Dear Lovers of Food and Justice,
I hope you are having a good week!
I may have been too hard on Colombian food last week. Once I left Medellín to participate in an international conference on agrarian reform in Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the food got better. In fact, this lunch of Colombian rice (arroz con coco), fried green plantains (patacones), avocado, and trout (I’ll return to trout next week) smothered in seafood (frutas del mar) was the 3rd best meal I had in South America.
Sorry Medellín.
Beyond food, there is so much to love about Medellín and Colombia for that matter.
Up the coast, east of Cartagena and the city of Santa Marta, were gorgeous fishing villages where fishermen employed techniques perfected over time. While the fiberglass shell is new, the shape of this boat is the same as those used for centuries. Colombia is truly a beautiful country!
A reflection on self-talk
“The words we speak become the house we live in.”
- from the great poet, Hafez
Did you know the average person has about 11 negative thoughts every day about their body or their self-worth? The above words from Hafez remind me that we can counter such negative self-talk with affirmations about myself and expressions of gratitude. An example could be as simple as “I am enough” or “I am beloved by God and others.” Or you could go all out and do a chant I learned long ago. You can make up your own rhythm or contact me and I’ll teach you. It goes like this –
“I love myself; I am gentle with myself. I am a child of the Universe.
I am the light, I am, I am; expand the light, expand, expand.”
Things I Love: TREES!
“A tree gives glory to God by being a tree.”
- Thomas Merton
This quote comes from “The Canopy of Creation: trees, faith, and the work of justice,” recently published by our partner, Creation Justice Ministries. You can learn more about and download this beautiful publication, complete with worship guide and children’s activities created by my PHP colleague, Jessica Maudlin.
At one point in Richard Powers’ epic novel, The Overstory, one of the characters said something that changed my world view. He said, “This is not our world with trees in it. It's a world of trees, where humans have just arrived.”
If you don’t yet love trees as much as I do, consider how they contribute to the beauty and richness of God’s creation. A recent study found that tropical forests harbor 62% of the world’s terrestrial vertebrate species. And at least 40% of forest species live in canopies far above the forest floor.
Climate-forward trees and the Presbyterian Tree Fund
PC(USA) staff and many Presbyterians are contributing to the Presbyterian Tree Fund to offset the carbon emissions from their travel. Lise Abazs, a member of the Farm and Forest Growers Cooperative, a Tree Fund recipient, described why they are growing climate-forward seedlings to help reforest Minnesota.
"When David and I decided to farm in Finland, we knew we did not want to cut down a forest to do it. We wanted to live and grow food in harmony with the wilderness spirit of the region. We ended up purchasing an
abandoned Finnish homestead, naming it Round River Farm, where we planned to work to rejuvenate the rocky soil and figure out how to farm in balance with the surrounding forest. At least half of the original 40 acres had been cleared more than a century ago, some steep hillside that should have never had its protective tree cover removed.
We decided to limit our gardens, orchards, and pasture to less than 5 acres of relatively flat land and allow the forest to reclaim the rest. For 36 years, we have nurtured this cultivated land – building the soil's fertility, and maintaining diverse edges where fields meet forest.
However, the existing trees in this forest and the forests in our region are dying. Climate stress is
visibly reducing the trees’ ability to reproduce and thrive. To save the forests, we are growing these "climate forward" tree seedlings not only for our land, but for the surrounding northern forests of Minnesota. It is a small but meaningful way for us to help retain the forest cover that we so love. It is an act of hope and a demonstration of love for the future forest and all the beings who rely on it – deer, moose, snowshoe hares, wolves, lynx, bobcats, and mountain lions.”
The Presbyterian Tree Fund grant of $5,000 was split up amongst each of the growers in the cooperative and Lise and David used their portion for:
1 - Hardware cloth to protect fall acorn plantings from squirrels
2 - Composting worms to create potting soil mix amendments for added tilth and fertilizer
3 - Shade cloth to enhance the seedling growth of the shade species
4 - Water trough to set up manure tea for the improved growth and health of the tree seedlings
The Tree Equity Map
While nerding out on trees, check out the connection between trees and racial justice on the Tree Equity Map. Find your census track and compare it to other neighborhoods.
Garden Update
I’m in a waiting game now, thinking the last frost has probably passed, but not positive we won’t get one. Meanwhile, I’m preparing seedlings and sweet potato slips to plant in the garden once the rain (finally!) stops and the soil warms a little more.
“I hope you are blessed with a heart like a wildflower. Strong enough to rise again after being trampled upon, tough enough to weather the worst of the summer storms, and able to grow and flourish even in the most broken places.”
~Nikita Gill
P.S. I wanted to share some exciting news that just came in…
In Hawai’i, this bill – SB2471 – would make Hawaiʻi the first state to effectively overturn Citizens United. Corporations would lose the power to finance candidates, political parties, PACs, or ballot measures. I’ll update you next week about its progress.
P.P.S. We'll be heading to Peru in next week's Love Letter.
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Learn more and donate to the Hunger Program via our website at pcusa.org/hunger.
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