New Film: Dancing with Thoreau!

New Film: Dancing with Thoreau!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR INDIGOGO SITE
TO CROWD-FUND (YOU'LL RECEIVE A GIFT!):
A new film by Chis Korrow, creator of Garden Insects

About the film

Dancing with Thoreau is an upcoming feature film about our connection with nature, and specifically the benefits of a connection with nature. The film will explore how and why we, as a Western society, can and should reconnect with our environment.

How does a connection with our natural environment strengthen our spiritual, physical, creative, economic, and intellectual pursuits? How can the cultivation of a spiritual outlook and practice support a healthy and balanced natural environment?

Dancing with Thoreau will weave Chris's film footage and photography from dynamic natural environments across the country together with commentary from leading edge teachers, naturalists, farmers, scientists, spiritual leaders, and representatives of major religions as we explore these questions.

Climate scientists tell us we might be heading toward irreversible climate change, and so many of us do our best to “go green.” Through this film, we will define a different kind of environmental activism, one where we are “optimized through our encounters with nature” and our lives become more compassionate, successful, balanced and interesting as a result.

Some of the key subjects in the film are:

Perception and awareness.
The effects of nature on our mind and well being.
Laws of nature. (For example: sustainability and balance are not simply concepts, but actual laws that govern our existence.)
How color, sound, touch, and smell affect us.
Techniques to develop a deeper connection with nature.
Religious leaders who are embracing nature and its effect on our spirituality.
Gardening and agriculture as a way to reconnect with nature.
The importance of children spending time in nature.

From the filmmaker: “I’ve been helping people to connect with nature for over thirty years. This work is one of the main reasons I became a farmer, since the care of the soil and the raising of vegetables is one of the easiest pathways I’ve found by which we can all come into a closer connection to this beautiful world in which we live. Dancing With Thoreau is the culmination of my life's work thus far.”

Why I need your help:

While most feature documentaries need budgets of $100,000 or more, I am mostly self-funding this project because of the positive effects I’ve seen in people that have developed a stronger connection with nature and subsequently the importance of strengthening our society’s connection with nature. In the past, all of my projects have been self-funded, mostly through a farming income, a lot of creativity, and simple living.

My first two film projects were very successful. Garden Insects showed on PBS nationally for three years and Frost Flowers has shown for two years on PBS and is still being broadcast. PBS estimated that Garden Insects was viewed by about 2.5 million viewers.

I am raising $20,000 for overall funding for the film. Your contribution will be put toward travel to conduct the remaining interviews, post-production costs, stock footage for clips I could not possibly film, film festivals, and promotion. I have never really asked for monetary assistance before, but I cannot continue to support this work simply on my farm income.

This is why I’m asking for your help.

Who will appear in the film?

  
His Holiness The Dalai Lama

 Jon Young (Author of What the Robin Knows, Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, and founder of the Wilderness Awareness School.)
David Suzuki (Author, activist and host of Canadian public television’s The Nature of Things.)
Stephan Schwartz (Senior Samueli Fellow for Brain, Mind, and Healing of the Samueli Institute, and a research associate of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory of the Laboratories for Fundamental Research and a columnist for the journal Explore.)
Gunther Hauk (Author, and biodynamic beekeeper who appeared in the documentary Queen of the Sun.)
April Blair & Matthew Bibeau (Founders and teachers of Mother Earth School, a Waldorf-inspired all-outdoor preschool and kindergarten in Portland, Oregon.)
Denis Hayes (National coordinator of the first Earth Day when he was 25, one of  Time magazine’s “Heroes of the Planet,” and president of the Bullitt Foundation, founders of the Bullitt Center—the world’s greenest commercial building.)
Sister Adrian Hoftstetter, OP (Dominican Sister of Peace and author of Earth-Friendly: Re-Visioning Science and Spirituality through Aristotle, Thomas Acquinas, and Rudolf Steiner.)
Jeffrey Cramer (Notable Thoreau scholar and author of many books, including, The Portable Thoreau, Viking/Penguin, 2012.)
Richard Ryan, PhD (Professor of psychology, psychiatry, and education, University of Rochester. Lead author of “Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature,” Journal of Environmental Psychology.)
Elizabeth K. Nisbet, PhD (Psychology Department, Trent University, Ontario. Researcher on individual differences in subjective connectedness with nature--nature relatedness--and the links with health, well-being/happiness, and environmentally sustainable behavior.)

So, how does nature connection benefit us in our everyday lives?

Here is some of what the film will explore:

Most of us look at our relationship with nature simply in terms of environmental issues. But our connection (or disconnection) with the natural world goes far beyond a material relationship.

Someone once said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Gaining a new and different point of view is where a nature connection can really benefit us.

