Additional facts from the Big Island

I was fortunate enough to stay with Greg, an astronomer at the renown Keck Observatory, while on the Big Island and learned quite a bit about the environmental/cultural concerns regarding the development of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).  While not yet fully funded (more countries are needed to partner), the telescope could be completed as early as 2018 and is projected to be larger than all existing scopes on Mauna Kea.  Mauna Kea is an important ecological site as well as of cultural and spiritual significance.  Kahea: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance includes information about Mauna Kea.  While I see the concerns regarding TMT, I also see that Keck Observatory does everything possible (water is packed up, all waste [including liquid waste] is packed down the mountain) to minimize its footprint upon the land.  I further feel that the whole of the Hawaiian Islands should be scrutinized regarding development as sovereignty is sought and the resort communities leave a regrettably greater impact on areas of environmental, social, and cultural significance.

I am deeply concerned by continued efforts to limit new solar installation on the Islands as well.  Energy companies continue to lobby the State to prohibit new solar systems on the grounds that the grid could be "destabilized."  True: We need to update the grid to DC power and create adequate storage.  Doing so would improve stability and create jobs.  That said, it is the desire to avoid paying consumers for the electricity they produce, and not the stability of the grid, that is behind the efforts to prohibit new solar.

Last, but not least, consider the following from pg. 136 of "Big Island Revealed" regarding the 35,000 head of cattle kept on the Island by Parker Ranch:  "After being raised on sweet Hawaiian range grass for 5-6 months, most of the cattle are shipped by 747 to the mainland or by boat to Canada, then fattened in various areas before slaughter.  Ironically, cattle class on a 747 has more leg room than what you had in coach."  Huh...so many levels of wrongness here.  Discuss?!  Peace out, B.

Zoe was trying to kill me

I thought I bonded with Zoe from the Kohala Center (see previous post), but I think maybe she was trying to eliminate one human from the planet by suggesting I hike the Waipio Valley.

It's beautiful from the top:

And it would be lovely if you made it all the way to the bottom:

But I cannot emphasize enough that the path down is exceptionally arduous (this is misleading as the road literally tilts at about a 45 degree angle):

Though I was (as usual) not carrying the camera, I did see images of the taro fields Zoe promised that looked like this:

Another adventure I would like to have but will ultimately leave to more intrepid students is to WWOOF Hawaii.  I lament that WWOOF- whether worldwide or the in States- appears to be age biased in favor of the young- but I still have to advocate for students giving it a shot if interested.  I joined the Hawaii chapter (link above) but ultimately did not find any vacancies that overlapped with my tenure.  I was disappointed, but yet I was not as I'm not sure I'm ready for the realities of a composting toilet.  Just saying.  A few years ago, I did have a student work on organic farms throughout Europe.  While physically taxing and a bit imperfect at times, I think she had a fabulous adventure working with wine, olives, and meeting new folks.  Peace out.  B.

We were there and...

...this is needed.

Reminds me of the biodigesters we saw in Costa Rica on our Eco-service trip with Kirkwood several years ago to accommodate pig waste in rural areas.

No Hazards

On her flight, Melanie met a numerologist from Montreal and was profoundly affected by the experience.  Her name is Madeleine and, when Melanie was so moved by the truth of her reading, she said there are 'no hazards' (French-English translation meaning 'no accidents') in life.  This morning she sent Melanie a meditation by Wayne Dyer.

There is 'no hazard' in the sending of the meditation either.  Since last night, I've been grumpier and unsettled.  I had lost my mantra of listening to the heart and was allowing the mind to intervene by trying to control and plan.  I decided to start listening to the meditation an hour ago.  I was immediately taken by the "I am" portion as reminder of a Tibetan meditation for anxiety.  I was further moved by the insertion of "I am that" where the 'that' represents what you wish to embody.

I've mentioned how much I've enjoyed the book "Being, Having, and Doing Enough" by Wayne Muller and the subsequent discussion with my Shalom Center group.  Apparently Madeleine's assessment of me is that I am plagued by duality (yep), but have the potential to find solace in a more spiritual life.  I think that is true if I remember that my "that" in the "I am" mantra can be exceptionally simple. 

If my "that" is 'heartfelt' (kind, gentle, soulful, letting go) or 'making the next right choice,' or just 'present' I can experience peace rather than unrest.  Peace is in the present; in a life led from the heart and not the mind; and results in making 'the next right choice.'  In a morning where 'a plan' was not forthcoming and the details of life unsettling, I have found precious peace in the present thanks to Madeleine and 'no hazards' in life.

For those who know me well, don't worry.  I'm still plagued by my 'duality' and will most certainly forget at some point during the day to live in the present.  I will then lapse into swearing like a (very gifted) sailor and you will know that the 'old B' is still in me as well.  It will then be time to remind me: "I am that, I am."  :)

No plan

I'm learning that having 'no plan' for life is best.  The mind convinces us that we have a past and a future worth pondering, when all we are given is the present.  Melanie asked yesterday what I planned to do today to which I responded, "I don't know."  Last night, 'the universe' (or my heart's true desire) said 'the Kohala Center.'

In addition to reef education and energy initiatives, the Kohala Center has Ka Hua Aina farm just outside Honoka'a on the Hamakua Coast where it hosts new farmer education programs.

The farm is land reclaimed from the soil intensive practices of industrial sugar cane production.  Farm Program Manager, Zoe, was kind enough to spend time showing me around.  [We were accompanied by the farm manager's dog on our walk.]  The farm currently features both row cropping and Polynesian-style agro-forestry planting.  Zoe informed me that native Hawaiian practice of ahupu'a'a really had more to do with land conservation (i.e., you fished and farmed your slice of the land and traded with a neighbor for what you could not produce) than with farming.  She further explained that Polynesian style planting refers to planting mostly perennials that require very little maintenance and are 'packed in' from top to bottom (e.g., we walked to a dense planting that had taro and sweet potato underneath sweet pea and larger banana plants).  While she enjoys a 12 month growing season, she does not enjoy the 12 month fruit flies and other blights that force creative, organic solutions to keep her crops alive.

