Back to MN...again!

(back view of the garden)

So after 3 weeks in NYC, Im heading back to MN.
Really excited to be working on everything directly again.
Nothing feels better than doing what you love to do.

Lots of questions in my email inbox, and
I promise that I'll get to them very soon.

A big thanks to everyone contributing their thoughts
and comments to the posts...really appreciate it.

I just did an interview with Raw Vegan Radio this weekend too,
so be on the lookout for that. Hopefully I didn't go off on too many
tangents! Hard not to sometimes!

Be well everyone! Keep up the greens! SO crucial!

A Little Reminder...

I watched this video on youtube the other day,
and I think it would really speak to many of us.
Its very uplifting, although realistic...

Just read a comment on the previous post about
creating raw communes, and I thought to myself
about young raw people living in large apartments or
houses together and having all the good equipment (kitchen and garden)
to share with each other. How nice that would be.

No crazy factory food would be sitting in the fridge,
and fruit trees and personal sq. foot gardens would
be in the back yard (and hopefully the front).

Just think of the overall efficiency of food
production compared to the current model.
Think about all the energy that is cut out when food
is produced in your own back yard compared to
being grown 3000 miles away or even more.

I can realistically envision that
lots of bikes will be in use much more in the future.
Auto numbers will keep trickling down, and then finally
slump down to a fraction of what it was because of the price of gas.
Its funny how this is all good for the natural world.

If everyone can get planting NOW and especially in relation to fruit trees,
we will be able to live much healthier and active lives despite
any kind of power-down or downshift in the economy.

And why not combine some of the smart technology of now
with the original tribal-communal social model of life?
How much power will laptop computers, ipods, and
mobile phones really need?

Oh wait, we have to power dehydrators and vita-mixers too?

Well, its much less than dishwashers, microwaves, and stoves.
That vita-mix is a powerhouse though...
good thing we dont need it on for a very long time.

We have the resources to live VERY lightly yet comfortably
upon the Earth if we can just do away with a few major things
(meat-dairy based diet, fossil fuel transportation, and heating
large homes with fossil fuels)...we can do this.

Bullet Trains, Bikes, and Buses will take the lead.
The price is simply forcing this to happen.


There should be some good summer sales on fruit
trees by now, and you can start placing online
orders if you cant find what you want locally.
Ask your local tree vendor to see if they can order something
special for you if they don't have it in stock.
They have the connection to get trees.
I'm on the hunt for some vigorous persimmon trees.

By giving up a car for one or two months,
one could save enough money to purchase all
the trees they and their family would ever need.

Young raw people who would love to live
with other raw-friendly people might want to start getting
together and constructing living spaces that will
sustain them indefinitely. Joining forces
can make this MUCH more possible.

I don't think this is too optimistic,
especially considering the potential of young
raw people getting together and constructing
communal and sustainable lives together. Why not?
If anyone could, would it not be them?

If we can't find a raw commune that already exists,
could we not create one with a few friends?

Teamwork and Creativity moves mountains...

Raw in the Mega-Cities

"Have I created Suki-land to survive London,
or work, or is this me being me?
-Suki Zoe

An interesting thought from a very interesting woman.

What do you do? You want to be super cleansed,
you want to be in touch with nature in all its beauty,
but the life you have previously set up for yourself, and
your means of earning a living in this world keeps
you tied to the disastrous human experiment
known as industrial civilization?

I find myself becoming more and more cut off.
It goes beyond the food...although now its hard to comprehend
that people still drink soda and eat crazy factory food.
Im so far removed from it...I forget that it even exists still.

But lately the disconnect has gone a bit further.
Not only do I wear my sunglasses and have
headphones on as I walk, but I've actually
resorted to often wearing a respirator to filter out the
toxins found in the air as I walk around. It DOES work, but I have
to say that I am the only one I've ever seen in NY
wearing a mask over my mouth and nose.

"Is he a doctor mommy?"
(I had to laugh when I heard that one)

"That guy is in the WRONG city"
(you have NO idea man...NO idea)

Cutting myself off from the toxicity.
I feel that I make this statement as I walk down the
street wearing the mask over my mouth.
"This air is toxic, and we are all too good to be breathing it...
something VERY wrong is going on here."

