Erda Grapevine, MAY 2010

When I first arrived at Erda Gardens and Learning Center in Albuquerque's South Valley for my interview for the internship position, we met in the shade of the portal at the front of the house that now, two years later, I call my home. I looked out at what has since become a bountiful and beautiful garden and I saw a mostly empty acre-sized dirt lot. As an intern, I would help the head farmer, and a small crew, transform this land, and several other neighborhood plots, into food for dozens of families in our community. I was excited to hear that we were to do this in a way that was as environmentally friendly as possible. I was asked if I knew what Biodynamics was. I responded with a brief definition of biodiversity. The core group members of the small community supported agriculture program stopped me and pointed out that they had not asked me about biodiversity, but rather, Biodynamics. A word that, as it turned out, would become the latest addition to my vocabulary.

I learned that Biodynamics was an internationally recognized approach to organic agriculture in which the farmers work with the spiritual dimension of the Earth's environment and cosmos. The methods include using specifically prescribed homeopathic herbal preparations to enable the ecological interconnections of plants and animals to function at their best. A man named Rudolf Steiner had introduced these methods back in 1924. Wow, I thought to myself, I never knew anything quite like that existed, especially back then. Curious, eager to learn, (and hired), I took my first step into farming.

In early March, we planted thousands of seeds of a wide variety of vegetables in the greenhouse. We watered dirt, optimistically, for days before the tiny seedlings, full of life, began to burst from the soil. We dug rows and made compost. Some weeks later, we hardened the little seedlings off in a cold frame and used acequia water or ran drip tape to irrigate the rows in which we transplanted them. Starting in May, and continuing into October, we began distributing our harvest to the members of Erda's Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). People in the community are invited to purchase a share of the harvest at the beginning of the season to help fund the growing operation. The farmers, in return, grow vegetables and harvest food weekly to divide amongst the shareholders. They come to either the farm or another distribution site to pick up fresh veggies on the day that they are picked, often on site where they were grown. We sold produce at the farmers market, put on workshops and threw festivals. As fun times fly by, I've now spent two full seasons in the garden and am now looking to fill the role of head farmer as my mentor steps aside. I've got some big boots to fill, but my inspiration outweighs my doubts.

Erda Gardens and Learning Center began more than a decade ago as a small group of people made a conscious choice to become more closely connected to their food source. It was a step away from an unstable and disconnected food distribution system and towards an ideal of people learning to support each other. We can say no to the bizarre corporate machine that attempts to feed us GMOs and convince us of some need to spray petrochemicals all over the earth to kill insect "pests" that are, in truth, only a symptom of a much larger imbalance. By eating food that is locally grown and chemical free, we make a stand against insensitive and materialistic industrial agricultural practices. There is truly something special and powerful about eating fresh vegetables grown by yourself or someone in your community. One way to learn about and support efforts to change our relationship to our food is to join Erda Gardens and Learning Center's community supported agriculture program. We would very much appreciate your support. And if you've never heard of Biodynamics, I'd recommend adding that to your vocabulary, also.