Our family has been on a journey the past four years. A journey of faith and heart ache. A journey of gain and loss. A journey of lost dreams and future vision. We have been asking ourselves, "What does it mean to live Jesus in our culture?", "What does it mean to be a Christian family in the place God has placed us?" It has been at times a difficult transition, but a blessed journey.
One of the BIGGIES of family transition has been in the area of social justice or mercy and compassion. For us, it has meant a change in our spending habits. We question how and why we spend what we do. That leads to asking where you will spend. We desire to bless our community and God's world with our commerce. We now spend much more locally, many times with micro farmers or small business folks. To keep the money in the community where God has placed us.
This year, it meant looking at how we would spend our money for a Christmas tree. We could have bought a tree from one of the local tree lots. The Boy Scouts and the Optimist Club both have lots locally. The money DOES benefit these organizations, but the bulk of the monies leave here and go west to the counties in western North Carolina.
Yesterday, we were ready to go to a local tree farm, owned by a native county family.
They have invested much in planting evergreens that grow well here and make great Christmas trees. You go on their land, find a tree and they cut it down and load it on the truck for you. It would have been great and benefited the family. But, the tree would die and end up on a burn pile on the farm.
I have grown tired of this. I began to look for a new way. I than remembered that a fellow beekeeper and friend owns and operates a tree nursery down the road from our home. An epiphany! Why not buy a potted tree and plant it after Christmas? That is what we did.
If you drive by our home the first of the year you will see a five foot Thuja Green Giant planted in our yard. It will grow three feet per year until it reaches 30-60 feet high. A new tradition has now been added to our holiday list. Each December, we will go as a family to Backyard Plantation and buy a new tree to enjoy over Christmas. We will than plant it in the yard, where it can grow and tell the stories of Christmas past.
Showing posts with label Up to The Table. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Up to The Table. Show all posts
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
The Church of Your Dreams. III
My father tells the stories of Sunday dinners when he was a child. The large family house on Oakwood Ave. was full of friends and family. In the forties, the table always had a few servicemen from Camp Butner and during WWII there were always a few boys on weekend pass in the house.
No Sunday dinner would be complete without lots of southern cooking and GrandMa Chalmers was a true southern lady and excellent cook. My father says that there were no less than four meats and at least 6 vegetables and other sides. The pie safe was always full of fresh baked pies and cakes, not only on Sundays, but daily. Abundance was the theme and there was always room for one more to join and dine.
I have heard this same story from many folks of an older generation. I also remember Sunday dinners and afternoons filled with neighbors and ice cream freezers and ball games. We have lost so much even in a time when technology has made our lives "better".
The church of my dreams would make the sacred meal one of the main themes of the community. A large dining hall would be more important than a "beautiful" sanctuary. Of course, a large hall would need a large table, one that could seat large numbers of people. Several times a week the community would join around the table to share a meal and our lives together. Always on Sundays! There would always be enough for all to eat. No conversation would be taboo when we dined together. We would share the food, joy, pain, life together around the table.
We would always set an empty chair and plate at the table. This visual metaphor would remind us that there is always room for one more soul at our table, always room for one more soul in God's family. We would remember the cross, the empty tomb, the risen Lord. These would be the simple sacraments of our sacred meals.
The table would be BIG. Made by hand of native timber and crafted by someone in the community. The story of it's making would be part of the church's story and history. I would dream of all the chairs being different, just like all the folks who gather round, but all united by faith and love and community.
This table and hall would also be available for all to use. Family reunions, wedding receptions, birthdays, wakes and special events would be celebrated around the BIG dining table. Members of the faith community would support these events with the culinary skills learned together. The kitchen of our dreams would be used to benefit any and all who needed it for such joyous occasions.
No Sunday dinner would be complete without lots of southern cooking and GrandMa Chalmers was a true southern lady and excellent cook. My father says that there were no less than four meats and at least 6 vegetables and other sides. The pie safe was always full of fresh baked pies and cakes, not only on Sundays, but daily. Abundance was the theme and there was always room for one more to join and dine.
I have heard this same story from many folks of an older generation. I also remember Sunday dinners and afternoons filled with neighbors and ice cream freezers and ball games. We have lost so much even in a time when technology has made our lives "better".
The church of my dreams would make the sacred meal one of the main themes of the community. A large dining hall would be more important than a "beautiful" sanctuary. Of course, a large hall would need a large table, one that could seat large numbers of people. Several times a week the community would join around the table to share a meal and our lives together. Always on Sundays! There would always be enough for all to eat. No conversation would be taboo when we dined together. We would share the food, joy, pain, life together around the table.
We would always set an empty chair and plate at the table. This visual metaphor would remind us that there is always room for one more soul at our table, always room for one more soul in God's family. We would remember the cross, the empty tomb, the risen Lord. These would be the simple sacraments of our sacred meals.
The table would be BIG. Made by hand of native timber and crafted by someone in the community. The story of it's making would be part of the church's story and history. I would dream of all the chairs being different, just like all the folks who gather round, but all united by faith and love and community.
This table and hall would also be available for all to use. Family reunions, wedding receptions, birthdays, wakes and special events would be celebrated around the BIG dining table. Members of the faith community would support these events with the culinary skills learned together. The kitchen of our dreams would be used to benefit any and all who needed it for such joyous occasions.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The Church of Your Dreams. II
Did you know that America no longer cooks. We have become pros at heating and microwaving, but in many American homes very few families actually cook from scratch.
