Happy Energy

Hi everyone (or no one-- I have absolutely no idea who reads my blog at this point)! You may have noticed that it's been quite some time since my last update, but that is mainly because here at Foxhollow I am almost always either working, eating, or sleeping.

Obviously, we're still working hard. It's rained almost every day and we've survived two tornado warnings, but there are always things to do in the greenhouse or fields. We plant, harvest, weed, water, build (woohoo power tools!) and lots of other weird jobs. Sometimes I feel a little unappreciated, to be perfectly honest, and work gets tedious, but I am still having a fantastic time and learning new farmer skills every day.

In addition to being totally organic, Foxhollow uses a farming technique called biodynamics for their produce, developed by a man named Rudolf Steiner. From what I understand, it basically revolves around the cosmos, and different types of plants grow better if they are planted on certain days in the year. For example, yesterday and today were flower days according to the official Biodynamic Calendar (which is based on the phases of the moon...I think), and tomorrow is a leaf day. Foxhollow also soaks their seeds and spray their gardens with "biodynamic preps" made of natural herbs and minerals to help plants grow better. They are really big on the idea that attitude and atmosphere affect the way a plant grows (meditation and mental well being are a pretty prominent aspect of the Foxhollow experience for a lot of people), and that biodynamic practices bring what they call "life force energy" into food. Some people say they can taste the energy and even see the energy in the seeds-- like an aura.

I don't know how much of Steiner's stuff I really believe. Andrew and I definitely haven't ruled out the idea that plants are influenced by the moon, but neither of us are really sure about the rest. Obviously, there's a lot to know and we're both just beginning to learn about it. Regardless of what I believe, though, it has been really incredible for me to get a little more in touch with my spiritual side here on the farm. It was probably the last thing I expected to happen, but I love our meditation classes so much and for the first time in my life, I think, I feel like I am really opening my mind to the connections between living things of all kinds and my mental and physical well being, as well as my ability to control my own state of mind. I don't really know how to explain it yet (and, like all of this biodynamics stuff, I'm not quite sure what I do and don't believe), but I feel something really good and healthy coming from all of this. I am really trying to focus on positive and peaceful energy inside and and out. (I am pretty excited to be able to transfer whatever skills and ideas I hopefully gain from all of this into my hectic future college life :).)

So we'll see. Whatever these crazy mental meditation games are, they feel healthy to me. I'm not sure that saying "good luck, little baby" to a seed and kissing it before placing in into the ground is going to make it grow any better (yesssss, many of us are guilty of this), but I do think all of our combined happy energy might have an impact. And maybe "life force energy" is a part of the circle of life just as much as plants' and animals' physical beings are. Even if it's not true, I like the idea.