Author: Farmer Karl, Executive Director, Eden Streets
May 30, 2024
To celebrate Earth Day 2024, Eden Streets offered a nation-wide micro-grant to farmers who 1) videoed themselves reading The Declaration of Common Ground, 2) became a member of Eden Streets, and 3) submitted an answer to the question in 100 words or less, “What does it mean to be a farmer?” We are excited to announce our micro-grant winner and runner up to that micro-grant!
Adrienne Scott-Ellis, Executive Director of Sowing Seeds of Change, won first place with Chance Prophet Petit honorably mentioned as runner-up. The $500 award was presented at a celebration dinner at Adrienne’s favorite restaurant near the community garden she manages.
Here’s what Adrienne wrote about what it means to be a farmer.
Farmer - A Cultivator of Life
“To be a farmer means to be the cultivator of life.
To be an individual that possesses the character trait of optimism.
One who cherishes experimentation.
One who is patient, yet eager to spring into action.
A farmer is observant and desires to meet the needs of each plant.
A farmer is excited over simplicity yet awe struck by the potential held within each seed.
A farmer is humbled by the complexity of the interconnections of life and energy.”
by Adrienne Scott-Ellis
Chance Prophet Petit
Farmer - A Partner with Nature
“A Farmer - It's a relationship or partnership -
Either way it's a ship that's going somewhere and I'm along for the ride
Where I am the borrower,
And nature is the lender.
Where I am the student,
And it is the teacher.
Where I'm taught life lessons in all four seasons,
In every cycle of growth.
The patience, the hard work, and the beauty of it all
Having abundance, more than enough
Exhibiting mutual care, respect, and cooperation
I'm only a helping hand in the overall design of the Creator's plan…
A farmer.”
by Shanquette ‘Chance’ Prophet Petit
Inspiring Farmers in Their Life-Promoting Work
Exploring the question "What does it mean to be a farmer?" reveals the many inspiring reasons more people might aspire to this vital role. The health and well-being of our families and communities lie in the hands of farmers. Farming is not just a job; it’s a lifestyle dedicated to providing healthy food to communities. Here are some dimensions of the life-promoting roles that farmers play.
John Kempf, Advancing Eco Agriculture
A Grower of Food as Medicine
John Kempf, Executive Director of Advancing Eco Agriculture, and host of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, states, “The foundational purpose of agriculture is to grow nutritious food and healthy fiber.” Farmers bear a significant role and responsibility for public nutrition and health. What if nutritious food as medicine were considered a national security priority, and producers were directed and compensated for producing food with a positive impact on public health?” By growing wholesome food, farmers not only provide nutrition but also preventive medicine that strengthens immune systems and fortifies against disease.
A Regenerator of Soils and Earth’s Vitality
Kempf continues, “Practicing agriculture by managing plant nutritional integrity fundamentally drives regenerating soils. The best news is, when you increase photosynthesis, you cannot prevent yields from increasing. Healthy plants with abundant energy levels will produce more fruit, seeds, and vegetative biomass.”
Bharat Mansata
A Caretaker of the Earth
In his book The Vision of Natural Farming, Bharat Mansata emphasizes Earth care, describing “farming as a dharma, a sacred path of serving Nature and fellow creatures. A natural farmer is conscious of an unfailing intelligence that governs all living processes. Natural farming and spiritual health go hand in hand, each helping the other in a unified evolutionary process.” The Warli nation, for example, acted as stewards of the Earth, preserving the integrity of creation. Farmers, therefore, are conservators of Nature, driven by compassion and respect for the well-being of all.
Mahatma Gandhi
A Provider for Future Generations
Mahatma Gandhi, revered as the father of modern India, was deeply concerned about sustainable agriculture. In Mahatma Gandhi’s Vision of Agriculture, he stated that “to be a farmer is to meet one’s needs without stealing from future generations.” He advocated for farming that harmonizes with nature, uses resources sustainably, and protects against market vulnerabilities.
Rudolf Steiner
Restorer of the Balance
Rudolf Steiner encouraged farmers to view the farm as an interconnected whole. He taught that “a farm is an organism” where farmers apply universal principles based on the specific conditions and challenges they face. Steiner emphasized “As a rule, the act of farming commits you to refrain from causing damage and to focus on grasping Nature’s wise laws and morally respecting them. Man is seen as part of nature and not as working against nature. [The farmer] restores balance going beyond Nature by helping it, by supporting its evolution, to obtain a more fertile land that is richer with life.”
“Farmer Karl” Ebeling, Eden Streets
A Co-Creator with the Creator
Based on my years of working the soil growing plants, I find great joy in this meaningful career of farming. I have the privilege of working with the Creator as co-creator of life, beauty, and food. In the process of farming, Nature energizes me; it re-creates me! I feel the “life-force” channel through me as I directly engage in the process of bringing forth more life. A farmer prepares the means whereby and an environment wherein living organisms may grow more abundantly. In this sense, the farmer orchestrates and conducts within ecosystems to initiate and enhance growth to realize a harvest. That harvest is not limited to food, fiber, or seed, but also includes relaunched lives.
To be a Farmer
Growing food is a privilege, a joy, and a sacred responsibility. The health and well-being of our families, communities, and planet lie in the hands of farmers. For those who farm or aspire to farm, may these roles inspire you in your work:
Cultivator of Life
Partner with Nature
Grower of Food as Preventive Medicine
Regenerator of Soils
Promoter of Earth’s Vitality
Caretaker of the Earth
Provider for Future Generations
Restorer of Balance
Co-Creator with the Creator
Eden Streets is committed to supporting you in these meaningful, life-creating endeavors. We promote community-based agriculture that grows food, builds community, and relaunches lives.
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