Saturday, May 7, 2016
Ayurvedic Medicine?
On my way to the farm I caught a very interesting radio program on the People's Pharmacy. It was about how what you eat is what you are or letting your food be your medicine. The guest who is a practitioner of ayurvedic medicine and a neurologist, was mentioning that what you eat changes your gut bacteria. That is simple enough, however she then went on to state that your gut bacteria then send signals to your brain to create desires in what you eat. So depending upon what you have been eating and what is living in your gut you might be creating a feed back loop that could either be beneficial or downward spiraling. I still don't know much about ayurvedic medicine but it makes a bunch of sense that our eating habits can have big consequences or payoffs. Here is a link to the program if you would like to give it a listen. http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/04/21/show-1033-how-to-stay-healthy-with-principles-of-ayurvedic-medicine/
The Pope Prays for Steed Farm
Well, he is praying for Steed Farm as well as every small farm and farming family trying to cultivate the land. I was a bit surprised and very grateful that for the month of April, Pope Francis asked the world to pray for small farmers. The USDA categorizes small farms as those that make below $250,000. We definitely fit well below that category and we always welcome prayers for our farm. I'll let the Apostleship of Prayer summarize the global intention of the pope...
Seventy-two percent of the world’s farms are less than 2.5 acres in size. In the U.S., 90 percent of the 2.1 million farms are considered small, family farms, and many of them are struggling.
Though prices have gone up in supermarkets, the income of farmers has not. As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the largest job loss of any occupation is farmers. When the small farms go out of business, often large agri-businesses acquire the land and create greater potential for ecological damage and health risks. For example, a single fast food hamburger may contain meat from more than a hundred different cattle.
For Pope Francis small farmers are essential to caring for the earth and safeguarding it for future generations. He said that “in the work of farmers there is the acceptance of the precious gift of the land which comes to us from God, but there is also its appreciation in the equally precious work of men and women, called to respond to the mandate of tilling and safeguarding the land (Genesis 2: 15).”
Agricultural workers should receive a just wage. As the pope said, “The labor of those who cultivate the earth, generously dedicating time and energy to it, appears as a genuine vocation. It deserves to be recognized and appropriately appreciated, also in concrete economic policies.”
With the coming of spring, we pray for those on small farms who are busy planting. May they not only have an abundant harvest this year but also “receive a just reward for their precious labor.”
Seventy-two percent of the world’s farms are less than 2.5 acres in size. In the U.S., 90 percent of the 2.1 million farms are considered small, family farms, and many of them are struggling.
Though prices have gone up in supermarkets, the income of farmers has not. As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the largest job loss of any occupation is farmers. When the small farms go out of business, often large agri-businesses acquire the land and create greater potential for ecological damage and health risks. For example, a single fast food hamburger may contain meat from more than a hundred different cattle.
For Pope Francis small farmers are essential to caring for the earth and safeguarding it for future generations. He said that “in the work of farmers there is the acceptance of the precious gift of the land which comes to us from God, but there is also its appreciation in the equally precious work of men and women, called to respond to the mandate of tilling and safeguarding the land (Genesis 2: 15).”
Agricultural workers should receive a just wage. As the pope said, “The labor of those who cultivate the earth, generously dedicating time and energy to it, appears as a genuine vocation. It deserves to be recognized and appropriately appreciated, also in concrete economic policies.”
With the coming of spring, we pray for those on small farms who are busy planting. May they not only have an abundant harvest this year but also “receive a just reward for their precious labor.”
Thank you Pope Francis for your recognition of our work and thank you everyone who prays for us!
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