Following an inch of rain last night -
Hallelujah! -
I was pulling unwanted growth
from the stone path
that
leads
to
the
front porch
when I heard a racket over to my left.
A bright green cicada had been attacked.
The predator was gorgeous too:
deep maroon and black body, the shape of a dragonfly’s -
only thicker and longer;
separated, deep black, bug-out eyes,
like a damselfly;
long, spiky legs,
like a robber wasp.
The cicada had succumbed.
I didn’t have my camera to capture it,
so I caught it in a small plastic tub,
which was not good for the insect.
As I observed,
it stared at me with
penetrating eyes.
I let it go immediately.
Can’t name it.
So can’t learn about it.
So can’t understand it
except to say
everyone eats.
Making the changes necessary to live sustainably is getting exciting. More time and attention required, but worth it – not because we’ll benefit materially, but “worth it” because we care about creation and all that entails.
Ours is the transition phase. Living sustainably will benefit creation, including our children and grandchildren. It’s a spiritual motivation that compels us, step-by-step, to make changes in the way we live, so that others will also, so that God’s blessing of creation will thrive. The more physical work is “worth” the soulful fulfillment.
The changes required for sustainable farming are mind-boggling, for they require a fundamental shift – a paradigm shift – in thinking and in the system. The resulting change in practices requires, like everything, a process. In Oklahoma we are fortunate to have the great work of the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Poteau, to help us make the shift in thinking and do the practical work of making systematic changes. Check out their website for a wealth of information about programs that help the farmer and the community.
A great resource is a book The Next Green Revolution ; Essential Steps to a Healthy, Sustainable Agriculture written by James Horne, President of the Kerr Center, and Maura McDermott, Communications Director there. They explain the history of how we got so far from sustainable practices, help us understand the difference in thinking between industrial and sustainable agriculture and outline the eight steps to take to begin to make the changes. It’s available from their website.
I started vermi-composting last fall and have found it to be very interesting and easy.
You order worms over the internet — there are several locations. I prefer one close to my home to cut down on the shipping time.
Then you make a bed out of shredded paper. Newspaper is great if you can find pages without colored ink. Then you feed them kitchen scraps. A pound of worms can eat a pound of food a day. You don’t have to feel guilty about throwing out spoiled or uneaten food.
In a few months you will have worm castings, which is the best kind of compost for your garden or house plants. Give it a try. It’s lots of fun and beneficial.
There is a book, Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhoff. It has all the information you need.
Also the benefits are listed below. They come from the following website: www.highcountryconservation.com
Benefits to worm composting:
- Worm composting is faster than backyard composting and can work year-round with no changes
- Some consider worm castings (another name for the compost they create) to be even more fertile than typical backyard compost
- Worm bins can be kept in very small spaces indoors, so people without yards can do it– it is great for apartment/condo dwellers and classrooms!
- Compost tea (the liquid produced during the process) is easy to “harvest” from most worm bins and can be used on houseplants (or any other plants) as a liquid fertilizer
- Kids love it!
- They are the easiest pets to care for! You can go on vacation for 2 weeks without getting a “worm sitter!” (If you are leaving for a month or more, you will need to have someone come and feed them every 2 weeks though.)
- Many people concerned about pests getting into their outdoor bin like keeping the indoor worm bin
- There is less maintenance involved– no mixing needed!
