisture deep within the ground to the surface for shallow root plants. Plants with a large canopy provide shade, while sprawling plants such as squash help keep moisture in the soil. In a diverse ecosystem the plants rely on one another to meet their needs. Whether we look at biodiversity on large or small scale every organism needs diversity and thrives when diversity is present. DD
Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery of things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love. Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-81) from The Brothers Karamazov
What Will You Plant? We plant seeds every day, though we often do it with little intention. We plant a seed when we smile or frown, laugh or cry. We plant a seed with each action we take. We plant a seed with each decision we make for ourselves, for our children, for the strangers we meet each day. Through each word we use, each sentence we speak, we plant a seed. Where we are today is the growth of the seeds we planted yesterday and the day before. And where we will be tomorrow and the next is a result of the seeds we plant today. Surely, you have planted things in your past that you hoped would blossom, and perhaps they did! And no doubt you have planted things that you did not realize or intend to plant - good and bad - that only become recognizable after they began to grow and bloom. If you took time to truly pay attention to all the things you have planted these past months and years, what would the garden of your life look like? Each year, when we begin to plan for the growing season, we think deeply about the crops we will choose to grow. We consider what we want to eat for the coming season. We pay attention to what
grew well last year, reflecting upon what we know about our soil, climate, rainfall and sunlight. We think about plants that work well together and those that do not. We try to include crops with which we have experience and some that will stretch us just enough to teach us something new. We carefully discern our capacity and limits to ensure that we do not plant more than we can faithfully tend. We include our desires and gut feelings. And in the end we make intentional choices based upon factors that sometimes align and other times do not. Life sometimes come at us so fast that our choices seem mere momentary impulses with little thought or discernment. Yet if we looked each day at the stock of seeds before us and considered our soil, climate, sunlight and rainfall, perhaps we could begin to journey through life’s seasons with greater care and intention. What will you choose to plant?
JRW
Even if you are old, you must plant. Just as you found trees planted by others you must plant them for your children. Midrash Tanchuma (fourth-fifth cent.)
What Will You Plant Today? Tomorrow will not turn around To give you back today. And years from now the thing you do Might somehow light the way. Knowing those that came before Planted trees they never saw, Should remind us to leave seeds-To plant them now for all. Tomorrow brings another day But today might be your chance, To take the first step on the path, To spin a brand new dance. Each journey starts with that first step, Each big idea starts small. Each day an opportunity To risk to chance a fall. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, The opposite is true. Take a chance, plant a seed, Who knows what you might do? AV
Dirty Hands No nice manicure, No amount of soap and scrubbing Can remove the dirt clinging To the tiny spaces Under my nails. And so, I decide that My dirty hands are a symbol, A sign to announce to the world I have been digging in the dirt! I have been planting seeds! I have been planning for growth! Something like this happens When I paint. No apron or painting shirt Seems to cover enough To keep me from getting patches Of red or gray or blue On my nice black pants, Or the new shirt I wore for the First time today. And so I decide that My paint-splotched clothes are a symbol, A sign to announce to the world I have been creating something of beauty! I have been planting ideas on canvas! I have been planning for growth! And now I wonder out loud For the whole world to wonder with me, What dirty fingernails Announce to the whole world That I have been planting seeds Of hope in the lives of those around me? That I have been digging in the dirt Of every day life to find those
Around me who need nurturing? That I have been planning for growth Of my soul, and the souls in my orbit? What splotches of paint stand as a symbol That I have been creatively engaged In making beautiful things happen For the ones whose care has been Entrusted to me? What evidence of creative leadership, Growing the strengths of those Around me really show? Here is my hope: That dirt under my fingernails Reminds others not what I have done, But what they can do. That the paint on my pants Reminds others that life is messy And that is ok, In fact, that paint-spotted clothes Signify creative activity, And that is more than ok. That all my imperfections and Mistakes are signs that announce to the world-Here life is happening! Here joy is being nurtured! Here the shared gift of planning for growth Begins, Continues, And finds a way to shine In sprouting plants, And dreams shared on canvas, In a way to live that Enriches all the faces And places Around me. Digging, Planting, Planning. Here’s to dirt under my fingernails, And paint spots on my clothes.
