500lbs of fresh produce each week from the yard of a Brooklyn High School

A letter from Chief Arvol Looking Horse and the 13 Grandmothers

A Great Urgency

To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders

My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I
ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit
of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we
are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color,
which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As
I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened,
those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations,
eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The
catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the
bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we
cannot afford to continue to make.

I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with
the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will
continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of
in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers
for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as
Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to
allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth.
As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to
assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc¹I Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the
winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in
repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we
make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that
what we create can have lasting effects on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along
with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World
Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural
site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us
make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our
children¹s future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),

Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Wolakota.org

CONSCIOUS PARTICIPATION IN HEALING OUR PLANETARY WATERS

OUR MOTHER EARTH NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Along with many peoples all around the globe, and many water prayers this spring, we are calling for a
MASSIVE GLOBAL EFFORT

Our main intention for this healing is to return the waters to their original pure crystalline blueprint, and to add to their abundance for the nourishment of ALL living things on the planet.

Pray in your local waterways, at the rivers or lakes or streams.

Or pray with a bowl of water in the middle of the cities.

We, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers Ask you to join us:
MAY 18, 2010
CONSCIOUS PARTICIPATION IN HEALING OUR PLANETARY WATERS
OUR MOTHER EARTH NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Along with many peoples all around the globe, and many water prayers this spring, we are calling for a
MASSIVE GLOBAL EFFORT
Our main intention for this healing is to return the waters to their original pure crystalline blueprint,

and to add to their abundance for the nourishment of ALL living things on the planet.

“We are Water Babies. Do not to forget

to say thank you every day for the water you drink,

the water you bathe in.

Without our Mother water we would not survive.”
—
Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Takelma Siletz, Oregon

For more information:
http://www.grandmotherscouncil.com/

www.goldeneagleceremonies.com

Gardens That Grow on Walls

Vertical gardens — which began as an experiment in 1988 by Patrick Blanc, a French botanist intent on creating a garden without dirt — are becoming increasingly popular at home. Avid and aspiring gardeners, frustrated with little outdoor space, are taking another look at their walls and noticing something new: more space. And a number of companies are selling ready-made systems and all-in-one kits for gardeners like Mr. Riley who want to do it themselves. (For those who prefer to leave it to the professionals, landscape designers can build vertical gardens for a hefty fee.)

In the last few years, companies that sell green wall supplies have seen a jump in sales. ELT, an Ontario company that specializes in green roofs, began selling living wall systems a little over three years ago and is now one of the biggest suppliers to the United States. Greg Garner, the company’s president, said that its green-wall sales have increased 300 percent since 2008. Four months ago, the company introduced a cheaper, lighter kit to make living walls accessible to the average gardener; prices start at about $40 for a one-square-foot panel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/garden/06vertical.html?ref=garden

The Rise of Company Gardens

fresh carrots from a compnay garden

The trend has caught on at more-traditional companies, too. At the headquarters for the Kohl’s department stores near Milwaukee, the organic gardens provide vegetables for a local food bank and a place for children at the company child care center to play. Abundant crops of pumpkins and tomatoes grow at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Ky.

A National Gardening Association survey done in conjunction with Harris shows that 41 million Americans grew fruits and vegetables in 2009. That’s about 13 percent more than the year before.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/dining/12gardens.html?8dpc

Ananda Harvest Presents Dave Jacke

Join Dave Jacke as he graces New York and Ananda Ashram with a spiritual perspective of the building and evolving Permaculture movement. Please RSVP by Monday April 12th.  Additional information on the shuttle to and from Harriman will be provided.

Our Supporters Rock!!!

A Special Thank from the Ananda Harvest Team to all of you who Helped Us Reach Our Goal on Kickstarter!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You!!!

Snow Load

Ananda Harvest Ping Pong Fundraiser!!

Winter’s a good time for indoor games as we rest up and get ready for spring planting.  And with Valentine’s day around the corner, we figured, why not play ping pong and show some love for your farmer instead of buy lots of stuffed teddies?

So we’re hosting a Ping Pong Fundraiser this Friday at New York’s only private ping pong club and we’d love you to stop by!

