I recently spoke at an Oxfam event for International Women’s Day. In describing my initial motivation in growing food and keeping animals on a larger scale, I mentioned how my increased understanding of animals has also helped me understand some of the metaphors in my culture. Mexicans use a lot of animals references in their slang.

I recently discovered a delightful example of this. The word cabrón/cabrona means something like a**hole. While it can definitely be used as an insult (severity depends on context), it can also be less harsh and used as a form of jocular slang. It literally means large goat. Getting to know the large dairy goats I work with, who are not “sweet” to me, I am often surprised by how uncooperative they can be. I recently deemed one La Cabra Cabrona without realizing I was merely becoming acquainted with the origin of the word.

I now have a much deeper and more humored appreciation of this word. It is a perfect metaphor.

Blimey! I lent a book out about three months ago and now I can’t recall to whom. If any of my lovely urban farmer friends nearby recall, do let me know. It was a gift from my husband. The book is an over-sized paperback titled “County Wisdom & Know How.”

I went hunting for the first time! I went with an in-law, Justin the Texan. His family has owned a ranch in the TX “since it was part of The Republic.”

I could think of no better person with which to hunt for some wild hog. I wish I had a super exciting story of tracking, drop at first shot, and carrying home the reward of a year’s worth of fine meat. However, the truth of it is that while I did go hunting for the first time in my life, I returned home empty handed. I did learn much from the experience though. A few nuggets of knowledge: hunting the morning after a full moon is not a good time. It was such a bright and active night, the animals are not out. In nearly 6 hours of walking around, I saw two squirrels. That’s it.

I learned hiking boots suck for hunting as they make your step noisy. I should have brought my Vibrams. Though the below photo suggests I was snooping through the forest being “veewy veewy quiet.” I was not. I was ducking under a spider web when Dipak took this photo.

I also learned that I need to know a lot more about tracking to be successful as much of the signs we saw were likely billboards of activity which I could not interpret. Turns out I already have a book by the authority on the topic (from my high school days), Tom Brown. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I learned I can shoot a 30-30 Winchester without dislocating my shoulder or breaking my nose but I definitely need a scope. Shooting without a scope is really hard.

I am now very eager to take a gun safety class and proceed with my hunting career.

My biggest inspiration in life is my grandfather Francisco. I don my muck boots and head out to clean the animal pens and pull weeds out of responsibility. I cook fresh tortillas out of love. I learn my cultural history out of pride. I paint for beauty’s sake. I forgive to live in peace. I do this because it is what he has taught me.

He was the first urban farmer I ever knew.

I miss him dearly.

A video compilation of some thoughts related to food sovereignty and the economy:

I love October. I love the shift in weather and light. I also love that this is a time in Mexican tradition when we observe our ancestors. After marrying the handsome Mr. Pallana, I had the great fortune of learning that Hindus also practice ancestor-worship this time of year. They call their own ancestor-worship, Pitri-Paksha. It is a period of 15 days set aside to reflect on the contributions their forefathers made to their present life, and the cultural norms, traditions and values they set for us in order to make our lives better. In Mexico, rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by indigenous civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years. This year, I finally got my act together enough to build an altar in time for Dia de Los Muertos! Constructing the altar gave me pause to go through photos, think about best foods to offer (my women were such hard judges in the kitchen!), and reflect on what gifts might please my family. Pan de Muertos is definitely on the menu.

Check out this great photo of one of my grandfathers. He is rockin the overalls with the bike! He’d be considered such a hipster today.

Guided by my need to preserve my heritage and traditional food ways of my family, I have learned to grow food simultaneously with working on my genealogy. It has been a quest in understanding roots.

In doing this, I have unearthed some wonderful history and knowledge of my family. For instance, below is another grandfather. He  came from a farming family in Mexcio where they farmed for generations on a little rancho. The two women at his side are my great and great-great grandmothers (his daughter and wife). They have amazing stories of serving as midwives and herbalists to their town.

Knowing this puts values and anecdotes of my family into perspective. It gives a depth to my actions in planting, harvesting and preparing the food that we eat. It also gives me a way to dialogue with my ancestors.

Thought it’d be interesting to share what the coop looked like in 2006 compared to 2010. It took four years for the plants to fill in but growing takes time. ooh, gotta go and break up a chicken fight. Next topic on Pluck & Feather, flock integration.

It is not big surprise that as alternative models of food production become successful, the old models representatives will come out in force to squash the competition. This the game we play, apparently no matter how ridiculous it looks. I just read an article (below) about a Southern California worm farmer that is int he midst of a court case to defend his product- worm poop.  It appears that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation worm poop would need to be regulated as a pesticide because of the use it was being sold for- to boost a plants ability to repel disease and pests. Read on…

Worm poop versus the bureaucracy

(original article: Coast News Group – COMMUNITY COMMENTARY Worm poop versus the bureaucracy )

What happens when green technology comes up hard against a state regulatory bureaucracy?

