Amidst the increasing environmental challenges of our era, one constant source of hope at Never Ending Food is seeing the remarkable speed at which nature can rejuvenate itself…when given the opportunity. Just like when our bodies fall ill, healing is a process, requiring a blend of care, nurturing, proper nutrition, rest, and a clear understanding of the underlying issues.
A Malawian Permaculturalist once told us that when he teaches, he informs people that the word ‘healthy‘ should actually be thought of as two words: ‘heal‘ and ‘thy‘. Therefore, if we want healthy soil, we must learn how to ‘heal thy’ soil. The same goes for our water, our air, our foods, our bodies, and our communities. We should always be striving to make all of our living systems the healthiest they can be.
Many modern agricultural practices tend to work against nature, creating even more problems. Things like burning, deforestation, over-grazing, monocropping, and the use of toxic chemicals are all things which diminish nature’s capacity to heal. When we learn how to work with nature, many of our problems begin to disappear and we quickly move into a state of abundance and surplus. The picture below shows how quickly nature can begin to give us things like food, medicine, building supplies, fuel, and so much more.
The following poem may help us to remember the healing power of nature. Whenever you encounter a challenge, ask yourself, ‘What would nature do?’ Many times, the answers will be clear if we are able to learn nature’s lessons. The most important thing that we can do, and perhaps the easiest, is just simply…let it grow!
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