It’s a final push for our kickstarter cabin fundraiser – there are only 6 days to go so if you haven’t donated, do it now! If you’ve already donated, we thank you from the bottom of our harvest baskets. All tickets from the Love Thy Farmer event will go toward the Ananda Harvest Cabin Project. Either way, you should come out, have some fun and learn to love your farmer!

The event will include everything from a doubles ping-pong tournament to DJs, and more!

Won’t you be our Valentine?

TICKETS: Advance Ticket Donation on kickstarter of $20 or more!) Door price ( $25.00) http://lovethyfarmer.eventbrite.com/

WHEN: February 12th, 2009 8pm- 11:30pm

WHERE: SPiN New York 48 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010

MORE INFO: http://lovethyfarmer.eventbrite.com/

Jean Pain’s Compost-Based Energy System

Jean Pain (1930 – 1981) was a French innovator who developed a compost based bioenergy system that produced 100% of his energy needs. He heated water to 60 degrees celsius at a rate of 4 litres a minute which he used for washing and heating. He also distilled enough methane to run an electricity generator, cooking elements, and power his truck. This method of creating usable energy from composting materials has come to be known as Jean Pain Composting, or the Jean Pain Method.

Some videos of the method:

“Vanishing of the Bees” Fundraiser

Maryam Henein (friend) and Geo Langsworthy have made this incredible documentary. I am also looking to see Gunther Hauk in the film. Gunther is a famous biodynamic farmer and beekeeper who was one of my mentors.

Feb 4 in the Village. See below:

http://www.thehoneybeeconservancy.org/Events.html

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=248125679489&index=1

Bring  your friends!

Real Communities are Self-Organizing

A friend just passed me this excellent article from Dmitry Orlov on the fallacy of “community creation”, two words which certainly get slung around carelessly in my corner of the world. I’m particularly impressed by his observations of the diminished role of women in community building. I’m too young to really know this firsthand, but apparently they were THE community builders — and that makes sense. Ever since reading H. L. Mencken’s In Defense of Women I’ve been thinking about this exact thing in similar terms. Completely non-PC, all of it, but that’s probably telltale in and of itself. Ladies, what’s your take?

Astyk makes the excellent point regarding the destruction of community through overwork and the herding of women out of the home and into the workplace. Women can’t just be (unless they are rich) — they have to have an occupation, and the default occupation — “homemaker” — carries a bit of a stigma. Women have always been the backbone of any community, and the regimentation of women’s lives was a brilliant move in the direction of totalitarian consumerism, because it allowed relationships even within the family, such as child-rearing, to be commercialized. Once all social interaction is centered around consumption patterns, community as a notion becomes little more than an advertising gimmick, and self-organizing properties of society become restricted to pursuing the latest commercial fashion.

If you fancy, do read the full article at ClubOrlov here.

don’t be a bum!

A close friend and fellow farmer of Ananda Harvest Emma Hacohen decide to launch

Don’t Be a Bum

A socially conscious venture where 50% of the proceeds of her pillows go to a different non-profit each month.

See her interview below with two fellow farmers  Farming Your Mind, Thanks Emma!  Keep up the great work….

by Emma

I recently read that delving into 8 minutes of deep meditation daily can increase ones brain size. Although 8 minutes may seem like an easy feat, meditation is one of the hardest exercises to conquer… for me at least.

For those of us still struggling to ignore our overly stimulated minds and reach a sense of heightened relaxation, The Ananda Ashram, located in Monroe, NY, offers a perfect balance of yoga, meditation and now FARMING!

If your mind resembles an erratic maze, with your thoughts running amuck, chances are, silencing those thoughts will prove to be like a maze with no end.

Some yogis use chanting as a way to focus ones energy on repetitive mantras in order to calm the mind.  These yogis use farming.

I was introduced to The Ananda Harvest by one of the founders of the farm, David Gottlieb. Gottlieb with fellow founding farmer Jerri Chou, among others, saw an opportunity to start a farm, escape from the city, and help decrease the amount of money the Ashram was spending on food.

