Nature's Lead

Michelle and I tried to build this fire, but in
the end, Giordano had to help us out. We will
master the skill before we head back to the U.S.

I haven't blogged about the farming techniques used at this farm, and that's because Michelle and I haven't had any experience using them. The ground is still too wet for winter planting, but we're hoping to get to do some gardening before we leave. Giordano educated us about the positive effects some mushrooms can have on soil, even if the mushrooms are planted a considerable distance away from other crops. He said that, as long as the soil remains "unbroken" or not plowed, the mushrooms create their own ecosystem.

They keep an electric fence around their garden to keep out big animals. When I asked Giordano what kind of plants they use to keep the insects away, he said that it's all about balancing nature. He said that you can use aromatic herbs like thyme and rosemary but that it's also a good idea not to plant crops in rows. Tamara explained that it's easier for a swarm of bugs to destroy a certain type of plant if you group them together in a row. Tamara and Giordano intersperse their plants here. They are also learning how to locate and use edible plants. Apparently they took a class, and the instructor came by their property and said she could see 18 different edible plants and weeds from the car window.

The chess board that Giordano's father sculpted sits outside the
house. Harry Potter, anyone?

We eat mainly vegetables here and lots of whole grains, which is a definite switch up from the other farms. We're actually losing our Italian stomachs! It is truly incredible how fresh ingredients make every dish taste delicious, even though there's not a whole lot of seasoning used. I'm telling you what, that fresh olive oil is key. KEY. I don't know how we're going to readjust to not having it back in the U.S.

A couple days ago, Michelle and I had a long chat with Tamara about birth. She said that labor and delivery are "not painful!" and after searching for the right word, she called the experience "strong." She believes that this is one of the greatest powers of woman. She had a Lotus birth for both of her children, and she said that she and her husband were the only ones in the house while the midwives waited outside the door. With the Lotus birth, no one cuts the umbilical cord. The thought process is that the cord has tons of nutrients still pumping to the baby after birth and that the cord dries a few days later on its own anyways. Since the baby is so intimately united to the cord in the womb, it is said that cutting the cord while it's still working is a shock to the baby and that the baby should choose when to separate itself from the cord.

Giada gives Michelle a makeover.

Michelle and I have had a difficult time watching the children, specifically because the parents believe that the body is the highest form of wisdom, so they place a lot weight on the wants and feelings of their children. Basically, Michelle and I don't think we are "allowed" to tell these kids "no." Their parents don't like to tell them that something is right or wrong because they believe that right and wrong are based on culture, not Truth. (Giordano, interestingly enough, believes in Truth.) There is no sin, just experience, according to our host. When one of the girls throws a tantrum, we feel required to give into her demands because we can't appeal to anything higher than what we want versus what she wants. It's such a strange predicament. Granted, the language barrier is also a problem when it comes to babysitting.

The take-home message from this farm will be--perhaps--to have a healthy reverence for nature. There is a season for all things, after all. Natural functions, of both the body and the earth, work the way they do for a reason. The earth provides for our bodies' needs (if you happen to live in a part of the world where the soil's nutrients haven't been sucked dry). Plants that can be harvested in winter are meant to be eaten in winter. Nature has its own built-in balance that we would be wise to recognize and utilize. Fresh is best. Etc, etc, etc. I should write a jingle about it.

In other news, Michelle and I watched On the Second Day of Christmas on youtube for some general cheer. I can't recommend it for its value as an art form, but we did laugh a lot, and that was what we needed at the time. Oh, and "namaste" is written on the front door here, and because I read this post about Whole Foods two months ago, I laugh every time I walk up the front stairs. Please be advised that the linked article is really for adults only.