Punta Cana December 2012

I would have thought that by now finding coconuts and other wild edibles

would have become mundane...I was so wrong. 

It still makes me so happy. 

Being grounded on the wet sand and connected

to the energy of the planet is so healing.

Get barefoot and work out your toes. 

Mine are finally spreading thanks to the vibrams and more barefoot living.

I wouldnt really go back to Punta Cana...it was beautiful and the

beaches were really nice, but there are so many other places to see in the world.

The magic just wasnt there like I thought...it could have been because

of where we stayed or the overall atmosphere, but it was still a 

wonderful place to disconnect and enjoy the fresh wind of the ocean

and way more fruit than Ive eaten in many many months. 

I brought back some passion fruit seeds so Ill be offering them

through the Grow Paradise Newsletter...sign up if youre interested.

When we got home, I was SO excited to drink springwater again.

I can't begin to explain how nasty bottled Reverse Osmosis water is after you've

had nothing but springwater for months and months.

We have it so good here. Never forget it.

SPAceforwellness

I sat in the sauna for 30 minutes with my ice cold bottle

of spring water from Cold Spring Harbor and then had my massage.

I love it when places have Saunas...its such a treat and I always

try to take advantage...the heat relaxes my body before

the massage too so it really adds to the whole experience.

I met Dr Joe (founder of the SFW) thru Organic Avenue

and he invited me to have a chat with him over some fresh

coconut water...I found him to be a really down to earth guy

that is truly a warrior for healing and clean eating.

He asked me to write an article for them, and I gladly agreed.

It can be found HERE.

I did a quick interview with Dr Joe that I am working on now,

and it should be up in a day or two.

So if you are living in NYC or are going to be in the city anytime soon,

I'd highly recommend visiting this oasis in the concrete jungle.

You'll completely forget that youre in a city.

I loved the "no shoe" policy too! Genius!

They can be for at 122 E 25th St btwn Park and Lexington

and their phone number is 212-460-0001. Give them a visit.

Their main site can be found here.

Thx again Dr Joe!

A Walk in the Woods

I've been really busy with consultations lately,

and although most are via phone or skype,

more and more are becoming in-person consults and

once in a great while these moments take you to special places.

It was a foraging/green lifestyle kind of consult.

However, being December, I was a little anxious about what we would find.

Sure enough though - the stars aligned and we found so much abundance!

Check these oyster mushrooms. Perfection.

All the rain and wind created so much mushroom food...they are thriving.

There were loads of stinging nettles too.

I was picking them through my glove and I still got nipped.

The tip of my right index finger was tingling for at least 12 hours.

Turkey Tail....again, perfection.

With the evening light, they were glowing.

Look up the power of Turkey Tail...especially for destroying breast cancer.

Here, a primo flush of oysters.

The understory of food forests and any orchard/garden should be

loaded with spots like this...It was a joy to see.

We saw someone riding a horse earlier in the walk,

but then we saw this horse and buggy coming closer quickly.

I took a photo just because it was such a rare site to see these days,

especially 45 minutes from NYC. (Not counting Central Park of course).

A group of four, and who was at the helm?

David Rockefeller. Um...DAVID ROCKEFELLER?

He waved at us as if he was our cheery old grandfather.

I couldnt believe my eyes.

It was so abrupt, so unexpected, and so out of place.

Turns out that he lives in the area and obviously enjoys

taking the horses through the woods in his free time...

Now, from what Ive heard about Mr Rockefeller...

well...organizations like the Trilateral Commission,

The Bilderberg Group, The Council on Foreign Relations,

and the now infamous Federal Reserve Bank of NY come to mind.

Many people think this guy is pure evil,

and here he was, just a fragile small-statured man,

waving at us as he was riding his horse and buggy through the woods.

One minute ago I was picking oyster mushrooms in the forest,

now Im looking "Mr Illuminati" in a horse and carriage? What the..?

This is how some people greet him -

Mr Rockefeller is accused of some nasty stuff,

but would it have made sense for me to yell something mean?

Honestly, I was in pure shock when it occurred,

but had I wanted to actually yell something out,

it probably would have been "Grow Paradise David!"

"FOOD FORESTS! ECO-VILLAGES!"

I will always think the "Food Forest" term will sink into

anyone's heart once they hear it and they grasp its potential to help us.

But again, I was half shocked and half scared.

I mean...if you watch some of the related youtube vids

as I have in the past, you wouldnt take a moment like that too lightly.

Yet, it amazed me how casual the four of them were.

It was so surreal to say the least.

