Flordemayo's Seed Temple. Open House, October 26th and 27th, 2013.

This open invitation was sent to us by Belinda Eriacho who SeedBroadcast met at the Native/Seeds Search http://www.nativeseeds.org/events/seed-school seed school earlier this year. We have kept in touch and are delighted to hear that Flordemayo's Seed Temple is now ready for us all to visit. Do not miss this unique opportunity.

 

Here is Belinda's seed story,

Gathering for Mother Earth, Seed Stories.

These stories were shared with us at the 2013 Gathering for Mother Earth organized by Tewa Women United. http://tewawomenunited.org/
Thank you everyone who took the time to tell us your story.

Gus Johnson shares a seed story about growing and sharing Seminole Hanging Pumpkins.


Jennie Luna shares a seed story about amaranth.

Jerermy Wright shares a seed story about generosity, patience, listening and artistry.

Ramos Sanchez shares a seed story about farming, food and community in the old times.

Michele Rozbitsky shares an ancient seed saving project she helped with at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.

Judithann Poncho talks about the importance of giving thanks to the plants.

Annie Miller talks about the beans and corn seeds she saved.

Carina Schnieders talks about being a kid and collecting seeds.

Alan Sutherland talks about finding ancient Dixon barley.

Amy Torrez from Chama, New Mexico shares how her family grew and ate potatoes and beans.

Jessica Riggs tells us why she saves her calendula seeds and shares them.

Alix Hudson shares her story of waffle gardening in Zuni Pueblo.

Erick Valdez talks about saving seeds from his spinach and calabacitas.

SeedBroadcasting at Gathering for Mother Earth

Gathering for Mother Earth - Photo: Andre Liptay

SeedBroadcast spent the fall equinox at Pojoaque Pueblo and the Gathering for Mother Earth. This event was organized by the Tewa Women United to bring people from all walks of life together to discuss, practice, and give thanks to the generosity of the earth, while encouraging healthy, vibrant, and empowered communities.

The grounds were filled with informational booths, traditional healers, artists, musicians, solar oven gurus, workshops, and a communal kitchen with free delicious food. We were invited to join in the festivities and bring out the more seedy side of people.

Land Arts Students help set up the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station

Land Arts of the American West students joined us as project collaborators, hosting the seed SWAP table, recording seed stories, facilitating the interior library of the van, and adding good cheer and humor. Students jumped right in and helped visitors look at seeds, find information, and most importantly share a genuine conversation about seeds, food, farming, gardening, and creativity. They also walked around the event and recorded some amazing seed stories.

Land Arts student, Randal Romwalter, shares seeds with visistors.

Seed SWAP table.

Many visitors stopped by to use the free-source copy center and take home seed saving and seed organizing information. Also people sat and listened to seed stories inside the Broadcasting Station. But the main attraction were the seeds.....those tiny gems of vibrant possibilities.

These seeds come from SeedBroadcaster - Jeanette Hart-Mann's - family farm, Fodder Project Collaborative Research Farm in Anton Chico, NM. They are presented on the seed SWAP table and offered free for anyone to take home. Even though the planting season is almost over for most folks in and around Pojoaque, people were thrilled with a gift of seeds, sparking dreams for next years garden. 

This gift might seem like a one-way transaction, from SeedBroadcast to participants. But there is a mighty string of responsibility attached..... a promise to plant the seed, to grow the food, to grow some seed, and share this with others.

SEEDS!

Land Arts student Liz Shores with a visitor inside the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station

Land Arts students Chitra Sangtani and Emily Gonzales record Jennie Luna's Seed Story

Thank you Tewa Women United for inviting us to this wonderful event and thank you to all who came by to visit with us and share seed stories. Visit our Seed Story Broadcast to listen to these and many other Seed Stories.

Good luck to all who gathered and took home seeds. Let us know how you grow together!

SeedBroadcast agri-Culture Journal

 

The 1st edition of SeedBroadcast agri- Culture Journal is now available! 

