A Most Magical Day

While Dan is off in Charleston collecting images for his next painting series, I was whisked away by Ridge for an afternoon outing.  First the new IMAX movie, Born to Be Wild 3D, followed by a leisurely stroll through the Rose Garden at Exposition Park.  What could be better?

Okay, it's official....I'm a big crybaby.  My tear ducts are very close to the surface where animals are concerned and this was no exception.  No, I didn't have to resort to the two packs of travel tissues I brought, but I was discreetly wiping tears away from behind my ever so attractive 3D glasses.  Maybe it was the trailer for the polar bear movie, maybe it was the magnificent Morgan Freeman's narration, or maybe I'm just a goof.  No matter, the movie itself was a joy.

Angels truly walk among us.....or, in this case, among the orphaned elephants and orangutans.   Elephant expert, Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya and primatologist, Dr. Birute Galdikas in Borneo have spent their lives rescuing, rehabilitating, and returning elephants (Sheldrick) and orangutans (Galdikas) to the wild.  Heartwarming, moving, and thought-provoking, this is a must see for anyone who loves animals and is outraged by poaching and the disappearing rain forests.

 

You now exit the IMAX theater via the upper level where you can fully appreciate the awe-inspiring dichroic skylight in the central pavilion.  After winding our way up to the top of the Science Center and observing a young man test his balance on the high wire bicycle, we made our way back down to the ground floor and out to the Exposition Rose Garden.   Ridge and I were trying to estimate the size of the garden and came to the conclusion it has to be well over 2 acres.  Brides and young women celebrating their Quinceanera posed for photos, lovers wandered past the fountain holding hands, and young children ran laughing wildly.  And to top it all off, an explosion of color and fragrance abounded thanks to the stars of the show. 

As we were leaving, I noticed a monument at the edge of the garden that read, "Flowers are the poetry of the Earth as stars are the poetry of Heaven."  How perfect is that?  As perfect as my day.  To my dear friend, Ridge, thank you for a most magical day!

Eggshell Seed Starters

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  The first time I tried this it failed....miserably.  In fact, it failed so badly I wondered if we had to survive on anything I grew from seeds if we would make it through the first season.  Truth be told, the seeds were probably old and hadn't been stored proper- ly.  The second time with new seeds, however, worked like a charm.

One Sunday morning I was making breakfast and as I was cracking eggs in the bowl I got the idea to use eggshells as seed starters.  I've never liked the little black plastic things you buy at the garden center and certainly didn't want them sitting on my kitchen windowsill.  Little egg shells cradled in their carton would look much more cheerful.

I've always had a fondness for nasturtiums and sweet peas.  They were the first seeds I planted in the backyard when I bought my first house.  Nasturtiums never fail to bring a smile to my face when I see them and sweet peas have the most intoxicating aroma and have always attracted hummingbirds to my gardens.  As I wasn't sure how this experiment would turn out, I only planted three shells of nasturtiums and three of sweet peas.  Within ten days, the nasturtiums had pushed through the surface and the sweet peas followed a few days later.

If you want to give this a try, it's incredibly easy.  With a sharp knife, gently tap around the top of the egg.  Once you break through, carefully pick off enough of the shell to empty the contents.  From there, continue to pick off a fair amount of shell so that the opening is large enough to fill easily with potting soil.  Before you fill it with soil, rinse out the shell and let it air dry.  After filling the shells 3/4 full with potting soil, place two seeds in each shell and water.  A tablespoon of water a day seemed to be just the right amount for germination.  Simply place the shells in a warm, sunny location and the seedlings should sprout in the time indicated on the seed packet.  You may need to water the seedlings more as they grow.  As soon as they are well established, transplant to a pot, window box, or flower bed.

Nasturtiums and sweet peas in my first garden

The mantra in our home is "Grow baby, grow" as opposed to "Drill baby, drill". 

Save the Farm: A Documentary

My new issue of Urban Farm (March/April) arrived yesterday.  As I quickly flipped through it, I noticed a blurb about the documentary, Save the Farm (Cinema Libre Studio, 2010).  The documentary recounts the 2006 battle over the South Central Farm in Los Angeles County.

We were living in Southern California at the time and I remember news broadcasts with clips of Daryl Hannah, Danny Glover, and other celebrity activists at the farm, but truth be told, that was during a phase of my life when I rarely pulled my head out of the mayonnaise jar.  In other words, I had yet to see the light in regard to healthy living, sustainability, and urban farming.

To offer a brief background of the situation, in 1987, the city of Los Angeles paid developer Ralph Horowitz $4.7 million for his abandoned industrial property at 41st and South Alameda.  Mayor Bradley spearheaded efforts which provided the community access to the land for the purpose of growing food in one of the attempts to revitalize South Los Angeles after the 1992 riots.

The South Central Farm was 14 acres, equal to 12 football fields, and was divided into 350 plots which were assigned to individual families to tend and grow food.  All the methods used on the farm were natural and organic, using no pesticides.  The farm provided the only green space in the heavily industrialized and rail-based Alameda corridor.

In an area known for its lack of healthy food options, these garden plots provided many lower income families their only access to affordable organic produce.  In addition to generating food for the area, the farm provided a community center and park.  South Central Farm was one of the most successful city projects, operating without a budget or funding from the city except for the land use.  These gardens enabled the families to supplement their income in addition to significantly reducing their own food expenses.

 It is estimated there were between 100-150 varieties of plants and 500 mature fruit trees grown on the site, most of which were indigenous to Mesoamerica.  Since many of the residents didn't have health care provided through their employers, they grew medicinal plants and herbs as well.  As one woman in the movie states, it was not just about growing food, it was about passing on culture and tradition. 

Ralph Horowitz sued the city three times to get the land back and in each case, the court ruled against him.  For unknown reasons, however, the city decided to sell the land back to Horowitz in 2003 for $5 million even though the land at the time was estimated to be worth between $13-20 million.  The decision to sell the property back to Mr. Horowitz was not made public.

After all injunctions to save the farm had expired, on March 5, 2006 the community farmers received an official notice to vacate from the sheriff's department.  On May 24, 2006 the farmers received their final eviction notice.  The LAPD was then free to force them off the land they had farmed for upwards of thirteen years.

This documentary recounts the struggle of the farmers, community, and activists to save what was then the largest urban farm in the nation.  It reflects the spirit and commitment of a community and their attempt to protect the plot of land that had become an integral part of the South Central landscape.

I truly regret the fact my interest in urban agriculture and healthy living came too late for me to participate in the effort to save the farm.  As the one young activist says in the film, she had never been arrested and didn't know what to expect., but she was proud despite her mother yelling at her.  If I had been in attendance and confronted with an arrest, I too would have been proud....and yes, my mother probably would have yelled at me too.

The short documentary is well worth watching for anyone concerned with urban farming, sustainability, or environmental issues.  The movie is available for viewing online free of charge at www.savethefarmmovie.com and www.hulu.com.  Additional information regarding the farms can be found at www.southcentralfarmers.com