Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, April 21, 1999, Page 23, Image 23

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    Aprii 21, 1999
Focus
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t 25 years old, I was headed
quality soil, chemically treated and
stored for long periods of time.
Much of their “Life Force” in the
down a “dead-ended” road
rom my addictions to co­
way of enzymes, water content and
nutrients get lost. It takes more en­
caine, alcohol, marijuana and sugar.
ergy to digest and assimilate these
1 was abusing myself constantly. One
foods with little nutritional value -
day, I decided to break the drug habit
draining our own “Life Force.”
I began growing the “ultimate”
B y P atrick M c E achern
A
and impulsively threw all the cocaine
major turning point in my life in seek­
foods by first building the soil back
up with red earthworms. These
ing good health and wholeness.
creatures would naturally feed on
I was fatefully lead to organic gar­
dening through growing marijuana
waste and turn it back into topsoil
out the truck window. It became a
for money. I understood the value of
with their castings (manure). Rock
dust, bonemeal and bloodmeal were
earthworm castings (manure) to en­
added to the mix. Using filtered wa­
rich the soil and yield higher-qual­
ity plants. My intent was to grow the
ter was also essential.
I consciously cared for my gar­
“ultimate” foods and consume them
dens. The foods grown supported
in their fresh, whole state. This was
me because I was consuming my
own loving energy. I ate the foods
right out of the ground, as close to
the source as possible. Eating bet­
ter began the process of my many
my path towards recovery.
Instead of just building a basic
garden, I placed them in designs.
My father openly disapproved. To
him, it was a “slap in the face." He
later explained that one of his goals
personal transformations.
Once I eliminated drugs and ate
in life was to work hard and make
organically, my mind and emotions
good money to get himself out of
cleared for me to deal better with
gardening because his parents de­
my deep-seated denials. Loving
pended upon what they grew to sur­
myself and living authentically was
vive. He wanted his own family to
another outgrowth of the recovery
buy all the food from the store.
From doing extensive research,
process. On a spiritual level, I be­
I learned that a lot of produce sold
Ultimately, I connected within, un­
d e rsta n d in g God as U niversal
in markets are devoid of essential
vitamins and full-spectrum miner­
als from having been grown in poor-
came more connected to myself .
T ruth Building my garden was
atrick McEachern and Denise Martin (author of "Eating My Way To Heaven”) are educational consul^a" ts^
y
assionately teach about the value of organic gardening with earthworms and consuming fresh, whole foods.
truly Heaven on Earth.
ACTS OF STEWARDSHIP
T o f o r g e t h o w to d ig t h e e a r t h
a n d t e n d t h e s o il,
is t o f o r g e t o u r s e lv e s .
G handi
Eat more fresh, organic foods.
Energized foods, straight from the
stalk, bring that vital “Life Force”
to your plate. By growing a garden,
your family can thrive on these life-
giving foods, fresh from the yard as
you teach your children how to re­
build the eco-system.
Buy local. Support your local
farmers and organic growers wher­
ever possible. In the new millen­
nium, our goal will be to have the
source of the food where the people
are, instead of trucking it around
the globe.
•Landscape with edible plants.
Fruit and nut trees, berries, herbs
and most produce make beautifully
decorative plants in addition to be­
ing part of your family’s wellness
plan.
•Learn how to care for your
worms as you would a domestic pet.
Aristotle said that worms are the
guts of the soil. Worms recycle our
waste, clean our water, soil and air.
and create pristine soil con­
ditions for growing super or­
ganic foods. Your children
will love tending this herd of
harmless critters.
•Become part of the solu­
tion for pollution instead of
part of the problem. Raising
a generation of children who
actively participate in eco­
logical living everyday is the
most effective way for most
of us to rejuvenate the planet.
C o m m u n ity
by
D e s ig n
*
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