This is a bi-annual collection of inspired thoughts, poetry, essays, photographs, drawings, recipes, How Too's and wisdom gathered from a national call out to lovers of local food and seeds. This journal supports collaboration through the sharing of seed knowledge, stories, resources and inspiration from local communities and between individuals, while also providing pollination through diversified regional, national, and international media networks.

This 1st edition is available to download here: 

http://www.seedbroadcast.org/SeedBroadcast/SeedBroadcast_agriCulture_Journal.html.

 and a printed version is available in various local and national locations and directly from the SeedBroadcast Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station. So keep a look out for it. 

We hear that they disappear quickly!

The 2nd edition will be published in the spring of 2014 and we are sending a call out for submissions.

Contribute,  Participate, Propose!

The deadline  for submissions is January 30th, 2014. Please send your inquires, proposals and contributions to seedbroadcast@gmail.com.

 We are looking forward to hearing from you and to all of our first contributors a huge thank you for making  the 1st edition of the agri-Culture Journal such a success.

Seeds A Collective Voice at Globalquerque! 2013

Here's a note just in from Jade Leyva and an excellent opportunity to join up with her and Seeds A Collective Voice at Globalquerque! This Saturday, Sept 21 at National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM

Hi all,

A note to tell you that Seeds A Collective Voice will be a part of the educational day program at Globalquerque! I am so happy!

We will be talking to people about three sisters, giving away seeds for kids and families to experiment next year with this form agriculture.

We will be working on a seed mural where the public will match the seeds colors to a pattern on a very large board to be glued on (see attached) This community mural project is in 4 sections to form an ecosystem. We will be doing the first one at ¡Globalquerque! and will continue with the following ones during different public events.

 I hope you can come by to this amazing event, it only happens once a year and it is off the hook! there will also be international dance lessons, workshops about music & culture with the night time performers, instrument building and lots more!

Have a blessed day,
Jade

Gaia Gardens: the struggle to hold the hope and dreams for a new urban agriculture in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

On August 19th SeedBroadcast spent the morning with Poki and Dominique at Gaia Gardens. They graciously took time out from weeding and collecting seeds to share their dream, hopes and the recent struggle to hold on to their unique urban farm.

Gaia Gardens is the first organic, educational farm within the city limits of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The 3.7 acres of land conveniently slopes towards the Arroyo Chamiso, making it efficient for water harvesting. A well-used bike and walking trail meanders along the bank of the arroyo at the edge of this abundant garden, making this a prime location for a community driven urban farm.

 

Sunflowers, beans and the tomato hoop house

This small farm is the vision of Poki Piottin and Dominque Pozo, who for the past two years have dedicated their hard labor and passion into creating a place of magic potential.  Poki is the vegetable grower and Dominique tends the flowers and is the farms’ seed-saver. The 15,000 feet of gardens are producing an abundance of organic vegetables, squash, beans, corn (the three sisters) seven-foot high sunflowers shade the marigolds and kale, ripening tomatoes grow protected in a small hoop house and basil forms  semi circles around the purple-flowered potato patch.

Poki was fifty-four when he started this farm in the heart of Santa Fe, it was his dream and he says that he could not have done it without the help and dedication of the community.  They started with no financing, not an easy prospect. However this lack of funds became an opportunity rather than a hindrance as they had to find a larger community to help form this venture, and this they did. Many community members came forward with donations of equipment, seeds, plants and materials. They formed a successful recycling project, which expanded to being a clearinghouse for other organizations, which eventually lead Gaia Gardens to receive an award for best recycler from the 

City of Santa Fe. 

All was moving along successfully, with their dedicated hard work and with the help of many volunteers the gardens started producing and they were able to sell their excess of vegetables, seeds and compost tea at the local farmers markets. 

Hubbard Squash

Gaia chard

Then about three months ago the city came down hard on them with a litany of violations, including having too many volunteers, holding educational movie nights, allowing wwoofers (Willing Workers On Organic Farms http://www.wwoofusa.org/) to stay in tents, parking issues from visiting groups and having a farm stand. Now the farm can only have two volunteers at a time, they had to close down the farm stand which had become the neighborhood gathering spot three time a week and also  they had to postpone their educational programs.

