Fall 2008 - Publisher's Pick

Eat Fresh - Eat at Locals

...at harvest time. Can you feel the buzz of energy coming off the ripe fruit and berries, the fresh vegetables, the excitement of Fall Fair competition homemade jams, preserved fruit and fresh baking? These simple pleasures, like a cool swim at the local swimming hole, create lasting family memories and memorable stories for children to share back at school. Dietary habits are shifting, and transportation networks enable us to buy fruits and vegetables from all over the planet for a price.

We need to ask whether those far away "unseen" farms use dangerous pesticides and chemicals, or genetically modified (GMO) seed. These practices raise important nutritional and health questions. Fruit and vegetables can be genetically modified to ripen faster, resist travel dam-age, and enable transport to distant locations with less spoilage (and perhaps less taste, texture, and nutrition as well). Corn is one commonly modified product (GMO). It is difficult to find non GMO corn in the stores (as related by Percy Schmeiser, a farmer from Saskatchewan, who told his story in Courtenay recently; he was relentlessly persecuted by the GMO "monster" Monsanto).

Our natural preference is for organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables, which have superior colour and taste, as well as higher nutritional value. Most consumers also prefer buying locally grown products in season over exotic fruits and veggies that have travelled from afar and have lost nutrients and freshness during their ocean voy-age, long haul trucking, or expensive air shipping. Buying locally grown food with the assurance that the seed is not genetically modified (non GMO) is a shopper's guarantee for the best nutrition. You are what you eat!

ORGANICALLY GROWN FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HAVE SUPERIOR COLOUR AND TASTE AS WELL AS HIGHER NUTRITIONAL VALUE.

This trend is very apparent: Vancouver Island abounds with dedicated small and medium growers. It also manufactures secondary food products such as cheese, wine, bread (sound like a picnic?), and even fresh wheatgrass. These growers contribute to making our area a tourist "hotspot" known for unique quality and locally grown food. The whole of Vancouver Island has become a local food paradise, which fits nicely into the "Hundred Mile Diet" what would happen to the grocery store shelves if our main link to the mainland BC Ferries were cut off? Or if food costs escalated due to the price of gas? Obviously, having a reliable source of locally grown foods in season is an important security concern that is being addressed by our local growers. Also, interest in locally grown foods has created a whole new category of tourism for Vancouver Island. Farm visits and food and wine tasting make "agri-food" a cultural and targeted focus for the business development groups. We are definitely "on the map."

Fresh means better flavor, too. Dining on the "100 mile diet" is a sumptuous experience at Locals, a new gourmet hotspot in Courtenay, where well-known chef/owner Ronald St. Pierre has pledged to give preference to serving the best in locally grown organic produce and entrees. Many Valley people are not aware of the vast array of local products that are easily accessible. Locals facilitates closing the producer-consumer gap through its story telling on the menu, in the photo journey, and in the server's engagement. The concept of Locals and the 'New Provence' branding strategy also support the 'Hundred Mile Diet' food trend.

This is just the beginning! The concept and trend make sense! Why should food be shipped withering distances, with significant added cost, when we have excellent growers on Vancouver Island who can supply our needs with an immense diversity of tasty, freshly harvested fruits and veggies? The aim of the local grower is to deliver the food within twenty-four hours of harvest & fresh! Local growers will often welcome the consumer to visit the farm and purchase directly. You can't get much fresher than that unless you grow your own!

Another easy possibility is to "hand pick" your choice of fruit, veggies and locally made food products at the Saturday Farmers Market from the array of fresh picked bounty. The Farmers Market is an intense local experience! While there, you can chat with your neighbours, enjoy the entertainment, munch and taste; you can even dance to the music! No dress code, free entry for all, and the whole family will enjoy the outing. It is about good food, community and fun!

For even more adventure and fun family outings, take a look at the 2008 Comox Valley Growers Guide, available for free at the Farmers Market info table, or at the Visitors Centre downtown. Do a motor or cycle tour of the local farms see where your food is grown, meet and talk to the growers! This pamphlet lists all farms, where and who they are, what they grow, anticipated ripening dates, the hours of operation, and directions to the location.

Happy Fall Harvest and healthy eating!

Summer 2008 - Publisher's Pick

Grief & Gifts - by Anna Klassen

What is grief? We all have this experience at some level during our lifetime. The abandonment by a parent, death of a family member, loss of a pet, or even the loss of a favourite toy as a child can cause trauma.

