Seeds As StoryTellers: Colonialism, Biodiversity, Queering Agriculture, & Human Genome

10 year Veganniversary / Fruitarianism, most ethical diet




It's almost May, and I didn't want to forget to mention that April marks my-so-called Veganniversary. Ten years ago this month, I had an epiphany: that all People and animals have the same needs, desires, and want their life protected. And I began to extend this ethical principle into my diet and lifestyle. I chose not to consume animals, and use, or wear any animal by-product. I stopped using shampoo, shaving cream, body wash that was tested on animals. Other things that changed in my life: I began using a Diva Cup instead of tampons and pads; bought clothes secondhand, stopped frequently shaving and showering. I translated a superficial idea of Veganism into my life for many years.
I realized that including the food I called ethical is certainly not always ethically grown. Commercial fruit and vegetable agriculture were grown using methods that harmed other beings as well. Vegan "foods" can be considered unethical when the farmers are required to spray pesticides among other things to kill the insects. Another practice of commercial agriculture is that the soils are tilled which kills frogs, snakes, worms, moles, microbes that live in the soil. The farmers and pickers are usually working under horrible conditions of hot temperatures, long hours, fast labor, all the while being underpaid when the grocery chains are getting paid outrageous profits for selling to customers cheaply.
How is the fruit and vegetables I eat considered ethical under those conditions? This led to my second epiphany three and half years ago. Literally when I was working a desk job as a secretary--I was researching how to grow food, how to build a house with earthen materials, using solar energy, and foraging. With the new knowledge, I could not go on living a normal life.
Shortly afterword, I quit my job to pursue a life of homesteading. At that time, I also quit going to college because I was studying a degree I was not interested in any longer. Also my whole college experience was like living two lives. I made sure to focus on school and research, but I made time to party, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, stay up late, rarely sleep, eat vegan junk food, and make unhealthy choices--which led to my quest for optimal health on the raw vegan diet.

picture of me and a cabbage head I grew

As I am writing this, I understand that there are aspects of my life that continue to be part of the environmental problem. I still buy things wrapped in plastic (which I don't always recycle or re-purpose). I am not using solar energy at the moment, because that is an investment we have yet to make. I am not living in a cob home, and I am not using a composting toilet. I am not drinking water from a spring, and I am not eating solely from the food forest. And yet I continue to make steps towards this lifestyle which I desire to pursue.
It's true I could have kept a job to pay for essential homesteading items. Instead I have chosen to live a life without money (or little money). If I had money I could buy solar panels, and buy the straw bales and other materials for the cob home. And as it goes, I have chosen to work harder without getting money involved. We have chosen to live with little money, we are temporarily building a cob home next to my family and growing food on family property. Because of this, building and growing come with challenges, delays, and setbacks.

In my experience, most people prefer to spend a lot of money for less time and less effort put into a house, food, energy, etc. People would rather buy a home than build one, or people would rather buy food than grow it. I am the opposite. Instead of buying lumber for raised beds, I'll go to the woods to scavenge logs for raised beds-- which I haul and drag myself. That's my life. I prefer to spend all my time and effort on projects rather than making money to buy the lumber.



last years Spring garden, April 2014

Of course I would love a trading system, exchanging trees, plants, seeds, and other things for ones I need. I have traded many things before without involving money. I could do many things if I had the money. In fact, in the last three and a half years of gardening, I could have bought a hundred fruit trees; but I try not to think of it that way. I try to think in terms of accomplishments instead of what we lack. I think, I can save the seed from fruits to grow and propagate in the future without buying a tree. 




Of course you can check out the collection of fruit trees in our food forest in previous posts: Blooming Fruit trees in the food forest and Fruit trees & Fruit bushes we are currently growing (Garden update July 2014).

