Thursday, June 5, 2008

Potential of a Seed

This is Broccoli seed I have collected from my garden. Recently I collected at least twice that amount and now the jar is almost full. Look at all the potential. Each one of those seeds can bear broccoli to consume and enough seed for future plantings and generations. Recently United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a 50 percent increase in world food production by 2030, saying that failure to feed the world's growing population will mean civil unrest and starvation. Tiffany at her blog "Much Ado About Nothing" posted "Frankenfood" expressing her fear about genetically modified food. All the crazy things corporations such as Monsanto are doing in the name of bettering the lives of people, but are essentially done expressly for greed, are nothing less than frightening.

Such as the terminator gene. From my limited understanding, I believe it is a gene that is placed in seed that is sold that causes the seed to be unable to produce viable seed. This forces the farmer to purchase new seed yearly instead of being able to save seed as our forefathers and mothers did.

The most terrifying aspect of this to me is the smugness of humankind in their intelligence. Even if you accept their version of our existence (which I do not), how can we allow them to step out with their limited time frame of knowledge and toy with ancient existence set forth by powers beyond them. Humans tend to force square pegs in round holes. If something doesn't work the way we have previously conceived it should, we change the circumstance until it fits our own set forth "truths". For good or bad these powers of greed are going to shove a square peg into the round hole.

What if people set aside greed and embraced contentment? Timothy wrote, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." It appears to me that the majority of humans have set aside and ridiculed "Godliness" and "contentment" and have embraced "worldliness" and "greed". What if everyone quit cutting their grass, learned as much as they could about growing their own food, and transformed their large or small lawns and balconies and decks into vegetable and herb gardens. What if every landscape tree bore edible fruit? I'm sure the world would easily increase food production by over 50%. Most people can't though. They "have" to go to work.

7 comments:

Aubrey said...

This is very scary! Everyday it seems there is more and more information that suggests our health is at greater and greater risk. There is even reason to believe there are people out there who would like to outlaw backyard gardens. My own gardening ventures haven't been going so well. I will continue to improve my skills in this area though. Thanks for the blog link.

Tiffany said...

I love your idea of everyone growing food. Isn't it sad that the very thing that sustains life is in the hands of large powerful companies who care nothing about humans?
I'm thinking about growing some salad greens in a container or something. So far I haven't killed anything (although my aloe plant would appreciate some intercessory prayer right now...no idea what it's problem is. Helloooo you are a cactus...toughen up!!) so I thought maybe it's time to start something with a seed and see what happens. :)

Anonymous said...

I am doing my part! Today I pickled an canned cucumbers and squash. What fun! They taste delicious too! Three hungry little girls insisted on opening a can and trying them out. They gave their stamp of approval and ate half the jar by themselves.
Terri

Miss Riya said...

I'm am relieved to know that there is a plot and I'm not just an idiot who can't get a seed to grow. In the past I have tried to grow things from seeds that I saved, but they never even sprouted...unless they came out of a seed package from the local garden center. ;-(

Joanna RawTn said...

This is a great point Kristi! I am motivated to plant even more! I want fruit and nut trees next. I did my part to feed the cabbage worms this year *snif* they got it all! Think they are in on the plot?
xoxo

Kristi said...

Hi Quiet Life, thanks for visiting my blog and welcome. Tiffany, you're killing an aloe? But I bet those peonies are beautiful.
Terri, I want to try some of that too!
Miss Riya, Try and try again!!!
RawTN-I'd love to know what you plant.

Egghead said...

Thought provoking. I am way behind on my reading....you can always make me think of things to better our lives simply.