I was not aware of this trend in American homes until I began to look into food insecurity in my community. After a little reading I began to look at what is being sold in most grocery stores in America. It is pre-prepared,pre-cooked,pre-packaged. The food is ready to heat, ready to serve and ready quick. Fresh produce and meat sections are more compact, while the pre-processed areas are huge. I asked questions of people in the community who work with families with low food security. Here is a little of what I learned.
Single parents are raising an average of two children, sometimes three are more. The state and federal support funds should be able to feed a family of four on what is given to them by the system. The first of the month these parents go shopping for food. They go to the big box grocery stores with many choices. They will fill from 11/2 to 2 carts full of food. This food is planned to last an entire month. The carts have no fresh fruit or vegetables. No fresh meat or poultry. You will find the carts over flowing with frozen entrees, pre-packaged snacks, and lots of soda and juice products. The food value content is made up mostly of sodium, sugar, white flour, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil, fillers and a chemical lab. The food "may" taste good, but it has no holding ability, it does not stick to the ribs of a small child's belly.
The family eats well for about 2-21/2 weeks, then the pre-packaged and VERY expensive food begins to run out. The single parent is then faced with hungry bellies and very little cash. That is when they will begin to rely on the $.99 menu at the fast food eateries. Huge amounts of french fries will be purchased and consumed. They are "good" and filling and a family can eat for around $5.oo. Start the month over and push repeat.
In talking to social workers, they have communicated a common theme with these single parents...NONE OF THEM KNOW HOW TO COOK. As a child, these young parents remember a grandmother or great aunt that cooked. Their mother may have cooked some, but did not teach them any kitchen skills.
It is a trend in American culture that has very little to do with education, employment or income level. I spoke with a friend yesterday, he has a Phd and his wife completed a Masters Degree. Their 15 yr old daughter cannot boil water, the three sons CAN cook, over a fire in a scout encampment, but probably could not transfer that skill to a kitchen to feed a family.
We have a food crisis in our country. The food producers know this. They are not bad people, they are responsible to stock holders to make money. These food companies are making money on an American culture that does not cook. They have switched from fresh, wholesome products to what America wants and needs at this time. Quick, tasty, easy! The American dream.
The church of my dreams would invest in a state of the art commercial kitchen. Not set up only to prepare large amounts of food, but set up to teach. To teach young and old, single and married, churched and non-believing, red, yellow, black and white the art and joy of cooking.
Good food, simple recipes, local products, lots of laughter and learning and relationship. We would talk about the power of food and the sacred meal and how scripture respects both deeply. We would always share the food prepared together with all who were hungry. Guest cooks and chefs would come and teach
Well cooked fresh food and family go together like bread and wine for communion.
You cannot separate the power of a family meal from the power of communion. To do so is just bad theology, a misunderstanding of the bible and the character and nature of the Father. The church of my dreams would restore the sacrament of food and cooking to the spiritual community, a commercial teaching kitchen would just be a beginning.
I was not aware of this trend in American homes until I began to look into food insecurity in my community. After a little reading I began to look at what is being sold in most grocery stores in America. It is pre-prepared,pre-cooked,pre-packaged. The food is ready to heat, ready to serve and ready quick. Fresh produce and meat sections are more compact, while the pre-processed areas are huge. I asked questions of people in the community who work with families with low food security. Here is a little of what I learned.
Single parents are raising an average of two children, sometimes three are more. The state and federal support funds should be able to feed a family of four on what is given to them by the system. The first of the month these parents go shopping for food. They go to the big box grocery stores with many choices. They will fill from 11/2 to 2 carts full of food. This food is planned to last an entire month. The carts have no fresh fruit or vegetables. No fresh meat or poultry. You will find the carts over flowing with frozen entrees, pre-packaged snacks, and lots of soda and juice products. The food value content is made up mostly of sodium, sugar, white flour, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil, fillers and a chemical lab. The food "may" taste good, but it has no holding ability, it does not stick to the ribs of a small child's belly.
The family eats well for about 2-21/2 weeks, then the pre-packaged and VERY expensive food begins to run out. The single parent is then faced with hungry bellies and very little cash. That is when they will begin to rely on the $.99 menu at the fast food eateries. Huge amounts of french fries will be purchased and consumed. They are "good" and filling and a family can eat for around $5.oo. Start the month over and push repeat.
In talking to social workers, they have communicated a common theme with these single parents...NONE OF THEM KNOW HOW TO COOK. As a child, these young parents remember a grandmother or great aunt that cooked. Their mother may have cooked some, but did not teach them any kitchen skills.
It is a trend in American culture that has very little to do with education, employment or income level. I spoke with a friend yesterday, he has a Phd and his wife completed a Masters Degree. Their 15 yr old daughter cannot boil water, the three sons CAN cook, over a fire in a scout encampment, but probably could not transfer that skill to a kitchen to feed a family.
We have a food crisis in our country. The food producers know this. They are not bad people, they are responsible to stock holders to make money. These food companies are making money on an American culture that does not cook. They have switched from fresh, wholesome products to what America wants and needs at this time. Quick, tasty, easy! The American dream.
The church of my dreams would invest in a state of the art commercial kitchen. Not set up only to prepare large amounts of food, but set up to teach. To teach young and old, single and married, churched and non-believing, red, yellow, black and white the art and joy of cooking.
Good food, simple recipes, local products, lots of laughter and learning and relationship. We would talk about the power of food and the sacred meal and how scripture respects both deeply. We would always share the food prepared together with all who were hungry. Guest cooks and chefs would come and teach
Well cooked fresh food and family go together like bread and wine for communion.
You cannot separate the power of a family meal from the power of communion. To do so is just bad theology, a misunderstanding of the bible and the character and nature of the Father. The church of my dreams would restore the sacrament of food and cooking to the spiritual community, a commercial teaching kitchen would just be a beginning.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Church of Your Dreams.
