A walk in the woods, and a reminder of the things that matter

I returned from living and working on the Reservation at the end of September, and I found myself incredibly anxious. I usually have no trouble readjusting to the East Coast routine and dealing with transition, but this fall felt different. In a very short period of time, I went from the safety and positivity of the garden to an environment where people behaved with an incredible lack of civility toward one another. I was well aware of the vitriol of the current political climate (yes, I do have a connection to and with the outside world, even in the vastness of South Dakota, folks). But to fully feel the tension of the political climate and social circus that seems to be all-consuming was an uncomfortable sensation. 

I was and remain unwilling to let the chaos impede on my desire to settle back in the places I call home and my personal happiness. My sense is that most people are getting to or at this point. My solution/therapy? I go to the woods. Not on some lengthy expedition but just quick jaunts into local land trusts or forests. Even a quick look up into the sky or down at your feet, accompanied by a few deep breaths will suffice. 

I have been making a concerted effort to admire, embrace, and show gratitude for the beings that do the unrecognized important work. To the mushrooms and fungi that break down the dead and create nutrients for new life. To the leaves and trees that charm us with their color…and, oh, yeah, allow us to breathe clean air. To the pollinators that fly millions of flights and allow us to enjoy the sweetness of honey and the pleasure and luxury of the food we eat.

At first blush, this reflection and realization can be read as a self-important, perspective-of-privilege post. I think about this stuff all the time (perhaps more than I should and, perhaps, one of the reasons that I tend to be anxious), especially in light of my work and events in recent history. But, in a social climate that celebrates maniacal levels of ego, avoids the real issues by magnifying the absurd, and seems to defy logic and basic decency, we need more voices that challenge us to feel more grounded and more connected with the present. Mother Nature tends to be that one entity that reinforces humility and our smallness in this thing called life. Maybe we should be listening to Her more.

Here’s some of what I noticed on a few treks into the woods:

Locations: Lilly Preserve, Roxbury, CT; Lake Mohegan, Fairfield, CT - October 2016

Scratching the surface: the harvest so far in La Plant

“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer, from "Braiding Sweetgrass"

Now that the major infrastructure projects are complete, this growing season in the garden (as part of the La Plant Grows Its Own Food! healthy living initiative of Simply Smiles) is all about production. We've already held two farmstands out of the nine slated for this 2016 season! It's also the first time where I've felt most confident on this whole growing thing out here because, well, things are actually growing and growing really well! And, it's not just the day-to-day responsibilities and routine required, but, rather, a deeper understanding the rhythm of the seasons, really feeling the soil, and getting a solid sense of this place.

This is, of course, just scratching the surface (pun intended). But, for now, here are a few snapshots of the harvest so far, which is proving to be the most productive we've had in three years!

Snapshots & musings from South Dakota: June-early July 2016

“If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer, from "Braiding Sweetgrass"

I'm currently reading Kimmerer's work, "Braiding Sweetgrass," and I'm finding that her words are so timely and so needed. The upswing in chaos, violence, and hate that we've seen in recent weeks will not disappear because of one small garden on a remote part of an isolated reservation. But, I'm not willing to accept that hatred and violence should be the basis of the headlines or that small acts of peace should go unnoticed.

Fortunately, the La Plant garden allows me to embrace the place and space and adds a richness to my life, as I hope it does for the kids of La Plant. Sorry if this sounds too white person-myopic - it's not meant to at all. As I've written about in the past, I cannot even begin to know what it is to be Native, or African American, Muslim or any other ethnicity, religious sect, or population who must exist and endure with the ever-present threat or possibility of violence to their physical person or their children.

One garden does not erase the enormous injustices and brutalities in this world. But, we can use the concept of a garden as a way to treat one another as, well, equals and return to civility and humility. Through the garden, we learn to respect the interactions between the things we can't control - namely, Mother Nature - and the fruits of our nurturing to enjoy the food that we grow and eat. We can listen to the sounds of buzzing bees, children laughing, and the rush of water hitting the soil and seeds. By observing, listening, and absorbing, we have the capacity to become more centered, more focused on obstacles and on differences of opinions, more open to speaking to one another, and try to deeply understand our purpose to live as better people.

This time, I'll let a few photos speak for the past month and a half on the Reservation, filled with blooming potatoes, kid-run garden tours, turnip foraging, the beginning of sweet carrots and sugar snap peas, and, yeah, I'll go there: hope.