AV
I can’t recall a time that I didn’t run barefoot as soon as Spring was in the air. The first sign of warm weather is my invitation to freedom. To feel the dirt, rocks and soft grass on the soles of my feet is heaven. Walking barefoot is an acceptable practice for a child, but now a 32 year old female, I am often teased for my love of bare feet. The soles of my feet are the color of soil and as calloused as the rocks I walk upon – certainly not pedicure material. Yet my hands have always been a different story. That is until I fell in love with the farm.
When I first moved to Little Tree Farm, I was terrified of gardening. In the past, I had successfully killed every plant I had ever grown with the exception of bamboo. Due only to the fact bamboo is nearly impossible to kill. I was convinced I had a black thumb. Gardening felt like a skill I would never learn. I decided my focus in the ministry would be caring for children and connecting with local restaurants. I had it all figured out. Gardening was not for me. But my husband Derek has always encouraged me to not give up so quickly. If you told
me four years ago I would enjoy farming and splitting wood I would have laughed. Derek encouraged and pushed me to learn more about plants. More importantly, he encouraged me to just put my hands in the dirt and feel the quality of the soil - its moisture and texture. Gardening was more than just getting messy. It became a form of worship.
breathe life back into the soil.
When life gets messy as it often does, I find peace in thinking of being in my garden. Growth comes from trial and error. We aren’t all perfect gardeners. Even the best farmers learn and grow from their mistakes. And each year we get right back into the soil to try again. Each year we plunge our hands into the mess we call life and try to We spend all day in the baking sun, create and grow in new ways. bent over a fresh bed of soil weedGardening for me has been a jouring and planting; not talking but ney. One that I wanted to give up in just spending time with nature and the beginning for fear of failure or embracing being part of caring for uncertainty. To this day, I still don’t creation. And at the end of a long think I would call myself a gardtired day, my hands and feet are ner or farmer. I am a student that as black as compost and there is is always learning how to care for something incredibly beautiful in creation much in the way I am still that mess. There is something spelearning to navigate the messiness cial about taking a plot of ground life. And so each day I just put my at rest and helping to create new hands in the dirt again to realize growth. the beauty of being messy. AD Wendell Berry often wrote of the spiritual connection in farming. In “The Gift of Good Land” he speaks of farming as a sacrament: “To live we must daily break the body and shed the blood of Creation. When we do this knowingly, lovingly, reverently, it is a sacrament.” We are called to be good stewards of the Earth and creation. At Little Tree Farm, we take part in creation when we farm in a way that not only produces plants, but gives life back to the soil. We are committed to not use harsh chemicals or pesticides. We give the ground rest and
Companion Planting Marigolds and Melons Deciding what to plant I look at the list of Companion plants. Some improve the soil by Breaking up the clumps or adding Nutrients. Some repel pests or host Predatory creatures that hunt What attacks tender plants. Some companion plants Provide shade or even Improve the taste of their Growing neighbor. Deciding what to plant In my life, I look for companions Who improve my creativity by Challenging me, Who break up my negative thoughts With laughter and joy, Who repel sadness or depression, But sometimes use sorrow to Deepen the capacity for connection. Some companions provide Shelter from the bright sun and the Scrutiny of others, While some improve the taste of life, With generosity and kindness.
Better yet that I look to see how I can best be a companion To those planted around me. May I offer shade when someone Needs temporary shelter from the world, Nutrition for the soul that is hungry For love, Laughter and joy and a place To be for those Who live in sorrow. May I be the one who keeps The pests -- self-doubt, worry, loneliness Away by just being there. Just seeds, these ideas But seeds that can grow up together To change the landscape. Rooted in love Rained on by hope, Living in the Light of shared Joy. AV
The companion effect happens naturally in the wild. Flora and fauna of fields, meadows, forests, swamps and deserts, all evolve for mutual benefit. It may seem like survival of the fittest, but the truth is some species prefer to grow with specific others, balancing out their differences and providing ideal conditions for optimising their unique traits. Plants don’t like to fight for their food, so shallow rooted plants prefer to grow near deep rooted plants and each can get their nutrients from different levels. Some smaller plants like a bit of weather protection from bigger plants. Conversely, dry loving plants sulk if grown alongside plants that thrive with wet feet. Just like us, life’s too short for putting up with bad conditions... so aim for the good life for your plants too! www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com
One of the best ways to ensure the health and vitality of your vegetables and herbs is to surround them with plants that are complementary to them; a technique known as companion planting. The idea behind this is that every plant out there needs vital nutrients, and also expels nutrients that are beneficial to other organisms. When you plant herbs and veggies in nice, neat little rows, they have much less chance of thriving than if you pack them in with friends who can boost their health and provide help in the growing process. Lana Winter-HĂŠbert
God said, “It s not good for the Man to be alone; I ll make him a helper, a companion.� So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. Genesis 2:18-19a
What Do Seeds Need?
