[GJM] Fw: [globalnetnews-summary] Food crisis threatens 100m: UN

[mary rose]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arlie Haig" <ajhaig at sonic.net>
To: "mary rose" <maryrose333 at att.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: [globalnetnews-summary] Food crisis threatens 100m: UN


> Hi MR,
> In 2003 I became the coordinator for a community garden my friend began,
> with spaces for approx 19 families.
> In 2006 I started another near my house, and with an expansion this year
> we have 18 families, plus a large space for the afterschool program and
> neighborhood kids to participate during summer. I built a hoop greenhouse
> with some grant money and all the gardeners contribute to the care and
> maintenance.
> We have gotten a few grants, and the City of Santa Rosa helps in the
> second garden as it is on land they don't have the money to develop into a
> park
> The city also bought an old farm and now it is being run by LandPaths as a
> community garden and gardening training center.
> So, it is happening at the local level, expecially here in No CA. If
> anyone wants hints about how we organized it, I would be happy to reply.
> Thanks for the work and inspiration you contribute online Mary Rose.
> Arlie

Arlie, this is fabulous and exactly what we need re: your willingness to
share
how this was accomplished.  It is the networking that is going to get us
through
this.

However, I do want to emphasize something else.  While raising food is a
good
place to begin to bring the community together, let me suggest that there is
more
involved here.

May I ask if your group as yet has considered how they are going to protect
their food supply when gangs of drug addicts and those who are uneducable
invade your neighborhood and try to take your food supply away from you
because they have none?  Have you figured out a way to handle those in your
community who will be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder? What
about those who are ill and for whom there are no medications as the health
care system breaks down?

These are just a few of the many things you will quite probably be faced 
with
as we go deeper into the chaos. But one of the reasons I chose all three of
these is that they can all be effectively addressed through the art of Tai 
Chi
and Qi Gong as it is a healing modality as well as a martial arts form
with which one can protect oneself without resorting to weapons.

Tai Chi has proven to be effective in treating post-traumatic stress
disorder, and as well it builds and strengthens the immune system.
And one is keeping one's body fit and toned.  So, it would be good
to try and set up classes in these arts for the families you are involved
with. Get these young people involved in Tai Chi - Qi Gong rather
than in the competitive Western sports such as baseball, football, etc.
Recall that Tai Chi has been proven to improve one's learning abilities,
so it is a whole body enhancement.

May I also suggest that someone in your group study the raising and
use of herbal medicines, and then train others in the group.  As we
see breakdowns in supply lines, the customary pharmaceuticals
may not always be available, and there will be a need for emergency
medications as well.  So, be prepared in this respect.

Also, take great pains to learn how to eat in a healthy manner.Researchers
have discovered it is difficult for disease to live in a pH balanced body.
So paying attention to foods that are neither to alkaline or too acidic when
selecting what to eat is a good idea.  This too appears to strengthen the
immune system and ward off disease.

One other thing I would like to mention is understanding how to create
a local currency system.  As unemployment rises, it will be necessary
to create a means for people who are unemployed to trade occasional
work for food and other services.  Delinking from the national economy
will be important in order for the local community to keep from going
down with the ship.  So, there are programs like TIME Hours that can
accomplish this.  One of the things that a local currency system does is
get us out of the bind that the Global Monetocracy System
places us in, e.g., paying interest, etc.  So, in many ways, the current 
crisis
can be beneficial for us if we know how to manage it using local currency
to do so.  One of the things with local currency is that it keeps the 
currency
supply within the community -- it is not "skimmed off" as it is when one is
using national currency. But, of course, this is why the GMS will try to
keep communities from using local currency.  However, since it may be
the only survival route, people will find ways of doing this under the
counter in order to survive.

You know, I think these hoop greenhouses are great although the plastic
parts may not be the best for the environment.  However, if for any reason
your community is forced to migrate the hoop greenhouses can be rolled
up and moved with little effort whereas the conventional style create
difficulties in this regard.  You know, we really have to think about all of
the angles here since we are faced with so many unprecedented and
unknown challenges.

And, that reminds me of something else -- try and get everyone in your
neighborhood to "retrofit" their homes to be more energy efficient.  I
read just yesterday that if all of us would exchange just a couple bulbs
in our home for the new energy efficient ones,  this small change
alone would be equivalent to taking 8 million cars off of the road
annually.  There really is so much that we can do as individuals just
by taking small steps initially and then increasing them as we learn
more each day.

Would that we could only clone you, Arlie. You are a gem and I know
that your community will get through this better than most as you actively
lead the way. .

with love and in gratitude for all that you do, and all that we do together.

mary rose

We must be the change we wish to see in our lives.     .    .   .  .   .   .



> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "mary rose" <maryrose333 at att.net>
> To: <discussion at globaljusticemovement.net>; <FixGov at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:24 PM
> Subject: Fw: [globalnetnews-summary] Food crisis threatens 100m: UN
>
>
>> This crisis demands that people everywhere begin to raise
>> their own food and stop relying on world trade networks
>> to provide what can be produced at home.
>>etc...
>