Meanderings

Meanderings : this article and podcast with Greg Peterson, the Urban Farm U, Phoenix https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/26/418-kat-granger

Listen to the podcast HERE

(Re)connecting humans to the magical “community” to which we belong, to me, is the panacea we seek. The great “forgetting” of our connection with the natural world is wreaking havoc with our own health and the health of our beautiful planet.

We ARE nature; inhaling as the magnificent trees “exhale”, they “inhale” what we exhale, joining us together at a molecular level. Trees and plants harness the power and energy of our star and pass this onto us. And so it is, a stunningly complex yet simple interwoven, magical, universal mesh, that we are such an integral part of.

The soil (and the incredible life therein) is a recycler of all, even of us. It is recycling at its finest: elements are recombined to create new forms of food, us, animals, flowers, insects; all working together, for we are one. We are of the earth, moon and stars, in an infinite process of cosmic creation and destruction.

The condition of this “soup pot” of recycled parts is then critical to the outcomes for the future of humanity and our planet.

This line of thought led me to a study of biodynamics – a deeply spiritual connection with all of nature to contemplate from Rudolph Steiner, with a great teacher named Cory Eichman, Saugeen River CSA.

Seeing so much happening in our world of “food”; hunger, corporate acquisition of seeds, regional seed preservation in peril, climate change, soil health in great decline, species disappearing, I asked myself the question that many have asked themselves, “What can I do?”
CONNECTION

How do we reconnect to all that we are?? This question has led me, one step at a time, to where I am today. FOOD is common to us all; something I am passionate about. I have always loved good food; preparing it, touching and smelling it, eating and sharing it. My upcoming book will chronicle part of my deep journey and connection to our “food” with insightful growing advice, personal anecdotes and ways of connecting with our food in a soul satisfying and healing way.

Food is made to be delicious – how wonderful! To me, there is nothing more soul satisfying than alchemically creating a fabulous, delicious combination in the kitchen together with friends and family. And the act of actually growing it, especially from a seed, is magical — a deep experience of oneself as nature itself.

My love of nature and for growing and preparing my own food has led me to an exploration of where our food comes from and how it is grown. This is the connection point I introduce to as many as possible in my workshops and speaking (and endlessly explore myself). For me, growing and preparing food is an important platform for building community. Breaking bread with others breaks down barriers, merges cultures; and sharing of seeds is an age-old method of bringing people together with a common connection.

My fascination with heirloom seeds and their beguiling stories besotted me. I was hooked. So my relatively new project, Seeds of IMBOLC offers old, some quite rare, heirlooms and some “heirlooms of tomorrow”, all open pollinated (of course) and grown as organically as nature intended. I also grow and offer plants so those not yet hooked on seeds can share in the excitement of growing their own food.

I loved the name IMBOLC, as it is an ancient celebration of the seed and of spring renewal. The universe is unendingly abundant. What better example of this than seeds? They are incredible! Life force energy, renewable energy, adapting to the changing environment, self replication, tech beyond our limited comprehension, (at this time); all packaged neatly with the appropriate mechanisms to ensure their survival. (seed coats)

Nature is beyond what we comprehend as intelligence. Intelligence of not only an entire planet, but of all the universes. These earthly and cosmic forces were integral to the work of Rudolph Steiner and biodynamics.

Nature is as always, our innate, incredible, patient teacher.

Magic, we are that. Let’s do this thing! Together.

About this author:

Kat is a Master Gardener and creator of Seeds of IMBOLC, in Fergus, Ontario, Canada where she grows heirloom organic seeds and plants and is a grower for a larger organic seed group.

Kat has been featured on the TV show “Let’s Get Growing”, and in OMAFRA produce videos, spoken at Canada Blooms, the Pollination Guelph Symposium, and at Seedy Saturdays. She is an instructor with the Upper Grand District School District, hosts a monthly newsletter “Home on the Grange”, and enjoys sparking gardening addictions.

Kat is a member of Seeds of Diversity, Seed Savers Exchange, and the Ontario Biodynamic Society – plus a graduate of Seed School Online.