I see it (city-living) as a means to an end though.
For most of us, telecommuting (working at home
through the phone or computer) isn't as possible just yet
as we would prefer it to be, so we must live where we work,
which is often a city. If we can earn our money, while
at the same time cutting off most unnecessary spending
so we can use it to move to a more rural setting and set
up a sustainable life there, perhaps all is not lost.

"You REALLY walk around with that thing on your face...
in the DAYTIME?"

My agent asked me this the other day.

"I think you've finally gone off the deep end Anthony."
They always thought I was the crazy one.

Or is it more insane to be in denial about the garbage we are
inhaling every single second of our lives?

We as raw-foodists are more weary about the food we eat,
why not the air we breathe? Is that not the next step?

We need to get back to a rural-tribal setting.
That is how we evolved, and that is where human
relationships are strongest and closest to nature.



(Big thanks to my main man Mueller for this one)

The modern city-state and all its trappings
is the real Disaster. With a capital D.

Think about the facemask. At least no
one will know its you...and it is quite the statement.

Is this going to far? Maybe not far enough?

I read that basil is very cleansing for the lungs.
Just this morning I made a coconut-basil smoothie.

Its basically a green smoothie with just basil, and
the water of a coconut. Add in coconut oil if you want it more
creamy...or even cashews..but with this heat, let's keep it light.

Refreshing and still sweet, and face it...
our lungs need all the help they can get.

Healthy Hair and Guerilla Gardening

Finlay MacKay for the New York Times

I booked a "hair job" the other day, which was
for a German hair company. This meant that I had
to have my hair temporarily colored to match the product.

What was funny was that when they were coloring it,
the colorist said that my hair was the healthiest he has ever seen.
He said this because my hair wasn't sucking in the color like everyone
else's. When hair is unhealthy, its porous and will draw in the color easily.

So what would be the secret to healthy hair?
I hate to sound repetitive, but really, its the RAW VEGAN DIET.
Lots of greens, especially those containing silica like romaine lettuce.
Silica is really important for hair, skin, and nails.
I get more of it in superfoods with horsetail powder (shavegrass),
okra, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
ALSO...sulfur. Greens that are spicy. Arugula, watercress,
mustard greens are superstars for this. Garlic and peppers
will also deliver sulfur to the system.

And for the shine and thickness?
Raw plant fats like coconut and avocado.
I would suggest adding more of these and
taking away some fruits. Try this and you might be surprised.

Some might say I'm full of it and just have good genes.
One might be able to keep their hairline and color for awhile,
but as far as full-on healthy hair, that was my own doing.

If there were a Hair Olympics, raw foodies would be on the podium.

As I was in the salon waiting for the color to set, I was reading the
New York Times Architectural Issue and came across this GEM.

This is exactly what I needed to read.
The authorities don't know how to handle it.
Is planting flowers vandalism? Haha...

Richard Reynolds is one of the vanguards,
and he is simply planting beautiful flowers AND ideas.
Click Here for more info and his book.

Let us all be creators of beauty in the world.

Boston and Grezzo

Lots of construction going on in Boston,
out with the old, in with the new?

The trip to Boston was short, but sweet.
Again, I can't say enough about Boltbus.
As we were riding back last night, I was comparing
the bus experience to flying on a plane.
Check this out....

1. You get to bring your own water. YEEESSS!
2. You are free to use the bathroom whenever you please.
3. There is wifi the entire time, and you can use your computer
and all electronic equipment the entire time as well.
4. There is no demeaning and redundant security checks.
5. You can use your cell phone whenever you please.
6. You can arrive at the bus station 10 minutes before the bus departs.
7. The bus leaves from the city center, and drops you off in the city center,
which means you don't have to transfer AGAIN to a shuttle or taxi
from the airport, which adds more time and money to your trip.
8. The time difference can actually be better on the bus, if the trip is around
four hours or less away. Anything further and it diminishes, but if you have wifi
and your cell phone the whole time, it would make it more bearable for
many passengers. Or there is always the good ol' books to read.

I think these buses are the future. Trains are still WAAAY too expensive.
The bus had about 60-70 passengers, which is the size of medium plane.
I am such a fan, and for a $35 round trip, Im REALLY a fan.

Ok...on to the goods...

Boston is really nice. So much cleaner and way tamer than NYC.
I felt like I was walking through a J Crew catalog though...
never seen so many polo shirts!



We were lucky to find a farmer's market in the City Hall plaza
and had a great breakfast of blueberries and cucumbers.

