This Battle will Never End

An awful event has occurred which cannot be undone!  It was a Pandora's box which should never have been opened.  I'm talking about the invasive plant problem.  Our ancestors invited them in, dreaming they would be of great benefit.  Since then, they have become a nightmare!  You already know most, kudzu, privet, honeysuckle, Chinese tallow, mimosa trees, bamboo, and the list goes on and on.

I believe the catalyst which began the downfall was the industrial age.  Farming has always taken an intensive labor force.  Whether a family with several children or one with cheap laborers, farming isn't easy work.  As more money was to be made with jobs in the cities, children and other laborers moved there, leaving farmers facing a daunting task, raising food with little help.  So most family farms were sold to big conglomerates which replaced cheap labor with chemicals.  Some farmers even use genetically engineered plants that contain a built in herbicide, which isn't healthy for us.  It seems there are articles every day warning us of the dangers of eating food which isn't organic.

Going back to folks leaving the farm and moving to subdivisions, all those yards needed to be landscaped.  Companies, eager for profit, were quick to comply with all the beautiful plants those good salaries would buy.  Since folks now had a regular income, they didn't need to think of edible plants, grocery stores would supply their food.  They purchased most of their plants for aesthetic value only.  The seeds from those plants were then spread in a myriad of ways,  including wind, birds, and people.  It didn't take long for our terrible problem to develop.  One person maintaining a small lot can handle a few invasive plants.  However, when those same plants invade the rural areas, their multiplication is astronomical.

Take privet for example, a flowering plant in the genus Ligustrum.   There are about fifty species of the evergreen shrub which grow into a small tree if left alone.  One plant may produce thousands of seeds, which are eaten by birds and spread widely.  If you cut down one plant, ten will spring up from the roots.  It's complete eradication is no longer possible.  In Alabama's twenty one million acres,  it is estimated at least one million are lost to privet.  Many try to control the plant with herbicides, but with the health dangers chemicals pose to both people and native plants, other methods are more desirable.

I've found cutting, removing, and burning the largest clumps help control the spread.  Goats and sheep both enjoy eating privet as well.  If the soil is moist, pulling small plants up by the roots is fairly easy.  The sad thing is that the plant is still being sold by some stores today. 

So, the never ending battle with invasive plants will go on.  We gain some ground, then lose it again.  What we need is a change in our thinking.  What if we all converted those nice lawns between our privet fences to something different.  Yes, those lawns which require fertilizers, reseeding, hours of mowing, dethatching, aerating... and then, after that, you still can't eat it.  Why not think about having your very own food forest!  Imagine, walking outside and picking your own blueberries, tomatoes, okra, grapes, apples, pears, and all kinds of great food!  Let's bring the farm to the city.

Yes, I know plants are expensive, but so is all that lawn maintenance.  Plus you'll know the history of the food you are putting in your body.  It wasn't sprayed with chemicals or fertilized with human waste! I'll even give you a good tip on the planting expense.  Many of the fruits you purchase at the store have "seeds" in them.  If they were grown in the United States, they haven't been radiated as they crossed the border, so they are probably still viable.  Google the variety, and get some good tips on planting the seed.  Also, seeds are very inexpensive where plants are a bit costly.  Order a few seed packets and start your own locally grown harvest.  I've heard gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get food.  The exercise is also excellent for you, so you can save on the gym membership.  All that excellent healthy food is going to make you feel good, look good, and have a great attitude about yourself.  The benefits outweigh any cost!

Once you really get excited about growing your own food, search YouTube for "Permaculture" videos.  Its a great method to help maintain your garden with less effort, less cost, and allowing nature to pitch in as a twenty-four hour assistant.   I'm always disappointed when I ask a farmer or, even recently, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System Agent, if they are aware of Permaculture.  I've yet to get a "yes" from anyone.  They are still steeped in the big mono-farming method where all food is grown with chemicals.  Things have got to change.

I'll leave you with a few good links if you are interested in doing some more research.  I hope you'll check out the list of invasive plants and spread the word about their dangers.  We should all be an environmentalist, because we only have one environment!

Alabama's Worst Invasives
The Privet Warriors
Dealing with Invasive Plant Species
Why Food Forests?

One God and Soap

“Absolute cleanliness is Godliness”.  That is the first line on Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap bottle.  Just reading the label could keep you occupied for maybe twenty minutes.  I was drawn to it while shopping at Whole Foods recently.  I must have stood in the isle long enough reading, to realize I’d been standing there too long… reading.  I put the bottle in the buggy and thought, “I’ll finish this at home”.

At home, I again picked up the bottle and started reading.  I was perplexed because the statements didn’t flow well.  I believed I understood what it said, but my curiosity needed more.  I got on the internet and googled the product and was overwhelmed with information and accolades.  I even watched a documentary entitled, “Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox” on Netflix.  It was well produced and made me understand how Dr. Bronner came to America and began his work.

He was born in Heilbronn, Germany, to the Heilbronner family of soap makers.  He emigrated to the United States in 1929 and dropped the “Heil” from his name.  His parents stayed in Germany and were victims of Nazi persecution.

Dr. Bronner began making products by hand in his home.  His father was Jewish, so it is obvious that belief in God was important to Dr. Bronner and he wanted everyone to believe and be part of the “one faith”.  He used references from both Jewish and Christian sources on the labels of his soaps.

The documentary goes into detail about the strange events which occurred in 1947.  Dr. Bronner was speaking at the University of Chicago and promoting his “Moral ABC”.  There were objections and Dr. Bronner was arrested and committed to a mental hospital in Elgin, Illinois, on just a phone call from his sister.  Obviously, it was easier to have someone committed then.  At the hospital, Dr. Bronner had to endure “shock treatments”.  He escaped the hospital and eventually ended up in Escondido, California.  There, his soap making grew into a large operation which continues today.  Dr. Bronner died in 1997, but the business is still making soap and preaching about God!

Their business is pretty amazing.  You should click on this link to visit their website.  It has more info than I can possibly cover.  I will tell you that their soap is organic with a vegetable oil base.  Their products are completely environmentally safe and not harmful.  The soaps are concentrated, so just simply mix with water to dilute.  The “peppermint” is my favorite but they are all good.  They may be purchased at Whole Foods, Target, or almost any health food store.  I believe in bragging on good companies, because there are so many who shouldn’t be in business.  Good companies need encouragement and our business!

Getting back to their business model, executive compensation is capped at 5 to 1 to the lowest paid warehouse position.  All profits, not needed for business, go to worthwhile causes and charities worldwide.  From watching the documentary, their employees are extremely happy and receive big bonuses each year.  The website shares that one of Dr. Bronner’s “truths” was that constructive capitalism is where you share the profit with the workers and the earth from which you made it!
If you can do a little preaching along with it, that’s even better!

“Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”   Psalm 19:4