George Hahn, a local Cardiff-by-the-Sea resident, is the creator and owner of California Vermiculture LLC, or CV, which produces and sells Wormgold products and tree and plant rescue soil amendments (also known as worm castings or worm poop, i.e. dirt).

The bureaucracy is the state of California Department of Pesticide Regulation, or (DPR) the agency charged with the regulation, sale and use of pesticides in California. So I guess its worm poop vs. DPR.

The California DPR asserts that “you advertise that your product suppresses pathogens which eliminates disease, repels harmful insects but no beneficial insects, and allows plants and trees to survive in adverse conditions and causes bark beetles to avoid and not attack trees.” This language equals a pesticide according to DPR.

Attorney Gayle Mayfield-Venieris of Mayfield and Associates of Solana Beach, in response, stated in part: “What is most disheartening however, is that not only is this a naturally occurring product and not a chemical pesticide, but there is considerable evidence that it has an extremely positive impact on plant growth and repels some insects that have been very problematic throughout the state of California. Rather than try to fine and punish CV for selling this product, I suggest that DPR would be doing the residents of California immeasurable service by expressly exempting worm castings from regulation as a pesticide.”

Jeff Lassle is a former Environmental Protection Agency inspector and helped to write the federal and state regulations for pesticides. “The intent in establishing the EPA and regulations was to help people and the environment and eliminate toxic compounds and find alternative ways to combat destructive pests,” Lassle told me in an interview. “The rules were never meant to cover natural nontoxic products.”

“Twenty years ago the DPR would have treated Mr. Hahn as a hero, but today DPR has changed from supporting answers to the pesticides problem to extracting fines for income,” Lassle said. “This is nothing more than a mafia-style shakedown.”

Mr. Hahn though a corporation is being personally hit with a $110,000 fine that DPR has threatened to increase to $355,000 or $500,000 if he attempts to fight them in court. Is this an abuse of power of a state agency more interested in exacting money through fines than supporting alternative ways to reduce toxic compounds?

The prestigious Pacific Law Foundation, or PLF, has taken up this case of worm poop versus the bureaucracy on behalf of Mr. Hahn. At a hearing before the DPR, the attorney for PLF asked, “Can you drown a bug in water?”

Both Dr. Kohler, the DPR head of research and George Farnsworth, head of enforcement, said under oath that claims made that bugs could be drowned in water would make water a pesticide. If water was not registered with both the FED EPA and CA DPR as a pesticide, then anyone selling water for the purpose of drowning bugs would be in violation and would be fined.

Water and worm poop equal pesticide? So the “words” cause nontoxic items to become pesticides, not the content of the product?

What’s next in this saga of poop vs. bureaucracy? The PLF takes cases when government agencies have gotten out of control. The only way to bring them back under control and responsible to the people is to seek legal remedy through the courts.

PLF has asked for a summary judgment in this case based on the fact that the state DPR has no jurisdiction over nontoxic natural products. A summary judgment in Mr. Hahn’s favor would dismiss the DPR case. If not, the case is on appeal to the California Superior Court.

This is a small column, in a small paper, on a subject with huge consequences. Government, bureaucracies, and those employed by them hold a public trust. They are charged with serving and protecting people, the environment and our health and safety in our daily lives. I do not think bureaucracies should exist for themselves or forget why they were created. Just a thought. We the people …

Sheila S. Cameron is the former mayor of Encinitas.

What I love most about this sunflower is that it chose a life apart from a neat little row in a delineated box.

I was just thinking about how anxiety and joy are really the same vibrant energy. The difference being that one is experienced through a filter of fear and the other trust. Hmm, trust. Read an excellent Goethe quote recently, “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”

Speaking of energy, mine has been focused on other matters. I guess this is when the “urban” of urban farming stands out. I’ve been on a bit of a journey for a few months now. It has had my urban farming in flux. I’ve had less vegetable growing, more rabbit keeping (Which is going exceedingly well. They will be part of the Outstanding in the Field event coming up) and lots of reading and painting. Oh yeah, I paint. I love painting natural forms. Though I have not been immersed in the garden exactly, my window over looks a verdant garden that is the love child of Stefani. The angle of the light in the yard is such that each dawn and dusk a golden light engulfs the space. It is truly gorgeous. It’s the inspiration for my current mural. I’ve only just started and its not farming related but what the heck, I’m going to share.

Dipak says the “colors are calming, but beware of the snake.” I say that even in calm beauty rests the most powerful and frightful truths…and I love each and every one of them.