Category: Uncategorized

Previous trips: Sept. 10, 2015, July 12, 2015

As you are familiarizing environmental awareness in your local areas, we do the same through a tour of our farm.  Everything is connected.  If there is anything that we don’t understand, it is because we have not yet found its purpose and that is our task or mission to find out how it fits into making the picture complete.

For example, mountain blue birds are a joy to see on our farm.  Their blue plumage can take your breath away and leave you in awe.  However, the BB is not just another pretty face.  It enjoys dining on terrestrial insects like grass hoppers and their larvae.  When a drought comes along, grass hoppers are part of the package, as they like dry conditions.  They can wipe out entire crops of grain and also pasture. 

The industrial model of farming has discovered pesticides that kill grasshoppers and save crops and pastures.  However, pesticides do not target only one thing.  Eventually, they make their way into the food chain and have been found to be a cause of breast cancer, one pesticide called Carbofuran, to be specific.  It is examples like this that make us realize that any action that we do, cannot only do “one thing.”  This relates not only to our farm but also to your community of Camrose and area.

One thing that industrial agriculture does well, is that it treats symptoms.  It rarely identifies the cause.  On our farm, we have 240 nesting boxes that we hope will attract many mating blue birds.  If they do their job, we have great hopper control.  To discourage hoppers, we leave lots of standing pasture in the fall which dies and becomes litter that covers the ground in the spring.  The fewer bare patches that you have in your pastures, the fewer hoppers you will have as they seek out these areas to lay their eggs.  So we are identifying the cause.  The temptation is to have more cattle which would leave the pastures bare in the fall and if the following spring is dry, there will be ideal conditions for hopper out breaks.  More cattle translates into more money for the short term, but less in the long term, as overgrazing will soon have you reducing your numbers and recovery takes a long time.  I know because I have visited there and done a great job of reducing the abundance that the land can provide.  In 1996, we began to “rebound” and rebuild what my previous management had compromised.  As Wendell Berry mentions, we have to understand how much is “enough.”

The other benefit of leaving more grass in the fall is that the litter that it provides in the spring covers the ground and reduces evaporation.  This provides the grass with moisture so that it will grow, even though there has not been any rain.

I have asked many people what benefits come from a drought which sounds like a dumb question.  I have had no takers.  However, in the extreme drought of 2002, the BB’s that came to our farm and nested, found so much food (grass hoppers) that they nested twice and doubled the population.  There is the benefit to our farm and the common good.

A tour takes about 2 to 2&1/2 hours.  We drop in on the hogs on pasture.  Kids seem to enjoy this the most as few if any of them have ever seen a real pig, except for “Babe,” let alone observed it in a farming environment.

The chickens, turkeys and laying hens on pasture is the next stop.  Again, this is something that few adults or children have seen.  It re-frames the paradigm of raising livestock.

We begin calving next week and should still have a few more to come when you come for the tour.  We will drop by and see the cows and calves grazing or lounging while chewing their “cud.”

We will also be grazing about 120 cattle for another farmer.  Water is pumped to them with a portable solar powered pumping sytem.  By keeping the cattle out of the creek, we are improving water quality for those downstream.  If you ponder this, you will realize that there is always someone else “living down stream.”  Even when the water runs into the ocean, there is “life” living downstream.

We have trees planted in many different varieties of plantings such as eco-buffers, wildlife habitat plantings and shelterbelt plantings.  All of these have very diverse purposes.  The eco-buffers attract native pollinating insects which pollinate our pastures as well as the native flowers in them.  The habitat plantings attract a plethora of species of birds as well as ungulates, insects and predators.  The two row shelterbelts provide “shy” wildlife species corridors to travel throughout our farm and feel “at home.”

During the tour, you will see all of our 10 dugouts (watering sites) and creeks, fenced off from livestock.  These areas provide tremendous habitat for biodiversity.  Since 1970, the “Blue Dot” has lost 50% of its wildlife…………………………(this requires a pause)……………………………………….I feel that this needs to be emphasized as we are all dependent on many forms of flora and fauna to exist as a species.  This is our main goal of offering tours; plant the seeds of the importance of caring for the land and its creatures and hope that our guests will take this home.

The last stop is at the cabin for the potluck at about 4:00 to 4:30.  There is a small propane stove with an oven.  There are two composting toilets – each looking like the best toilet you’ve ever seen.  I would ask that folks bring chairs.  The cabin has a wrap around deck and the front overlooks the wetland that inspires us to keep on keeping on.  We have three pick-up trucks that we can transport about 40 people so dress comfortably and prepared for “weather.”