The second weekend of November I attended a spiritual advance in the mountains of West Virginia. Len Sweet was the host and Alan Hirsch was the conversation facilitator for the weekend. Alan has a passion for the church and a heart to live a missional life.
In the middle of talking about the missional church in the USA, Alan made a very short statement,"Build the church of your dreams", was all he said and then moved one. I have not been able to stop thinking of what he said and how that simple statement lived could infuse communities with the the radical presence of Jesus. I have been building the church of my dreams in my heart and want to share a few ideas here. Your comments and thoughts would be welcome.
Every few days I drive into Oxford. I normally travel the same path there and back. On the way I pass two small run down houses. In those two homes live two families.
I do not know the families, but I see them living their lives in these two small run down houses. In the heat of the summer you will find them sitting on the front porch, it is a bit cooler, but still, it is terribly uncomfortable here July, August and part of September. In the winter, they burn wood to stay warm. There is a privy behind the houses. It is probably not used a this time as city water and sewer were added a few years ago.
The church of my dreams would push down these old fire traps and build the families brand new energy efficient homes. Homes where they could stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The church of my dreams would do this because it is good for our community and for the two families. We would do it because it would cause joy. Joy always brings God's party down to earth and Jesus would lead the conga line.
In the middle of talking about the missional church in the USA, Alan made a very short statement,"Build the church of your dreams", was all he said and then moved one. I have not been able to stop thinking of what he said and how that simple statement lived could infuse communities with the the radical presence of Jesus. I have been building the church of my dreams in my heart and want to share a few ideas here. Your comments and thoughts would be welcome.
Every few days I drive into Oxford. I normally travel the same path there and back. On the way I pass two small run down houses. In those two homes live two families.
I do not know the families, but I see them living their lives in these two small run down houses. In the heat of the summer you will find them sitting on the front porch, it is a bit cooler, but still, it is terribly uncomfortable here July, August and part of September. In the winter, they burn wood to stay warm. There is a privy behind the houses. It is probably not used a this time as city water and sewer were added a few years ago.
The church of my dreams would push down these old fire traps and build the families brand new energy efficient homes. Homes where they could stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The church of my dreams would do this because it is good for our community and for the two families. We would do it because it would cause joy. Joy always brings God's party down to earth and Jesus would lead the conga line.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Mystery and Progress
Thursday evening I returned home from a long and hot day to find my mailbox and post destroyed. Being in a rural area this is common. Farmers pulling wide and large machinery would not notice hitting a wood post. It would shatter by momentum of mass alone. A state contractor was mowing the shoulder on Thursday afternoon, an "accident" could have taken place with the large mowing arm. The last possibility would be a wayward auto. Here, the ingestion of "demon rum" would be needed as we live on a very straight road just after a four- way-flashing-light intersection. If it was a car or pickup, they have a ding in the paint this morning.
Saturday morning I was up and out early to purchase the needed materials for new mailbox and post. The "local" bigbox is about nine miles down the road in Henderson. I was in and out in ten minutes and my pocket was $91.00 lighter. I hate paying $91.00 dollars when I make a mistake, it hurts worse when there is an unknown reason for my spending. The new post will be bright safety red with a black jumbo size mailbox. The brass address numbers from the previous post survived. If you are ever in the area, sitting at the intersection of Salem and Huntsboro Rd, turn north, we are the driveway with the bright red mailbox post with the big black mailbox. Drop by for a visit, we will add some water to the soup;)
Just for your information. Kiddliwink Apiary will be selling honey, bees wax candles and honey based soap at the Wake Forest, NC Farmers Market starting Saturday, August 18. Come join us, get a sample and support local sustainable farms.
(HT: To Shelley for getting us in the farmers market)
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Rambling...
We started a new construction project this week. At this moment all I will say about it is that it is very HOT outside, but I could be laying asphalt as a highway contractor.
Shelley writes about the kids.
Everybody, drink lots of water and work steady......
Shelley writes about the kids.
Everybody, drink lots of water and work steady......
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Liquid Gold
Saturday was extracting day. Early in the morning I went out to check my stores. It was eight supers with over 400lbs of spring honey. I knew it would take lots of work and most of the day to move the honey from the comb to storage buckets in my kitchen. The eight supers were stacked on each other to form a tower that was almost six feet high. I rocked the super tower to check the weight and decided it would be to much to move by dolly. We moved them one box at a time into the kitchen. I then removed the wax cappings with a special electric knife and placed the frames in the extractor; a quick spin and the liquid gold flew into the barrel, down the sides to the convex bottom. From there a "gate" on the front of the barrel is opened and the honey flows into a mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth. This straining will remove any bits of dirt, pollen, or bee parts left behind. The strained honey is stored in a five gallon bucket until needed for jarring. The process was repeated again and again until I worked through all the supers. My wife Shelley worked along with me as we processed the honey from comb to people food.
Along the way, you get honey on your hands and on the floor and on the work surfaces. As we would finish with a super, we would clean a bit and move on. At this time Kiddliwink Apiary is a micro-company, so we use the equipment that is on hand. That means we have an old two frame hand crank extractor, an ancient electric capping knife and the rest of the processing utensils come from our kitchen. For all of these reasons it takes a bit of time. By 4:30pm I was almost finished.