In his book A New Earth Eckhart Tolle writes about "triggers" that resonate within us and bring us deep emotional pain. I remember an occasion from when I was very young. I went with my mother to visit a recently widowed mother of a large family. At one point the lady described her grief by saying, "It feels as though I have been flung into the wild waters of an ocean." My mother, who had been a widow with three small girls, nodded her head and they both wept. It is possible that I stored this memory in my brain and now recall it as a source for my grieving -trigger. Other experiences built upon this. My pet was killed and an uncle died -more triggers. Our triggers are unique; they are created from our own experiences.

Most people experience loss and grief irregularly throughout their lifetime, which gives their emotions time to heal and fond memories to become a focus instead. However, when there are multiple deaths within a short period of time, as was the case in our family last year, it may be more than a person is physically and emotionally able to bear. That is not to say that a single loss cannot be overwhelming.

Grief has many different forms and can be experienced several times a day for weeks, months, and sometimes years. There is guilt for not having been there for them more often, or anger for being left behind to miss them. Then depression hits, and we retreat within ourselves, refusing to speak out for fear of burdening family and friends. The tears come and we shut ourselves away in case (heaven forbid!) someone may see us cry for missing our loved one. Then there is the lack of concentration. Simple tasks become a major challenge. We lose ourselves in our grief and forget to take care of ourselves, to nourish and feed our bodies as we should.

Gifts of Grieving

Meditation can be a time of great relief from the enormous pain and vibrating sadness. The messages that came to me while I meditated were both peaceful and informative. There was a greater awareness of how life is both fleeting and precious. I was able to feel more compassion and have a greater understanding for those around me who were dealing with their own grief.

Grief can be a time of cleansing. The tears that come when we are full of grief are chemically different than those that spring from the emotions of joy. There is a feeling of release after a sorrowful cry. In some religions and cultures there are specific times for this cleansing to happen. This can be at the burial or cremation, or in the preceding day or two. Wailing, the tearing of garments, viewing of the body, and staying together as a family while sharing memories of the deceased are other griev-ing processes.

We may find comfort in the knowledge that whatever form our grief takes, it is unique. Remembering to be particularly kind to ourselves creates in our body a peace that will eliminate the need to be in grief. An acceptance of where we are with grief and what is helps our moments become more joyous.

Spring 2008 - Publisher's Pick

Grandfather Google

Why do humans, unlike other species, live far beyond their reproductive years? One current idea among evolutionary biologists is that any behaviour, or other trait, exists to help the species survive. So what is the survival value for our species of older humans, ur Elders?

One appealing answer to this question is that Elders carry and pass on essential cultural knowledge, values, and practices, accumulated over a lifetime at least they used to. Those of us interested in knowledge about the food and medicine in wild plants, surviving without tools, and other ancient skills, have found it either difficult or impossible to find these Elders in modern mainstream society. Many who would have been our Elders, but who are now just pleasantly retired old folks, have discarded them as either irrelevant or as representing poverty or an outmoded way of life.

Fortunately, the Elders still exist. They don't look like they used to, but they're still out there, and they are more accessible than ever. If you've read this far, you’re ready for a challenge. Before the challenge, though, two reminders. The first is expressed in the language of one of my teachers: The Scout uses all available resources. This means that on a base of skills passed down for many generations through experiential learning and mentoring, the Scout in a modern context also uses modern methods, modern tools, and modern materials, this includes the internet.

Secondly, keep in mind that many people have offered their knowledge to the world through the internet, and the World Wide Web can be regarded as an Elder. Approach this task with respect and gratitude for these people and their work, but also keep your eyes and your mind open.

Give yourself a five-point bonus if you find sources that contradict each other. Add five more if you resolve the disagreement. Remember that although the internet gives access to an enormous wealth of facts, it can't give you personal experience, nor can it offer wisdom with the immediacy of a human Elder.

Here, should you choose to accept it, is your mission: choose a plant that you can identify, but whose gifts you don't know. Then, invoke the Elder known as Google. Find out where the plant grows and what its gifts are for the human people. Tools? Food? Medicine? Beauty? Poison? Shelter? Clothing? Cordage?

You can take this to another level of challenge by finding a plant whose name you don't even know. This is a true nature mystery. Give yourself ten extra points when you identify it. Then continue with the rest of the search. One of my best learning experiences was with a pungent-smelling plant that took me two years to identify. The reward was that once I knew its name, I wanted very much to know its gifts. That plant had been playing Coyote to me, keeping just out of sight until my hunger to know was ready to be filled.

When you've done this with some plants, move on to birds and mammals. Then for the best challenge, extend your search for the Elders in the Net. Choose a skill or an area of deeper understanding that you want to develop, and learn more about tracking, the ways of the Scout, brain tanning, spiritual awareness, firemaking without matches, building shelter. See what Grandfather Google can do for you with these. You'll find limitations, as well as good suggestions and stories. Googling is not a substitute for dirt time, but it can enrich your dirt time and expand your knowledge.