RSVP to: spiritoftheland1@gmail.com.  Also, please feel free to ask questions if you require clarification or have suggestions.

Our hosts, Don and Marie Ruzicka:

This weekend a gathering was held in Camrose and we’d really like to share the generative energy that came from that evening with all of you who frequent this blog!  Knowing that others are working in solidarity can be a source of great inspiration and hope.  I especially wish to send this out to the Unceded Coast Salish territory.

We began our gathering at Rathnavalu’s with nearly 45 people maneuvering into an infinity loop through the house and around the bountiful table of pot luck goodies.  For those of you who have not spent time considering the bureaucracy of the food safety system, having a pot luck is one of the revolutionary acts that we can all partake in!  It’s a chance to bring to our plates foods made from so many loving hands.  What a gift to share in the work of so many!

We got into the spirit of the land by sharing where our spirits have connected and grounded in spaces all around the world.  Here’s the images that my hand could frantically capture…

oceans – beaver trails – headwaters – family farms – game trails – I hug trees – aspen woods – cathedral forest – beaver dams – creek – where I live – critters moving – silence of the coulee – you can hear the dinosaurs – donalda – kootney plains – summers with grandparents in forested land – where i can feel the wind – queeen charlotte islands – I like to look for dead trees – everywhere blew by frontier – my garden – stony creek – read by summer light – california coast – whales pouting while breastfeeding my son – mirror lake – the wind in the aspen leaves – ocean meets the rocks – salt in the air – secret beach – half moon silica sand – smelling cedar and sea air – moose lake – outside and walk – rolling hills – bow river – sunflowers and bears – it has changed but still feels like home – manage the earth – use the wind and the sun – skiing to the research station – mythic status – climbing trees – looking at sunsets – rollyview – chickens and fresh eggs – and lambs and goats – the stars – trail system – choke cherries – mountains – just every part of it…

“You don’t have to be great to do great things” said one of our readings.  And this was a small gathering of great people.  What is the blue dot movement?  Check out this video:

We can affect the future.  This much we know.  Imagine if the sacred spaces that sustain our life and spirit were protected within the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  This is the impetus behind the Blue Dot movement – to have our municipalities, provinces and our nation recognize it’s citizen’s RIGHT to live in a healthy environment with clean air, water, soil and food.  Just like we have the right to vote.

As David Suzuki says, “things are only impossible until someone decides they’re not.”

To learn more about ecology and the Charter of Rights, we watched a presentation by David Boyd, one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers and the author of several books on the subject. Please contact us if you’d like a link to his presentation.

A quick break-out session allowed us to ask each other why we were out on a cool February night.  My own answer is community.  There are crisis in the works, as always there were and ever there will be.  They will always come to pass.  The only way we will weather all the storms of life is with community to help one another.  The community we are building around Spirit of the Land or Blue Dot or local economy or anything else of consequence, reminds us that there are others who are willing to help, to hold space and spirit, to bring ideas and food.  If climate predictions come to pass, I want to know everyone in that room by name.  I want to know anyone who is reading this post by name, so we can achieve together what we cannot do alone.

Community doesn’t happen with polarization.  It happens with compassion and understanding, and as we sit in story with one another, we come to see that we all care for our world.  We all love our children and grandchildren.  We all want a future for our species.  Some people have spent their life’s work in service of systems that we have now identified as problems for these hopes.  This is devastating.  I even feel bad when I slightly offend someone if I have acted or spoke without full knowledge.  Imagine spending your entire life acting in a way that you never considered destructive.  The guilt and shame that comes from changing our lives is not to be overlooked.  Those who have done it are brave souls, but we must remember that those who have not are simply human.  Change can be a very frightening thing indeed.  We must move forward together, with hearts held in care.  Our obstacles are the very place of beginning.

Just an idea…..

So here are a few of the ideas that did get captured in our gathering, but many were not.  And if you have an idea, please send it along to spiritoftheland1 at gmail dot com (I wrote it this way to keep the spammers away!)

• Just as the women’s safety audit occured in Camrose recently, we could come up with an environmental audit that would involve all citizens in going around their neighbourhood.  Count trees, check pollution sources, where’s the water? where’s the wildlife? This information could go to the city along with a petition for a declaration of the Blue Dot variety.
• Use Community Service-Learning students from Augustana to assist with above or with other initiatives
• Involve the Stoney Creek center
• Involve and synthesize the work of the many outdoor clubs in town, like the ski clubs, bird clubs, hiking clubs and other lovers of the natural world.
• Remember –  grandparents will vote for the future of their children! Speak to kids about influencing their grandparents on how we use their future home.
• Celebrate achievements!  Battle River Watershed Alliance and Centercam recycling did not exist a few short years ago.  Build on what we have done and don’t forget our might!