I stepped out on our back porch to move the last two supers. I removed a cover, pushed back a plastic bag and saw hundreds of bees. Several hundred bees had found an opening after I had tilted the super stack earlier in the day. I now had two supers with 60-70lbs of honey and two hundred or more bees in my house. I had visions of bees flying all over and the family being stung. I went to my bee equipment, grabbed my smoker, filled it with wood chips and started a good fire. I closed the smoker and puffed the bellows until I had good rich smoke pouring out. I was going to smoke the bees in the top box down to the bottom, grab the top super, extract it and do the same for the remaining box. There were two problems with my plan: 1. The smoker would fill the house with rich wood smoke. 2. The last box would hold ALL the bees, still in the house.
I then called for Shelley to find a spray water bottle and a fly swatter. I sprayed the bees as they climbed to the top and Shelley swatted them. I did NOT want to hurt these girls, but I had no options. Shelley was a trooper. She entered the fight wearing a light summer dress and a pair of flip-flops. I would squirt and she would swat. After a 10 minute fight I grabbed the top box and moved to the kitchen. Shelley stayed behind and continued the fight. After it was all said and done, many of the bees ended up "escaping" and we worked to shoo them outside. By 6pm we were finished with the "hard" work. Gravity and time would complete the straining. At this time we have five gallons still straining from the extractor. We could "rush" this along by heating the honey, rendering it thinner...it would strain faster, but it changes the flavor and kills many of the natural nutrients and immune builders in the honey.
All that to say this, Kiddliwink Apiary now has spring honey in a limited supply. If you are in the Triangle call us at 919-690-8487. If you are in another part of the world, leave a comment.
Pricing is very simple, $12US per quart, $7US per pint and $4US per 1/2 pint + shipping and handling.
FOLLOW-UP: Our first sell of the season was yesterday, July 25. A friend purchased 1/2 gallon of spring honey.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
The parachute is within my grasp
I enjoy supper around our family table. There is always lots of laughter, the conversations are never dull, and we will usually discuss something of substance. That is why the posts with the label Up to The Table are important to me. I truly wish all people could come up to the table and enjoy a meal with my family. But reality tells us this is not possible. Many families struggle to stay together and far to many struggle to keep food on the table. My hope is our small faith community can make a difference this summer. We are attempting to feed 24 children here in Granville County through the summer season. It all began with the post "Oh God, please let the parachute catch up with me!" We ARE feeding 24 children! We are low on funds! We are low on man power! We will continue!!
The director of a community summer reading program called us today. He wanted to thank us for the lunches. His program is going well thus far and part of the reason is 24 children know that if they come and learn to read better, they will go home with a good lunch. Learning and a full belly are important, even in the summer when the school cafeterias are closed.
My hope and prayer is a child will fall in love with reading and just maybe, enjoy a PB&J on good whole wheat bread and a granola bar and a piece of fresh fruit and a juice box. Someday, one of those children could read a book by C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L'Engle or Mark Twain or James Herriot or William Shakespeare or...the list could go one all night. Maybe by falling in love with reading, they could fall in love with learning and learn to build a strong self and build a strong family and a strong future and never be hungry again. Maybe they could help someone who will be hungry in the community where they will be living and loving and working and reading.
The director of a community summer reading program called us today. He wanted to thank us for the lunches. His program is going well thus far and part of the reason is 24 children know that if they come and learn to read better, they will go home with a good lunch. Learning and a full belly are important, even in the summer when the school cafeterias are closed.
My hope and prayer is a child will fall in love with reading and just maybe, enjoy a PB&J on good whole wheat bread and a granola bar and a piece of fresh fruit and a juice box. Someday, one of those children could read a book by C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L'Engle or Mark Twain or James Herriot or William Shakespeare or...the list could go one all night. Maybe by falling in love with reading, they could fall in love with learning and learn to build a strong self and build a strong family and a strong future and never be hungry again. Maybe they could help someone who will be hungry in the community where they will be living and loving and working and reading.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Harvest time
Last Friday I went to Durham to help my father harvest a small honey crop. As we worked we inspected the hives. Looking in a new hive I could not find the queen, nor could I find the evidence of a queen. If you cannot find the lady, usually, you can see her work. New eggs, larvae or capped brood will testify to her presence and hard work. Nothing was there, there was plenty of pollen, some new honey , but no brood. I was concerned that this new hive was queenless. We completed our harvest on another hive and ended the day. We called a queen breeder in the area and ordered two queens.
Saturday morning I made my way to Orange County and Busy Bee Apiary to transport my ladys.
I drove back to my father's home and we opened up the new hive to add a new queen. We found a frame full of young larvae. In my haste on Friday I had neglected to move the frames into sunlight for a better look. The shade had caused me to overlook the eggs in the bottom of many cells. I may not have seen the queen, but I know had evidence she was around. I now had an extra queen. My father and I drove to my bee yard, took a frame of brood from three hives, two frames of honey from another two and dropped the queen in with bees. The nuc is sitting on my porch, I'll open it up this coming Saturday to take a look. While we were in my yard I decided to harvest my honey. After heavy lifting it appears I have around 300lbs of honey to bottle and label over the next few days.
We then took the extra queen to the farm of Mr. Philip Barker. He is the last of many here in N.C. Mr Barker is the last African-American dairy farmer here in the state. It is a monicure I am sure he would be proud was not his. It is important for all of us to keep and protect the family farmer. White, black, yellow, red, we must have farmers and their families farming for future generations. Mr Barker is now trying his hand at bees. I am attempting to teach him what little I know. He had a hive with a very weak queen. The hive now has a new, young and hopefully hard working queen to produce for Mr Barker.