Concerns we face in society revolve largely around money, time, scheduling, reputation, and fulfilling a myriad of material desires, whereas what matters in nature is balance, living life in the moment, understanding one’s place in the surrounding environment, and finding satisfaction and fulfillment with what already exists.

April Blair of the Mother Earth School in Portland explains how, when a child climbs a tree, there is nothing uniform in the tree. Branches are at different angels, strength, and distances, so a child's brain-body connection has to deal with this in a much more creative way than when he or she is on a playground, where the jungle gym is uniform and of consistent strengths. Nature connection triggers a different creative process, which is why so many of the great thinkers spent time in nature for inspiration.

By increasing our relationship with nature, we double our ability to problem solve. We already have access to the knowledge and wisdom that our society has to offer, and as we increase our connection with our natural environment, we add to that the vast amount of knowledge and wisdom available in nature.

The scientific community is discovering that spending time in nature reduces stress and aggression, improves self esteem and creativity, and strengthens community.

Nature transcends religion and politics—nature is nondenominational and has no ties to a political affiliation. As Jon Young stated when he was interviewed for the film, “It’s purely a matter of ergonomics, this body was meant for it, a connection with nature optimizes us.”

About the filmmaker:

Chris Korrow is a farmer, naturalist, photographer, filmmaker, and author. His film Garden Insects won three film festival awards and premiered nationwide on PBS. Frost Flowers has aired on PBS Kentucky for several years. Most recently, he has collaborated on a series of short films on food and local economy for the Whidbey Institute’s Thriving Communities effort, a series of conferences on community resiliency.

He has a new children’s book called The Organic Bug Book (SteinerBooks 2013), and is based on his award-winning film, Garden Insects. He is the author of The 30 Square-Foot Garden, A Guide for Observing Nature and Awakening to Nature.

For over 20 years, Chris and his family lived on a rural Kentucky farm in a solar-powered home and ran an organic/biodynamic vegetable business. They lived a sustainable lifestyle, growing most of their own food, with no phone, no electricity, and no hot running water. They are now based on Whidbey Island, Washington, living right in town. He grows vegetables on a one-third acre market garden inside the city limits of Langley, within walking distance of home, and the produce is for sale through an honor system farm stand.

Chris and his wife Christy have embarked on a new project to create an affordable, green, co-housing neighborhood on 10 acres of woods and meadow in their hometown of Langley.

He explores the intersections between nature, agriculture, community, and spirituality through his media company, Breathe Deep Productions. 

THANK YOU

To find out more about his work, visit www.breathedeepproductions.com.
View additional film trailers and clips of Chris's work at his YouTube Channel, here.

Eat your greens--Six ideas!

Here are our suggestions for how to use the greens which are now being harvested and are for sale on the farm stand!

GREEN IDEAS

ESCAROLE
Considered a bitter green, don’t let that deter you. This is a mild green with FLAVOR. Chris’s mom was Italian, and she always made a traditional in Italian chicken soup, just chop the escarole and cook well. OR--slice head down the middle lengthwise, braise in a skillet with hot olive oil, serve with lemon, garlic, chopped walnuts and parmesan cheese.


SWISS CHARD
Great substitute for spinach in cooked dishes. Chop the stems and stalks, cook until soft before adding the greens to cook until tender.


COLLARDS
Like kale, it holds up well in hearty soups and stews. Delicate brassica flavor and nice texture. Cook well in a little water, drain. For a southern favorite drizzle bacon grease and a splash of vinegar or California style with olive oil, chopped garlic, and salt.


MUSTARD
Surprisingly light, but with a wonderful extra zing. Great in stir-frys combined with other veggies. Try adding a scoop of black bean paste. We like them well cooked in with a pot of beans (with ham or vegetarian).


KALE
Smoothie and massaged kale salad are our two favorite ways to eat kale. It holds up well in hearty soups and stews.

ARUGULA
Great in salads, or substitute for basil in your favorite pesto recipe then serve fresh on baked winter squash!

Flower Essences: Calm Down, Catch Up

As a busy editor who also works in various other sectors of publishing, I wanted to share the following flower essence combination with any of you who are also multitasking your way through the world, and at times find it all to be a bit too much. Typically a remedy is taken on an as-needed basis as acute situations arise by putting 2 drops into a glass of water and sipping it throughout the day, or for ongoing situations, 2 drops, 4 times per day is a standard recommendation. Remedies can be purchased at local health food stores, or ordered over the internet. I can do a session with you over the phone, drop me a line if you are interested. christy@accessky.net

Elm

Elm is the remedy for those of us who take on a lot of responsibility, but then begin to feel that the responsibility is too much, and who feel that our confidence begins to slip. Thoughts such as -- how can I ever accomplish all of this? I am on over my head, and I am not going to be able to do a good job with all of this, I’ve overcommitted myself and the quality of my work is going to slide -- are indicators that Elm is in order.