A couple of articles were presented to look up.  One was a Macleans article on the progress of human history.

The other was a series of interviews on CBC Ideas with Gwynne Dyer.

Finally, we went around the circle just blurting out thoughts.  Again, if you have further thoughts post them in the comments below or email us!

hope and what is positive – focus – education – talk to a friend – conversation – example – everyone’s ideas count – networking – t-shirts, buttons – petition public – conversation from industry – pembina institute – relationship between the worst and best… we must be honest with the worst in order to reach the best… be unafraid of the worst because then we can have belief in the best capacity as human beings – pressure from the ground up – reach out and bring people to the next gathering – expand our capacity – offer hope to other…

And this is what I hope, dear friends both near and far.  That this small gathering of great people in Camrose can offer you hope where you live.  There are others out there who send you love, hope and solidarity for the work you do in the place you love.

Please use this space to share your work!  This blog is followed by people in Camrose, Comox, Vancouver, Victoria, Terrace and who knows where else!  Feed the network with hope and stories of your work.  Together, who knows what we may be able to do.

Leslie

Thought I’d post this video just to put you all at ease.  Guess what?  It’s safe!

Geez Magazine’s Winter 2014 Issue features the Caring for All Creation series. Thanks Katie Doke Sawatszky, Geez Experiements editor, for seeing this work as important to share with others and for capturing its ethos so well. Katie and Glen were participants in the Vancouver series.

Justice Work Built on Community Dialogue

Spirit of the Land, an initiative out of the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus, is doing some of the most admirable community-building work in western Canada. Through a cross-provincial community-dialogue series called “Caring for All Creation: Land, Water, and our Communities,” the initiative seeks to build diverse community around eco-justice issues.

This past spring, Spirit hosted a series in Vancouver and Victoria. Free and open to the public, it consisted of six gatherings where activities and reps from local organizations present and lead group discussion. Every other week, participants were encouraged to gather in small groups to discuss the course content and get to know one another.

“Our external ecological crises are symptoms of a deeper spiritual and cultural need that is due to our disconnection with place – and all the lands, waters and communities place holds,” says Carmelle Javney Mohr, an activist from Alberta and one of Spirit’s founders and organizers. “Our concern is that so many of our efforts are oppositional in spirit. The hope of Spirit of the Land is to reveal the commonality that binds us within our diversities.”

The concept is definitely experimental. By opening it up to the public and welcoming voices from both “sides” of eco-justice issues, the initiative is at the mercy of the participants’ interests and agendas.

“I think the hardest part is gathering alienated folks into the same room first. Once in the room though, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly we can find common ground. Even if just two people whose lives have been inevitably placed in opposition with each other break bread together, our world has become kinder. And I believe it has a ripple effect.”

When asked about her hope for Spirit of the Land’s series, Mohr sees the gatherings as a practical way for people to be encouraged and inspired amid ecological crises.

“I hope it can help give answer to that question we so often ask despairingly today as we glimpse the magnitude: ‘Where on Earth do we begin?’ On Earth. Begin on Earth. For when we are present on Earth, we come to know it. When we come to know our place, we begin to fall in love with it. In love with it, we can take care of it. And when we care for it, we belong. Connected.” – Katie Doke Sawatsky

Money is, simply speaking, a medium of exchange. When US president Nixon detached the US dollar from the gold standard in 1971, the exchange of money became a conceptual obligation agreed upon by the exchanging parties, and money the expression of the value or price of that transacted good or service. In other words, money became a concept attached to paper. And we have the power to change its meaning.

The rise of the corporate economic market based on a currency of accumulation and privilege invests in the meaning of money a global network of consumerism that at times increases benefits to the wealthy, and undermines the underprivileged. This financial paradigm is being seriously questioned by the new generation. The links between globalization and economic disparity is being studied. The transition to a carbon-free economy, localized with a community fabric is being lauded. And the reprise of a monetary system that supports communities and local businesses is being revisited through community-based currencies. Here in Calgary, that expression came in 1996 through what is now known as Calgary Dollars, a complementary currency that complements our national dollar with reciprocity as a core value, where participants not only receive good and services, but also offer services and goods to neighbours, friends and community members, garnering the social capital of opportunity and trust with others. Calgary Dollars is local money!, but more accurately: a right to barter with each other where its benefits overcome the leaky economics of multinational corporations whose investment leaves us to shareholders around the world, and instead stays local by its very nature. Findings consistently show that the exchange improves participants’ social and economic well-being and strengthens their ability to withstand social and economic crises. These results help to encourage sustainable development by putting communities first, which will drive the next economy.