The farm currently hosts 'new farmer program' education sessions, which are intended to prepare folks for transitioning to income generating (but diversified and sustainable) farming from hobby farming.  We spoke, however, about the imperative for most farmers- whether industrial, hobby, or small/diversified- to have additional employment to make ends meet.  As a result, we spoke about how Zoe hopes that the farm will be able to further diversify to provide different sample plots for backyard farming.  For instance, if you are not able to farm full time, but would like to begin to live sustainably with respect to food (this is important anywhere, but particularly in Hawaii where isolation means local sourcing is imperative), you might use a small portion of your backyard to grow a Polynesian style garden of taro and banana, but perhaps your neighbor would prefer to do a mix of pineapple and papaya.  The farm could show multiple 'backyard configurations' for folks to choose from that would require little time and much potential for trading.  Zoe would also like to have the farm provide examples of small-scale critter production as well (both for the reciprocal benefits for the plants and for the ability to produce more humanely raised critters for local consumption).

When we were walking up the farm to see the breathtaking view of the coast from the educational center,  Zoe asked if there were similar initiatives to the Kohala Center's farm in Iowa.  While I said there were not really organized efforts to systematically challenge industrial model farming in the Midwest, I realized I was woefully under-informed of the efforts at integrated, diversified farming in Iowa beyond CSAs.

As a result, I hope to visit with Scott of Soilmates and the folks at Friendly Farms, etc., around Iowa City to begin learning more about what options do exist for people wanting to engage in diversified backyard farming.  I think winter might even be a much more ideal time to visit with farming folks in Iowa because it is the quieter season.  I further think these visits could be of great utility to Melanie and I as we think about what we could realistically grow (raspberries, mulberries, apples, watermelon, carnival squash, and hopefully some veggies).

Also on a personal note, I am enjoying the absence of a plan, greater simplicity, and more faith in my heart.  I am learning that there is benefit to taking a risk when you trust a decision in your heart.  I am also learning to challenge how I think of 'dreams for my life.'  I have spent too much time thinking that opportunities to fulfill my dreams had passed.  Instead I would like to think of dreams as impermanent and transient.  Dreams change and they have their moment in time.  The trick is to acknowledge that each new moment is pregnant with each new dream.

I am also recognizing that, while I can grow and learn as an individual, I have certain rather immutable strengths and weaknesses that perhaps it is best not to fight.  Notably, I am an excellent generalist.  I know a little about a lot of things.  I am also skilled at generating project ideas.  I am not, however, so good at doing just one thing, or even at learning a lot about any one thing.  As much as I might hope to suddenly become a farmer or a marketer or a________, the truth is that I am an educator and a dreamer.  I had envisioned a professional development where I became a new person solidly invested in work in alternative energy or food production.  The truth is that my professional development is in becoming a slightly deeper version of my original self by researching a variety of positive solutions to a variety of social problems.  In so doing, I realized I do not have to volunteer with each program or agency, but that I can instead concentrate my time in learning about the agencies from the people who work for them.  The professional development will hopefully result in many more contacts (and networking) with fabulous people and a much greater knowledge of the programs and solutions that exist to do good.

As for tomorrow, there is no plan.  Yet.  I do hope to visit a former bee farm turned off-grid farm/household.  I think there's a farmer's market to visit tomorrow in Waimea.  But I'm thinking I just might take Zoe's suggestion to hike the sacred land of the Waipio Valley.  She said I would see taro produced according to ancient practices (in cascading ponds).  That sounds nice.  :)  Peace out.  B.

Chicken personalities (thanks Renee and Kal!)

I was fortunate enough to visit with Renee (gifted body work practitioner and artist) and Kal (very gifted artist) outside Hawi on the Big Island yesterday.  Their home includes a studio, farmland, and soon to be teepee for body work and artistic purposes.

Renee showed me her dinosaur kale (it was growing very tall with Hawaii's 12 month growing season!) and other greens as well as her critters.  They have VV (a weiner dog short for 'Vienna Sausage'), Copper (the orange cat), Mango (the soon to be ripe mango colored parrot), geese, turtles, and a whole host of all individually named chickens.  We spent quality time holding Misty, a chicken recovering from the Chicken Pox.  Renee reminded us that chicken pox were so named because the human ailment resembled the sores chickens can get on their combs.  Misty was recuperating in the house with Kal and Renee and apparently does a bang up job cleaning up spare spiders in the kitchen.

Renee shared the following video of their rooster guiding some of the hens to the remains of a bowl of oatmeal:

I also have the following video of the chickens playing from Renee.  Looks just like when my two cats, Lucky and Stitch, play and also looks a lot like...CHILDREN playing, too!

I share all of this because it harkens back to an earlier time when chickens were revered rather than contained.  In the chapter "What came first...the chicken or the egg" in the book Righteous Porkchop, Niman shares that an 1867 text (The Practical Poultry Keeper) insists "Fowls should not be kept unless proper and regular attention can be given to them; and we would strongly recommend that this needful attention be personal."

The attention Renee and Kal paid was personal, loving, and respectful.  The respect and acknowledgement they paid to each animal was commensurate to what was given to other humans, which is the way I believe it should be.

I'd like to end on a positive note, but the above video must be contrasted with the contemporary reality for most chickens (unless they live on the Hawaiian Islands in which case many roam free).  The rest of the chapter in Righteous Porkchop shares the story for many chickens on the mainland, including the profoundly restricted movement (even in 'cage free' enclosures) and profoundly manufactured (red dye added to food to color the yokes in the absence of exposure to sunlight for the chickens) lives of chickens raised for food.