We wondered through the back paths of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

This was once a part of the Rockefeller property,

and now it is a beautiful place to eat very expensive local + organic food.

This is how we all used to eat for eons. Local, lighty processed, organic food.

We have to bring this model back to the everyone though...

Its a beautiful place of course and roaming the property is amazing,

but the food really shows the value in growing our own and

making our own food with love...its beyond priceless!

And its just so wonderful how affordable it all is when you

take on the responsibility and do it yourself. Its a win-win for SURE.

A bit dark, but you can see that even in December they have lush growth

and covercrops going in the garden...nothing sadder than an

empty garden in the fall....people usually stop gardening after september

for no reason! Kale, Collards, Arugula, Beets, Spinach...tons of greens...

they all thrive in the fall weather and with care they never have to stop.

They had bees too...its a fun place to visit,

and if you dont want to visit the restaurant,

there are gift shops and places to get small treats I think.

They color the boxes to help the bees see better...

never thought of that but it sounds good to me!

Aesthetically though...I love a nice unpainted wood for my hives.

Here were some of their cows.

This was kind of sad, because although many of the cows

were truly on pasture, some, like these, were just in muddy

enclosures eating dried hay in the feed troughs.

Who knows when these cows will be consumed (eeks!)

but they certainly werent eating fresh green grass right there.

I would hope that those cows better be eating

the freshest, ocean mineral enriched, biodynamically grown grass possible.

Again...it shows the value of doing things ourselves.

Maybe they bring these cows on pasture in the spring before

butchering, but for me this wasn't really exciting.

Even the pigs they had...just roaming around in mud.

No grass or tubers or wild greens.

Just think of the amazing quality produced

when you raise animals and plants yourself...its hard to match.

So what was at first a consultation about foraging and food forests,

turned into quite an afternoon...

Its all about being in the flow and letting the lessons come your way.

The teachers are everywhere...

the mushrooms on the logs, the pigs in the mud,

the old billionaires driving their horses, and especially the sunset.

There is magic in every moment...

open yourself to it and see how it starts to flood in!

BTW - My consultation page is HERE - contact me for those

and also for setting up food forest clinics in your neighborhood.

The time is now to start planning!

-A

The Hybrid to Feed us All

This system heals the Earth.

It stops erosion, safely holds rainwater, and keeps the ground cool.

It requires no energy on humanity's part to keep it running.

If the system is large enough, it actually produces rain.

However, many people believe that this cannot feed the hungry masses.

This system destroys the earth.

It hurts the soil, creates erosion and desertification,

and requires endless amounts of energy to maintain.

However, this system produces large amounts of food.

Whether that food is appropriate to eat or not isnt a concern

for most people...mainstreamers just think about numbers.

When I see these fields, I see desert. I see former forests.

This system, which is a hybrid of the two (but far more benign than #2)

is the answer and will feed the planet while healing it at the same time.

http://www.patternliteracy.com/127-seeing-the-garden-in-the-jungle

This is a great article from Toby Hemenway that will lay a good

foundation for the next few lines. I highly suggest reading it.

There is always the argument:

We need forests, but we also need food. Fields give us more food.

(Do they? If yes, at what cost?)

What is sad is that we have come so far from what makes sense.

What is joyous is that we have the answer now.

The Food Forest. A consciously designed forest

that is loaded with highly productive varieties.

The Food Forest secures water,

prevents erosion, provides shade and protection to the soil,

and it feeds us quite nicely without much energy needed.

The biggest goal we are facing is the shift from monoculture fields

to polyculture forest garden systems. Its already happening all over

the world, and the sooner we can turn the second picture into the third,

the better off EVERYTHING will be.

A forest that FEEDS us. That is what we need.

Very similar to the idea of the Garden of Eden.

Now why haven't our leaders (government, religious, cultural)

ever proposed or implemented this idea?

Is there something that they are keeping from us?

I know its all about efficiency and money.

But luckily when the cheap fuel starts running out (and it is obviously)

we will be forced to resort to systems not reliant on tractors,

combines, spraying machines, and transport to ship it all far away.

The food forest is the obvious answer for our future.

Just keep spreading the term "Food Forest".

That word is imprinted with white magic and when people hear it,

something deeper and instinctual arises within their hearts.

Keep talking about it. But not overbearingly.

Casually mention it at work.

Tell people that you're thinking about planting a food forest

in your backyard. Tell them that you heard about it on TV.

It will resonate. There is something about those two words.

It will um..."plant a seed" in their mind and get things moving.

We can have food and forests covering out blessed planet.

There is no need for any lack, and poverty, any struggle.

Food Forests are the answer to every challenge we face.