Elm will help to bring about a sense of balance, and a renewed sense of feeling as though you are on the right track, and the work load will be placed in its proper perspective. Mechthild Scheffer notes that the stress of the Elm state is the higher self calling for moderation, and on some level this stress we are experiencing is a warning to us -- we are not meeting the demands of our own soul.1 It is helpful during times like this to visualize or picture a task completed, this is especially effective at bedtime, right before sleep. When we sleep we connect with spiritual beings who assist us on the astral plane and help us work out our problems. Our impatient and doubting ego is out of the way, and all the voices that say “I can’t” are quieted during the night. When you wake up in the morning, quietly pay attention, and notice if you are receiving a solution or resolution to an issue from the pervious day, or sink in to the sensation of knowing you are capable of meeting your responsibilities. This exercise enhances the effects of Elm.

Hornbeam

Hornbeam is for when we feel mentally overwhelmed at the thought of all that we have to do. Where Elm will help us regain confidence with our responsibilities, Hornbeam will bring about an inner strength and knowingness, an enthusiasm. For it is with enthusiasm that we can accomplish great things.2 We can accomplish things with sheer mental will, but this is not sustainable. When the intent behind our actions is lined up with the mission of our higher self (one of love and service), a strength comes from this, and we can trust in the outcome of a plan larger than ourselves.

Once we trust in something larger than ourselves, we can relax into our daily demands, and know that each situation is bringing about the best for our highest good. It is helpful to pick on or two doable actions, and without further contemplation, just do them--this sets a flow in place where momentum can build on the feeling of having actually accomplished something. This sets off a domino effect where things seem to become accomplished on their own, or with very little effort, a person you are waiting to hear from calls you, a project is approved with no hassles, people are early on deadlines--there is an ease and a flow to the tasks at hand. Activities that takes us out of the mind like exercise, yoga, mediation, and time in nature are additional remedies for the Hornbeam state.

Chestnut Bud

Now, this is interesting. On the surface, Chestnut Bud helps those who continue to make the same mistakes over and over, and fail to learn from the lessons that life, God, the universe is trying to teach. But, when we go a little deeper, and look into why it is that we are met with the same kind of repeated lessons again and again, we see how this is often an issue of attention, of paying attention and of awareness. So often, we don’t move through life in an awakened way. If we are too busy and as a result too scattered, we aren’t fully incarnated into the moment, we skim the surface, going through the motions, while in our thoughts we have already moved ahead to the next task. This can quickly spiral out of control, not only do we not get the most out of our experience, we never feel fully alive because we are concentrated not on the NOW, but on the future, which doesn’t exist yet!

Chestnut Bud cultivates the inner experience of being in the moment, and the simultaneous experience of higher self awareness (our higher self is the part of us connected with that which is eternal, so when we let go of our worries of the past and future, the part of us that is constant can live in our consciousness). Deep breathing and stretching are both helpful body-based ways to help us slow down and integrate into the body--a solid representation of the now.

When we are filled with enthusiasm, balance and self-awareness, our thoughts are free from angst, stress, judgement (you get the picture). Our thoughts then vibrate at a higher level, which means that all of our bodily molecules are vibrating at a higher level. The result? Our gifts to the world are more evident and generous, we shine, and the world begins to shine back on us. The resistance which kept us apart from that which we were trying manifest, accomplish and attract has now dissipated.

—Christy Korrow

1. Scheffer, Mechthild. Bach FlowerTherapy: Theory and Practice, Healing Arts Press, 1988, p. 83.
2. Steiner, Rudolf. Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture, Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1993.

For those not so familiar with flower essences, here is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Winter 2011 issue of LILIPOH magazine, “Flower Essence Therapy: Blossoming to Wholeness with Plant Energies” by Elizabeth R. Mackenzie, PhD.

FET: The Inside Perspective

From the point of view of the FET practitioner, the essences are all about energetic vibration. According to [flower essence practitioner] Rhoni Groff, “Flower essences are made in water and begin with prayer.” Practitioners point to the unique properties of water, which is known to be an excellent conductor of electrical energy, as the reason the vibration of the flower is able to extracted and stored. They cite the work of Masaru Emoto, the Japanese researcher who demonstrated that water crystals appear to reflect the attributes of positive or negative words as evidence that water transmits energy.