By next week at this time, I hope we have bottles full of beautiful honey. The photo is just one view of the great work our bees have produced this spring.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Strawberries
Saturday we were up early to pick strawberries. This year we stayed local as we drove 20 mins north to Christmas Place Farms. Christmas Place is owned and operated by the Williamston Family. They have been on this land since 1947 farming mainly tobacco and grain. A few years ago they bagan to transition to more sustainable crops by planting about seven acres of strawberries. They have built a nice picnic area and a great playground, along with a few farm animals for petting. The view facing north is worth the drive.The Willaimstons were granted the 2002 Conservation award by NC Department of Agriculture. They have woked hard to conserve the land in and around the farm. It is a beautiful place.
The berries were very good, but you could see the effects of a cool and damp week we had here in central N.C. Many berries were soft from the cool and damp weather, but we were able to find plenty of good berries.
Once home, I was craving homemade-strawberry-ice-cream. To me, strawberry ice cream with local produce screams spring in N.C. Here is my simple recipe.
Fresh Strawberry Custard Ice Cream
2 qrts fresh strawberry puree'
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries
2 cups unbleached sugar
11/2 teaspoon real vanilla
1/4 kosher salt
1/2 + a little extra gallon whole milk
1 qrt whole whipping cream
4 egg yolks
Puree' washed, capped and dry berries in food processor with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Place 1/2 gallon milk, 11/4 cup sugar, four egg yolks in four quart heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir mixture CONSTANTLY with medium wire wisk. After boil, turn heat to low and cook for five minutes, stirring CONSTANTLY. Take off heat and let cool for five minutes.
Mix 1/2 of berry puree' and custard together. Pour into ice cream maker, add heavy cream and vanilla into ice cream mixture. Stir well. Add second half of berry puree' and chopped berries. Pour in enough whole milk to reach fill line on maker. Process ice cream slowly to avoid large ice crystals. Remove dasher after processing, place ice cream cylinder in freezer for about four hours. Serve and enjoy!!!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Oh God, please let the parachute catch up with me!
If you read this blog on a regular basis you will notice a label for a view posts. Up To The Table are several posts I have made with the theme of food, faith and farming. Those posts are part of a journey I have been on for the last three years:looking deep inside for what it means to follow Jesus at this time in this community.
I have been evaluating social justice in myself and my community because of Will Samson and his wife Lisa Samson. I met them over two years ago and the term "social justice" was etched into my consciousness because of conversations with them. It has been a slow and long journey, but I am now at a place to put social justice into practice in my life and the life of my christian community here in Granville County.
During the summer of 2007 we are going to feed 24 hungry children five days a week.
They will be involved in a tutoring program in our community. They will be learning to read, to write and perform basic math. We will be providing them lunch each day.
I have a small band of about thirty volunteers. We have very few financial resources. We have many ideas. We are going to attempt to use local produce, homemade products and healthy food choices. It seems like a huge task at this time.
I have jumped out of the airplane at 18,000 feet and I am hoping the parachute catches me.
If you have any suggestions, let me have them now!!
I have been evaluating social justice in myself and my community because of Will Samson and his wife Lisa Samson. I met them over two years ago and the term "social justice" was etched into my consciousness because of conversations with them. It has been a slow and long journey, but I am now at a place to put social justice into practice in my life and the life of my christian community here in Granville County.
During the summer of 2007 we are going to feed 24 hungry children five days a week.
They will be involved in a tutoring program in our community. They will be learning to read, to write and perform basic math. We will be providing them lunch each day.
I have a small band of about thirty volunteers. We have very few financial resources. We have many ideas. We are going to attempt to use local produce, homemade products and healthy food choices. It seems like a huge task at this time.
I have jumped out of the airplane at 18,000 feet and I am hoping the parachute catches me.
If you have any suggestions, let me have them now!!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
There are Monks among us
If you have ever wanted to drop out of the world system, you could take up the call of Jesus to serve. Shane Claiborne is one of a new breed of Jesus' followers, who is taking His words seriously.
New Monasticism is changing the hearts and minds of communities all around.
New Monasticism is changing the hearts and minds of communities all around.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz goes the bees, hopefully
These ladies are hard at work. They are gathering pollen and nectar to take back to the colony for food. While they gather, they spread pollen from one blossom or bloom to another. This work is very important as the pollen they spread will produce fruits and vegetables for your plate. This spring we have a mystery going on with the bees. Colony Collapse Disorder could effect the quality and abundance of food crops this summer. Without the diligent work of these ladies, your diet will consist of grain and water. Read this and pray for the honey bees.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The Enigma
Yesterday morning it was raining here. It was a cool rain; the rain was not cool, but the breeze in the rain was. It was the kind of spring morning when sleeping late would seem to be wisdom. Instead, I was up and out by 6:15am. We worked in the cool and the rain. It was not raining hard enough to say you were getting soaked, just wet. It was cool enough that a sweat shirt or light rain shell was enough.
At around 9am I had to drive to the farm, the farm owned by the businessmen-enigma. He and had to discuss our construction plans for the first of the week. He was in a chatty mood, it was cool and raining, my crew would continue a few moments without me, I stayed. He had mentioned in the past that he grew up very poor. That is hard to imagine when you are surrounded by evidence of anything but poverty. During a break in the conversation I asked a question, "Did you every go hungry as a little boy?"
"Yes", he said. "At eight or nine I would get up very early in the morning. I would go into the woods and check my line traps. If the trap had an animal with fur, I knew we would have something to eat that day, if not I knew we might you hungry. My mother made jewelry. She made ceramic ear rings. She would make dog wood boom ear rings and fire them in a very small kiln. She could make 6-7 pairs at a time. She would assemble them, place them on a small card and give them to me. I would take them to school and sell them to the ladies at school. If I sold ear rings, I knew we would eat. If I caught food or sold ear rings we ate, if not we didn't.
