Advent Thoughts

ADVENT is our earth world, battered by centuries of neglect, hoping and longing for the coming of One who can turn hate into love, war into peace, hunger into food, joblessness into work, a piece of cardboard into a bed, loneliness into friendship, and noise into quietness.



WHAT IF?

We worked to implement the Sermon on the Mount.

We work as hard for peace and we do for war.

We care for conservation, renewal, and hope for earth.

Earning the smile of a child became more important than the death of a Hollywood icon.

We looked for the best in others, even those we disagree with.

Advent resulted in our commitment to be agents of change.



Vineyards don’t crop up over night. At River Myst Haven in 2009 Timothy and his brother Ted planned for a vineyard. The ground selected had to be inspected and an engineering plan for grading and erosion control established. Then they began clearing and grading the land, fenced in the area, and installed erosion controls. Finally the authorities inspected their efforts and said, “Well done!”

In the spring of 2010 they will be planting and installing an irrigation system. It will be many years before their vineyard is productive. In the meanwhile they will work with the land until one day the fruit of the vine is a dream come true.

RMH's End-of-year donations

Lynelle Mason
Author, Advent Encounters & soon-to-be published Lenten Encounters (title tent.)

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Chief John Ross




Cherokee Council House at Red Clay, Tennessee, 1835


Mourning dove and woodpecker


Many people fail to grasp why the Cherokees clung so tenaciously to their Smokey Mountain homes and resisted with their very lives being sent west.

Cherokees viewed the land the lived on as a gift from their Creator. It did not belong to them but had been given to them to cherish, tend, and share.

The Way was the way Cherokees responded to life about them. In The Education of Little Tree Grandpa explains it to Little Tree thusly:

“Take only what you need. When you take a deer, do not take the best. Take the smaller and the slower and then the deer will grow stronger and always give you meat. Pa-koh, the panther, knows and so must ye. Only Ti-bi, the bee, stores more than he can use….and so he is robbed by the bear and the ‘coon…and the Cherokee. It is so with people who store and fat themselves with more than their share.”


Grape vines and horizon view at River Myst Haven

At River Myst Haven land is a sacred trust. Vital nutrients have been added to the soil and extensive irrigation systems installed. The bounty of RMH is shared and overspills onto those who need it most.

Lynelle Mason
Author, Advent Encounters & soon-to-be published Lenten Encounters (title tent.)

Culinary Agrarianism

“A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one’s accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes.”

“The passive American consumer, sitting down to a meal of pre-prepared food, confronts inert, anonymous substances that have been processed, dyed, breaded, sauced, gravied, ground, pulped, strained, blended, prettified, and sanitized beyond resemblance to any part of any creature that ever lived. The products of nature and agriculture have been made, to all appearances, the products of industry. Both eater and eaten are thus in exile from biological reality. ”

— Wendell Berry

AUTHOR AND FARMER

As the result of a birthday gift to Alan from very good friends (and friends of RMH), we had the privilege of seeing Wendell Berry in person, interviewed by Michael Pollan.

Mr. Berry, a prolific writer, poet and farmer in Kentucky, has been advocating the importance of agrarianism in contributing to a healthy and balanced life and community.

The Wikipedia page about him distills his essential philosophy down to the listing in the following quote, and, though I’m not entirely trusting of the site, the statement resonates with my limited understanding of the man’s work:

“According to Berry, the good life includes sustainable agriculture, appropriate technologies, healthy rural communities, connection to place, the pleasures of good food, husbandry, good work, local economics, the miracle of life, fidelity, frugality, reverence, and the interconnectedness of life. The threats Berry finds to this good life include: industrial farming and the industrialization of life, ignorance, hubris, greed, violence against others and against the natural world, the eroding topsoil in the United States, global economics, and environmental destruction.”

He was advocating for a connection to land and the source of our food—local, organic, sustainable—decades ago. And yet, I must say he is remarkably humble and unassuming about it—it’s a way of life and not primarily a political movement (though he certainly believes in using the political process to make change).