What a great breakfast...and those blueberries were INSANE.

I've been to Boston before, and honestly Im just not really
into all the tourist stuff anymore.
This dead white guy did this...this dead white guy did that.
Generalizing? Maybe...

Onto Grezzo...the real reason we went there.

We did the tasting menu, since we arent likely going to
be back up there for quite a while.
Glad we did it. Here is how it went.

Cream of Fennel with
Honey Tangerine and Hearts of Palm
EXCELLENT. Creamy yet light. Great texture.

Summer Melon Stew
with Mango, Lavender, and Thai Coconut Noodles.
Super refreshing and original. Loved it too.

The Grezzo Slider with real potato chips.
We LOVED this and are now trying to duplicate.
I liked the chips, Dawn did not.

Gnocchi Carbonara! These were great...
Hand rolled dumplings in a rawmesan cheese sauce.
Instead of bacon bits, they used marinated eggplant
which was then dehydrated...totally new for us.

These were the raviolis which were like candy.
The filling was fig, vanilla, and walnut.
Covered in a cashew cream sauce with some
hydroponic watercress on top.
SO good...nice to see a sweet twist on raviolis.

The seaweed salad...pretty good.
I liked the Wasabi Vinaigrette.

The breadsticks. OMG!!!
We ordered 3 servings to take home!
Check goneraw.com for the 411 on these...
totally wonderful, and I kid you not, they
tasted just like cheez-its! Is that even a good thing anymore??
I totally loved them.

This was a weekly special...the lobster pasta.
Lobster mushrooms in a saffron cream sauce...WHA???
Crazy good.
No...this is not SALMON! This was the marinated papaya steak!
You've got to be kidding me!! Marinated in nama shoyu
and agave, then dehydrated for a while to get the right texture.
There was a great star anise flavor too.
SUPER original. PAY ATTENTION RAW RESTAURATEURS!

Jamaican Key Lime Pie. Pretty good on its own.
I liked it more than Dawn. The allspice on the bottom
was nice, but the two flavors canceled each other.
And when you are eating the next item, its hard to compete.

Crowing achievement, the Rich Brownie Sundae.
I rank it #3 after the Pure Classic Sundae and
Au Lac's Chocolate X-tasy Pie.
Dawn might have a new favorite.
The brownie was warm too...unreal.
Pecans, dates, and cacao. So simple, so divine.
Don't you love the presentation too?

All in all, we were totally happy with it.
Grezzo seats about 25 people, and they get a good
deal of walk-ins from tourist traffic, so call ahead.

Ask for Fabiola if you can, she is AMAZING,
and knows a menu like no other server I've met.

Its efficient, and the menu is so progressive.
Leah Dubois is the chef and she likely deserves
most of the credit for this astounding menu.

HUGE props to her and Alissa for making this the
jewel that it is...hope they do really well.

That sums it up...hope everyone enjoyed the pics!

There is Still Hope

If you can, watch this video above, and here are the following ones.
Life in America will be VERY different, but I would be
one that would say that something different is both sorely
needed for the planet and for the human social system.

We suffer from disconnection from nature, our neighbors,
and OURSELVES.
Instead of figuring out how we can get "green" energy to keep
this circus moving along smoothly, why not figure out how
we can live comfortably with less? What news pundit ever gives
THAT suggestion? Needless to say, that is what we are going to have
to do. We need to start plotting how we can live complete, satisfying,
and comfortable lives with 5% of the energy we are used to consuming.

How? Permaculture and breaking free from materialism.

















Hope this helps...this is the answer.

Heading up to Boston

Everyone should check out these two companies:

BoltBus and Megabus...both really great.
We are taking BoltBus right now and it even has wifi, SO nice.
A round trip to Boston was $35 and so far its been really easy.
A good way to get around without a car.

Excited to try Grezzo tonight too, the pics look
really good and its always great to try a new place.
Hopefully we can take some good shots of the food for everyone.

A big thanks to everyone sending good energy!

Stay cool and drink lots of water.
I've been drinking about 32oz of watermelon rind juice everyday
this week and it feels GREAT. Whole Foods is selling
organic (seedless...aargh...) watermelons for $7, and
the one I got yesterday was 20lbs...do the math. 35 cents
a pound for organic watermelon? I'm a huge fan of the seeded ones,
but its been really hard to find them lately. Gotta make due...