FET practitioners believe that the spirit of the plant transfers to the water, which can then be preserved as a tincture, and that when the client imbibes the tincture, the energetic essence of the blossom interacts with the client’s vibratory field to catalyze changes in consciousness. Groff puts it this way, “Flower essences carry a high vibration, and through the process of resonance they raise vibrations with our chakra system.” As with the idea of entrainment, similar vibratory fields are drawn to one another, so that a person attracts people and events based on his or her vibratory rate. The basic idea is that a person with a relatively low rate of oscillation will end up surrounded by other persons with low vibrations, and vice versa. In this worldview, raising the rate of vibration becomes an obvious good for all with important healing implications for both the individual and the collective.

For most FET practitioners, the main goal is to use the energetic healing forces of the plants to help clients free themselves from habitual patterns and beliefs that no longer support growth.

¹ See www.hado.net.

² See www.GiftoftheFlowers.com. Rhoni Groff works with clients by telephone as well as in person.

On Obtaining Nutrients from Plants

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OBTAINING NUTRIENTS FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS

—Christy Korrow

“There are no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better obtained by plant-based foods.” —Dr. Colin T. Campbell

This is a surprising statement to many, but a basic study of nutrition shows that this is actually true. Both animal and plant foods contain essential nutrients required for human health, for instance, both contain fats, protein and calcium. But, once one analyzes the metabolism and subsequent function of nutrients from both sources, a marked difference can be observed between plant and animal-based foods as sources of nutrition. The scientific studies of Dr. Campbell have shown that, once metabolized, plant-based foods are the optimum source of nutrients for human beings for creating health, including an optimum source of protein. Though nutrients work in concert with each other, and not in isolation, we can learn a lot by examining the function of individual nutrients.

Nutrient quality

Protein: The research of Dr. Campbell and his associates showed time and time again how, even though animal protein is thought of as high quality protein, once metabolized, the function of animal proteins have the ability to foster the growth of cancer and the catalyze the formation of cholesterol. Whereas plant proteins showed the opposite—tumor growth was arrested in laboratory tests where animals with cancer were fed plant proteins, and those people who ate plant-based diets had low cholesterol rates—the data from The China Study confirmed these findings.

Fiber: One reason that plant-based foods are an optimum source for nutrition is the high fiber content. High fiber diets are correlated with lower rates of colorectal cancer. Meats and other animal products do not contain fiber. Though we do not produce the bacteria and enzymes to break down the molecules in fiber (as do ruminants), this unbroken down fiber remains in the intestinal lumen and performs important health-related functions in the body. Different fibers have different activities, for example, fiber will bind up unwanted substances such as chemical carcinogens, other toxins and bile acids, and remove them.

Fiber also we helps us manage the rates at which we absorb sugars and other nutrients into the bloodstream. As the body attempts to digest the fiber, more enzymes come in and this slows down the digestive process, thus metabolism is regulated, and nutrients enter the blood stream at a more controlled pace, will not spike blood sugar, etc.

Antioxidants: Evident in the beautiful colors in plants, antioxidants are manufactured by plants as a mechanism of self-protection to counter the formation of free radicals, rouge molecules which cause cell damage and are harmful byproducts of photosynthesis. Humans also generate free radicals as a result of aging, and exposure to agricultural chemicals and environmental toxins—to name just a few of the ways. Free radical damage can lead to many many diseases, ranging from cancer to cognitive disorders. But, unlike plants, we do not generate our own antioxidants. Meats, on the other hand, do sometimes contain small amounts of antioxidants if the animals has eaten plants and stored them. More significant though, is that meat and animal products actually “tend to activate free radical production and cell damage.” (The China Study, p. 219) Therefore, not only do animal products not aid us in the defense against free radical damage, they add to our free radical load. Clearly, plants can’t be beat for their generous doses of health-bringing antioxidants.

ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VEGAN DIET AND A PLANT-BASED DIET

Based on people I have known, many who have adopted a vegan diet have done so for moral reasons, and may or may not have a strong interest in or understanding of health and nutrition. There is the likelihood of a vegan diet to be high in soy products and gluten based meat substitutes which have been shown to cause adverse health and digestive conditions in some people. There are no parameters indicating that a vegan diet should be primarily based in vegetables and fruits, therefore a vegan diet can include refined cards, sugars and processed foods, or it can mean a strictly plant based whole foods diet as described in The China Study.

On the other hand, those who adopt a plant-based diet, and who try to include a high percentage of raw fruits and vegetables in the diet, typically have a strong interest in nutrition. Many people have come to a plant-based diet because they had chronic health problems, did not get results with pharmaceuticals. In this case the plant-based diet is actually a therapeutic measure. And while the science in this course shows that an optimum diet would contain no animal products, there are no hard and fast rules. A person would ideally have the understanding of the nutritional values of the food they eat, and are therefore able to at least make an informed decision if they did decide to continue to eat meat in some capacity.

I can’t speak from experience, but I doubt there are many vegans who stay on an unhealthy vegan diet for the longterm, I would imagine that the results of the diets would manifest in low energy and possibly other health problems, which might prompt further exploration into nutrition.