Kids can be mean to little boys who have to sell ear rings. That may be why i am so mean sometimes."
I was shocked by the story. Here was a man who is brilliant. He is a builder, electrical engineer, architect, investor, cattleman, wood worker, etc, etc...
He has a beautiful home and farm, yet I saw him as a little boy trapping food and selling ear rings to eat. Hunger in America, post Depression is OBSCENE!!
At around 9am I had to drive to the farm, the farm owned by the businessmen-enigma. He and had to discuss our construction plans for the first of the week. He was in a chatty mood, it was cool and raining, my crew would continue a few moments without me, I stayed. He had mentioned in the past that he grew up very poor. That is hard to imagine when you are surrounded by evidence of anything but poverty. During a break in the conversation I asked a question, "Did you every go hungry as a little boy?"
"Yes", he said. "At eight or nine I would get up very early in the morning. I would go into the woods and check my line traps. If the trap had an animal with fur, I knew we would have something to eat that day, if not I knew we might you hungry. My mother made jewelry. She made ceramic ear rings. She would make dog wood boom ear rings and fire them in a very small kiln. She could make 6-7 pairs at a time. She would assemble them, place them on a small card and give them to me. I would take them to school and sell them to the ladies at school. If I sold ear rings, I knew we would eat. If I caught food or sold ear rings we ate, if not we didn't.
Kids can be mean to little boys who have to sell ear rings. That may be why i am so mean sometimes."
I was shocked by the story. Here was a man who is brilliant. He is a builder, electrical engineer, architect, investor, cattleman, wood worker, etc, etc...
He has a beautiful home and farm, yet I saw him as a little boy trapping food and selling ear rings to eat. Hunger in America, post Depression is OBSCENE!!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
$68,000,000,000
According to the N.C. Department of Agriculture, the ag industry in N.C. benefits the state with total income of $68,000,000,000. The ag industry represents 20% of the state income and provides over 17% of the employment.
With those kinds of numbers, agriculture should be a top priority for the General Assembly. Instead the "leaders" in Raleigh have given hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives to companies such as Dell Computers and Google. These companies will come to N.C., suck up the tax breaks and bail at the first sign of shrinking profits.
Meanwhile, the small to medium farmer in N.C. will attempt to hold on to family land, turn a profit and even transition his farm to a new food crop, if he can borrow the money to keep going. If he should die, his family will face huge federal and state taxes. Many will find it necessary to sell the farm to pay theses taxes. The land will be sold into private hands, much of that land that borders metro areas will never be used for producing food again. Some of the land will be logged and then houses or commercial construction will move in.
Things must change!! Farmers should farm!! N.C. should continue to lead the nation in agriculture production, not development. The N.C. General Assembly and the Governor should top playing kissy-face with big name comapnies by handing out money, and start loving on the N.C. Agriculture Community by helping them flourish. If they want to know how to help, ask a farmer who is attempting to make a living this spring and summer.
With those kinds of numbers, agriculture should be a top priority for the General Assembly. Instead the "leaders" in Raleigh have given hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives to companies such as Dell Computers and Google. These companies will come to N.C., suck up the tax breaks and bail at the first sign of shrinking profits.
Meanwhile, the small to medium farmer in N.C. will attempt to hold on to family land, turn a profit and even transition his farm to a new food crop, if he can borrow the money to keep going. If he should die, his family will face huge federal and state taxes. Many will find it necessary to sell the farm to pay theses taxes. The land will be sold into private hands, much of that land that borders metro areas will never be used for producing food again. Some of the land will be logged and then houses or commercial construction will move in.
Things must change!! Farmers should farm!! N.C. should continue to lead the nation in agriculture production, not development. The N.C. General Assembly and the Governor should top playing kissy-face with big name comapnies by handing out money, and start loving on the N.C. Agriculture Community by helping them flourish. If they want to know how to help, ask a farmer who is attempting to make a living this spring and summer.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Matthew 25:31-46
I have been studying and teaching through the book of Matthew at church. This past Sunday, I skipped ahead a wee-bit to this passage. Lately, hunger has been an issue I have been thinking about and praying over. The real problem as I see it, is christians have spent years thinking about and praying over this issue. I don't know how much we have accomplished. Here are a few stats from N.C.
Matthew 25:31-46 is clear on this, the righteous ones were feeding and clothing and visiting and caring.
- The population of NC is a little over 8 million.
- Each day over 1 million N.C. citizens have "low food security". Low Food Security is a new term for HUNGRY.
- Of the one million, 81thousand of them are children in the Triangle. They are dependent on the school lunch program for one meal. That meal consists of institutional-pre-packaged-school-cafeteria-foods. On weekends, holidays and summer breaks, what do those children do?
Matthew 25:31-46 is clear on this, the righteous ones were feeding and clothing and visiting and caring.
Monday, April 23, 2007
12th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour
This past Saturday and Sunday thousands of people traveled from Triangle urban areas to the country. While driving around the Piedmont each of them had an opportunity to visit one of 30 farms slightly north of Chapel Hill. The event was sponsored by The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, a farm advocacy organization working to create sustainable food systems in North and South Carolina.
Yesterday, my family and I visited five farms on a beautiful N.C. afternoon. We drove from Creedmoor to Yanceyville in Caswell County for or first visit. There we were able to renew old friendship with Mac and Peggy Baldwin. Mac and Peggy are the founders of Baldwin Family Farms and Baldwin Charolais Beef. They have been on this land for many years and Mac has been raising beef cattle since the age of nine. Their 800 acre farm is given totally to the production of grass feed beef. From calf to table, Baldwin Beef is involved in the production, sales and marketing of their own product. USDA inspected, Baldwin Beef can be shipped all over the USA. Order a family five pack and give it a try. Mac and Peggy are people of great faith and love for their family and farm. Mac also writes a blog, check it out and encourage him to write more often.