As I have said elsewhere on our site, there is something meaningful & natural—“organic” if you will—about a renewed interest in how we eat and our affect on the land. And yet, for me, there the caveat that over politicizing this belief or turning it into the cause of the moment, perhaps becoming overly militant about it, is counter-constructive and violates the very principles of the ideas at its core.

Wendell Berry seems to me to advocate a set of basic ideas in the ongoing journey to improve our lives and the community and place where we live.

I was particularly stuck by his discussion of “urban agrarianism” (a topic he plans to address more in future writings) which I paraphrase loosely as finding ways in a non-rural environment to connect more with issues relating to fields or lands or their tenure—specifically farming and the sources of our food—for example, shopping at farmer’s markets or stores that source from local sources; joining a farm cooperative and having fresh, locally-grown produce brought to your house; or simply planting a tomato plant in a pot.

So, I got to thinking a bit more about food and our efforts here such as our cooking experiences and winemaker dinners, and it seemed many people want to connect more to food through how they eat—heirlooms, just-picked food, locally-raised food, farm-to-table, etc.

Hence, Culinary Agrarianism…and that is the Word (to quote Stephen Colbert).

Fall Firsts

The first Monday in October got me thinking about “fall firsts.” Now, before I even say it, I know that most of you thought about the Supreme Court (the really good ones may even have flashed on the 1981 movie with Jill Clayburgh & Walter Matthau…need I say more? Really?)

There is an important lesson in the start to the Supreme Court term, regardless of your political perspective, and the “official” first cases of new Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor—I suggest it’s representative of a profound loss of perspective in social discourse, but I digress. (If you will indulge my digression just a bit longer. If you want really good coverage of the Supreme Court, I have to recommend Nina Totenberg, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, or Marcia Coyle).

Ok. Ok. I can hear our Blog Mavin Ingrid, “short and pithy! Yer in, make your point, yer out…” With a mind like mine (ADD more than genius), what can one expect?? ANYWAY, my original point was about events that point from summer to autumn…

The Waning Harvest Moon

As you can tell from my earlier post, I’ve become fascinated with the harvest moon. The picture we used in that previous post was a generic shot of a particularly dramatic harvest moon. However, I was up early in the morning during the last part of our recent harvest moon, and was truly inspired.

First, it’s a compelling time throughout history—the full moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox—one that marks a time of gathering abundance, a celestial demarcation of the transition from the busy agricultural time of cultivation to, literally, reaping what we have sown.

It’s also very clear that the weather and daylight is beginning to shift, and being up and out in the (now) darkness of that early morning hour, tracking the moon and listening to the quiet sounds (for there are many) of nature…just a wonderful, mindful time.

Our Pumpkin Harvest

Another first was pulling the winter squash. I probably could have left it a bit longer and gotten some limited further development in the fruit (botanically of course, the seed-containing structure of the plant), but it just really felt like the right time to harvest. (Sorry for yet another pumpkin pic, but we’re just really thrilled with how well they grow here.) Another good harvest this year—quite a few sugar pumpkins for cooking and three good jack-‘o-lanterns.

We also hit the tomatoes and basil really hard and got (as can often be expected) an abundance. Alan threw together what I must say is an amazing simple tomato sauce that froze nicely and the Patricia Wells “simple basil sauce.”

Most exciting—and another first—after 2 years of patient work, our raspberries turned out to be an “ever-bearing” variety, meaning we get fruit twice a year (summer and fall), and the bounty now is amazing—we’ve made coulis and a great(!) dessert with just berries and goat cheese.

Raccoons!

A less-than-exciting first was a midnight raid of our fall vegetable planting. Now, we’ve had the critters the whole time we’ve been here, and they are cute as anything—we’ve co-existed quite well up to this point. (I can just hear some out there getting all charged-up about the topic raccoons—they inspire an unexpected level of hatred in some people.)

However. Raccoons like grubs, and good, well-worked soil is just full of things tasty to them. So, after a bit of work getting the winter garden planted, I was disappointed to see that I had some “help” digging. They didn’t eat the plants much, but they seemed to have thought the tastiest things were under the veggies.