So....what's next? Get eating and better yet, get growing! Chris has a nifty little booklet that only costs $5 called The 30 Square Foot Garden, it teaches you how to turn a patch of lawn into a patch of green edibles.

4 Reasons to Eat Plants

Hello,

This is part of an assignment for a course called Nutrition Fundamentals, part of a series of courses in Plant-Based Nutrition (nutrition as a science and a component of medicine, to both maintain health and prevent disease) authored by Dr. Colin Campbell, which I am taking through eCornell. Dr Campbell is Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University (wow!) and many people know Dr. Campbell for his seminal work, published as The China Study, considered the largest and most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. What I love about the course is the data and science to back up every claim!

Christy

My motivation for taking this course is my desire to be able to communicate clearly the facts and science behind the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

My strategy for provoking interest in this topic is to first begin with myself, and lead by example, and eat a plant-based diet as the basis for keeping myself in optimum health. As many have already mentioned, it is detrimental to push new ideas on a person who is not open to them. Additionally, if that person is already in the midst of an illness, he or she is struggling with so much already, therefore it is best to always leave people free to make their own choices, and understand that we might not always know what is best for another, and to still treat him or her with kindness and compassion.

Alternately, to those looking for answers, a few of the most convincing arguments for adopting a plant-based diet as a way of bringing about health are: it’s inexpensive; no side effects; it’s scientifically proven; it not only benefits your health, but also the health of the world.

It’s inexpensive:

As Dr. Campbell stated, we are currently spending more in the US per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world. Yet, we are not getting better health for all of this spending. We have been using costly pharmaceuticals for the last 50 years, substances which can only provide us with short term benefits, as we can see from the continued increase in disease rates. There is no evidence that these expensive treatments are bringing disease under control, and in fact cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease are all on the rise.

No side effects:

Medical care itself is the third leading cause of death in the US (with prescription drug adverse affects accounting for 106,000--almost half according to the JAMA).

Science:

Adopting a plant-based diet is not a fad, there is substantial scientific data showing the progress of plant-based diets in not only preventing, but reversing advanced late stages of heart disease—an example of the power of the dietary effect. Though the scientific community resisted accepting this, it is no longer disputable that advanced cases of heart disease can be reversed. Data has also shown that in societies where a Standard American Diet has crept in, high in meat and processed foods, a simultaneous rise in the diseases of cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease has been evidenced. Diet is a proven risk factor for both cancer and diabetes.

Worldwide implications beyond your own health:

By adopting a plant based diet, you are not only doing something for yourself, you are doing something for others. There are environmental, economic and political and implications to large-scale industrial meat production—ranging from overuse of resources, pollution, and disenfranchisement of peasant cultures.

Taking responsibility for your own health can be a big step for some, though the rewards are great!

Stay at Home Retreat: Health, Poetry and Spiritual Inquiry

When I told my friend, Caifornia-based poet Ellaraine Lockie that I had finished a four-day stay at home retreat, she suggested I write about it, that other writers might like to know how and what I did.

Well you can imagine that two things which inspired this kind retreat (as opposed to traveling somewhere) were time and money, or rather lack of it. In the last three months, I have already traveled to Mexico with family, and then to NYC with daughter for a college visit, therefore my travel time and budget were used up for the next few months at least.

Some aspects of my lifestyle worked in my favor. I have a creative and supportive family who understands the importance of pursuing art and spiritual contemplative study. This was important—I didn’t have lots of loud people in my periphery, people asking me to do things for them or meet their needs.

I live on a beautiful farm and especially this time of year the cherry tree in front of the house is in full bloom and the pastures around the house are bright green. Because I live here all the time, I think I forget, or take for granted, how beautiful Cumberland County Kentucky is. Often times I think about all of the places I would rather be. This time was an opportunity to settle in to a remembrance of the beauty of my own backyard.

Earlier in the year I posted photos of my beautiful new writing space, well-lit with big windows and bird feeders. So, while the beach is always calling me, my own humble home is also a place of tremendous inspiration. My muse is on call 24/7, it’s helpful to be reminded that I do not have to travel to exotic places or place myself in complete isolation to find her.

More or less the retreat, or any retreat for that matter, was more of a mindset, and in some ways even a form of clever trickery. An agreement perhaps, or a commitment of sorts. I scheduled the four-day block well-ahead of time. I wrote it on my calendar just as I would any other time important commitment, and I informed my family that this event would be taking place. I arranged my work schedule accordingly, and yes, I had to say no to a few things. For instance, a coworker who missed her usual work day offered to come later in the week, but instead, I rescheduled her to come the following week. I made arrangements with my husband to take up my usual day driving daughter to dance class. So, it did take a bit of effort. But a small price to pay. I can see how if I would have been more lax, life would certainly have seen to it that I didn’t have this time to dedicate to my art, my self-development, my health. Here I was faced with the question of worth and value of these sometimes diminished rights—and it felt right to place these pursuits in a place of importance, for this short block of time anyway. If I can’t say “no” to the onslaught of outside influences for only four days, how can I expect these aspects to thrive?

