Will Our Children Ever Forgive Us?

I held off on this post until I actually finished this fascinating book.  "Living Downstream" by Sandra Steingraber was a phenomenal book that scared the hell out of me, made me cringe, made me angry, made me cry, and most of all made me stop and evaluate pretty well every part of my life.  In this book she beautifully intertwines the science behind the toxins in our world with her own personal story.  We hear how the chemicals we put on our land to control pests or weeds or any number of things, as well as the toxins and waste that are dumped in our landfills among other places effect us on a cellular level.  She talks about the research process and the legislation that has been passed.  She talks about the people that have been effected by it all.  Everything from the ground to our food to our air to our water has been effected.  It doesn't paint a pretty picture for our future.

I found myself asking time and time again about the cost of such practices. (The practices of growing only one government subsidized crop which requires the use of more and more fertilizers and pesticides, the practice of creating genetically engineered crops because the amount of pesticides and fertilizers needed is killing the strains we have, the practice of allowing even "low levels" of certain toxins in our water supply or air, the practice of burning our waste which releases newer and uglier toxins into the air etc, etc, etc.)  How will we recover from such damage?  Is it even possible to recover from the damage we've already done?  How have we so completely lost sight of our neighbors and children to allow for this?  Why is this information not more commonly known?  Will our children ever forgive us?

Maybe most importantly, this book has caused me to think of my children.  Granted I don't have any children, but one day I will and I worry about the world I will bring them into.  Not only is it the world I will bring them into but the world that will be effecting them before they are even born, that will be seeping into their blood and tissue and impacting their future development.  I feel helpless to this fact.  Simply by living and breathing and being in a place that has potential toxins lurking around every corner as well as having a body which could very well be full of those same toxins just ready to strike both myself or my unborn children is enough to make me weep.  And yet, I'm not powerless.  Changing all of this is a daunting task but it is possibly the only task worth pursuing other than for the sheer question: Will our children ever forgive us?

Questions, Questions, Questions

Yesterday, in Grand Forks we found an amazing co-op.  They had beautiful fresh in season vegetables, local and sustainable cheeses, tons of fun grains and pretty much anything I'd ever wanted in a store ever.  It was so much fun to wander around and hear a few details about becoming a member of the co-op and what that could mean for us.  Not sure if we'll do it, but it's something to think about once we know a little more about fresh, local, organic, sustainable food options in our area.  So that was super exciting and I was able to make an amazing meal with all those fresh ingredients along with the beef I found at our local butcher shop.  Not sure how "sustainably" raised the beef was, I'll have to ask when I'm in next, but it was certainly the tastiest beef I've had in a long long long time.

That question is one of many I have had over the last week.  Driving back and forth to Cavalier as well as Grand Forks from Hallock I've had a lot of time to view this beautiful land with it's rich black soil just start to wake up and prepare for growing season.  It's a beautiful place really.  Not as striking and majestic as the Rockies or Appalachians or as haunting and isolated as sprawling forests.  It's even a land that most people would dread driving through; being so flat with seemingly endless fields.  But it's hauntingly beautiful and I know that in the summer each field will have its own unique tint and shape and movement.  This land that we will be so closely connected to for the next two years at the least could have a huge impact on our lives.  No, we won't be farming it.  Instead, our livelihood will be provided for by those who do.  Every breath we breath, every ounce of water and every inch of our home will be connected to those fields.  With the reading I've been doing, I'm realizing how incredibly connected we will be to those fields and the processing plants in the area.  It's brought up a lot of questions.  What kinds of pesticides and fertilizers are used on the fields in the area?  What kinds of farming practices take place?  Do they rotate crops which helps to care for the soil they so greatly depend on?  Where does our water come from?  And what do the answers to the previous questions mean for our water?   I look forward to getting to know the farmers and other people in town who may have some answers. 

The Woes of Hallock

I absolutely love Hallock, which is great since I will soon be living here.  It's a great small town where everyone is personable and caring and pretty much wonderful.  That being said, Hallock is a small, small town.  We do have a grocery store, which is a bit of a luxury but the food option is not always what I've come to know and love.  With my endeavor to live sustainably, I've realized that until summer and the growth of personal gardens and farmers markets in surrounding towns that fresh, local, organic food that has not been transported for hundreds and hundreds of miles is quite difficult.  Our fresh produce is rather limited and often is not as fresh as one would hope.  All these things combined, eating sustainably is virtually impossible or at the very least I will need to be more creative during the harsh winter months.

In meeting with a local pastor this week, she informed me of an organic co-op/grocery store in Grand Forks which I'm going to check out later this week when I head into town.  This may become an option for more sustainable foods until we can get a garden going or get other local produce.  This also creates an interesting dilemma though.  In going to Grand Forks, which we do relatively regularly anyway, we are able to get local, sustainable and organic produce but we are also taking business away from the local grocery store which is important for the sustainability of the town.  It's something Frank and I will have to balance and figure out as we move forward with living sustainably.

Sustainability

No more plastic or paper bags.  No more chemicals, pesticides or antibiotics.  No more produce that has traveled half way around the world.  But plenty of tastiness!

That's right, I'm attempting to live as sustainably as possible.  Well maybe it's not sustainable living as much as it is sustainable eating.  Last week I decided on my care of creation project for my class and will attempt to spend the next 9 weeks if not longer living as sustainably as possible. 

That being said, sustainable eating is proving more difficult than I originally thought.  It's not quite spring and the farmer's markets and local food are not easy to find.  I also had just grocery shopped right before I decided on this care of creation.  So for now I'm finishing up the food I have.  Since I can't get fresh local produce yet, I'll be eating organic and only seasonal fruits and vegetables.  As far as meat goes, I'll be going to the farmer's market to see the local farmers most of which maintain sustainable practices.  Plus the meat is so much tastier than what you can buy in the store.  I'm also going to try to reduce the amount of packaging I bring home.  No more plastic or paper bags for this girl!

We'll see how this goes, but I look forward to reducing the number of antibiotics, pesticides and other chemicals that we all ingest on a regular basis.  I also look forward to supporting local farmers who care for their animals, their produce and their land.  And finally I look forward to eating all the tasty fresh picked vegetables as they come in season and the delicious fresh meat.

Here We Go!

Well here I am again attempting to keep up with a blog.  This time, I have a class that is requiring me to journal about the books/articles we read and our experience with a care of creation practice.  After thinking about this, I decided I'd give an online format a shot.  I'm really excited about the class and where it will lead me.

Over the past year or so I've become increasingly interested in God's creation and how I am connected to it.  That includes of course care of myself along with the environment.  This class seems to fit right into this new way of thinking that I've been exploring and I look forward to learning and growing deeper into the care and exploration of this world we all inhabit.

So stick with me and I'll share my musings and experiences of God's beautiful creation.