Planting Seeds at Harvest Time

knowalberta.ca

Every farmer knows that, though the crops have been brought in, the fall season is very important to next season's harvest. Today's far-sighted plans will predict the future! Responding correctly in this season of life will pay great dividends.

Fall is such a beautiful time, the leaves, the trees, even the last rose on the bush make for gorgeous sights. The smell of fallen leaves, the faint chill in the air, and the odd snow skiff remind us that the growing season is over. The time for weddings, and for harvest festivals is ripe. Time to appreciate what was, what has been, with a sense a gratitude and peaceful meditation.

A song from my youth circles in my mind. "To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season.....and a time to every purpose under heaven." No doubt, life is unfolding, as it should!

Reminders of all the goodness, all the abilities, talents and energy the Ukrainian community in Canada are everywhere - including on the web. Websites, photos, advertising, reports, media coverage, event planning, on-line stores, and of course the interconnected physical and social community plugging away at their fundraisers in order to pay bills, and hire specialized labourers. It all speaks of character and values.

Fedorah hall
flickr.com

A while back my folks let me take a read through of the first minutes book of the women's organization in the rural community where the great-grandparents homesteaded. Amazing! Simply phenomenal that during the hard years, when life really was about putting food on the table, that they would put aside their personal hardships and dream together. Not only did they dream, their industrious hands gathered the pennies, nickels and dimes to build churches and halls dotted all across the prairies. Everyone chipped in. Then it was time to party in the hall across the road.

In preparation for the Remembrance Day assembly, I have taught my school students to appreciate that though the audience may not applaud, there is true appreciation there, if you look carefully. As the farmers have brought the harvest home, many, many individuals have gathered together to plant seeds for another type of harvest. Look around and see the huge bounty in the Ukrainian community! "Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) While it may seem burdensome to constantly be doing good, living with purpose speaks of character and values. Time to take a big, deep sigh of satisfaction, and know - it is good.

Seeds for the Future

Ah, the lovely smells of Autumn!  Leaves of golden yellow, fields of stubble, the harvest bounty brought home - such a time of plenty.  Time to thank, appreciate, and then put the gardening tools to sleep for a winter's rest. 

Hopefulness comes of this time.  Time to think  - well that patch of garden space really needs to rest, or...that section of the garden would be great for runner beans next year.  Ah, dreaming of next year's planting season.

I am not a seed harvester, however perhaps you could be.  I remember Baba saving tomatos for their seeds, and harvesting beans to dry some for next year's seeds.  This involved hopefulness, planning, dreams for a better tomorrow.

The bad news, however, is that there are major seed-developing companies that are already introducing "terminator technologies" into Canada so that every time you want to grow a grain or vegetable or a flower, you will have to purchase new seeds.  These seeds will produce, but will not reproduce!!!  The seed will be sterile!!!

This scares me a lot.  When you consider the accumulated agricultural wisdom of our Canadian prairie producers, and place that against the HOLODOMOR experiences of Ukrainians in the last century, our food security is a huge issue!!  Who controls our food security??

The National Council of Women of Canada (www.ncwc.ca) , and the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada (www.uwac-national.ca) have asked the government of Canada to ban terminator seeds in Canada.  In the upcoming session of Parliament, Alex Atamanenko, NDP MP for BC Southern Interior, has sponsored a private member's bill - Bill C-434 Terminator Seeds Ban.  This is "an act to prohibit the planting, cultivation, release, sale and importation of seeds incorporating or altered by variety-genetics use restriction technologies (V-GURTS) also called "Terminator Technologies". 

Normally private members bills have little chance of passing, however you can help this one pass but flooding your MP's office with phone calls, letters and emails in support of this bill.  Be assured that the grain companies will be lobbying very strongly against this Bill.