“In this food,

I see clearly the presence

of the the entire universe

supporting my existence”

A meal verse by Thich Nhat Hanh

The current heat wave that’s baking the Pacific Northwest has got a lot of us thinking about global weirding and our impact on Mother Earth. It seems as if some of our degenerate habits could be creating unhealthy consequences for our communal home.

“Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”

-Epicurus

Wastefulness is a deplorable habit us humans have which has negative consequences on a planet with finite resources. People in parts of the world are starving while hoarding of wealth creates artificial food shortages wasting food.

Wasteful people can be akin to someone who shakes the Apple tree so all the fruit drops to the ground both ripe and unripe. This wasteful Apple eater collects only what he wants and leaves the rest to rot. This metaphor can be transposed over many criminal activities conducted by man in his attempt to satiate his thirst for wealth and power.

I’m very excited about Oz Farm's transition into the not-for-profit space. I like to think of Village Oz (the 501c3 we formed last year) like a bee collecting pollen from a flower. This bee neither harms the flower or its fragrance but gathers the pollen to make sweet honey. We should expect people to make legitimate use of nature and hold ourselves accountable for our own footprints on this pale blue dot, the only world known so far to harbor life.

As Gary Snyder says “the test of the pudding is in the eating!” There is strong ethic behind the food we grow at Oz and your support helps us continue to turn flowers into honey and seeds into food!

With patience,

Dean