So—how did I spend my time? I spent long periods in the morning journaling, and in mediation.

I was able to edit large numbers of poems, and complied a new chapbook. I submitted the chapbook to some contests, and submitted additional poems to online literary magazines.

I sat outside and ate my lunch. I reinstated my daily brisk two mile walks, which had fallen by the wayside with cold wet winter weather (perfect excuses!).

I took the time to consult the I Ching on matters relating to the direction of my writing (#14—those who act out of a place of joy can’t help but gain followers).

I studied Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook” A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry, read quite a bit of Ezra Pound, and another book about Tolkien’s work on the Oxford English Dictionary, and his wonderful ability to adapt Old and Middle English words into his stories.

I ate a lot of raw foods (salads, fruits, smoothies). I find a noticeable increase in mental clarity and energy when I eat mostly fruits and salads.

I only checked email in order to look up contest and submission info (I did take one phone call from my friend Pat Ritter).

How did I feel on Monday? Well, as though I could use two weeks of this kind of life! But really, I reentered into a busy work day with a renewed sense of ease and appreciation. My thoughts had slowed, they had a chance to stretch, and feel free. I accomplished more that usual working at a slow and steady pace. I have a clear understanding of why this is—I have taken a bit of my retreat-ness with me into my week. Not having to transition back into home, and my “usual” life, saved me from having to experience a sense of feeling let down, having to give up a strong feeling of freedom. The stay at home retreat didn’t set up such a strong contrast between “retreat life” and “regular life.” Feeling this in my own home was empowering, I know I can encounter a sense of freedom that I once thought I could only access by getting away.

I highly recommend trying this. It’s affordable, it feeds your soul, and your muse will reward you for it.

—Christy Korrow

Ravioli Making or Time Well Spent

Food has always been something to celebrate in our family. Even in our earlier years of farming, when, as a family of four, our income was $7,000 a year, we always ate better than most people we knew. Good food was a priority. Besides the vegetables we grew (and still do) we would source raw milk, local beef and chicken. Most of the time we had our own chickens for eggs and for many years we kept our own milk cow.

The fact that organic food was expensive never mattered. I am not sure how we did it, but we always stocked our pantry with organic food. I think we were able to budget so well for two reasons--one was that we grew most of the vegetables, and produced some of our own meats, dairy and eggs. But the other reason that we were able to afford to eat organic is that we cooked from scratch. Staples and whole food ingredients, even organic ones, will work out to be less expensive than buying prepackaged or processed foods.

To people who still complain that organic food is too expensive, I would point out that food is a reflection of our core values. It is one of our few central needs. So much of our life now revolves around nonessentials, to the point that food, exercise, quality time with those we love, and maintaining a healthy earth ecosystem don’t make it onto our “to-do” list of life. Is there a correlation between the fact that food spending has dropped from 25% of our income at the turn of the century, to now less than 10%, while spending on health care has risen from 5% to 18%? Our health, our desire for vitality, our ability to nurture and experience a sense of place are reflected back to us in our relationship with food. An additional aspect of this is the extent to which we are willing to invest both time and money into high-quality foods--aka fresh, local, organic or biodynamic. (Chances are if it is even one of those, there will be superior nutritional value and more life forces.)



Things have changed for our family, we are not so exclusively oriented towards a chop wood carry water lifestyle, although we do still do both of those activities. One thing that hasn’t changed it that we still love to cook from scratch. Sure, we sometimes eat out, especially when we are out late at night, keeping up with our two busy teenagers.

Last night we thought it would be fun to make raviolis. I am always amazed at how food and art can merge, and then, after all that preparation, it’s eaten and it’s over with. Spending time in the kitchen with my family, for me, doubles as entertainment, and it’s a tangible way to express love--and this doesn't cost anything at all, yet I couldn't put a price tag on it if I had to.

Flour water salt and eggs (from our neighbor Cynde) filled with some ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and viola! —Christy Korrow

Photos by Chris Korrow

Cosmic Cabbage, Conscious Cauliflower

Give thanks for the beautiful cabbages and cauliflower in the fall garden. So much more than just vegetables, these are substantial foods. According to Rudolf Steiner, cabbages and cauliflower, the head of crowded flower buds, will support our lungs and heart. He bases this on the role that sun forces play in plant growth. Leaves grow up toward the sun, or rather, are drawn up by the forces of the sun, and the sun has a strong connection to our heart.