“The farm has suffered tremendously by being deprived of its work force and its ability to continue to carry out its mission to educate people and build community. We are accepting the fact that we did not know that we were going to be in the center of a storm and drawn into politics. With a little bit of reflection it makes sense as we are the first urban farm in Santa Fe and it has pretty much happened to every first farm in every city.  I am not sure we can keep going, this is not sustainable any more, I have a huge grief,” Poki uttered as he looked down towards the earth. “The farm is suffering as we do not have enough labor and I am spending most of my time thinking about creative ways to get through this storm of city codes.”

Poki looking at his squash plants

Around the nation there is a growing network of urban farming http://www.urbanfarming.org/

City gardens have become models for new farming practices from truck bed farms to guerrilla gardening, urbanites have found a way to bring small -scale farming into the city. According to the Untied States Department of Agriculture, around 15 percent of the wrolds food is now grown in urban areas.

" A lot of things have come together to make urban farming so popular,'' said Adrian Benepe, a senior Vice President for the Trust for Public Land, a land conservation non-profit in San Francisco.

"The advent of the community gardening movement coincided with the interest for fresh food and even more recently, the interest and necessity to allow people to eat better. But despite all the benefits - from reducing urban blight to teaching kids about where their food comes from - farming in some cities is easier than others."

The idea of supplemental food production beyond rural farming operations is not new and has been used during war times and the Great Depression when food shortage issues arose. There are many social benefits that have emerged from urban agricultural practices, such as improved over all social and emotional well-being, improved health and nutrition, increased income, employment, food security and community social life.

The Sustainable Cities Institute http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org cites "Local governments can use urban agriculture as a tool to address many financial, health, and environmental issues. For example, agriculture in and close to major cities can help the environment by, among other things reducing the distances food travels. Community gardens can keep people active while providing them with  natural, locally grown food. Municipal policies can help community gardeners make money by allowing them to sell excess produce.  More over community gardens can beautify neighborhoods and serve as a focal point that promotes resident interaction".

  

Around the nation many cities have changed or are looking at adapting their city codes and restrictions to accommodate the benefits of urban farms, as the "City Different" Santa Fe is lagging way behind this national growing trend. It is time and essential for the well being of this city to take some big bold strides in order not to be left behind. Lets take a look at these city codes and find a way to support and encourage urban farms. They are the way to a sustainable and healthier future. Lets designate Gaia Gardens, as the first urban Santa Fe farm, a city treasure and not a city problem.

Please wake up Santa Fe, it is time.

As SeedBroadcast was about to leave the farm Poki gathered together a bag full of fresh vegetables and duck eggs, as he handed these to me he looked me in the eye and smiled. On leaving with this abundance of food and compassion I held tight to Poki's parting words:

"I find it really sad that in these times when we so need cooperation and understanding and kindness and to reach out to those that are different, that a city can just impose their might and create such  damage on something so delicate. It's painful, it's interesting, it's insane and it is perfect all at once. There are wars everywhere, there is allot of conflict and a need to reinvent the way we deal with legal systems and city codes that are hindering creativity from doing its work, or people from doing creative work. How can we do this without having to fight and without having to justify ourselves but do it in a way that is resting in the beauty of growing food, taking care of our ecosystems and taking care of our kids and elders? This is a big challenge for me".

Listen to Poki and Dominique tell their stories:


   
Lets find a way to support Gaia Gardens, lets be creative, lets really be the “City different”  time is running out!

Basil garden

Gathering 4 Mother Earth

Gathering 4 Mother Earth at Pojoaque Pueblo!

Gathering 4 Mother Earth
"A Gathering For All Cultures Of All Ages"
September 21 - 22, 2013
Pojoaque (gathering site), New Mexico
Organized by Tewa Women United
For more information:
Call - 505-747-3259
www.tewawomenunited.org

Join us for a day of SeedBroadcasting.
We will be at Gathering 4 Mother Earth from 9am - 4pm on Saturday, September 21st with seed resources, stories, and creative events. Bring your personal stories of seeds, growing food, and cultivating community with Mother Earth.
AND - bring some seeds to share!