Our next two stops were smaller operations. Maple Spring Gardens and Wild Hare Farm are neighbors. Literally side by side, these two organic growers are producing vegetables, herbs, strawberries and cut flowers from Cedar Grove, N.C. They produce some products in greenhouses, but yesterday, their fields were full of young veggie plants, flowers and berries. They produce to sell at the Carrboro Farmers Market, local restaurants and florists. From the conversations I heard and things I saw, they are constantly innovating and looking for ways to produce better crops for the local market. When you buy your fruits and veggies this spring and summer, buy local, buy fresh, buy from a farmer!!
We drove a few miles south to the Pope farm. The Captain J. S. Pope Farm has been in the family for over 140 years. The farm house built 140 years ago still stands, along with several out buildings and the original wash/bath house. They have 150-175 Dorper sheep and lamb that graze on natural grass. Predators have become a problem the last few years in this part of N.C., for this reason the Popes have a HUGE Akbash/Maremma dog and four llamas to protect the herd. Mac Baldwin from Balwdwin Beef tells that coyotes and vultures are deadly to new born calves and lambs. Although my family has never had a taste for lamb, we will give it a try to support local sustainable farming.
Our last farm tour stop took us to the triving community of Efland, where we met the McAdams family. The McAdams clan has been farming on their land for five generations. They have a diversified operation, growing vegetables, cut flowers, strawberries and beef cattle on family land. They also are a holding site for a large apiary in Mebane. Yesterday, they had more than 75 hives of busy bees pollinating and gathering nectar. The McAdams family operates a pick-your-own berries and veggie stand on the farm, as well as selling grain fed Angus beef products. You can also find their produce at the Carrboro Farmers Market and the Market at Southern Village. They have no website, but you can visit at 1100 Efland-Cedar Grove Rd or give them a call 919-732-7701.
We were very close to Hillsborough. When there, we normally drive out to Maple View Farm Dairy. We have known and loved the Nutter family for many years. Our daughters still remember going out to the dairy and getting our milk out of the cooler on the front porch.
The Nutter Family and Maple View Farm are proof positive that sutainable food systems can be created to benefit the farmer and community. We stopped by the original country store, but there must have been 100 folks in line for ice cream, instead we drove toward home and stopped by the Maple View shop off I-85 at NC86 for a few scoops.
We had a great afternoon as a family. We learned, we laughed and we enjoyed God's handywork on the sustainable farms of the N.C. Piedmont. N.C. is a bountiful place, and my hope is, we will see more sustainable farming food systems come on line in the future.
As you purchase food, buy local, buy fresh, buy natural, support a local farmer!!
Yesterday, my family and I visited five farms on a beautiful N.C. afternoon. We drove from Creedmoor to Yanceyville in Caswell County for or first visit. There we were able to renew old friendship with Mac and Peggy Baldwin. Mac and Peggy are the founders of Baldwin Family Farms and Baldwin Charolais Beef. They have been on this land for many years and Mac has been raising beef cattle since the age of nine. Their 800 acre farm is given totally to the production of grass feed beef. From calf to table, Baldwin Beef is involved in the production, sales and marketing of their own product. USDA inspected, Baldwin Beef can be shipped all over the USA. Order a family five pack and give it a try. Mac and Peggy are people of great faith and love for their family and farm. Mac also writes a blog, check it out and encourage him to write more often.
Our next two stops were smaller operations. Maple Spring Gardens and Wild Hare Farm are neighbors. Literally side by side, these two organic growers are producing vegetables, herbs, strawberries and cut flowers from Cedar Grove, N.C. They produce some products in greenhouses, but yesterday, their fields were full of young veggie plants, flowers and berries. They produce to sell at the Carrboro Farmers Market, local restaurants and florists. From the conversations I heard and things I saw, they are constantly innovating and looking for ways to produce better crops for the local market. When you buy your fruits and veggies this spring and summer, buy local, buy fresh, buy from a farmer!!
We drove a few miles south to the Pope farm. The Captain J. S. Pope Farm has been in the family for over 140 years. The farm house built 140 years ago still stands, along with several out buildings and the original wash/bath house. They have 150-175 Dorper sheep and lamb that graze on natural grass. Predators have become a problem the last few years in this part of N.C., for this reason the Popes have a HUGE Akbash/Maremma dog and four llamas to protect the herd. Mac Baldwin from Balwdwin Beef tells that coyotes and vultures are deadly to new born calves and lambs. Although my family has never had a taste for lamb, we will give it a try to support local sustainable farming.
Our last farm tour stop took us to the triving community of Efland, where we met the McAdams family. The McAdams clan has been farming on their land for five generations. They have a diversified operation, growing vegetables, cut flowers, strawberries and beef cattle on family land. They also are a holding site for a large apiary in Mebane. Yesterday, they had more than 75 hives of busy bees pollinating and gathering nectar. The McAdams family operates a pick-your-own berries and veggie stand on the farm, as well as selling grain fed Angus beef products. You can also find their produce at the Carrboro Farmers Market and the Market at Southern Village. They have no website, but you can visit at 1100 Efland-Cedar Grove Rd or give them a call 919-732-7701.
We were very close to Hillsborough. When there, we normally drive out to Maple View Farm Dairy. We have known and loved the Nutter family for many years. Our daughters still remember going out to the dairy and getting our milk out of the cooler on the front porch.