Additionally, please contrast this video (original source page with more information here) with the video above from Renee.  Note that when the video on factory farming is played from Youtube, it comes with a warning that it may be "disturbing to some viewers."  Perhaps a disturbing truth is best seen and changed rather than avoided?  Mahalo, B.

Pedestrian problems

Seems that even the less developed Big Island is still not a pedestrian-friendly place.  The island retains much natural topography, but the roads traversing it are crowded and unforgiving if you're on two feet instead of four wheels.  After nearly becoming road kill this morning, I decided much more will need to be done with the aid of a motorized vehicle.

I have also been reflecting on the changing nature of plans and dreams and the importance of living in the present.  The only peace I can find is in the present.  The trick is remembering that it is always there despite physical pain or changing circumstances or whatever else life might throw at you.  The peace is there if you lead with your heart and choose, as Wayne Muller suggests, "the next right choice."  [I am so thankful to my discussion circle from the Shalom Spirituality Center for all of the insights shared during the reading of Muller's book "Being, Doing, and Having Enough."]

At present, I am committing to exploring the Kohala Center and hopefully an off the grid home (former bee farm) for the next week on the Big Island.  After that, I am going to follow 'the next right choice' back home though I am pretty certain those choices will include familiarizing myself with the many non-profit activities students could participate in next year.

Either way, I want to make decisions (big or small) from the heart and without looking forward or back.  That would be 'peacing out.'  B.

P.S.  Thanks to Barb D. for all the in-flight conversation and the Kind Bar.  :)  It was great to catch up!

First forays

I am beginning the process of developing ties with community non-profits.  In addition to researching the Crowded Closet in Iowa City (whose furniture sales benefit natural disaster and energy/food needs, etc.), I have spoken with Josh at Resources Unite in Dubuque County and Marti with The Tapestry.  I am very excited about possible community connections and student opportunities with both of these organizations.

Josh likened Resources Unite to the United Way volunteer clearinghouse in Cedar Rapids.  Resources Unite seeks to innovate in several respects, however.  Not only does the organization hope to do service projects in other states and countries, but it hopes to truly tailor the volunteer experiences to particular passions.  Currently, there are opportunities for short- (e.e., sponsoring a foster child for the holidays) and longer-term volunteer projects.  In the near future, there should also be chances for community members to begin to build relationships by visiting Resources Unite's physical space to work on discrete projects.

The Tapestry, in Cedar Rapids, is a time bank that transcends charity models of giving in favor of reciprocal exchanges.  Each hour served is an hour earned that can be exchanged for a needed service or (in the case of the Tapestry) item of furniture.  The organization's Director, Marti, was kind enough to meet with me for a couple of hours today to explain the volunteer intake process and to discuss possible partnerships through Kirkwood and the Social Sciences Department in future.  We discussed the possibility of my joining the Tapestry Board of Directors, but essentially establishing a 'rotating' board membership for a social science faculty person (or other representative from a trade at Kirkwood) in future.  In addition to thinking more about opportunities for campus-wide presentations about the organization (say during future KCELT professional development) and student participation across the trades (dental, health, and even theater with public speaking) with the Tapestry, I next hope to explore "backpack buddies" programs in the area (these are groups that look to send hungry students home with food at night).

Making lemonade out of lemons

Turns out, I'm still in a bit of Hawaii limbo, which might be fortuitous for work in Iowa.  Though I'm not yet where I thought I would be this year, I am making new connections here at home.

As of yesterday, I am officially a member of the Board of Directors of the Iowa City Free Lunch Program.  Not only am I beginning to learn more about the operations of all non-profits (e.g., NAMI, DVIP, etc.) at 1105 S. Gilbert Ct., but I am gaining a better understanding of the funding structure and organization of the ICFLP.  Perhaps most importantly, I am meeting more movers and shakers in the non-profit world, including a representative for Veterans Affairs and the founder of Soil Mates.  I am excited to see how programming, agency representation, and opportunity for training/education of ICFLP clients can be expanded, but I am also excited to think of the partnerships I may form with other Board Members for service learning projects in future.  In particular, Scott, of Soil Mates (a non-profit working to bring gardening to the schools) relayed a future project that might be of interest to my students: The restoration of a community garden for marginalized folks at the old "Poor Farm" outside Iowa City.

The fact that I've spent lots of time right here in Iowa working for non-profits the last few months has me thinking about more ways I can turn 'lemons into lemonade' (in so far as we call remaining here a 'lemon'...).  As I've done with the Dubuque Rescue Mission, Iowa City Free Lunch Program, Donna Ginter Thanksgiving Dinner, and Table to Table organizations, I'm thinking that I will be spending much more of my professional development time this year and next visiting non-profit agencies in the corridor.  The more I think about it, the more I realize how vital this is to community connections, my content area, and contributions to the College in future.

For example, Kirkwood no longer has an official 'service learning coordinator,' but I will definitely continue (and perhaps expand) the service learning components in my classes upon my return.  As such, perhaps this is the perfect time for me to have the unexpected pleasure of more of an Iowa winter than anticipated.  Eh hem.  :)  I can use more of my time to begin to visit non-profits on the Service Learning Agency Checklist thereby gaining knowledge and connections.

To that end, I hope to interview the folks at The Tapestry time bank in Cedar Rapids and Resources Unite (an attempt to mobilize volunteers across agencies) in Dubuque and report my findings on the blog in the near future.  Happy holidays, B.

WANTS

I wish I did not want so many things, but I am thankful to realize that what I want should matter much less than it often does.  I simply cannot have many of the things that I want.