Anthony

A Good Question from Emily...

If you're flying on Southwest or Delta anytime soon,
check the back of their in-flight magazines...
Maybe it won't be defaced like this one...
big thanks to Alexandra of Blackbird Organics and
her boyfriend Rob for his artistic touch.

This one is from Ingrid in California, in case the
one above was too altered to recognize ;0)

(note...this post is a long one...just so you know)

Here's a question that was sent to me the other day...

Hey Anthony,

This is Emily, the one from Orlando who e-mailed you a few months back to ask...
well, a lot of things I guess. How have you been? I see that things
are really starting to happen up in Minnesota. I'm so excited for you!
It makes me so happy to hear about the progress you've made.
Anyway, the reason that I'm writing to you again is actually to
ask a few questions about your modeling career. I know that you
began your career before raw foods came into your life.
If you had to do it all over again, knowing the things you know now,
do you think you would still model? I remember you posting on your
blog at some point that if you had a more typical job, you wouldn't
have nearly the time and financial means to pursue the goals that really
matter to you, which I think is a darn good point. And, of course, beyond
that, what typical job would be entirely, I don't know, "guilt-free", I suppose?
Do you think that that would still be enough of a justification for you,
if you were to travel back in time 6 or 7 years with your current mindset?
Please don't think I'm asking these questions in a harsh, judgmental way.
After all, I'm currently working at Panera Bread, primarily to make a little
extra money for food, which is definitely not something I'm particularly proud of.
If you're guilty of any kind of raw sin, then I'm right there with you.
Just curious what your thoughts are on this...

-Emily

Great question...never really thought about the "going back in time" option.
To be totally honest, I wouldn't change a thing. Everything has worked out
EXACTLY the way it was supposed to. If I didnt get into modeling, this blog
would never exist, and even if I was raw and did a blog, no one would even
care. I read a lot of blogs out there, and unless there is an angle
(spectacular weight loss, destroying cancer, amazing recipes)
usually people just don't care to read it, and therefore aren't inspired by it.

Besides that whole issue...I have to look back at what modeling has given me.
I learned so much about the world, and truly became a world citizen
because of it. I immeadiately had roommates from all over
the world...learned new languages, and saw America through different
eyes than I ever had while living in Minnesota or Phoenix.

And remember, for the first two years of modeling, I averaged
about $6000 a year in income, and I already had a college degree.
I could have easily entered the corporate world and made serious
money, and therefore could have financed my travels and permaculture
project much quicker. But to me...its was all about...
FREEDOM.
I didnt want to be a corporate soldier. I wanted to live
in Europe and read books and meet people. I didn't care
about the money...I was choosing the life experience instead.
It was only after I moved to NY and went raw that I started to make
some money...and not even that much. Maybe my third year I made $25k.
Not very glamourous, right?
Because of this tight income, I actually dove head first (literally)
into freeganism. I did this for a very long time, even as my Target billboard
in Times Square was lit up.


There I was in Times Square (a fictional idea of me)
and there I REALLY was in the East Village pulling organic greens out of a trash bag.
Bet you didnt know that about me...eh?

(back in 2005...good times...)

Modeling gave me the free time to discover who I really was,
and what the hell I really wanted out of life. Before that, I was on the
the school-work treadmill that never gave me even a second to
wonder about who I was and where I wanted to be and what I really wanted
out of life this time around. That's the big picture...keep everyone
so busy and so distracted that they don't have even a chance to finally
hear that inner voice that so desperately needs to be heard.

This is what modeling gave me. Peace. Sure...I could have partied
every night and wasted my time, but I chose instead to read, exercise,
and improve myself. Otherwise I would have been stuck in the office all day,
and then upon coming home would have turned on the tv and vegged out
because I'd be totally mentally exhausted.

People can point their fingers at me and accuse me of being a part
of the problem because I am literally the face of some advertisements.
All I can say is that I am turning what some would label as "bad" into good
by taking my earnings and putting it towards the spreading of sustainable
ideas and ways to live a life of personal and physical freedom.
Other guys I know would spend it on going to clubs, cars, and clothes.

Guilt is the most wasteful human emotion EVER.
Who cares if someone works at Panera Bread?
I'm so sick of people judging others.
If you cannot participate in "right livelihood" right now,
just do what you can until you get there.

