“Tell your story: Yes, tell your story. Show your example. Tell everyone it’s possible, and others shall feel the courage, to climb their own mountains.” (Paulo Coelho)
As a very little girl in the 1950’s, living in the endless corn and soybean fields of the Midwest, I often wondered about all those “starving children in China” my mother referred to each meal. This was somehow supposed to encourage me or my brother to eat something on our plates that would otherwise be wasted. I often questioned this reasoning, trying to imagine someone trying to pick up Brussels sprouts with chopsticks but the greater question was: how could a parent allow their child to be hungry?
What I didn’t know until later in life was that at the very moment I was worrying over the hungry children on a distant continent, my own parents were both unemployed, my mother was wracking up tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills for a long-standing heart condition and our car had recently been repossessed.We had virtually no income yet we had food.We never went hungry.
I’ve often re-visited in my mind how it was that I don’t remember ever going to bed hungry when my parents struggled for years to keep a roof over our heads. The only answer I can find is in our gardens. Between my grandparents’ and our own, my family was always blessed with good food. Never too much, but always enough and it is that memory of our gardens that I have carried through my own life as the manifestation of abundance that came to us from the back of a few narrow small town lots.
Scott is now living in the mystical, magical ancient Great Smokey Mountains of western North Carolina. Surrounded by abundant rivers, tall forests and many friends, she is finally, FINALLY, finishing her book of templates for Simply Garden Small . With an eye and heart open to offering her unique healing through reconnecting with our naturally wild spirited nature in gardens or other landscapes, Scott offers her time and experience to anyone who yearns to garden.
As an experienced freelance writer of more than 10 years, she has written on everything from gardening and Mongolian embroidery to women who ride motorcycles as well as her other passion: solo travel on the cheap.
Yvonne is available to non-profits, community gardens and schools to share amazing “simple garden” options through hands-on, experiential workshops. To book a workshop or presentation contact her at the following:
outrageousgardener [at] yahoo.com
environmentalenhancers [at] hotmail.com
**Are you a local food bank interested in developing on-site gardens and helping your clients learn to garden? Yvonne donates time to mentor clients in site-specific small garden systems.
This is wonderful Daniel! You can work with an organization in American who can teach you about agroforestry and provide seeds if you are planting these trees not to make a profit. Such as creating a tree plantation where you can provide the trees to schools, hospitals, orphanages, etc. And with this much land and a variety of trees, you could use the income to support other new growers in the area. Contact Trees for the Future at the following email: info[a]treesftf.org. Perhaps there are others in South Africa already planting the trees and they can put you in contact. I’m thrilled that you are willing to do this. Good luck, stay in touch and keep me posted on your venture.
I am in South Africa and have just learnt about Moringa Tree and I have 18 hectors of land to plant the tree. I need to know more about it and network with like minded people around the world. How can you assist me? Thanx. My contact no is +273644001
Hi Yvonne !!
You are doing wonderful and interesting work. How are you? Its been a very long time since I’ve seen you. I come to Albuquerque at least once a year to visit a friend. Maybe we can get together next time I’m in town. Finding you was a big surprise.. Except for Jes in Albuquerque and my family, of course, I don’t hear much from the old crowd. If anyone would even want to hear from my crazy ass!~! Ian is good. I have a grandson, Blake. He’s 9. I survived Breast Cancer and am on the mend from many physical conditions created by chemotherapy. Anyway, I’ve been cancer free for almost 3 years now, and my doctor says he’s gonna cut me loose soon. But that is a story for another time. It was good to see your face, Yvonne.
Hi Yvonne,
Enjoyed reading your blog. Looking forward to reading more posts. Gardens reach the hearts of humans because it’s the most direct way that the earth feeds us. Reading your story reminds me of all the fond memories I have of the small vegetable garden I cultivated in the back yard of my childhood home. Being the heart and hands of our Mother Earth is a wonderful effort to be part of. Thank you for all the energy you put into this!
Karen
Wow- the website looks great- Your story about your family is inspiring! Wonderful feeling on this site! Keep up the good work!
Yvonne – what a wonderfully intelligent, kind, and compassionate person you are! I feel blessed that we have crossed paths, and you are in my thoughts often. Peace and keep doing!
Yeah!! We are uniting.
I wanted to let you know of another cool group I thought you might be interested in. Its Called HUB or Humanity Unites Brilliance (www.Heavon.hubhub.org). It is also focused on providing water and educating the hungry to produce food on their own, HUB also has a component of micro loans. Check it out seems in alignment with your efforts.
Cheers
Inspiring, challenging and tough times- medicine for real change!
Thank you Yvonne for bringing a uniting voice to many of these issues. Together we are all going to get somewhere in bringing food, cultural and environmental justice to a positive union, and united fruition. We have begun to realize that you can not separate these aspects of humanity, well-being and the earth.
Happy new paradigm everyone! Happy Birthday Martin Luther King! Congratulations America! Welcome Obama! What a great time to be alive.
The experience and hard work in growing our own food is most rewarding and helps in the building of hope and character. Plus good food can only be grown in good soil, the goal must be to grow good soil. Our food is our medicine and our medicine can only be our good food. It’s the way of nature! Keep it up Yvonne.
Michael Martin Meléndrez
A beautiful woman writing beautiful words, thank you Yvonne!