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Basket of Apples Paul Cézanne Source: The Art Institute of Chicago |
Organic Soil By Leah Smith | posted 10/18/2002 Have you ever tasted an organic cherry tomato that was just harvested that morning? I have, and it was unlike any other tomato I have ever eaten. The flavor was so intense and almost sweet – it nearly seemed like a brand new vegetable I had never even heard of. Have you had fresh-picked corn – so sweet, that it’s as good raw as cooked? Mmmmm, there’s nothing like it! Our family has enjoyed a wide variety of delicious produce this summer and fall as a result of our partnership in our local organic farm. As you may remember from past articles I’ve written, we bought a share from the Root Connection this year and have enjoyed hauling home and eating our amazing weekly bounty. With each harvest comes a newsletter from Claire, the farm manager. Along with telling us what’s ripe, what’s growing like gangbusters, and what didn’t survive the latest virus, she also explains various aspects of organic farming. In one of September’s newsletters, she talked about the difference between the soil on an organic farm and a “conventional” one. I learned that on many conventional farms, the soil is actually fumigated to kill all the creatures and microorganisms under the surface. The soil is purposefully rendered sterile and then is actually pumped full of a custom blend of nutrients and chemicals suited to the crop planted there. The result is perfect-looking produce that travels well, resists disease and sells for a good price. You know what I mean – the produce at the grocery store is always the right color and looks pretty good… but sometimes when you taste it, it seems like something is lacking. If you’ve ever had a grocery-store tomato and eaten it alongside the tomato that your neighbor brought over that morning from his garden, you know exactly what kind of comparison I’m making here. After reading the newsletter, I walked around the farm and looked at the soil. It is dark and rich. It is so lush and inviting - indeed, my 2-year old was unable to resist its pull, as our soon-muddy clothes attested. I put my fingers in it – it almost seemed alive. And it is! All the microorganisms and creatures that make their home in there are living out miraculous chemical dances as part of God’s plan for soil renewal. It is invisible to the eye, yet that work is essential. Organic gardening is much more labor-intensive than “conventional farming”, and the fruits and vegetables that grow are not always pretty. The carrots we get are pretty funky looking, and some of the kernels in the corn are not fully developed. Frankly, they often look like the kind of produce that I would push away in the grocery store, in search of more uniform, evenly-colored fare. But the true test – the taste – is where our farm wins hands down! Organic farming is messy and unpredictable – you can’t know when the rains will come, or when they won’t; you don’t spray to get rid of bugs, you weed and try to keep the soil healthy enough to resist infestation and to grow strong plants. Conventional farming is much more predictable, but you compromise by missing some of the true flavor potential of the harvest. Life is also messy and unpredictable. I am only kidding myself if I think I can treat the soil of my life like a conventional farm….if I think I can fumigate the soil and then give it the ‘right’ blend of nutrients and chemicals to thrive then I am short-changing myself. I am not allowing the full potential of the flavor to come through. It is only through care and nurture that I can weather the storms of life. When I ask God to come and work in my soil – to be a part of that inexplicable dance of renewal in my soul – then I am opening myself up to producing real fruit, flavorful fruit. My “life fruit” often looks as funky as the carrots that we get, and sometimes it has worm holes, but it comes from living, breathing soil that God is constantly renewing. By deepening my relationship with him, my soil gets deeper and darker and more lush. How about the “soil” of your life? Is it lush and dark, or is it sterile? Are you fumigating it, or are you nurturing it? And what about your fruit? Is it bursting with flavor, or is it merely uniform? Are you asking God to come and work in your soil? It is messy and unpredictable, but oh, it is so worth it in the flavorful harvest! Grace & Peace, Leah Smith
To respond to this message, please direct your emails to: lsmith@ecreekside.com. . . . |