Captions: (1) the first flush of arugula (2) a cucumber seedling emerges (3) the greenhouse, June 12, 2016 (4) early morning light in mid-summer greenhouse, July 9, 2016 (5) the first tomato flowers, June 16, 2016 (6) radishes! (7) young garlic check (8) first big greens harvest, June 19, 2016 (9) added art to the greenhouse (10) Winter’s first harvest, June 21, 2016 (11) finally found: a prairie turnip (12+13) foraging with Lakota elder, Ford Hill (14+15) potatoes, pre- and post-bloom (16) the open Plains (17) my garden assistant, sowing climbing bean seeds in our newly opened field! (18) the jalapeños make an appearance, July 1, 2016 (19) the first summer squash emerges, July 4, 2016 (20) carrot check, July 4, 2016 (21) the green garden, July 5, 2016 (22) prickly pear cactus, hiding among the prairie grasses (23) climbing sugar snap pea tendrils, climbing (24) wildflowers at the Missouri River (25) a welcoming squash blossom, July 8, 2016 (26) Sergio, my kid garden assistant and resident tour guide, doing his thing with confidence…and an iron fist!

Snapshots & musings from South Dakota, late Spring 2016

Living and working on the Reservation is filled with amazingly high highs and devastatingly low lows. Sometimes, these moments can happen in the same week, same day, or same hour. Trauma is everywhere and, if given enough time to reflect, wallow, or just process the colossally complex nature of it all, I might have quit my job by now.

Yet, the garden, or the La Plant Grows Its Own Food! Project, is my place, my refuge. It keeps me sane. It reminds me that I am doing something meaningful, even though, at times, it stills feels like I'm not doing enough. As hokey as that sounds, the garden is incredibly therapeutic. Endless research backs up the theory on the healing powers of growing food and being around living, green things. (Non-scientific study: I dare you to go to your local nursery and farm stand and not feel a little happier!)

Tomatoes & pepper transplants find a cheerful home in the greenhouse for the 2016 growing season (A.Gross, May 2016)

This is my third season on the Reservation, and I see and feel the garden having an impact. Practically speaking, I'm thrilled that we now finally have electricity and heat in the greenhouse, and I'll be preparing for winter production in the late summer. The beets, arugula, radishes, potatoes, and snap peas were all germinating as of this week.

More than anything, I love that the kids are also super into the whole thing. I often tell volunteers that the garden has a weird, magical forcefield around it. Somehow, once inside the garden fence, kids become calm. I can't exactly put my hands on this energy, but the garden gives off a nurturing vibe. It's a space that encourages children to be inquisitive and present. They ask amazing questions. They are curious as to what's growing. They begin to give their own mini tours of the space with a sense of confidence that makes my heart swell. They taste chives. They check on the garlic and ask when it's ready to harvest. They bring their own packets of flowers to Garden Class to start their own seedling trays. They respect the bumble bees buzzing and tell me, unprompted, that these bees are doing good work.

A bit of solitude in the garden, one bed of cilantro at a time. (A.Gross, May 2016)

But, just as I praise these successes, I recognize that it's dangerous, self-aggrandizing and even a bit delusional if we - specifically, I - begin to equate a good lettuce harvest or one week of increased participation in a garden class with "saving" people. The statistics about what it means to be native youth are alarming and apparent everyday. Rates of youth suicide are still at crisis levels. Kids are hungry for physical nourishment of nutritious food, and they also crave the emotional support and positive attention and reinforcement of adults.

For the majority of people who will read this post, they'll never, ever know the realities of what it means to be or identify as an indigenous person. I'm included in this category, even as immersed as I am in the day-to-day for almost half a year on the Reservation. But, the first step is recognizing and delving into these complexities and finding solutions that occur at an appropriate pace to make life better, specifically for children.

Kids sow their own seeds! A bit of experimentation with passionflower seeds at Garden Class. (A.Gross, May 2016)

Sowing seeds at Garden Class, with kids helping kids. (A. Gross, May 2016)

I'm a fiercely and stubbornly realistic person. That's why I've connected with farming and gardening so well. You learn early on that the fruits of the profession are only a small product of your work. Mother Nature has the ultimate say on the success or failure of a harvest. She forces you to cede control, which is, at first, completely terrifying but, eventually, incredibly freeing. She also teaches you to play the long game if you seek change rooted in sustainability and resilience and, recognizing, too, that the long game may outlive you and me.