I got a chance to chat with the two Brooklynites and here’s what they said:

Why did you decide to start the Ananda Harvest Project?
We didn’t even know we WERE starting it at first. It all started when a group of us started visiting Ananda. It was this amazingly peaceful place on such beautiful land. We started wondering why it wasn’t being used to produce anything and got to thinking how great it would be to start a farm and grow veggies on the land! We started building the idea and then began the actual garden with friends. It’s been a beautiful exercise, not only in body, but community, and personal growth.

Who is involved?
There’s a group of us (mostly creative, eco/socially conscious people from the city). We’re programmers, communicators, designers, etc. But it would never have been possible if not for the original farmer of the land, Dave Washburn, and his son, Matt, who have been holding down the fort up there!

What can we expect to see in 2010?
There’s a lot coming. There’s been so much excitement! We’re planning on building an additional cabin for people to stay in and holding a workshop on how to build that cabin! We’ll be planting in the spring and expanding our growing to more areas of the Ashram. We’re also looking to host all sorts of courses including permaculture, beekeeping, etc. It’s going to be a jam packed season of growing!

Is there any synergy between the farm and the yogis that visit the Ashram? If not, do you plan on creating any?
Definitely. The whole concept is based on meditating with your hands. So many of us need a place of peace and where we can create something tangible. That’s what this farm is for us, a meditation. Not to mention that all yogis are welcome to pick up a pick and help dig and we’ll be encouraging those who visit to partake in the amazing and extensive series of courses at Ananda.

How can we help?
We’re always looking for help, supporters, or just visitors. For more information you can check out anandaharvest.org and sign up for our newsletter. Or feel free to send us an email at hello@anandaharvest.org.

Answer’s Contributed by David Gottlieb and Jerri Chou
Founding Farmers at Ananda Harvest
www.anandaharvest.org <http://www.anandaharvest.org>

Teaching Green Beyond Recycling

While plenty of city schools, from elementary to secondary, teach students about environmental issues like endangered species or global warming, places like the Green School put an overwhelming emphasis on civic involvement.

The students are encouraged to delve into local issues that may affect them and their families, like contamination in waterways like the Gowanus Canal, water quality or the razing of low-scale housing.

“You can’t have a kid in a violent neighborhood and say, ‘Let’s talk about the polar bear,’ ” said Karali Pitzele, one of the school’s two co-directors.

Across the nation, the range of green schools form a fledgling network, with some of them benefiting from state grants and mandates to incorporate environmental education into the curriculum.

Click here to read the article at The New York Times

Ananda Harvest Summit Video

Click on the link below. It is a video of our first weekend at the ashram. We escaped the concrete jungle and enjoyed the pleasures of nature, water and the silence at the ashram, but most importantly we shared and learned more about permaculture.

Ananda Harvest Summit from Seema Shah on Vimeo.

Please note that I did not capture the educational sessions that were taking place during the weekend. I can share with you the relaxing and beautiful moments from the weekend with my first time video editing skillz off of iMovie.

Quick Hoops at the White House?

Reposted from Johnny’s Seeds (not sure how I missed this?):

USDA TO LAUNCH HIGH TUNNEL PILOT STUDY TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY GROWN FOODS

3-Year Project To Verify Effectiveness Of High Tunnels In Natural Resource Conservation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2009 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced a new pilot project under the ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels – also known as hoop houses – to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. Merrigan and other Obama administration officials highlighted opportunities available for producers in a video posted on USDA’s YouTube channel, which shows high tunnels recently installed in the White House garden.

Perhaps this might add validity for some of you to the notion of setting up quick hoops. Me, I’m starting to reconsidor. I wonder if Michelle Obama had to fight as hard to bury the EMT hoops in the ground. This shit is driving me bananas. I’m starting to think cold frames was a better idea. Anyone know where we can get old sliding glass doors from? That would be an ideal size pane to use for a coldframe. How bout 3/4″ to 1″ diameter footing pins 3 ‘ or more? The wider diameter footing pins might make it easier to bury the 3/4″ EMT. Currently I’m using 1/2″ to 3/4″ pins, pounded in to the ground, and then yanked out to create the hole.