Most notably, I cannot have turkey for Thanksiving per butterballabuse.com

Likewise, convenience needs to be evaluated in favor of zerowastehome.blogspot.com and mindbodygreen.com

I CAN have more volunteerism in my life, however and will try to interview the folks running Resources Unite in Dubuque.  More on that soon.

To everything...there is a season

Turns out unexpected (never have expectations, trust me) changes to plans can induce culinary gluttony.  The season of indulgence is set to expire on or before Thanksgiving with a return to whole food/plant based eating.  Like everything else I’ve chosen to stop indulging in, there is a season of quitting/resuming followed by eventual cessation.  I still cannot find any conscionable means of supporting animal products and I can find plenty of vegan alternatives.

That said, sometimes gluttony is for a good cause.  Case and point are the fundraisers I’ve been attending for various non-profit agencies including the Swiss Valley Nature Center (Olive Garden donated lasagna and homemade baked goodies), Hillcrest Children and Family Services (donated by Mario’s Italian restaurant in Dubuque), Operation Nue View’s “Beat the Heat” winter energy program (Dubuque Eagles’ Club ‘burger night’), and the Dubuque Regional Humane Society’s “future bright stars program” (repeat Dubuque Eagles’ Club ‘burger night’ coming up this Friday, November 14^th).  At Swiss Valley, I have been fortunate to forge a bond with Jenny Ammon, Naturalist) after our attendance at the fundraiser, my frequent hiking on Center trails, and our participation in the “Becoming an Outdoors’ Woman” program.  After the fundraiser, she and I chatted about ideas for future fundraisers including a silent auction of baked goods (this does not require a gambling license) and also the possibility of an editorial in the Telegraph Herald before the event to entice folks to attend (and to laud the companies donating foods).  In addition to being tasty, attending these fundraisers has strengthened my bonds with area agencies, my understanding of their needs and operations, and helped me reflect on how student fundraisers for service learning projects can be improved in future.

The holiday season is also approaching.  I’m excited to be participating in the “Donna Ginter Thanksgiving Dinner” for the first time this year.  Donna Ginter was the West Dubuque Tap owner who spearheaded the delivery of Thanksgiving dinner for those in need until her death.  Her daughters are continuing the tradition.  I am set to volunteer to pack food and deliver food from 9am-1pm on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m thrilled to finally get to do a holiday volunteer gig since those are typically the times that shelters and non-profit agencies need the least help.  As I’m often saying to students, however, this volunteer opportunity did not happen without some persistence.  Since many non-profit or benefit organizations have few (or no) paid staff, it can take quite a bit of time/effort to secure a volunteer gig.  I am quite sure that the organizer I spoke to yesterday was trying to juggle several jobs in addition to planning for the Thanksgiving Dinner.  As a volunteer, my job is to persist (I made 5 phone calls before we were able to connect), to be flexible (while it would be nice to have volunteer hours fit my time preferences that is not always the case), and to remain in awe of the good work people do for one another (e.g., the Donna Ginter Thanksgiving Dinner will deliver 2,500 Thanksgiving meals by 1:00pm in Dubuque).

Speaking of awe for the good work non-profit agencies can do, I have so been enjoying my time doing food preparation, service, and clean-up at the Iowa City Free Lunch Program.  The more I volunteer for the Free Lunch Program, the more I see the interconnectedness of social service agencies.  For instance, the Free Lunch Program operates more smoothly with the help of Table to Table, which delivers food to avoid grocery waste.  While I ultimately found that volunteering for Table to Table is difficult for my schedule, I appreciate the time the Table to Table folks spent with me explaining the organization when I signed up to volunteer and I look forward to working with them in future on ways to expand their influence via service learning projects.  For instance, I think students will be very interested to learn that “Good Samaritan” laws protect companies who donate food in good faith (it is largely a lack of understanding of this that prevents more food donations from groceries stores, restaurants, etc.) from liability.  I hope they will want (in Social Problems or Sociology of the Environment) to take this knowledge to local restaurants and stores.  I also hope they will contact Drake University law students for their advice on how to work with Kirkwood (as the Drake students have done with Drake) to minimize food waste/share excess food within their own institution.  [Perhaps there’s a way to design a service learning project that would create a system to donate unused food from the Kirkwood Cafeteria (or Kirkwood Hotel or other Kirkwood-catered events) to a local food shelter if students were to coordinate and maintain positive/responsible interactions.]  On the subject of interconnected social service agencies, yesterday I met a fellow volunteer who is a member of the 100+ Corridor Women Who Care group.  Group members contribute what is (to them) a modest amount of $400/year, which can result in awards to the non-profit in excess of $20,000, which is a very sizable chunk of change to most non-profits.  Past winners have included Table to Table and Hospice of Eastern Iowa.  The Free Lunch Project is currently up for the award.

In the case of the Iowa City Free Lunch Program, the money would go to very good use.  I have nothing but stellar things to say about my work with the organization and with Jama, a Co-Director in charge of ‘on the ground’ coordination of groups/volunteers and food/equipment preparation.  She is a consummate professional with clients and exceptionally patient with volunteers (like me) in need of help in the industrial-sized kitchen.  This past volunteer shift, she asked if I might be interested in joining the Board of Directors for the Free Lunch Program.  I am definitely interested and am thrilled at the prospect.  In addition to the knowledge gleaned from volunteering, Board of Directors involvement would further my understanding of opportunities for service learning projects.  It would also create another link between Kirkwood and area non-profit agencies.

Board membership would also allow me to explore further some ideas for the Free Lunch Program.  For instance, I wonder about how other social service agencies can increase their presence at the Free Lunch Program.  On Friday, folks are coming to enroll clients in food stamp programs before lunch (Jama offered to come help even though she’s not due in on Friday), and I’m guessing there are many other community agencies that could serve clients by doing the same.  Similar to how we organized a Senior Free Lunch with afternoon programming when I was a Community Organizer on the Southwest Side of Chicago, I’m wondering if it might be possible to have recurring programming events during lunch that would highlight available ways to increase skills (including enrollment in classes at Kirkwood?!) and access more of the available community services.