While a realist to my core, I'm also an optimist and the two can and should coexist. We do not have to accept the hand that we've been dealt and we can change our paths. I also acknowledge and accept that my perspective is from a place not granted to many individuals. The catalyst I've chosen to combat the injustices faced by native youth is through food because it is tangible. I'm not expecting to solve all of society's ills against native people, to save all of the children of La Plant or the Reservation, or even to be able to feed the entire town. But, I can write, with absolute confidence, that the garden is a place, albeit temporary, where children can feel safe, be curious, be silly, and, while they might not be able to articulate it yet, be optimistic about their lives and their futures.  

Big cloud country: Huge clouds over the South Dakota Plains. (A.Gross, May 2016)

We've got power! The greenhouse is now electrified, which means lights, heat, and ventilation for a longer growing season! (A. Gross, May 2016)

Rooted: Dandelions foraged from the garden space. Wild health food from root to flower. (A.Gross, May 2016)

Speak With Your Craft: Kaitlin Clark

Welcome to Speak With Your Craft, a (semi-)regular feature that profiles the many creative individuals in my life and my attempt to shed light on what inspires them. I also want to expose readers to crafts, talents, and skills that may be slightly offbeat or unusual. Today's profile: the magical Kaitlin Clark! I first met Kaitlin a few years ago as one of the few vegans I then knew in my life. We soon bonded over plant-based eating and in the flower field, cutting dahlias and zinnias, and making bouquets during our time at Riverbank Farm. My interest in herbalism, natural medicine, and the healing properties of food is largely because of Kaitlin's influence. (Fun fact: She also got me hooked on a delicious homemade treat that she calls Brain Balls. After you giggle, you should realize they are tasty snacks filled with brain-nourishing foods, like pumpkin and hemp seeds, nut butters, coconut, a little cacao, and other magical ingredients. #hippietreat). She's an artistic soul who has a number of creative gifts to offer and is able to do so through her business, Integrative Healing Arts.  Read more below to learn about her multi-faceted, healing, intuitive and expressive work and creative process:

When did you first realize that you like to create? 

Since childhood I have been involved in artistic/creative processes. Growing up in the woods had a great influence on what I create and inspirations. I remember trying to make paint from berries and spending the majority of my childhood in trees. I moved to Philadelphia when I was 18 to attend art school (UArts) and resided there for 5 years. This also rounded out my experience, going from the country to living in the city as an artist surrounded by other artists was life changing. Philly is a creative mecca!

Who or what have influenced your style? What inspires you?

My dad has been a big inspiration as a super creative person. He always has some handcrafted creative project going on, and still does! My mom is also a great inspiration as a super motivated woman who runs her own business as well. With both parents as entrepreneurs, I look up to them with gratitude and see the dedication and passion that's put into their life's work. 

I am also inspired by other artists, visionaries, their process, ideas and aspirations. Some of my closest friends are visual artists, creators, musicians and involved in the healing arts. I love seeing and being inspired by what people are creating and offering around me. Children and their amazing capacity of creativity is also an awesome influence.

Day to day, I am moved by nature and life experience. I love observing life around me, how it moves, ebbs and flows. I feel like its a beautiful mirror that continuously teaches and reminds me of the path I am on (that we are all on), and how to move with the flow of life with grace and ease. These observations and experiences are in essence the basis of everything I create and teach. 

The products I create are often inspired by the season and rhythms in nature. The ingredients connect with the elements (sunshine, woodlands, etc.) as do the topics of my workshops, classes and events. I pay homage to photography (my first artistic love) for honing this skill, as this is where I initially embodied the focus and ability to be present and observe with an artistic sense. The very nature of photography means "to paint with light" and to exercise the skill of observation while intuitively choosing fractions in time that make a moment tangible. It became a therapeutic process like a visual diary or visual poetry.  

More recently, I have been fostering my love for working in clay and have been greatly enjoying the time in the pottery studio. Throwing on the wheel is a meditative process for me and I have been infusing the process with Reiki as I create as well. It's like magic!

Describe your process. Do you map things out? Just go for it? How do your execute your ideas?

Lotions and potions, made with the best intentions: Kaitlin creates her own line of oils, scrubs, tinctures and flower essence body products. All are available on her Etsy site. Take a look here! (Photo by K. Clark)

It depends on what I am creating. Usually with photography and clay, I am spontaneous or inspired by something I felt or a dream/vision and I go from there. I might sketch ideas or research or sometimes it comes though as an urge to create. Usually the end product does not match the vision, but that is what I love about the creative process. It takes on a life of its own! 

With the wellness products, I create blends inspired by nature and this process embodies a great deal of intuition as well, but I also follow closely to ratios for blending so they are safe. It's a great mix of using both the left and right sides of my brain.