Wes Gietz teaches ancient living and survival skills.

Winter 2007 - Publisher's Pick

A PERFECT BALANCE

Life is full of magic. The per-fection of a solitary flower grow-ing along the pathway, the grace-fulness of a flock of trumpeter swans descending into a field, the power of the waves crash-ing on the beach, the beauty of a rainbow spread across the cloud-soaked sky: these are sacred moments to remind us of life's perfect balance.William Blake wrote, To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.

We are part of a physical world composed of form and matter, which we know intimately through our five senses. Each of us is woven into the fabric of diverse shapes, colours, and patterns which makes up this world. Our bodies all come from a common source of elements. Every life form on the planet emerges from the same clay formed in the primordial sea. Every atom in our physical form has been recycled, either from previous organisms, or from mineral deposits left behind by the receding waters.

The physical universe is like an incubator in which we develop and master our physical capacities. But we're also part of a parallel universe, an infinite source of thoughts and potential. It's in this invisible, inner world that we experience insights and understanding that give meaning to our lives. It's also where we dream of possibilities to fulfill our desires.

Each of us has an inner wisdom that enables us to dis-cover the secrets to our own happiness. Our thoughts are limitless. We can think and feel whatever we choose, at anytime, without restrictions. Have you ever tried follow-ing a thought back to its beginning?

It might seem like a strange concept, but every thought is really a continuation of a previous thought. And, in the same way, every thought leads to another one. A thought has no beginning or end in an ever-expanding ocean of awareness within us.

There is nothing more powerful than a thought because a thought is the source of every action. It's like a seed. All it needs is a little looking after, and it starts to grow. Everything we create comes from a thought. So if we can think something, then we can create it. The ability to walk comes from the toddler's thought of walking. The ability to fly came from the thought of flying.

What makes a thought grow is that you believe in it. Walking doesn't come from the thought of crawling. Flying didn't come from the thought of staying on the ground. The world is a reflection of our thoughts and feelings. Whatever we believe becomes real. If we see our cup as half full, then we encounter opportunities for learning and growing. If our cup seems half empty, then we encounter frustrations and disappointments

There is meaning in everything around us and within us. A life of meaning involves living in two worlds at the same time. Our parallel worlds are completely connected; we experience them simultaneously. When we're joyful, both our minds and our bodies are joyful. When we're unhappy, our minds and bodies are unhappy together.

There is no separation. The invisible world flows unre-stricted through the physical world. This means that what we think and dream about in our inner world can be manifested in our lives.

How do we do that?

Step one is to trust in our goals and dreams. Trusting acts like a magnet to attract the creative energies from the invisible world.

Step two is to be grateful for everything that we experi-ence, even the difficult things. Everything happens for a reason. Everything is a lesson. Being grateful for the les-sons aligns our thoughts with opportunities arising from the invisible world. Everything in the universe is energy. Energy is constantly transforming into different patterns. In the invisible world, everything exists in a state of poten-tial, just waiting to happen. When we align our thoughts with this source of potential, we resonate with the infi-nitely creative energy flowing from the invisible world.

Step three is to accept our circumstances in life with patience, and joy. We do this by letting go of judgments and expectations about how we think life should be. This creates the space for radiance and love to flow freely in our lives. Love is high frequency energy with infinite pos-sibilities for creating peace and harmony. Through love, we create our happiness.

Step four is to be aware of the signs that guide us. Signs are close encounters with the invisible world. Remember that to create what we want in our lives, we need to access the infinite source of potential from the invisible world because that's where everything originates. Everything comes from a thought.

To access the invisible world, we need to calm the inner dialogue, with all it's doubts and uncertainties, and connect with our inner wisdom and peace. With a little practice, we can become an observer of signs. Once we recognize the signs, we can figure out the messages: the clearer the sign, the clearer the message.

Signs come in many different forms. They are usually unexpected events, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. We're thinking about a friend we haven't talked with lately and they call us up. We're sitting in a park watching some children play and a butterfly lands on our arm. Signs have two characteristics in common: they always appear at the perfect moment and for the perfect reason.

The final step is action. When we recognize the signs, and follow-up on the messages with action, we have an opportunity to fulfill our desires. If we miss a sign, there's always another one coming along. Meanwhile, we get to practice a little more. In the parallel universes, opportuni-ties for learning are never-ending. Everything is possible.

Life is a perfect balance.

Dr. Cam Dodds is a naturopathic physician practising classical homeopathy and lifestyle counseling in Comox.

Tel: 339-5564
Email: drdodds@homeomed.ca