Jama and I also discussed the possibilities for making the program less “one-sided.”  At present, the model has services flowing only from provider to recipient.  Some revision to programming could result in more reciprocity.  Wayne Muller (founder of Bread for the Journey), in his book Being, Doing, and Having Enough, writes of the benefits of having service based non-profits incorporate the talents of the clients they serve as a means of creating ownership.  He relays stories of clients taking pride in improving their living circumstances when presented with the opportunity and the tools.  I think it would be neat to see what talents or skills could be shared among Free Lunch Program clients during afternoon programming (or by invoking a Time Bank model) as well.

The physical change in seasons (e.g., the precipitous drop in temperature on November 11th) means that I’m preparing for Hawaii.  I’ve been doing some research (more on that soon) into volunteerism, accommodations, and transportation.  As previously alluded, plans are not as anticipated and costs are prohibitive for some of what I’d hoped to do.  The Big Island is, after all, a BIG Island and the lack of a car is problematic.  Many off-the-grid housing options are just not doable without a car though I still hope to visit ‘gridless’ homes and farms.  I’m trying to decipher bus schedules for both intra-Waimea and Hilo to Kealakekua travel.  Unfortunately the network of public transportation is limited by both topography (read: that pesky lava that forms the Island also makes traversing it very tricky) and economic exploitation (read: bus schedules are designed to truck folks from the poorer side of the Island to the resort jobs on the dry side).  Given that I once spent 1 hour and 45 minutes waiting for a bus in freezing conditions in downtown Chicago because I misread a schedule (for a route not that dissimilar from my daily commute at the time), it should be interesting.  I may be rockin’ Dustin Hoffman’s Ishtar look across desert portions of the Big Island soon.

Send water?  :)  Peace out.  B.

Random updates and progress made

Whew.  Beginning to make some progress on a variety of fronts.

First, LOVE volunteering at the Iowa City Free Lunch Program.  I really enjoy working on food prep., service, and clean up with Jama and her team on ad hoc days each month.  Secondly, I have also enjoyed my time with the folks at the Dubuque Rescue Mission on Friday night meals and would like to learn more about the community greenhouse/garden and two thrift stores soon.

I was also intrigued by the Cedar Rapids Gazette article on "The Tapestry" time bank.  Time banks- where one hour of expertise provided in a particular area is 'traded' in exchange for one hour of expertise needed in another area- have intrigued me since I first came across the idea when preparing for Sociology of the Environment.  I hope to become a part of this organization upon my return to Cedar Rapids and also look to see where the idea might already be present (or expanded upon) in Dubuque, Iowa City, or the Big Island of Hawaii.

Speaking of the Big Island, I have joined the Hawaii Chapter of WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming.  I had a former student take my suggestion of "WWOOFing" several years ago and she was fortunate enough to farm across Europe.  I am hoping to make connections in the Hawaii organization soon and perhaps volunteer at goat or fruit/veggie/macadamia nut farms soon as well.  Ultimately I hope to be able to profile some 'off the grid' farms in Hawaii for upcoming blogs.

Lastly (for now), I am thrilled to be successfully continuing my "buy nothing" year.  So far, it seems I want for very little and what few needs I have can be satisfied by "finds" of old.  I've "found" bags of gloves that are perfectly lovely for kayaking and hiking, windbreakers not used anymore for golf that satisfy all sorts of outdoor needs, shoes that were in the back of a closet that are just perfect for hiking rough trails, and free water bottle holders in the form of old 'slings' and cleaned out backpacks, etc.  It's amazing how much joy I get just by successfully repurposing these items.  :)  Peace out.  B.

Sustainable Village

Joe Greathouse and Jim Ott were kind enough to escort me through the first of several buildings in the Sustainable Village project at Kirkwood.  The first structure (designed to be a permanent showcase of the students' work) is an open floor-plan, passive solar design.  The walls are 12 inches thick and feature varying amounts of insulation for future assessment of performance.  Because the building is so tightly constructed, air exchanges are warranted.  Radiant in-floor heating is standard and solar hot water heating is to come.  The walls feature recycled bottles (Jim informed me that you can read the labels of some bottles if you look closely) in paneling as well as state-of-the art dry wall alternatives made of recycled goods.  Much of the building is courtesy of generous donors.

Not only did we discuss future purchase opportunities for the next one-bedroom home (with interior design and exterior construction by Kirkwood students), but we are contemplating how my Sociology of the Environment and Social Problems students might be able to showcase the existing sustainable village structure through their service learning projects.  Additionally, I am hoping to hold classes in the sustainable village 'classroom' upon my return and to work with Jim and Joe (with my students' help) on college-wide presentations regarding how staff and students could learn (or implement) from the sustainable village efforts in future.  [I am envisioning a panel with Kirkwood interior and energy technologies/construction students as well as faculty/staff presentations.]

Daily devotional

My daily devotional has been almost as therapeutic as a dip in the ocean.  Almost.  I've become addicted to hiking the Mines of Spain and, more recently, Swiss Valley, Pikes Peak, and Effigy Mounds.  The more time I spend at Mines of Spain, the more I think about buying a plot in Dubuque and locating one of the Kirkwood Sustainable Village dwellings there (I need to chat with the Kirkwood folks more about this).  More on the rendering for our fruit, vegetable, and sustainable homestead soon, but here's a peak at the Kirkwood Village in ideal form:

In keeping with the theme of less is more, if we are unable to acquire one of the Kirkwood dwellings, Melanie and I are looking into alternative structures such as pods or container homes.