Cauliflower has developed past the leaf stage, to the blossom stage, although still closer to leaf than to fruit. Research done by Dr. Rudolf Hauschka using capillary-dynamic patterns shows that cauliflower, and also plants in the blossom stage, have been energetically “cooked” by the sun to their state of blossoming, or more eloquently put, ripening and warmth forces are infused into the plant at this stage from the cosmos, and thus needs only light steaming, or can even be eaten raw. Where as cabbage, still in the leaf stage, also affected by the heating affects of the sun’s warmth, can be brought to the state of raw cauliflower also with light steaming, or eaten raw. Cooked beyond light steaming, both foods tested as being “dead,” void of nutrients and enzymes, in other words, carried too far over into realms that equate to overripeness or rot in nature.

If left in the garden, and allowed to continue to grow own, the cabbage would eventually shoot up a stalk from out of its packed round layers of leaves, and the cauliflower, would unfurl itself into a million blossoms. Yet, even though they will never reach their potential, it does still exist, as Goethe described, in the archetypal plant, existing in completion, as an imprint, in “space” or the akashic realm. Each plant has its guiding spirit, and star to coax it toward its fulfillment.

So much we take for granted when we go out to the garden or to the shop and buy produce, often hurrying up with our chores, ready to rush home, pressured to make supper, worried about spending so much on groceries. For all of that “important” mind clutter, we miss out on the richness of participating in the experience of the life of a vegetable, which is so much more interesting, rhythmic, filled with contributions of fairies, gnomes, sylphs and undines, the beings of the four elements, who embody the elements, the “clay” who make these nourishing manifestations come about, grow in the dirt, sprout, blossom and even sometimes rot. A vegetative state of mind can be more enlightening than the cliché would lead us to believe.

Coleslaw and creamed cauliflower never tasted to good.

Drinking sunshine

I make juice with kale, carrot, apple, celery and parsley. I will drink it and a mysterious process will take place inside of me that neither science nor mystics can explain. I taking something foreign, break it down and assimilate it into my own body, with a wish for health for my own thoughts, creativity and activity. Sun, soil, water, millions of microorganisms, gnomes and fairies, acting together, to create an amazing natural something: vegetables. I can’t leave out our beautiful horses who contribute their manure to our compost piles. A domestication of a process long known to to this planet—animals graze, stride past, dropping their dung or manure, leaving the ground more fertile than when they arrived—sustainability. Someday maybe we will no longer need to eat them.

Rudolf Steiner described two “streams” of nutrition that flow into us. One is the earthly nutritional stream, it comes into us from our food, and builds our thoughts, while the cosmic nutritional stream is what we take in through our senses and builds the substance of our physical body. It seems impossible at first that we might be able to absorb actual substance through our eyes nose and mouth, and that food is primarily building thoughts, but I like to imagine this to be true.

What kinds of thoughts will be supported by this colorful vegetable juice?

Five ways to add living protein to your salads

An up-and-coming patch of fall greens

Lettuces and salad greens grow ever so happily in cool fall weather, so take full advantage of their generosity! Instead of having a salad before your meal, add a few of the high-protein ingredients below, double the size of your salad and make it your meal! When I eat only salad for dinner, I notice that I need less sleep, dream more vividly, and wake up feeling alert. Protein from raw food is easy to absorb since the food still has all of the enzymes intact needed to break down the protein into amino acids. (These enzymes are destroyed when food is heated over approx. 105 degrees.)

• Kale Many people don’t realize that nutrient dense, dark, leafy greens have high quality, easily to assimilate protein (22% of the calories in kale are from protein). Chop them small and bruise them up a bit (rub with fingers).

• Sprouted Lentils We prefer the small French lentils, soak overnight, drain and let them sprout for a day or two, just until a small ‘tail’ forms.

• Avocado Provides protein, enzymes and healthy unsaturated fats.

• Nuts Walnuts, almonds, pecans (soak overnight to neutralize enzyme inhibitors).

• Raw Milk Goat Cheese

• Hemp Seed Delicious nutty taste, contains valuable essential fatty acids.

Chris checking on the cabbage and broccoli

There is an important book called The China Study that presents research that causes us to question whether we do indeed need the high levels of protein commonly prescribed by “government experts,” and that in fact, high levels of protein may correlate with cancer and other diseases. The research in this book also points to the benefits of plant-based proteins.

Have a great day! —Christy Korrow

Eating Meat or Not

I do believe we will eventually evolve out of the need to eat meat, I was once told by Hugh Courtney, who runs the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics that “biodynamic farmers will be the last people to stop eating meat,” because their lives are so intertwined with the cow. But, our soils are now so depleted of both nutrients and life forces that it is utterly impossible to rebuild them without animal manures, therefore it seems natural that a sector of our population will continue to eat meat, making an immediate conversion to widespread vegetarianism unlikely. (Building soil through only cover-cropping would take 15 -20 years).

