Organic Farming in France

Dear Friends,

Now that the weekend has passed and we have all had sufficient rest, we can dive back into this agricultural adventure and think about what is going on here at the Moulin Ruel.

Though I spent the majority of my time last week with Alain, pursuing major projects like the hay and wood harvests, I recently discovered the joys of gardening. With Christine as my guide, I have spent the last two days moving around the garden and learning about what’s been planted, why, and how. I really think that words do not do justice to the exultation that follows thrusting a pitchfork into the dark, rich earth, lifting with great force, and seeing fingerling potatoes emerge from the ground like nuggets of gold. Likewise, a description does not fully capture tha amazment that follows cutting  a fresh head of lettuce and viewing creamy white syrup dripping from its roots (which gives it the name “laitue” as in the French “lait” for milk). It really is  a primordial and magical experience to take seeds harvested from the previous year and watch them grow into the very foods that nourish our bodies.

Fancy descriptions aside, it is both curious and frightening that a process as simple as growing plants has has become so very optional that the majority of Americans have never gardened themselves. Though it is the very basis of our existence, whether it feeds the animals we eat or produces the vegetables/fruit we consume, gardening and agriculture (essentially gardening on a large-scale) are distanced from the average individual. I, for one, have lived for nineteen years before even considering where my food came from…

So, if we can all agree or at least observe that Americans are not really connected to their food supply, maybe one way to breach the gap would be trying to grow a plant to consume this very summer. When I asked Christine what might be a good, beginner’s garden, she had three suggestions in mind:

1.) Tomatoes are an excellent first plant to grow because they are so widely available and can be eaten raw. Though she started her own plants from the previous year’s seeds, you can easily buy a plant now, plant it, and eat your own tomatoes later this summer. (http://gardening.about.com/od/growingtips/tp/Tomato_Tips.htm)

2.) Potatoes, surprisingly, are another good place to begin. Having purchased some budded potatoes (or having rescued that decrepid spud budding somewhere in your garage), you can prepare the earth for a line of potatoes by aggressively turning over the soil, inserting manure (if attainable and palatable), and planting the buds with a hefty covering on top. (http://www.ames.com/fingerlingpotato.html)

3.) Christine’s final suggestion was to try greenbeans. They are another summer favorite that can be enjoyed right off the plant. (http://www.greenbeansnmore.com/how-to-grow-green-beans.html)

Finally, if you are reading through this page and thinking that gardening is too much work, there are four good reasons why you should consider breaking into the earth this very week:

- Homegrown vegetables taste way better. I can say without any hesitation that the products I have consumed here this summer are better than those at home.

- Growing your own food is way cheaper. Instead of buying gas and paying for pricey store veggies, why not save money by growing your own food. All you need is a plant and your backyard.

- Homegrown foods are better for the environment. When you eat your own foods, you are not consuming vegetables from out of season that were shipped from California or the Middle East. That means way less fossil fuel consumption.

- Gardening is a great way to get outdoors and to relieve stress. Though work might be hard, you can always have the satisfaction of sinking a shovel into the earth or picking a homegrown tomato to brighten your day.

So, I truly hope you might consider growing at least one plant this summer. Who knows, it might spark your fascination, make you consider a new profession, or change your perception. And if not, the worst thing that happens is you know gardening isn’t for you. Give it a shot!

Faithfully yours,

Andrew

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 4:22 pm by Andrew Bostick '12 and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.