Yesh Meain

It’s still winter in Israel but you wouldn’t be able to tell, with 90 degree days and me already having a beach weekend under my belt. I’m in my third week at Yesh Meain, the permaculture ecological center near Haifa. My days are filled with a variety of activities, my favorite being my daily snacking on passion fruit from the vine outside the salon. As for my schedule here, we start our mornings at 8am with a meeting to discuss the current projects. Sometimes participating in these projects means I plant a new bed of seedlings in some sort of permaculture design or companion planting, or bake sourdough bread for the community, or learn some new ecological component. Today it was making summer seed balls (little clay balls filled with seeds that can be planted or used in guerrilla gardening) to sell at this Saturday’s exchange market. Yesh Meain is wonderful magical place designed of cobb buildings, compost toilets, grey water collection systems, and bountiful gardens. It’s not a very big farm as it’s situated on one parcel of land in a moshav called Nahalal but there is so much going on, from the monthly exchange market, as mentioned before, to educational workshops, and school tours. But it’s not just and educational center, it’s also an intentional community.

From our morning meeting we choose our daily tasks. Our schedules are very flexible here as the motto of the farm encompasses “sustainability”. This motto not only embodies ecological functions but also a personal sustainable environment. Everyone puts in the amount of work they feel like putting in each day. If I need a break, a snack, a nap..I take one. Whenever I feel like it. This may seem like a surprising method to live by as the general assumption would be that people would take advantage of such freedoms but some how everyone knows their responsibilities and there is trust in a community like this that says, "if I can’t accomplish my task someone will take up my slack, and I will do the same for them”. Currently there are four volunteers including myself plus four permanent volunteers living and working here. It’s actually a small amount of people compared to what Yesh Meain has held in the past. But it is slower days here because of winter and Merav (the owner of the land/center) is pregnant and getting ready to deliver soon. This “sustainable” lifestyle, without stress and with such a supportive environment has been such a healthy place for me.

Another exciting thing going on in my life is that I’ve been working very hard on becoming a certified holistic health coach. I’m halfway through my course work, which means I am now able to see clients. I’ve been learning such powerful ideas about food and lifestyle choices and how they affect our nutrition and health. We are all biologically individualistic which means there is not just one answer, one diet, one lifestyle, that is right for everyone. It takes investigation and exploration to discover what works best for each person. But with just a couple improvements in our daily choices dramatic changes can occur. So if you are interested or know anybody that could use some help in improving their health I’m giving free consultations while I’m currently still in school…so let me know!

Israel

I’ve been back in Israel for a week now….exploring, learning, revisiting. It’s been amazing. I’m currently staying in Bet Zait, which is a beautiful neighborhood outside of Jerusalem. Technically it is winter here, but in Israel, winter is when all the rains come and everything turns green and flowers. In fact Tu B’Shvat is the upcoming holiday, also know as the New Year’s for the trees because now is the time when the almond trees develop their blossoms. There is a beautiful seder for Tu B’Shvat which involves the four seasons and the mixing of red and white wine; very Kabbalistic but everyone here recognizes it. But back to my current home, Bet Zait. This neighborhood is also home to an ancient archeological site, no not ancient Hebrews, but dinosaurs. It’s funny to me how much is in Israel within such a small space. Yigal’s friends are generously letting us crash in their guesthouse here. They just recently adopted 6 acres of land, it’s definitely a fixer-upper, but this place is really special as it has over a hundred different types of fruit trees, mostly citrus, growing on it. A few days ago I helped them start a new vegetable garden near the house. It was wonderful to get my hands dirty and my body active again.
I also recently visited my old farm in Modi’in, Chava V’Adam, and helped out in the gardens there. And it was really amazing to see all the changes that were accomplished during this last semester….A addition to the kitchen, a medicinal herb garden, and a new shower floor for the outdoor shower. Visiting made me realize how much I missed my fellow Ecos and how much I missed eating farm food…whole grains…lots of veggies.

Next week I head up to the north to start working on the permaculture farm in Nahalal. I’m very excited to begin this new chapter and hopefully eat lots more organic veggies.

I’m still continuing my studies with IIN. It’s been amazing how quickly it’s all going. I’ve learned so much already and I can’t wait for more lessons. I’ve listened to such inspiring lectures by some of the greats like David Wolf, Marion Nestle, and Joshua Rosenthal.

Wild Geese

There is a great exodus taking place all around me on the farm. Every morning that I am in the field I hear them, the wild geese flying south for the winter. They are passing through by the thousands, over head and to the side. I hear them in the distance and always take a moment from my harvesting to look up and observe them as they fly by me. So many of them the sound of their wings can be frightening.

When I was in Israel a good friend gave me a wonderful present, a beautiful poem she inscribed on a treasured rock. The poem was Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"
In dedication to my new field companions and their journey I am posting it here.

Wild Geese
by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Sunrises

How many sunrises have I seen since I began at Brook Farm? 8 weeks worth...And they have been some of the most beautiful I have seen in my life.

Rooting

Harvesting storage turnips

The first frost has come with all its frigged rain, and now we begin the great root harvest. We've begun collecting everything from carrots, beets, and turnips for storage in the cooler. And we'll distribute them over the next month to members. Something I learned today in my nutrition studies, when you eat roots they help ground and stabilize you. If you're filled with nervous energy, there's nothing better than to eat a sweet potato. In cold weather roast your roots, this helps to add heat and density to your veggies.

Flower Arranging

One of the tasks I've been given on harvest days (Tuesday and Saturday) now is to lead a group of volunteers into our zinnia and cosmo flower beds and demonstrate the art of flower arranging. I find it very enjoyable teaching the adult volunteers a new skill they have never had. Basically I lead them into the fields give them a short set of instructions on cutting flowers, let them gather as many as they can, and then more instructions on how to arrange a bouquet. It does get tedious on the days that we need 50+ bouquets. I'm no flower specialist but I do have a fair bit of experience in the area and what is always surprising to me is floral design does not come naturally to everyone. During our small workshop as I watch over the final arrangement of the bouquets, I am always surprised at who is talented at design and who is not. And the best part is that most of the time not all the members pick up a bouquet at distribution so there are always leftover flowers that I go crazy with in decorating the house.


An extra floral bonus at distribution


A lovely bouquet of cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers

Autumn

Indian Summer is here. I’m not sure how long it will last but the leaves on the trees are already changing to their yellows, oranges, and reds. It is an absolutely gorgeous site to see the mountain of Mohonk with its lush forests go through this ancient autumn passage. The summer plants, tomatoes, squashes, and peppers are finishing up and it is now time for the brasicas to mature. We’ve already got tons of kale, collards, bok choy, and broccoli on the way. Everyday I try and incorporate as much as I can into my daily diet from this harvest of plenty. You could say I am nourishing my body and spirit by being here.