Clear Creek Wyoming Blessings of Water, Soil, and Seeds

Overlooking the Mitzel farm in Leiter, Wyoming.

While on residency at Ucross Foundation, where I was investigating the landscape of soils, Ruthie Salvatore, the residency director at Ucross, gardener, and gourmet chef to boot, asked me one day if I might like to take a trip with her to visit with La Resche Farm and Mitzel Farm. We drove east along Clear Creek surveying the historic bottomland, once filled with sugar beets and wheat. Now these fields are mostly filled with alfalfa fields....with the exception of a couple small organic farms growing local food with passion.

La Resche Farm, Clearmont, Wyoming

La Resche Farm, Clearmont, Wyoming

Carol Le Resche, operates a small organic farm near Clearmont, Wyoming. She grows a plethora of tomatoes, potatoes, greens, squash, and cucumbers, to name only a few. She talked a lot about her love of the land and the critical importance for a healthy river and clean water. She also shared a seed story about the importance of heirloom seeds and seed saving like nature does it.

While at La Resche farm, Ruthie Salvatore shared a seed story about the gourds which she loves to grow. She uses these gourds for crafts, bird houses, and seeds to grow more the next year. With great bemusement she also talked about how gourds taught her by mistake how to cure them, a natural process of drying hard over the winter.

Across Clear Creek

During our second trip out, we headed to the small town of Leiter where Mona Mitzel has slowly built the soil, several high tunnels, a small orchard, and a market farm which challenges her daily with hard work, wonderment, and utter passion to keep growing.  Her honesty to dream big is put to task in trying to keep it all organized, but these dreams also move her beyond the status-quo and into a reacher of possibility, pushing the limits of agri-culture to keep learning, trying, and working hard. She talked a lot about learning and experimenting and not in knowing it all. Mona grows organic tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beets, squash, and greens, to name just a few. Her husband also raises beef cattle and they grow alfalfa to feed the beefies. Here Mona talks about her motivation and love to be out in the garden.

Mona Mitzel's farm, trellised tomatoes (top), happy, fat toad (middle), bell peppers (bottom)

Local Seeds = Local Food at the Tri-County Farmers' Market

SeedBroadcast was invited to the Tri-County Farmers' Market for the 2013 opening-season festival in Las Vegas, New Mexico. From seeds, fresh local foods, vibrant watersheds, and getting back into our kitchens to cook, this celebration was a declaration for people, land, and health.  There was an excellent turn out of farmers and gardeners with vegetables, herbs, plants, and eggs along with home-made artisinal crafts, art, and wellness products. People came from all over the area to celebrate and show their support for local agriculture.

Armand Saiia of Infinity Farms brings a truck load of greens to the market....no tractors, much love, dedications, and great veggies!

 Chef George Dimsey demonstrates cooking with seasonal produce and making the best food ever!

There were also many activities taking place like cooking demonstrations, farm animals to pet, and local musicians creating an air of feast.  Community organizations were present to discuss issues surrounding the local Gallinas Watershed, home resource conservation, and organizing a community garden in the heart of town.

With the drought, many home gardeners in the city and acequia farmers on the outskirts have been left with no water for farms and gardens. This crisis has set the stage for many pro-active projects which individuals are organizing to assert democracy and the essential human rights of citizens to a healthy, vibrant, and productive environment. This action has built a powerful coalition of voices declaring, "Farming and Water! Not Fracking! and questioning the future vision of quality and development for the city of Las Vegas.

