Drop a seed, accidentally, in fertile soil and it will grow. Nature is free. It perpetuates itself abundantly, beyond borders and even in the most inhospitable environments. And it costs nothing.
 |
| Image: Food Forest at Tagari by ecofilms.com.au |
When divination inspiration Anel Hamersma blogged about the online commoditization of spirituality recently, she was perfectly on my wavelength. It is reassuring that someone else sees the plot. Somehow the pursuit of happiness has been turned into a product - preferably with a renewable subscription or platinum membership scheme. The same has happened to nutrition, exercise and ecologically sound living - all matters which are close to my heart.
I was made awkwardly aware of this fact at a recent health and wellness exhibition, where a veritable army of desperate salespeople, clueless life coaches and dysfunctional would-be gurus persuaded me to do one thing: get out as fast as my less-than-supermodelesque legs could carry me. (Good exercise. No charge.)
It is painfully true that health, wellbeing and ecologically sound living are more vital than ever. I am delighted that more people are become aware of, and passionate about, these matters. I am heartened that passionate people share their knowledge and inventions and, yes, make a living out of this work. From time to time, I am even ecstatic to find a rare organic superfood, inspirational exercise class or eco-friendly gadget for sale in my neck of the woods.
Yet common sense, logic and wisdom state that healthy eating consists mainly of eating less commercially mandated, highly packaged, food mile-laden fare. The best exercise comes from living life to the full out in the open air rather than driving to a swish gym. The most eco-friendly action is not to buy that new gadget that promises to turn your home into a lean, green, Earth-saving machine.
Health and wellness products have their place. But if nutrition, exercise, serenity and ecological harmony are the goal, perhaps it is better to plant a modest food garden. It's virtually free and potentially self-perpetuating, provides organic nutrition, hale activity, spiritual satisfaction and a legion of ecological benefits. Though there is nothing wrong with spending money or marketing hype on well-being, it's good to remember that nature belongs to everyone. And it costs nothing.
The image is from ecofilms.com.au's documentary of the food forest at Tagari, the farm cultivated by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison. What is so remarkable about Tagari is that the food forest became even more productive after being abandoned for several years - a true test of sustainability. While one may argue that starting up a garden costs money, it is equally true that it can be done resourcefully on a shoestring, that many plants can be propagated for free and, ultimately, the yield of perennial plants far outweighs expenditure.
No comments:
Post a Comment