Although...if you are involved these (this list is from wikipedia)

Business in Weapons:
Trading in all weapons and instruments used for killing
Business in Humans:
Slave Trading and the selling of human beings
Business in Meat:
"Meat" refers to the bodies of beings after they are killed,
and raising animals for slaughter
Business in Intoxicants:
Manufacturing or Selling intoxicating drinks or drugs
Business in Poison:
All products that are toxic and designed to kill life.

you have some serious soul-searching to do.

We all have the right to do what we love, and even earn money
because of it. I don't love modeling per se (although I love the freedom it gives me),
but I love writing and gardening so I feel pretty good.

I would LOVE to give it all up and become a full-time traveler
while I'm not gardening in MN, but earning more money can give more
options in life. I don't love having to stay in NY most of the time,
but that's just the way it goes...all in good time we will leave the city.

I speak out against materialism because I know
how empty a hole it is, and how bad it is for the environment.
Anyone that wants to call me a hypocrite...
well, they can go and live their judgment-filled lives.

As long as they get the message from somewhere,
that is really all that matters.
I'm just a signpost...and because I'm a model, people pay more attention.

I feel that this is why I was meant to become what I am.
The path is perfect for us all, whether we get there in this life
or in 100 more...the path is perfect.

Thanks for the question.

Anthony

Restaraurant Review on Ecopolitan in Mpls

The Cashew Cheese Roll at Ecopolitan...WOW.

Since I've been going through Minneapolis lately on my way up
to the permaculture project,
I've been fortunate enough to stop by Ecopolitan a few times.

This is Minneapolis' only raw vegan restaurant, which is surprising,
because that city has such a large vegan-vegetarian community.
Whats great is that when you go into this place, you see
a lot of people that you wouldn't expect to see there.
Maybe I've been in NYC too long, but you start to
imagine only young people go out to eat at raw spots.
Maybe Im just going in the middle of day too often.

When you get right down to it, its just amazing vegan food.
Raw or not...doesn't matter, and I think thats why it brings in so
many different types of people. They have a nice store inside,
and also connected inside the same building
(which used to be a house on Lyndale avenue)
is a colon hydrotherapist. They are also really good
about bring the locally conscious community in
with get-togethers and informational lectures.

So lets get down to the food, shall we?

I've had the burger...again like every other place besides Quintessence,
its ok, but not at all mind-blowing.

Skip the falafel wrap. Not worth your time or money.
The pizzas are so-so...
My friend Aaron really digs the tostada, but I've yet to partake.

Here are the goods so far.

The cashew cheese roll pictured above is a MUST. If you dont mind cashews, that is.
We get this everytime we go. They roll the cashew cheese ball in olives, basil, and sundried tomatoes, plus some amazing seasonings. Those flax chips are superb too.


Above is the hummus platter. The hummus was so buttery the first time, which was such a strange feeling because I haven't tasted butter for years. This was really great. The second time we ordered it however, it wasn't the same. I would suggest trying it, and if you don't love it, send it back. They are very friendly there and will do whatever it takes to make you happy.

Last, but certainly not least...


The Raviolis. ASTOUNDING.
This and the cashew cheese roll would be my two picks every time now.
The sauce on top was so great...we were really happy we found this one.

There is hope for the great white north.
Would someone please keep this trend going in Minneapolis?
Even just a nice vegetarian restaurant with a few superstar
dishes like these would totally suffice.

I'm just dumbfounded when we go to vegan restaurants
and they don't have one raw option beside maybe a salad.
Are they just not paying attention? Why not have some options?

If you are ever in Minneapolis, check this place out.
Its so great how raw foodies make raw restaurants
VITAL stopping points when they are traveling?
Its so true. If I am in a new city and there is a raw restaurant,
I will do whatever it takes to get there. Love the passion!

Big ups to Ecopolitan for bringing a fresher
consciousness to the Twin Cities...go support them!

Anthony

Conspiracy? Hmmm...Maybe Not?

A main line of thought that I've had for the past few years

was that those "at the top" have been pushing foods and drugs
on us that make us slow, stupid, and easily controlled.

Why is beer consumption so encouraged?
Why is McDonald's and other fast foods so accessible?

These questions led me to the ASSumption that "they" are:

Trying to poison us so we buy more pharmaceuticals.
and
Trying to make our minds weak by feeding us brain-fogging foods.

This made perfect sense to me, until a few things occurred to me.