Ostensibly, as people evolve, we will eat less and less meat, and more of that meat will be raised on small scale farms, where animals and vegetable crops are once again integrated, so that there are only enough animals raised needed to produce compost to raise the vegetables on that farm. In time, more and more people will decrease their meat consumption, and perhaps eat only eggs and raw milk, still maintaining a domestic animal population.

My own experience is that when we were farming full time for over 15 years, I expended a lot of energy, and ate a lot more meat. Now that I am in publishing full-time, I notice my body does not require as much meat, and I am eating a much lighter, raw food based diet. So, there are not only the environmental impacts to keep in mind, but we can also ask how what we eat affects our consciousness, and does it support what are we trying to create in the world? And also, in the realm of consciousness studies, there is much judgment towards our food choices, judgment against ourselves and others. Rudolf Steiner emphasized that is was important not to become fanatical when it came to diet. He said that he was a vegetarian, that indeed he needed to be in order to do his spiritual research, but was once reputed to order a steak in a restaurant to make this point. He gave many teachings on the results of dietary choices, but was clear that what one eats is an individual choice, depending on where that person was in their own evolution, and he said he could not prescribe a “diet” that is right for everyone. —Christy Korrow

A New Juicer

We used our new Green Star juicer for the third time yesterday. Apples, celery, cucumber -- green and delish. It uses the twin gear system, so it is almost chewing the vegetables to bits. It is much slower than the Champion, I guess it takes its time. The pulp comes out very dry. We finally retired our old Champion after we could no longer find a replacement part for a cracked screen holder. We decided to purchase the Green Star juicer since it also juices wheat grass. We drink juice for sustained health, high nutrition, increased stamina, and mental clarity.

New Booklet on Nature Observation

A Guide for Observing Nature
Breathe Deep 2008, 24-page booklet
By Chris Korrow

$5.00 includes shipping

Creator of the award-winning documentary, seen on PBS, Garden Insects
Nine easy ways to improve your relationship with nature. Chris Korrow shares nature based practices that awaken our senses, expand our understanding, inform our choices, give us a new vantage point so we can make life decisions in new and creative ways. Section include, "Slow Down," "Silence," "Walking," "Sound," "Color," "Touch," "Not Doing," and more....

From the Introduction:
"So I understand how being more connected to nature can help reduce stress and bring me a little more peace, but what good is it to my everyday material life? There is something I’ve seen in each person who has an intimate relationship with nature, and it increases exponentially with the strength of their connection — they are more adaptable. A person who is connected with nature can draw inspiration from both realms, natural and manmade. I’m not just talking about the availability of raw materials, but also an understanding of the way each system works. In short, a person that is not connected to nature is only working with 50 percent of their potential. It’s kind of like trying to balance a budget, when all you know how to do mathematically is add."

Winter Eating Fresh and In Season

Winter Eating Fresh and In Season
Six ways to eat raw in the winter
—Christy Korrow
(Previously published in LILIPOH magazine)

During winter when our diets turn to cooked foods, it is even more important to partake in fresh living foods with meals. Fresh living foods provide us with dosages of vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes essential to digestion and nutrient assimilation.

1. Sprouts: A variety of sprouting seeds are readily available through the mail or at your local health food store. Favorites are broccoli, radish and clover. A delicious salad can be made from sprouted French lentils, add some parsley, lemon, salt and ginger.

2. Grow your own greens: Most climates support at least some production of fresh cold weather tolerant crops. Here in Kentucky, at zone six, we are able to grow lettuce mix, kale, parsley, carrots and spinach with very little protection, and only occasional additional heat from the wood burning stove in our small green house.

3. Dried fruits: Another form of concentrated nourishment, and a healthy way to curb a sweet tooth. Be sure to select organic and non-sulfured varieties. Apricots are especially high in fiber and beta-carotene.

4. Cabbage: A wonderful winter crop, always readily available at local grocery stores, and has strong detoxifying properties. Get creative with cole slaw, varying away from traditional mayonnaise versions, by creating an Asian version with sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds and a light drizzle of agave for sweetness.

5. Carrots: Another cold weather crop, delicious raw. Grate carrots for textural interest and easier digestibility. Create a salad with carrots, walnuts, a few raisins, a light drizzle of your favorite vinegar and oil, and salt.

6. Potted Parsley: If you don’t have an in-ground garden, keep several large pots of parsley near a suny wondow, or outside if temeratures allow. Sprinkled fresh on almost any dish, the bright green color is cheerful, and parsley is high in vitamins and antioxidents.