In the meantime, I'm engaging in "buy nothing" (except food since we don't yet produce our own at the condo) behavior.  I'm several years behind our friends Heal and Maggie, but at least I'm finally realizing how little I truly need besides visits to the monarchs at Swiss Valley.

As for today and tomorrow, I spent the morning at the Iowa City Free Lunch Program preparing food and will now do meal service for the Dubuque Rescue Mission dinner.  Peace out, B.

Programs doing many goods

Was fortunate to meet with Norbert from Table to Table on Monday and able to see the organization in action today at the Iowa City Free Lunch Program.  The Free Lunch Program received a large donation of yogurt and cottage cheese courtesy of Table to Table volunteer delivery.  The yogurt was added as a dip for the fresh fruit we cut up for today's lunch (the cottage cheese gets frozen for later lasagna).

I really enjoyed my time fixing, serving, and cleaning up for the Free Lunch Program today.  Lunch offerings were amazing and included a deluxe fresh fruit salad, tossed salad, several vegetable trays, brats/hot dogs with kraut, macaroni and cheese, two different warm vegetable sides, sweet corn with butter, and several types of brownies/breads/cookies for dessert.

The Free Lunch Program is about to have a dedication ceremony for the new location at 1105 S. Gilbert Court in Iowa City.  The facility is fantastic and the other volunteers were a pleasure as well.  I'm excited to return for future shifts (the program serves Monday through Saturday lunches).

Zero emissions discovery of place

I've decided to increase my zero-emission activities, which resulted in kayaking the Mississippi (courtesy of Mines of Spain Catfish Creek and Massey Station access points).  After 40 years of seeing the Mississippi from a bird's eye view, it was very interesting to see the barges at river level.

We also hiked the Horseshoe Trail at Mines of Spain.  How I lived my whole life without knowledge of the Mines of Spain in Dubuque County is a mystery.  Word to the wise: check this area out when in Dubuque.

I'm planning to ride a bike more in preparation for hopeful travel through Hawaii without a car.  I think it will be challenging, but hopefully not impossible, to make my way around the Big Island using foot, bike, and bus only.

I spent this morning wrist deep (!) in vegan cooking.  Loathe to buy another gadget designed to be obsolete in 60 seconds or less (only a slight hyperbole), I'm borrowing my mother's circa 1970 blender.  The motor sounds stronger than any I've heard and did a fabulous job blending my 'Forks Over Knives' no-cheese sauce this morning.  Melanie now has acorn squash lined with no-cheese sauce and stuffed with wheat berry veggie mix (spinach, veggie burger, sweetcorn, tomato, wheat berry, green onion, etc.) for lunch the next few days.

The mother in "The Hundred Foot Journey" says that "to cook, something must die" and hence "cooking creates ghosts."  I'm hoping to create as few ghosts as possible in the coming years (except for the requisite plant deaths) and as many no-bake peanut butter bars* as possible.

* Recipe: 4 packets flavored but vegan oatmeal (I've been using Glutenfreeda's banana) or 2 cups plain oatmeal, 1.5 cups flax seed (flavored or plain), .5 cups oat bran, .5 cups coconut, 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chopped bars, .5-1 cup chopped additional nuts of your choice (Spanish peanuts or pecans are yummy), cinnamon or other spices to taste, 1 cup peanut butter, and .5 cups Agave nectar (or honey if not opposed).  Mix all ingredients together, press into container, refrigerate, and eat!

Mindfulness in education

I see the benefits of both mediation (focusing on interests and not positions; problems rather than people) and meditation these days.  Mindfulness, the exercise of being present with what is in any moment, is one of the goals of meditation.

During professional development, I've been participating in the new mindfulness for educators group forming through the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  I would like to think that the core of my teaching already asks students (and me as well) to constantly be mindful of the implications of behaviors and then to often substitute new behaviors that are more socially responsible.  I am curious, however, about introducing 'mindfulness' more formally in future curricula.  Colleagues in the group, for instance, said that they observed voluntary changes in student behavior with respect to cell phone use as a result of mindfulness.  I can see the utility in questioning who benefits (and who loses) from the seeming social imperative to upgrade cell phones to the 'latest and greatest.'  I can also see the utility for questioning food consumption.  The Sunday food advertisements, for example, included the following:

The advertisement was actually for three of the above packaged in cardboard.  So...if we're not mindful of the environmental implications of our consumption, we've just bought product that is not only barely 'food,' but that's been packaged in all sorts of plastic, foil, and cardboard.

If there's one thing I hate more than wasteful packaging, it's food waste itself.  I'm planning to have Melanie and I join a CSA this year in hopes we will reduce grocery store dependence and increase access to local and affordable food.  Likewise, I'd like to help reduce food waste, by seeing how I can volunteer to help Table to Table.  I would also like to inquire about the new program started by Drake University law school volunteers to eliminate restaurant industry waste, which apparently saved $5000 in potential waste during the Drake Relays alone.  I wonder if my Social Problems or Sociology of the Environment students could partner with the University of Iowa Law School on a similar initiative in future?!  Peace out, B.

Mediation

I realized that pursuing a 15 year interest in mediation might be another worthy goal for my professional development year.  To that end, I'm likely participating in a mediation training by Christine Crilley in September and have had very helpful conversations with both Steve Sovern and Laura Tucker (of Peacewise Mediation).  Special thanks to Steve for putting me in touch with Laura and to Laura for the very generous time spent meeting and sharing resources!

Mediation seems a natural complement to my teaching of controversial topics.  Too often students (and I) get lost in battles of "positions" rather than generating solutions based on the "interests" at stake.  Getting to YES provides an excellent explication of the difference between positions and interests.

I hope that mediation training will help implement the new pedagogical/curricular approaches I blogged about earlier whereby we focus on how to achieve common, interest-based solutions to various social problems.