Local activist, educator, mother, and concerned citizen, Anamaria Armijo-Glenn, along with Gerogina Ortega and Miguel Angel of Casa de Cultura are up'ing the ante and sending a shout out to everyone in Las Vegas to join them in organizing and building a community garden to take back their rights for active food sovereignty. It will be called La Milpa Community Garden and it will be located at Miguel's historic family home and garden in old town. They presented this concept at the market and are inviting everyone interested to attend a planning meeting on June 21, 4pm at Travelers' Cafe in Las Vegas. Here is Anamaria's seed story of inspirations and dreams for this project:

SeedBroadcaster, Chrissie Orr talks with visitors at the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station

The Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station shared seed resources, seed stories, seeds, and conversation. Several local SeedBroadcasters (folks who had shared their farms and gardens with us in 2011 and who have been inspirations since) came by to share seeds, transplants, and support. Old-timers talked about historic seed types and their love of growing. 

Several seed stories were also shared with us while we were at the Tri-County Farmers' Market and they will be coming up shortly in the next post...so stay tuned and keep it seedy. Also, if you or anyone you know is interested in contributing a seed story to these broadcasts contact us and we can conduct a recording with you.
Call or email - 505-718-4511 //  seedbroadcast@gmail.com

Seed Stories from Tri-County Farmers' Market

Here are some of the seed stories that were shared with us from Tri-County Farmers' Market in Las Vegas, New Mexico!

Jude Romero shares his story about saving New Mexican chile seeds.

Ella Bleu Jimenez shares her seed story about why seeds are important

Francine Lujan talks about the culture of seeds, keeping traditions alive, and gardening

Julia Fuchs tells her seed story about broadcasting life through wildflower seeds

Damien Maestas talks about the importance of saving seeds to save culture

Thank you Jude, Francine, Julia, Damian, and Ella Bleu for sharing your seed stories!

SeedBroadcasting at the Tri-County Farmers' Market in Las Vegas, New Mexico

Join us in Las Vegas, New Mexico for a celebration of Local Seeds = Local Food!

 

SeedBroadcast is partnering up with the Tri-County Farmers' Market in Las Vegas, New Mexico to celebrate local seeds, food, and the unwavering efforts of local farmers.

Bring your seeds to swap, and join us for seed story shout-outs, seeds and local food

June 8, 2013
8am - Noon
Local Seeds // Local Food
Tri-County Farmers' Market
6th and University
Las Vegas, NM

This event is hosted by the Tri-County Farmers' Market!

Global March Against Monsanto, Santa Fe, New Mexico!

March against Monsanto, Santa Fe, New Mexico. May 25th 2013

Saturday May 25th, 2013 "March Against Monsanto"http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/ saw the world speaking out and the voices were loud and clear!  Over two million people joined global protests against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces. The protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Santa Fe, New Mexico, to make a stand and shout out for rights to the freedom of our seeds,  the freedom for farmers, our food supply and for the food revolution !

 

Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station at the Santa Fe Farmers Market

 The Santa Fe rally was tirelessly lead by Candace Apodaca with the help of social media. "I could not have done this without Facebook", she told us as she was running from sorting the audio equipment, to locating the fog horn and corralling the local speakers. The crowds of families, farmers, poets, musicians, filmmakers, seed-lovers and concerned citizens gathered early at the Santa Fe Farmers Market in the Railyard district, where the event was opened by an invocation and prayer. Many local guests powerfully spoke out with song, poetry and wise words of encouragement and celebration.

March against Monsanto from the Santa Fe Farmers Market to the New Mexico State Capital as seen from the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station.

The rally grew steadily throughout the morning and at least a 1,000 strong marched peacefully to the State Capital where the afternoon continued to gain community momentum and collective spirit through the very act of voicing opinions.  Many people stopped by SeedBroadcast to share their concerns for their food supply, for the future of our world and spoke freely of a burning desire to see and feel change.

Some of the signs displayed at the New Mexico State Capital

In amongst the energy and determined voices John Simmons and his children were quietly sharing their love of seeds.  John lovingly carried his magic bag full of scarlet runner beans, (his favorite seeds), pinto beans and a Hopi corn that was entrusted to him many years ago.  John has continued to grow this special variety of corn in his garden and at the Monte Del Sol school garden that he tends along with the students. He found a quiet spot in the Capital gardens opened his bag and in the spirit of generosity shared his seed wealth. What a reciprocity our seed sharing wisdom brings but what a radical act it has become!