(photo courtesy of Time)

Tony Snow, who was at first an unofficial spokesman for the Bush
Administration while working for Faux News (wake up everyone!!),
and because he spread the propaganda so well was
later promoted to actually be the official white house spokesman,
came down with Colon Cancer a while back,
and then passed away recently because of the sickness.

Now the question is...if he really was on "the inside"..would he
have still poisoned himself for 50 years by eating garbage?
He cultivated his cancer...if there was some plot to poison the masses
through junk food, don't you think he would have known about it and
decided to eat alkaline foods that don't feed cancer?

Here's another.

Dick Cheney...who is probably the epitome of evil in my opinion,
has poisoned himself so badly that he has had four heart surgeries now.
This guy should be on the inside track, no? Why wouldnt he have the info
to keep himself healthy so he could continue to rape this country
and then proceed to lie to the public about all of it?

Wait...I get it. If he was eating raw, and was ALKALINE,
he wouldn't be the lying warmonger that he is.
The guy is more acidic than a can of coke.

So, that leaves me scratching my head.
These jokers have continually eaten poison their entire lives.
They are just as brainwashed as the people living on fast food
and corn syrup. Maybe the culture is just so deeply rooted that
eating trash is common at all levels.
At least on that issue the rich and poor can unite.

(photo courtesy of UK Telegraph)

Oh no! Not HIM too!
Why not say..."I dont drink beer...its poison and your life
would be richer and more productive if you cut it out of your life too."

Come on...stop pandering to these schlubs!

Let's RAISE THE STANDARD.

Could you ever imagine a RAW president?

-A

Good out of Bad

Life's experiences, like this dragonfly, can seem scary and threatening,
but with time, we see how the story plays out, and it all seems to be alright.

This dragonfly would scare many people into possibly spraying it with
all kinds of noxious pesticides. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes
clear that the dragonfly is actually our friend, eating mosquitoes and all types
of insects that eat our vegetables and bother us while we are laying in the sun... :)

I wasnt able to make it up to Canada.
The Universe said no, and after having some feelings
of disappointment and a little bit of mild sadness,
I had to realize that this might be bad, or it might even be good.

Im not going to get into the details...
far too long and uninteresting, but I just wasnt meant for it.

David Wolfe...you are my inspiration, and one day I
will indeed visit with you and thank you in person for all
that you have given to me through your teachings.

Not just yet though...and you know what? I can accept that. Its all I can do.
To fight reality is to fight ourselves. To accept is to simply be.

It was for the best. I booked a big job today that
I would never had secured if I was in the Canadian woods.
And now that I'll be home on Sunday, Dawn and
I can go up to Boston and finally try Alissa Cohen's Grezzo.

So when something "bad" occurs in your life...step back and ask yourself;

"is this really bad, or is it possibly good?"
Actually, at that moment, you simply don't know.
Of course there are some moments that seem to be simply horrendous,
but if we wait long enough things will work out.

Here's a parable...

An old man was given a horse. He was a poor man, so this seemed
to be a great fortune given to him. All his neighbors told him;

"HOW GOOD! HOW GOOD FOR YOU!"

He simply replied;

"Maybe good, maybe bad. We will see..."

A few months later his son was trying to train the horse,
and subsequently fell off and broke his leg. Again, the neighbors told him;

"HOW BAD! HOW BAD FOR YOU!"

He simply replied;

"Maybe good, maybe bad. We will see..."

While his son was healing, a war broke out.
The king was desperate for oil and lied to the country that
they we're in serious danger and the only way to prevent this
danger was to invade the oil-rich country and "liberate its citizens".
He required all able-bodied men to join the army.
Because his son was still unable to walk, he was exempt from this.

His neighbors told him;

HOW GOOD, HOW GOOD FOR YOU!!!

and again, he simply replied;

"Maybe good, maybe bad. We will see..."

Get what I mean here?

Use your raw mind power to realize that the universe loves you
and that everything will be fine. No need to worry.
Even death is an illusion. We are ONE with the source
(however you wish to name that is up to you)
and we will always be fine, no matter what happens.
This story of life is far deeper and exhilarating than most
of us would even dare to imagine.

Keep smiling always! Its the best gift you can give
to yourself and the ones around you.
Never fret...things WILL work out.