Belly flops (and other adventures) in preparation for professional development

Chronic ear infections kept me from swimming until adulthood, which means that I never learned to jump or dive into water.   Since potential professional development volunteer opportunities next year involve ocean conservation efforts, I'm thinking these might be good skills to acquire.  :)  That said, I have a feeling most swimming instructors would be a little aghast at a pupil who asks whether they should have their eyes open or closed when they dive into the water.

Sadly, it hadn't occurred to me to ask my 'almost certified life guard' wife the answer to this question or to teach me how to dive using the pool right below our condo until just recently.  Duh.  Big duh.  Melanie has been very patient and modeled everything for me.  After my first attempts at diving resulted in what looked more like a belly flop by a Raid-doused spider, she invented a 'baby dive' activity for me.  I can see from her creativity why she is such a genius with patients.

We decided to leave it to professionals to teach us both new skills this weekend, however, when we participated in the "Becoming an Outdoor Woman" program sponsored by Swiss Valley Nature Center in partnership with Pheasants Forever, IDNR, Izaak Walton League, RMEF, and Dubuque Flyfishers.

Not only did we learn basic survival skills like starting a fire from flint and steel [insert cave woman grunt here], but I was finally able to use a shotgun, rifle, and handgun.  I've never wanted to aim a gun at a critter, but I have always been fascinated by target practice and trap/skeet shooting. Melanie decimated at least 5 of her 15 clay targets and was deemed 'a natural' by our trap instructor.  Show off....

I was also fortunate to learn from professionals during my first build with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity last Thursday.  (Below is a picture from the site before the joists and windows were added.)

Chris, our excellent resource from Habitat, guided us through the entire process of window installation. She clearly knows her stuff and she knows how to teach it (read: she very wisely prompted us to write down all of the steps we'd just learned before turning us loose on the next window).

The build challenged my fear of heights, but I did make it higher on a ladder than ever before when attempting to secure a 'hurricane' between the frame and joist.  Unfortunately, the build also challenged my physical strength (I was only able to secure the bottom half of said hurricane) and I ran out of steam halfway through my volunteer shift.  I will not be defeated, however.  I plan to volunteer again soon and have added push-ups and power yoga in the meantime to build muscle and endurance.

My sincerest thanks to all of the wonderful professionals at "Becoming an Outdoor Woman" and also Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity for imparting so many new skills.  Peace out, B.

Lessons from Uncle Bob and Aunt Judy

Marathon (literally!) conversations with my Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob this weekend were the most productive and most hopeful I've had in recent history.  I learned so much from them by listening and being open.  We were able to solve the world's problems by: 1) identifying, at the most basic level, what we all want; 2) finding instances of when and where this goal was successfully achieved; and 3) brainstorming a way to accomplish the same goal today.

For instance, how can we evoke patriotism in today's generation?  We can show that we care about them by providing the same (more or less) path to middle class status that existed for previous generations.  We could examine the patterns (e.g., compensation, taxation) and the policies (e.g., WPA, space exploration) that were successful and find parallels for today (e.g., jobs generated by updating our energy infrastructure).

This practice can be applied to my teaching and to my daily life.  In class, small groups can use this model to find solutions for controversial social problems (and then present their findings).  At each step in the process, group members can interview friends and family from other generations to include their insights.  The end goal of the projects would be to unite around the fulfillment of basic needs rather than to divide around particular media reports, politicians or buzzwords.  In my daily life, I can use this model to have rewarding and open conversations with more people.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Uncle Bob and Aunt Judy, and for celebrating our anniversary (and yours)!  Much love.  B.

'Trading Spaces' to expose my very 'inconvenient truth'

I've really struggled with my food choices since I started teaching Sociology of the Environment a few years ago. Turns out ignorance [was] bliss.  In questioning what systems I want to support over the next year, I decided to turn the camera on the very 'inconvenient truth' of what I eat by 'trading spaces' with the critters behind the food.

I love soft serve ice cream.  Love.  It.  Perhaps more than life itself.  (I'm actually not kidding.) Unfortunately, even in the best case scenario of a small-scale, organic farmer, a cow is only required to have 120 days in pasture.  The rest of the time could be spent like this:

I see enclosures similar to this driving in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois all the time.  The mud is punctuated by poo piles, which the cows are commonly laying in.  If I were to trade places with these cows, my life would look something like this:

Space constraints will eventually force me to touch/lay in my own excrement (represented here by my sock 'poo' piles) as is the case for my four-legged friends.  Technically, I should also be laying in the excrement of several more people. [Get out from behind the camera and join me, Melanie!]  On the bright side, I would get 120 days 'vacation' in pasture.  That's the same as what I currently have between summer and winter break.  Sweet.  [Insert sarcasm here.]

To be honest, I wanted to do this in my bathroom with a real poo pile placed on the floor.  Melanie cautioned against it for a variety of reasons (all of which just made me want to do it more).  She said: "But people don't live in their bathrooms." Exactly.  And: "But people will just think you have 'lost it' and really need a break."  To that I would ask:  Which of the following is truly a sign that I have 'lost it':  1) Questioning the reality of life for a confined animal by 'trading spaces' with it, or 2) continuing to eat the products of an industry that allows for these conditions?  My answer would be the latter. That said, I thank Melanie for the constructive feedback that saved me from a 'clean up in Aisle 9' type event.

I guess I should be happy that I'm not part of large-scale, industrial dairy as I would never get a break from this:

I imagine this is the supply source for my beloved McDonald's ice cream cones.  (Yes, I know my fetish is problematic on many levels, but I had to 'out' myself in the interest of full disclosure.)

If I got really 'lucky,' I could listen to classical music while being milked in my hermetically sealed enclosure as is the case for some cows in China (please consider watching the PBS video associated with this link...it's only 10 minutes long, but deeply troubling).