By Mike Unrau and the Calgary Dollars team.

mike@calgarydollars.ca / 403.270.8002

While much of Jim Wallis’ book, Rediscovering Values, was review for me, primarily in discussing the issues of our economics and the commons and community we need to turn to, I did find his concepts quite easy to grasp, and they all seemed quite practical. I think his metaphor of an unbalanced stool (the largest leg, the economy, that has grown so large it has now toppled our society over) is very accessible to anyone, not just economists, which allows for the concept of a new economy to be understood regardless of you economic knowledge.

For me, the best section was the last one, which took Chapters 16-17. I think that within these chapters he was able to put forward a transformation that is within our reach, while giving us a list of things we as individuals can be doing to make it happen. Wallis begins with the larger scale, suggesting that “A balanced stool [society] might also need new regulations around the revolving door between government regulators and lobbying for the industry they are supposed to regulate” (Wallis 225). In other words, Wallis addresses the need for change from the top down as essential, and even gives ways to do that – it is all about finding balance in government involvement or lack thereof. This was helpful to me, because while I appreciated previous writers that we have spent time with (particularly Eisenstien in this case), I found that Wallis’ goals and comments for the change that needed to happen on a large scale were easier for me to realistically support. It could be, perhaps, that Wallis’ ideas were not as radical, and perhaps they need to be. But for right now, I think Wallis is on the right track, and feel as though I can get behind his ideas.

In Chapter 17, Wallis narrowed down to what we – as individuals, communities, and churches – can do. He gave a list of 20 practical things, or Moral Exercises, as he calls them, to assess where we are at in embracing a new economy and making change on the micro level. He tells readers that “ Change begins when some people make different choices,” and that “[c]hange is preceded by commitments, new practices, and new disciplines – on all our parts” (Wallis 228, 229). Our actions start change, and sometimes it isn’t until after that our beliefs fully follow.

Of course, I had to read through and consider the Moral Exercises he lists, and ask myself (with only one week until the conference, and only one month left in this course) where I am in embracing the change that the new economy will bring. I had spoken in class a while ago about a practice my mother has, every once in a while writing down what her values are, and then asking herself where those values manifest in her everyday life. Wallis’ list reminded me of that practice. Where does my money and time get invested? When I think of my values, I think of God, my family, the pursuit of Biblical justice, my other relationships, my education, to continually be growing and challenging myself, and my health. When I look at my calendar and budget, it is blatantly obvious that my education takes up the largest section of both my time and money… but I guess there is a time and place for that, and right now I am pursuing education, so I struggle with the question: how does one pursue education and not spend the majority of their time and money investing in it? Needless to say, I still have to figure that one out. But that unique dynamic aside, Wallis (and my mother) challenge me to ensure that my engagement in this world, both economically and with my time, must reflect my values – and if they are not reflecting what I say my values are, perhaps they reflect what my values have become.

Reflection #7

While reading Jim Wallis’s “Rediscovering Values”, I realized how disconnected I was, and probably still am, from my own values. One quote that really resonated with me was actually from the epilogue, written by Jim’s 24-year old assistant. “We will have to face the challenge of making sure these changes and conversions are not just a phase of life, but a way of life.” This is something that I have been thinking a lot about lately. Sure, right now I am very active in social justice and positive and holistic environmental and economic change, but will I still be this passionate once I graduate? Will I continue to act consciously in my purchases, my lifestyle and in my relationships?

Wallis’s book culminates with a chapter that outlines “Twenty Moral Exercises”to assist individuals in making lasting change in their lives. As I read these moral exercises and reflected on the other chapters, I was made aware of one key thing: I have never clearly defined my values. This seems like such a basic thing, and as a GDS student who takes a variety of actions based on my values, it should not be hard to list them out. Perhaps this has something to do with my lack of affiliation with an organized religion or faith group. Regardless,  I have realized that while I feel connected to many different causes and beliefs, I do not have a coherent grasp of my values.