Anthony

Old School, New School

While Dawn and I were out in Minnesota this past week,
we went to my grandparents farm to pay a little visit.

My Grandma Aggie has been gardening her whole life,
and is a real hardcore farmwife. She is 85 and still charging too.

She's an old-schooler though when it comes to gardening.
I mention square foot gardens and mulching and she really
has no care for it. Not that she's ever done it, mind you...
its just that once youve done something for 80 years in a certain
way, its a slim chance that anything is going to change that.

Her garden is GREAT though. That being said, where her garden is
now was for DECADES a horse pasture. Think of all that composted
horse manure. SO RICH.

But she has never really heard of mineralizing the soil, copper tools, or even
composting. Its amazing to hear her say that, because I've been so immersed
in the new technologies of growing plants lately. She just adds manure in every
few years and the microorganisms and worms just break it all down.
Pretty easy...but we're not all so blessed to be growing in what used
to be an old horse pasture....which is now VERY fertile.

Nevertheless, she has been growing for a very long time, and
she has good soil to work with, so I would say she definitely has
a grip on what she's doing. In my opinion though...WAY too many
potatoes. I just think about all the heirloom tomatoes or melons
and cucumbers that could be growing in that space.
Regular old yukon gold potatoes...
and she's never planted a sweet potato in her life.

Can we meet in the middle? I'll let you know in a year or two.
I started with crappy soil, and have been building it up as much
as possible. We cant expect amazing results right away
if we are starting with so-so soil. We've got to build it up.
We'll see what happens.


She hooked us up with so much spinach and lettuce though!
They barely eat the greens they buy...and my grandpa actually prefers
STORE-BOUGHT ICEBERG LETTUCE!

Dawn and I were going crazy! Too strange, right?

She never sprays though...thank the world for that one...
you should have heard the collective sigh of relief when she told us that.

We made a green smoothie out of her spinach, with fresh organic
strawberries that we picked that morning, and goji berries...WOW.

The more I have super fresh produce (less than a day old),
the more Im convinced of its power. There is a massive difference.
There's no better opportunity to try for yourself!
Get out there and find some farms where you can pick your
own and take advantage of any farmer's markets you can find.

The best thing about going out there was that she was so enthusiastic
about showing us her garden. It must be rare for anyone, let alone young
people, to care what she is doing in there. She was really happy to show
us everything. I'm sure most old folks are the same.
There must be hundreds of thousands of old gardeners that would
love for a young person to come over and be interested in what they are
growing. Look around your neighborhood and see if you can make a new
friend and learn allot about gardening (and life) in the meantime.

-Anthony

6 days Past "Independence" Day

I was planning to do this post on July 4th, but truth be told,
I was doing my thing in Minnesota and since I couldnt upload
photos, I had to hold off.

But now since Im back in NY with the good connection, here it goes.

Ah...Independence Day. I just love how "they" (whoever that may be)
seem to cram the ideas of freedom and independence into our minds.
As if freedom was a brand name...

Here's the skinny. As long as you are:
1. In poor physical health
2. In financial debt
3. Ignorant about the current state of the world...

YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE.

Now, here is the ironic part.
The same people that push the idea of "freedom" down our throats,
are the same ones that have always and still:

1. Sell and tell us to eat foods and take prescription drugs that will
banish us to poor health until we wither away and die.
2. Keep telling us to SPEND SPEND SPEND...and if we dont have the money,
they will mail us credit cards and tell us to borrow it, and then will try to seduce
us with materialism by making us feel ugly and incomplete.
3. LIE to us about current affairs and promote the continual "dumbing down"
of the youth of America. These youths are now the most incompetent and weak
generation in the history of the world. It is now a global marketplace,
and the youth of America (of course there are pockets of strength,
but Im generalizing here) will never be able to compete with the youth of
China, India, Europe, and now MANY other areas of the world.



Keep drinking beer...keep watching TV...dont pay attention.

They (the old white men that are responsible for the death and destruction
of the Earth and the mass ignorance of the public) will tell us one thing
and promote the idea of freedom, and then promote lifestyles that will forever enslave us.

So how do you really break free?

Well for one, raw food is likely to free you from sickness, and the
mental clarity that it gives will hopefully wake you up and give your
third eye a nice polishing. Psychedelic Power Plants can do the same,
but raw food will also get you there eventually.