The Nutter Family and Maple View Farm are proof positive that sutainable food systems can be created to benefit the farmer and community. We stopped by the original country store, but there must have been 100 folks in line for ice cream, instead we drove toward home and stopped by the Maple View shop off I-85 at NC86 for a few scoops.
We had a great afternoon as a family. We learned, we laughed and we enjoyed God's handywork on the sustainable farms of the N.C. Piedmont. N.C. is a bountiful place, and my hope is, we will see more sustainable farming food systems come on line in the future.
As you purchase food, buy local, buy fresh, buy natural, support a local farmer!!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Plant a seed...
Last Wednesday, I attended a one day conference in Hillsborough, NC. It was hosted by the Cedar Grove UMC. The church is a beautiful structure, built with forethought, as the spacious fellowship hall and library are both off the central vestibule as you enter the structure.
The conference was on faith, food and farming. Called Come To The Table, it was a great way to spend a cold and rainy early spring day.
The first speaker was Dr. Ellen Davis from Duke Divinity School, her homily was contrasting a "Pharaoh" farming model from the "Hebrew" model of faith. Egypt horded food while Isreal trusted God daily for a supply. Egypt relied on centralized control of agriculture , while the Hebrews looked to God each day for Manna in the morning and quail in the afternoon.
Scott Marlow was from RAFI-USA, he is a specialist in farm sustainability and did a great job explaining the state of the farm in NC. Our hope for high-quality-fresh food IS the family farm, not LARGE farming corporations.
Jill Bullard rounded out the morning session, she founed the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle of Raleigh, NC. It is one of the largest food recovery and distribution services in the country. They rescued, processed and distributed over 1.5millbs of food lest year. She is an amazing woman, with an amazing story of mercy and grace. Hunger is a community problem, it should be solved at the community level.
Lunch was prepared by a farmer/chef. He used locally produced beef,the greens for a wonderful salad were from a local biodynamic grower, Infinity Farms, while the strawberries were from a local patch. An Orange County cheese maker provided fresh product for lasagne and the ladies of the church baked pound cakes that only church ladies can bake. It was a testimony in the mouth, that buying food locally from good-steward sources has long lasting benifits.
The afternoon was inspiring for me, as we heard the story of a Granville County(that my home) Farmer who has made the transition from Tobacco. Mr and Mrs Barker are the last African-American dairy farmers in N.C. They have formed a non-profit to assist other small farmers, not only to transition to food crops, but to prosper. They have formed a co-op and sell their product direct to consumers large and small. I look forward to getting to know them better in the future.
I heard and learned a truck load. I am still synthesizing the whole day, from the stories to the community garden Cedar Grove UMC has formed. It will be weeks, even months before I know what to do with all I learned. I know this now, it does not matter WHY someone is hungry, it matters if you and I feed them. It does not matter what the farmer grew, it matters how he will stay on his land and use his gifts. It does not matter how much money we make, if we waste food by buying to much, it is wrong.
All of this got me to thinking more about these.
Honey bees are my way of "farming". I hope to grow a pretty good apiary in the next few years.
75% of all the fruits and veggies we eat are dependent on the honey bee for pollination. Without them fresh fruits and vegetables would cease to exist The picture at the left are my ladies making new honey in new wax comb they have completed building.
The conference was on faith, food and farming. Called Come To The Table, it was a great way to spend a cold and rainy early spring day.
The first speaker was Dr. Ellen Davis from Duke Divinity School, her homily was contrasting a "Pharaoh" farming model from the "Hebrew" model of faith. Egypt horded food while Isreal trusted God daily for a supply. Egypt relied on centralized control of agriculture , while the Hebrews looked to God each day for Manna in the morning and quail in the afternoon.
Scott Marlow was from RAFI-USA, he is a specialist in farm sustainability and did a great job explaining the state of the farm in NC. Our hope for high-quality-fresh food IS the family farm, not LARGE farming corporations.
Jill Bullard rounded out the morning session, she founed the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle of Raleigh, NC. It is one of the largest food recovery and distribution services in the country. They rescued, processed and distributed over 1.5millbs of food lest year. She is an amazing woman, with an amazing story of mercy and grace. Hunger is a community problem, it should be solved at the community level.
Lunch was prepared by a farmer/chef. He used locally produced beef,the greens for a wonderful salad were from a local biodynamic grower, Infinity Farms, while the strawberries were from a local patch. An Orange County cheese maker provided fresh product for lasagne and the ladies of the church baked pound cakes that only church ladies can bake. It was a testimony in the mouth, that buying food locally from good-steward sources has long lasting benifits.
The afternoon was inspiring for me, as we heard the story of a Granville County(that my home) Farmer who has made the transition from Tobacco. Mr and Mrs Barker are the last African-American dairy farmers in N.C. They have formed a non-profit to assist other small farmers, not only to transition to food crops, but to prosper. They have formed a co-op and sell their product direct to consumers large and small. I look forward to getting to know them better in the future.
I heard and learned a truck load. I am still synthesizing the whole day, from the stories to the community garden Cedar Grove UMC has formed. It will be weeks, even months before I know what to do with all I learned. I know this now, it does not matter WHY someone is hungry, it matters if you and I feed them. It does not matter what the farmer grew, it matters how he will stay on his land and use his gifts. It does not matter how much money we make, if we waste food by buying to much, it is wrong.
All of this got me to thinking more about these.Honey bees are my way of "farming". I hope to grow a pretty good apiary in the next few years.
75% of all the fruits and veggies we eat are dependent on the honey bee for pollination. Without them fresh fruits and vegetables would cease to exist The picture at the left are my ladies making new honey in new wax comb they have completed building.
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