Chalo Wells, who had driven non stop from Los Angeles to get to the rally in Santa Fe, took time out  to share his thoughts about seed saving as a cultural practice. This was one powerful day but one day is not enough.  Many wonderful connections were made but we need to continue the discourse, we need to continue to find ways to speak out, to be heard and to keep this movement growing.  Lets keep ourselves informed at a local level,  help out in the community gardens, form a neighborhood garden by removing fences and walls, share resources and continue to save and share your open pollinated seeds.  Perhaps inspire others by sharing your seed story at http://seedbroadcast.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3x5/ or create a circle of seeds http://seedfreedom.in/. 

CIRCLES OF SEEDS

A Circle of Seeds is a very simple idea:

It is to gather a group of friends or neighbours,

each of whom commits to grow and save seeds from one or more crops.

Each member selects a crop variety

 and takes on to sow, tend, harvest, clean, dry and store its seeds.

At the meetings everyone shares their seeds

and the information they have on the variety chosen.

Just imagine…

If the Circle has 12 people

and each person chooses a variety,

after one year, the Circle’s seed bank will contain seeds from 12 varieties.

The following year, each person chooses another variety

and now there are 24 varieties.

After 5 years…

AIM OF THIS PROJECT

 To create a network of Circles of Seeds throughout the country to

Rediscover, Gather and Share

our national heritage of ancient and traditional seed varieties.

In solidarity!

SeedBroadcasting at SEEDS: A Collective Voice

Seedbroadcast partnered up with SEEDS: A Collective Voice during their opening festivities on May 4th, at the Downtown Contemporary Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico to share seedy resources, network local seed actions, and shout out seed stories from around the country. These stories echoed up and down 4th Street, while passers-by stopped in to check out the Broadcasting Station and share their stories.

 This exhibition will continue through June 8th. Check it out!

Marijke de Vries visited us outside the gallery and shared her seed story. 

Street-side SeedBroadcasting with SEEDS: A Collective Voice, visitors and performers.

Local seed saver and forager Peter Callen brought native seeds to the exhibition and had this wisdom to share, [Why do you share seeds?] "It's part of life to share life and give it away, because that is what the plants do."

Inside the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station

The exhibition festivities celebrated the work of many artists, poets, writers, performers, farmers, gardeners, activists and most importantly the seeds that have brought us all together. The gallery was packed with people, art, conversation, and performance. While milkweed seed floated through the air, presentations were underway to share information and rouse the creative compassion and agency in everyone.

Man's Research?, by artist Gene McClain, acrylic, wood carving.

Local farmer and activist Isaura Andaluz discussed the growing concern over chile in New Mexico and the political and corporate pressures to homogenize, industrialize, and genetically modify historic land races, threatening the deep rooted agricultural practices and culture of these lands.  Bubble maps documenting the relationships between multinational corporations and seeds were distributed sharing a sad truth, that almost all seed, agriculture, and food is not controlled by the 99%. Instead, it is controlled through the patent, power and greed of a handful of corporations. Read Seed Freedom, Who Own's the Seed? for more information.

Who Own's the Seed?

Albuquerque farmers Mimi and Sean Ludden of Nepantla Farms were also busy talking to visitors about organizing a local seed cooperative and conversations emerged about joining forces to organize a living seed library. If you or any one you know is interested in this, contact Sean and Mimi and join Albuquerque seed solidarity: nepantlafarms@yahoo.com

Christian Leahy reading "A Seed Cycle"

A gourd rattles, rattles, rattles.....signally another live performance of voices and words, of the poetic story-tellers transforming critical compassion, anger, and beauty in all present. What does this listening build? Are these the stories of the seeds we try so hard to hear? Listen...

Artist and farmer, Amanda Rich from Erda Gardens performs "Amaranth (everlasting), while accompanied by semillaista friends.