Financially....break free from the spell of materialism.
You are complete. You have enough clothes. You look great.
No need to buy more to make you feel better.
Put your money towards improving your mind and
by setting up a lifestyle free of bills (permaculture).

Lack of Debt = Freedom.
If you dont have debt, you are more free to leave the job you arent crazy about.
You are more free to to travel the world and live a life worth writing about.

Just think about it. Those three things. From all angles, your
freedom is being sliced away from the people that want you to wave flags.

America has become a total joke, living in the shadow of what it
used to be (and that was mostly a facade anyways).

I want the best for this country. I want to see green cities covered with rooftop
gardens and free of traffic. I want the main concern of the citizens to be -
"Which book am I going to read today?"
or "what art and music am I going to create today?"
I want each and every citizen to become genius athletes. Why aim for less?

We have been tricked into working at jobs we dont love to buy mostly
crap we have been brainwashed to desire. BREAK THE SPELL.

Freedom is yours if you want it. Waving flags is a sad joke.

One last thought:
Think about this...if you were to fly the American flag upside down in your
front yard, within 2 days, the FBI would have:
1. Investigated your entire life
2. Placed surveillance in your home to determine if you are a "terrorist",
and 3. completely trashed your rights to privacy that they claim to protect.

Ask Japanese Americans who were alive during WWII about their "rights"
that were stripped away because of fear and hatred.
Its all a mirage.

Not being negative...just being real.

Anthony

Back in NY...

After enjoying clean air for many weeks (except the during the HK trip),
I had to return to NY. As much as Id like to play in the garden all summer
long, I have to still earn some money to finance this whole endeavor.

I got SO much done though, and now that I have a fast connection
again, I have uploaded more videos for everyone to check out.



I love having extra time in airports, because its the perfect
time to do some video editing.

I have to admit though, it was really nice being away from
the computer. I know Ive said it before, but it just rings so true for me.
When youre out in the garden and breathing all that fresh air, the last
thing you want to do is stare at a computer screen all night.

The stars were bright, the water was pure and alive,
and the land is really taking shape. The dream is coming alive.

(if you want to water your garden in the evening in Minnesota,
you must prepare for mosquitoes...)

Check back often this week for more posts...lots coming down the pipe.

-Anthony

Visiting The Dentist...

A video about fluoride I think we should all watch.

I learned a really good lesson today at the dentist.
I usually go in once a year for a cleaning, mostly
because I figure that since Im raw my teeth are probably fine.

This is a half-truth.

Despite the fact that I did a toothpaste commercial last week,
I did have some tartar buildup and what could be in the future
a cavity in one of my molars. I was a bit upset.

Its funny...when we go raw, we feel that we are immune to everything.
Needless to say, raw does help immensely, but it depends on the style of
the diet. Myself...TOO MUCH FRUIT AND HONEY!

I dont care what we are eating..raw or cooked...if there is lots of sugar,
we have to take precautions. My dentist told me that Im also
brushing too hard (typical type A behavior?) and its causing
bad recession on some of my teeth.

Its no wonder people don't like going to the dentist,
they typically feel bad about themselves after they leave the place.

So here is what Im going to do.

RINSE with water after every meal. Wash the sugars out of
the crevices and get those acids off the teeth. I think this alone would
do wonders. THEN...when I brush lightly, I will also rinse with food grade
hydrogen peroxide. Im using Jason Sea Mineral toothpaste now, and
have been for a while. I know of some who go real hardcore with the
theme of au natural in regards to toothpaste, but I feel the Jason toothpaste
is pretty strong. Good taste too.

Remember the lesson...just because we are RAW doesnt mean
that we can eat honey and fruits until we pass out. Those sugars
in such large amounts are not really intended for our consumption.
We have to think back...how much sugar was in the natural diet?
VERY LITTLE. And its been shown the fluctuations in blood sugar
is a very likely culprit for depression. Ive felt this...the ups and downs.
It can get a bit wacky...so keep the sugar in check.

Werent we taught to brush hard? I cant remember anyone
telling me to gently brush my teeth when I was young.

I bought some more Juneberry bushes today too, along
with some more apples. They were all 35% off. I wish I would have done
all my tree purchases now...could have saved $1000 probably.
For all of you thinking about doing a project like this,
see if you can plant in the late summer and get a good deal on
trees. The savings could be HUGE.

Still having internet issues so the videos are...um...coming.

Keep smiling...

Anthony