So I replanted and tried bird netting. But most interesting, I read that it can be effective to leave human scent around the planted area, so I left a dirty work shirt out there…so far so good. No further raids after 2 weeks…

Rain, Rain, Come Again…Soon!!

The most important first was the heavy, heavy rains that came in early October. After years of atypical drought years, we were hit with the atypical heavy, early storm. It got a lot of things growing, was great for the fall/winter planting, and really helped make the soil more workable; however, it was a lot of water all of a sudden, and our erosion control in the newly developed vineyard required a lot of attention. Kudos to Ted and the crew who were out in the pouring rain laying straw to keep things under control…

Overall, it’s been a particularly nice time to be planting kales, chards, garlic, lettuce, spinach and the like. Wet soil, warm days, cool night—a great parallel to our early spring weather for a different profile of crops.

Onward to Autumn

So, it has been an active, productive and plentiful time here at RMH. We’ve had some fun parties (more on that later) and have really geared up for spring 2010 plantings of our vineyard, and organic flowers and veggies.

But, we try not to forget what a great time of year it is right now and the important perspective that this seasonal, balanced transition can bring if we’re mindful enough…

Happy Halloween!

~Timothy

RMHing Launched!

A Harvest Moon from Wikipedia .

Brad launched this blog site on September 22. Interesting to me because that was the first day of fall, the autumnal equinox. (Equinox Fun Facts)

First, I have to say. The equinox is not. That is, though the word equinox comes from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night), the day and night are NOT equal on the 22nd. This actually occurs at our latitude about the 26th of September. (Interestingly, the day of our fall party, but more on this later, AND halfway to the harvest moon.)

The sun seems to drop lower and as it crosses the equator (of course, due to the earth’s movement, not the sun’s) and the days shortening. It’s interesting to me as a time of transition because it feels like a real seasonal shift. Growing up, I used to mostly notice the change in the light as it became more golden, but now, as a “gentleman farmer” I’ve become aware of other changes as well.

First, the heat of the day is different. Though we’ve been in a heat advisory with days in the 90’s nearing 100, it just feels different—not as intense or direct. As I’ve been working outside, it feels almost pleasant, hot without being blazing. (Yes, yes to all of you who know me thinking I probably wasn’t wearing sunscreen…I know, I know…)

The plants start changing too. Some of the main summer crops like squash and tomatoes, though still productive, do start gearing down. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the summer squash is still producing and the tomatoes and winter squash are still ripening and curing, but the plants start acting like people do on the Friday of a work week…there, engaged, but thinking about quitting time.

Also, for the first time I’ve been starting my own seedlings for the fall garden, so it’s very significant to me that I am working with cooler weather crops like greens, lettuces, and broccoli. This effort has really forced me to plan further ahead that I might typically. And, whereas spring starts need to be protected from the cold and early frost, fall starts need to be protected from the heat and sun.

It’s also interesting because since summer crops are still growing and producing, I need to start making decisions about what will be sacrificed to make room for the new batch of fall crops. It’s a bit brutal really.

The melons were an easy pick. After gorging on watermelons, sharlyn and casaba melons the last couple of months, it’s pretty clear those vine are becoming spent and won’t be making a lot more fruit—gone. The pumpkins are getting bigger and still have some productive time to make good Jack-o’-lantern-worthy fruit (though, the New England Pie vines have started giving up fruit)—stay. Tomatoes have gone wild and will just be left to their crazy tangle of productive stems. (I don’t prune them much.)

So, take some time to notice the autumnal changes occurring around you, and maybe try and take some time to connect personally with this time of year. Make a mindful decision of what the fall means to you, in your life, and what significance you bring to the time of year.

I’ve learned that it is far too simplistic to see it as the beginning of the slide into winter. It really is a vibrant and transitional season and the perfect time to be planning what changes or transitions you want to make to have a productive fall and winter.

Happy Equinox!!!

~Timothy

A work in progress:

Musing on the Equinox
The certainty of summer heat diminishing;

Nature commences ready for winter’s imminence.

The sun draws on intensity lapsed;

harvest moon truly at half-mast.

We gather today at autumn’s waking;

To harvest fellowship of our making.

Part of the 2009 fall pumpkin harvest at RMH.