Albuquerque poet Mary Oishi reads her poem "When I sing of seeds"

Santa Fe based writer and activist, Christian Leahy performs her story poem, "A Seed Cycle" in five parts

Albuquerque Poet Laureate, Hakim Bellamy performs his new work "Food Sovereignty" and also shared the text for everyone to read.

Food Sovereignty – by hakim bellamy

She said
What if the scientist stuck to science
And let the farmers stick to farming

It’s not rocket science

Global agriculture has changed more in our lifetime
Than the previous 10,000 years

Went from
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
To if it works
Whip it into working harder

When the sun
Doesn’t rise fast enough for us
Will we tinker with that?

Will we surrender our Eden
To the machine
Look God in the eye
Point to the third day and say
“Not good enough”
Will we piss in the same pond
We’ve evolved from
Will we turn our back
On the mud in our veins

It’s not rocket science

The chemist are covering the spread
bruising silos with fruit sky high
You think the pesticides are expensive?
Imagine the plane
Gotta push a hell of a lot more acres
To cover the gas bill that gets that thing in the sky

It’s not rocket science

Even the fairy tales prosthelytized
Jack and the Beanstalk was so obviously
Corporate, that they didn’t try to hide it
In the beginning of the story he put three seeds in his pocket
And by the end he turns a profit

It’s surprisingly not surprising
That there is no problem with how he got it
In a country founded on deception and robbery

And there’s NO WAY
A beanstalk gets THAT big without GMO coursing through its body
That’s like watching Major League Baseball
And pretending there is no difference between 1999
And 2005 Jason Giambi

But the script gets flipped
To mess with our conscious
Of course, Jack is hungry and poor
So he’s just like us

Stole the tall man’s gold
And tricked his wife into liking him

Made Jack the bad guy
Even though the beans were free
And the stalk was on his property

But Jack still wins a happy ever after
Though we all know fairy tales aren’t reality

In the end,
The corporation is still giant
And Jack can’t have no beenstalk without’em

It’s not rocket science

They say money doesn’t grow on trees
But there are plenty of companies pumping it into the ground
“Food chain” will get a whole new meaning
As soon as they figure that out

Chemicals invented for world wars
Have no business in our bodies
Fertilizing killing fields with bullshit
Will only yield a barren garden

I suppose it makes perfect sense
If the idea is to wage war on our biology

Monocrop all biodiversity
Til every seed is eugenically perfect
And leave the farming to the Nazis

It’s not rocket science

Putting dope into the soil
Makes the land an addict
Now Mother Earth can’t function without it
While just a few years ago
She used to make miracles out of scratch for our parents.

Years ago our country abolished the ability of rich people to own farmers
But they didn’t want to share crops
So they pulled all the stops
Traded slave for patent holding, full well knowing
That they will always “own” farmers
As long as they can own their seeds

It’s not rocket science

We cannot eat coffee,
Super Insects or Super Weeds

Our crops have become a courtroom
And the lawyers are woefully overdressed
For this kind of work

It’s not rocket science

If your coat is a dirtless shade of white
You are not allowed in this field

Here, brown is holy
Here, life is NOT
An experiment
It is reality

Here, is not simply playing God
Here, is tampering with blessings
Here, is not 20,000 feet
Here, is ground
Zero

Here, is both feet
Both knees
Both hands
Both lips
Kiss

It’s not
Rocket
Science.

© Hakim Bellamy May 4th, 2013

Thank you to artist, Jade Leyva and Tom Frouge with Avakado Artists who organized SEEDS: A Collective Voice and to Sharon Berman who volunteered to help SeedBroadcast during this event. 

SeedBroadcast and SEEDS: A Collective Voice

Join us at SEEDS: A Collective Voice! an exhibition of artists, activists, performers, gardeners, and farmers celebrating and interrogating the current state of seeds as a life force for change.

Listen to the Seed Story shout out from exhibition organizer and seed lover, Jade Levya, who talks more about her inspiration for this gathering of seeds, creativity, and sovereignty.