The first moral exercise listed by Wallis is “Calenders and Budgets are Moral Documents”. This exercise reminds us that what we say are our values and the values we act are two very different things. That means that my challenge is two-fold: not only do I have to identify my values, but I also have to compare them to my present reality and time management. As a student, I have more time than money to offer, as how I spend my time is almost an entire list of my true values. I decided to do this moral exercise as part of this week’s reflection- to make a list of the priorities/values in my life and compare and contrast it to my calendar and see how the two line up.

My priorities in life include: my family and friends, education and school, social justice, teaching, reading and travel. These are also all things that I value- I value my relationships and learning, along with feminism and environmentalism, activism, broadening my mind and having new experiences. Above all, I value passion and engagement with others and the community, whether it be local or international. I value critical thinking and living with an awareness of the world around us.

However, when I look at my actions a different story is told. A usual day for me includes waking up early, going to school or Fiona’s to study, running the Newcomer’s Program at the Library, going to class, reading articles off of facebook, working on papers or reading, grabbing a quick bite, studying more, and sometimes going to jump rope practice, having coffee with a friend or watching TV. Looking at this schedule, I can see that the vast majority of my time is spent on school, and while university is my reality right now, it is really all consuming in my life.
As Wallis says, one answer to rebuilding our economy with our values imbedded in it is to have balance. Balance is definitely what I need in my life as well, in order to really reconcile my thoughts with my actions.

The most astounding thing that I take away from this book is how obvious it is that he values his family. The way that he tells stories about his children and the time he spends with them shows how important they are to him. Jim Wallis says that a schedule is a moral document and so is a budget. It took me a moment to realize what he meant by this phrase. Often I have talked about with my friends that what I spend my money on shows my values. For example I can choose to buy products fair trade and organic and that shows the value I place on the well being of people and the earth. But I never had thought of my schedule being a moral document. As a student, I am never without something to do yet my schedule does contain a lot more flexible time than the schedule of many working people. Yes many hours in each of our days are determined for us. We must study and work but we do have the choice of what we study and what we work at and how we use our time when we are not studying or working.

A friend of mine suggested recently an exercise to re prioritize ones values and as I consider that my schedule is a moral document I would like to think more about how my values line up with how I spend my time. What are my priorities? Well I suppose they are similar to many other people’s priorities

1. My relationship with God
2. My relationship with my family
3. My relationships with my friends.

These first ones are obvious but then it gets a bit more difficult:

4. My own health and well being
5. The land and places that I love and am connected to
6. The well being of vulnerable people around the world.

These are the things that are important to me. Obviously school and work have to fit in there somehow. Much of my schooling teaches me more about the land and about how I can care for those who are vulnerable, which fits into my values, but it also can take time away from other important things and I should not let it because these are the things that bring life. Maybe I cannot spend the majority of each day praying, visiting my family and friends, being active or cooking delicious healthy food, but I can make sure that these things are a part of my daily/weekly schedule. If I put these things into my calendar first then when I get busy with other things they are less likely to get neglected.

In Chapter 12 Jim Wallis describes his experience of “island life” and he says that for a kid coming from the city it is a “transformation of mind, heart, lifestyle, pace and consciousness.” In our regular day to day do we take time to slow down and re-evaluate life and where we are going in our busy lives? We would be much happier people if we considered what we really value and streamlined our lives to match. We have filled more and more of our time but it is not meaningful. I often ask myself why do people work so much? Many people don’t love what they do for work so why invest so much time into it? The common answer probably is money. I wish people knew that they didn’t have to spend their life at a job they hate, that they don’t have to try to “keep up with the Jones’,” and that they could live a much freer life if they recognized what is truly important in life and chose to live a simpler life focused around their newly rediscovered values.

The Chester Ronning Center will welcome Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis on October 30th to reconnect faith and stewardship.

When I returned from the Augustana in Cuba program (some years ago now!), I decided to take a course on Justice Theology with Jack Washenfelder.  I wanted to maintain my connection to Latin America and continue to work through the feelings of remorse for the plagues of politics that scarred that social landscape.  I was surprised when the bulk of the class was spent on Eco-Theology, but have since come to see it as one of the great crisis of faith in our time.  Knowing how many people in the world are deeply moved by faith institutions, I was heartened when I came to understand how deeply ecological concerns are embedded in the Christian texts of my childhood.  While I had spent years first dreaming of heaven and then shunning all such thoughts, I finally came to some spaces of reconciliation with the texts I grew up with.

This window into connection with the Earth as a sacred gift has helped me engage with Christian and non-Christian alike on the imperative of ethical treatment of the natural world.  I anticipate a lively discussion that will prepare me for the upcoming conference.