Ok, so I really went off on a tangent from Veganism to growing food to money to transcendentalism... What I mean to say is, I have come to see how we eat, how we make money, and how we live to be interconnected. And all people's choices affect other beings. By creating a food forest for myself and my family, I can ensure that we eat in times of shortage, depression, or economic collapse. The edible landscape I create could potentially feed a new generation of people. Humans have controlled and conquered all life from deforestation, slaying of animals, producing an abundance of waste. But Humans have the potential to create a brighter, healthier, and abundant Earth (something I mentioned in my last post: Beautify the world with guerrilla gardening, graffiti art & tips on seed bombing).

typical box of groceries for me

A true ethical lifestyle is one consisting of no waste or recycles supplies, and a diet consisting of Fruit that was foraged, and/or grown in our own backyard. This is the lifestyle I am searching for. I have deep connection to the woods, hunting fruit, climbing trees, being barefoot and naked, breathing fresh air, and surrounded by plants.


When you choose to be vegan, you question every facet of your life. We begin searching for the answers which are provided by nature...

  

Extreme environmentalism

Henry D Thoreau from Walden says, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life.." I live my life by these respects. I will work hard for my own to build shelter, and grow my own food-- other than these basic essentials, why would I need anything else?
I can better spend my time in the woods, exploring, and living for free.
Naturalism similarly suggests conserving energy, recycling, reducing waste, and other clean practices. Yet animals do not recycle or commit to clean practices because that's simply their nature. People have invented microwaves to heat food and television for entertainment.
"Men have become the tools of their tools" is an accurate portrayal on the disillusionment within our society.
What are some of the practices of wild animals? Animals eat a raw diet (whether they're herbivore or carnivore). Animals build their own shelter out of readily materials-- using their own strength (without machinery); own no clothing or use hygiene products; and Obviously the list goes on.

Minimalism is included in the practices of naturalism and environmentalism. Minimalism suggests letting go of unnecessary objects/possessions in your life. 'Letting go' has been a mantra in Buddhism and many other philosophies. Herman Hesse writes in Siddhartha "Property, possessions and riches...had become  chain and a burden".

Once you have become free of many of your possessions, or all, you feel free to move-- as if you've lifted the weight of your belongings off of your shoulders.

Focusing on our most basic needs and living independently from bills and corporations, will force you to grow your own food; build your house out of mud/straw/sand/rocks; filter water you have collected to drink; eat raw herbivore diet; wash your clothes minimally and do not own much clothing...or much of anything.

The  idea is to conserve finite resources and minimalize on space. Animals are usually nomadic creatures, and do not carry 'things' with them. Although the couple in the picture below are practicing minimalism, they are not practicing all natural living, which is fine if they want to live in a city with air pollution and commercialism.



this is NOT an example of natural minimalism

Another topic I will bring up (at a later date) is my refusal to drive vehicles. Not only are vehicles unsafe, but they're environmentally unstable unless we can ALL design our own water vehicles, or make our own moonshine for fuel. Then again, water may be a scarce source in the future.

I prefer to walk where I need to go, usually walking 1-4 miles a day. If I'm going to a friend's house, they'll give me a lift for courtesy.

Going back to water shortage, my grandparents and my partner and I shower minimally, once every two weeks, or use wash rags for face and privates. Using these practices will help me in the future when I will be living outside. I have many other ways I conserve water in this post, "How to Save/Recycle/Conserve Water".

Generally, if you live in a city you can also recycle glass and plastic for a little bit of cash.

My family drinks soda, so I have them save the cans to recycle (and I collect some along the road as I walk)-- I do this to make a couple of dollars too.

My grandparents even practice extreme environmentalism; recycling all plastics, cans, containers, and cardboard/paper. When I mention recycling, I do mean you should recycle or reuse objects you come to possess, but I also mean limiting your purchases. If buying food from a store, buy food in bulk (which comes in boxes), or use cloth bags. Purchase less stuff and eat food that can be composted.

Furthermore, do your part to clean up your environment, not just inside your home. Humans have the advantage because we are evolved animals who must take the responsibility to balance the use of technology with nature and wildlife.

 




pic from "Circle of Iron" with David Carradine

We can choose to use solar panels for electricity, and learn many homesteading techniques to live freely. We can grow our own food. We can build our own home. We can walk our own path.