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!� Matthew 13:1-9
Unfolding Locked inside each of us, No matter what the exterior projects For the world to see Hides a kernel of truth, A seed of creativity, A passion waiting to unfold and be Known. I am grateful to be used As an instrument to coax Creativity Uncover the kernel And provide nourishment for the Seed to grow And blossom. In those around me, and even In myself. Help to always remember what a Tremendous gift it is To be the farmer, The coach, The soul tender. AV
Garden Tip: Seed Care When I think about the care of young seeds, it reminds me of care of a newborn baby. After planting a seed, it is crucial to get the right combination of light, water, warmth, and rest. At Little Tree when we “seed� plants in the greenhouse or grow room in the Spring, we find that we often need to supplement light and warmth. Because in the spring, the nights can still be very cold, we move our young seedlings inside or to our newly finished grow room that is heated. This gives the plants the warmth and security they need much like a newborn needs to be swaddled. Also in the Spring the days are gradually getting longer so we often turn on a grow light to ensure the seeds get an ample amount of light. We make sure to keep the soil moist but are careful not to over saturate the soil. Our general rule of thumb is when the soil seems dry on top, we will give them a drink of water. Lastly, we need to remember that the seeds and new plants need rest, too. It would not be good to leave the grow light on 24/7 because the seeds and new plants need a period of dormancy. Just like the newborn baby rests well and sleeps a lot when they are well fed and nourished, so does the seed. JTW
Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you‌Every seed destroys its container or else there would be no fruition. Florida Scott-Maxwell It was a dark time in my life. Three different parts of my world had dislodged and crashed. It really felt like my entire life was falling apart around me. Driving home alone in the rain, crying, listening to the radio, I became aware of deep, guttural, animal sounds in the car with
me. When I realized the sounds were coming from me, I pulled over and called a friend. From that lowest of low spots, years ago, I have climbed out of the grave of my soul into re-birth. Prayer, the support of my family and friends, and a good therapist helped me to
find my way, not only back, but to a higher pinnacle. I had what I saw as two choices during that devastating time -- I could spiral down and be buried in my own grief, or I could look up. To my astonishment, my ability to help others grew during this time. It never fails that when I am completely transparent with someone in describing those hard situations, it gives them permission to be open with me. Sometimes people are quite surprised to hear my story. My life might look “perfect” to a casual observer. What my story gives them is permission to own their own stories, no matter how devastating they may be. Everyone is broken, just in different ways. When the shell of my protected life was cracked open and destroyed, I grew in ways I could not have imagined. Looking at how the natural world works when it comes to growth I have learned a few things: Things I have learned from planting seeds and trying to grow things: •
Large seeds should be planted deeper than small seeds.
•
Some seeds need to be soaked in water or even scratched a little before planting to help the plant emerge.
•
Seeds need different conditions to sprout, exposure to cold or warm temperatures, just enough water, but not too
much, sunlight, or darkness. Things I have learned from observing growth in myself and other people. •
Spiritual and emotional growth is not a one size fits all kind of thing. Different spiritual disciplines and experiences affect people differently.
•
Hard times grow people spiritual and emotionally.
•
Difficulties will either destroy you completely, or break you down enough so that you will be receptive to learning and growing from the experience.
What can be helpful if you find yourself in a shell-breaking life situation? Look up! Find whatever help you need through prayer, the support of your community, a good therapist, or all of the above. Ask yourself what you might learn from your situation, and how it might help you to deepen your faith. You may find that even life-shattering experiences provide a way for you to grow deeper roots and stronger plant that will blossom and bear much fruit. AV