In Dance and Creative Movement music is the initial inspiration and i go from there. Those classes my vision is to share the love of movement and its all about feeling good and moving energy! Working the emotions through the body as a vessel of expression. Especially with the 3-year olds.

Day to day, I am pretty rhythmic in my flow, and I try to begin and end the day in positive thinking and gratitude. I follow the teachings of Abraham Hicks and my process has been greatly enhanced from this. I try to listen to at least one discussion every morning. This sets my sails for the day. I also practice daily meditation through both rhythmic movement and stillness. 

Some of my best ideas have come from running, immersed in a warm bath or driving. Other times I will be looking at the sky or hiking through the woods and ideas will flow in that way too! I think its all about being relaxed in order to allow the creative flow to come through.  I try have a journal with me (or I send myself a lot of messages) because ideas and inspirations come at any time! 

What’s one of your favorite projects?

I really love all the processes, especially creating the essential oil/flower essence body products. It's a form of intuitive alchemy to me. I love going through my essential oils and flower essences and feeling what will work together. Blends are usually inspired by people in my life or an experience that can use support. I put a lot of loving intention that is focused on the mind, body, spirit and emotions into each bottle. The process is healing in itself too, since I become so relaxed and blissed out from the ingredients.

Kaitlin, practicing Reiki. (Photo by K. Clark)

I also love offering Reiki Energy Healing. It's been a process that I feel so blessed to offer. 

You have your hand many creative ventures, including herbalism, nutrition, wellness, dance/movement, photography. Does one area influence another? Is there a common thread or many threads?

That's a great question! About 10 years ago, when I was in school for a masters degree program, Integrative Health and Healing, I learned and experienced that as humans we are so complex and amazing in our capacities to heal ourselves and be well. The mind, body, spirit and emotions are such integral parts of our system and the offerings touch upon each as a whole. In the teachings and in my personal experience, wellness is an on-going process, it requires upkeep, maintenance and our dedication. Each modality taps into the many layers that we are composed of.  Whether it's needing assistance to know where to begin with changes in nutrition and exercise, enjoying the relaxation and calming effects of creating art or nurturing our bodies with wellness, they are like pieces to a puzzle. The offerings that have helped me throughout my journey is what I love to share with others.

What level of artistic fame would you like - based on a very scientific scale of, like, "Hotline Bling" fame at the top to I’d-like-to-pay-the-bills fame? Somewhere in between, both? Does it matter?

Ha! I would love to keep the momentum building and continue to expand. Maybe get a little vacation time in there, too! My daughter is a huge inspiration for this adventure and balancing time between work, self-care and providing lots of time with her, has been a great lesson! 

Into the wild: Kaitlin uses wild and foraged herbs and plants for use in some of her natural body products, teas and medicines. (Photo by K. Clark)

What’s the latest magical things in the works? As in, is there some project or creation on the horizon that you’ve been wanting to tackle?

Latest magical works include Pottery (soon to be up on the IntegrativeArts Etsy page) and more Energy Sprays and Roll-ons, Body oils, etc. I am also completing a certification as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. I have also recently been asked by two local non-profits to teach art/wellness classes. Very excited for what's ahead! 

What is the best piece of advice/quote/image you’ve received about creating or, conversely, what would you recommend to other crafters and artists?

"Keep your head up!" -my dad. Focus on your vision, passion and solutions. Bumps and hurdles are fine, they are actually helping pave the pathway as they bring more clarity to the vision. If you're in a funk, move the energy, go general and do something that makes you feel good. Sometimes focusing too hard can create resistance, so it's good to ease up, step aside and allow the flow. I come from a background of athletes and artists, so the blend of these has been a great asset! I am a runner who loves hills - the challenge of going up them! That just about sums me up.

Bonus: What song are you currently hooked on?    
Currently inspired by artist, Bonobo - especially when I am creating. Music is a huge influence on my process, rhythm and flow. 

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Thanks, Kaitlin! If you wish to learn more about her work, products and upcoming classes, check out her business and site, www.IntegrativeHealingArt.com. Be sure to "like" her on Facebook page: Integrative Healing Arts! She also has a pretty rad Instagram, so check that out here. 

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Have an idea for Speak With Your Craft? Know some interesting makers, crafters, cooks, bakers, food growers, woodworkers, herbalists, photographers, writers, actors, musicians, painters, fiber artists, and creative forces in your life? I have friends lined up in the near future, but I'm open to suggestions! Leave a comment or contact me: speakwithyourfood [at] gmail [dot] com. Remember, makers or creators need not fit into a neat box to be featured. So, here’s to more creating, crafting, listening, learning, and collaborating!