The equivalent experience of an industrialized dairy cow for me (restrained in place, on concrete, with no sun) might be:

I was buying 'cage free' or 'free range' from the Co-Op, but am concerned that those labels do not mean much given current guidelines and that life for these chickens often looks like this:

The human equivalent seems easy [again, insert more sarcasm here] and I've already lived it for part of one day.  It was January 1, 2013, in Bangkok, Thailand.  We were making offerings at the Buddhist temples on the first day of the New Year.  So was everyone else in Thailand.  That's me squished, and resisting a pick-pocket attempt, just to the bottom-right of the gray sign:

Now I only have to rock this for 364 more days in a row.  At least I would have more freedom than a battery cage chicken (of which there are currently 255 million according to Farm Sanctuary):

The human equivalent of being in a battery cage would be spending my life confined to one space that is smaller than a sheet of paper (it's hard to tell because I would have almost no room left with my big feet, but I am standing on a white sheet of paper):

Bacon is another weakness of mine.  Again, I won't lie: I have been guilty of buying pre-cooked, mass produced bacon to avoid the 'inconvenience' of dealing with the bacon grease.  Assuming the worse case scenario associated with my purchase, life in a gestation crate for pigs is grim:

According to the Humane Society, the human equivalent of this would be spending my life in an airplane seat.  Melanie modeled this one for me (though she gave herself more legroom than I would have and she would be on a very full flight rather than an empty plane):

I think this picture is probably a better way to feel the confinement:

My days in a gestation crate might be numbered, however.  McDonald's, for instance, will only [eh hem, more sarcasm here] continue to use pigs from gestation crates for the next 2900 days or so (i.e., 8 years).  Then, if I'm lucky, I might get to move to this:

To continue the airplane analogy, I think this would be like when the pilots turn off the 'fasten seat belt' sign and announce that you are 'free to roam about the cabin.'  I don't know about you all, but that's typically little relief to me in the context of a long flight and a crowded cabin.

I do love mahi mahi and other local catch when in Hawaii.  According to some estimates, our reliance on super trawling (see image below for why they are truly 'super') has eliminated 90% of the big fish in the sea:

If I were to put myself in this position, I would imagine peaceful snorkeling...

...interrupted by a quick snatch into a net with other dead and dying ocean critters.  I would definitely end up as wasted bycatch as no one would ever be paid to 'catch' me.  Just ask Melanie....  :)

I'm sure someone has already placed humans in the same positions we place animals, but I needed to go through the mental and physical exercise of 'trading spaces' for myself.  I needed to expose myself to this very 'inconvenient truth.'  I want to keep eating McDonald's soft serve ice cream cones.  Really.  Badly.  I want to cling to the 4th of July bratwurst, cake, and ice cream traditions of old.  But I have to let go.

While I do not feel I have to demonstrate the intelligence of any creature to justify the humane treatment of it, I do think it's worth noting that these critters are just like us (sans the ability to exercise dominion over others).  Cows nurture friendships and are excited by intellectual challenges.  Chickens outperform dogs and cats in cognitive assessments and can anticipate the future, which is something only humans and primates have been observed to do.  Pigs can play video games (probably better than I can, but I digress...).

Frankly, the animals in my life have more sense than me.  No cat I've had as a companion has ever eaten even one bite of McDonald's 'meat.'  Not one taste of 'sausage ball' from a Sausage Burrito.  Not a shred of 'beef' from a Big Mac.  Nothing.  My two cats currently, however, will beg (literally) for pieces of Tofurkey:

Beyond the premise of 'do unto others as you would have done to you,' our current food system burdens our own bodies (the 'invironment') and the environment.  Not only do meat and dairy production carbon dioxide emissions (18%) surpass those of transportation (14%), but we could be feeding all of the people in the world if we were not diverting grain to feed the critters we want to eat.  We've been marketed to view 'meat' as synonymous with 'protein.' As a result, we think hamburger is healthier than beans and brown rice.  We've been told 'milk does a body good' though some research suggests the reverse and it is odd (as stated by Colin Campbell in Forks Over Knives) that we are the only species that drinks the milk of another animal.  We are so far removed from a working knowledge of 'whole foods' (e.g., fruits, vegetables, grains) that 'newscasters' don't know what's left when told not to eat processed 'foods' by medical experts [I'm thinking here of the recent interview with Dr. Mark Hyman by Savannah Guthrie in which she asked "what's left" after being told not to eat various processed foods].  Sadly, we also don't know when we're eating something real or something processed without checking the very, very, very fine print.  One insidious example are the Flav-R-Bites that replace 'real' fruit in 'blueberry' bagels or waffles, etc.  As reported in Pandora's Lunchbox, these need only be 6% blueberry solids by volume in order to be labeled as 'blueberries.'

If our food system doesn't benefit most people, animals, or the planet, who is winning?  Largely the answer is the corporate interests that have shaped nutrition guidelines and consolidated food production.

Am I being too reductionistic?  Couldn't I just eat critters from small-scale, diversified farms that do right by their animals?  Yes.  I could. There are many out there.

I know, however, that the reality of 'owning' even one dairy cow could mean the decision to put the cow down when it fails to produce enough milk to pay for the cost of feed.  To translate that into human terms in my 'trading spaces' exercise again: Since I am going on an unpaid leave next year, should I be put down for failing to earn enough to cover the cost of my food?

The reality is also that there would need to be a world wide, wholehearted return to small scale, diversified farming in order to meet present domestic and global demand for meat and dairy.  Since that hasn't happened yet, I have no choice but to change my personal demand.

My decision to quit meat and dairy again 'cold turkey' (pardon the pun) also follows from the fact that I could not kill an animal to eat it at the end of life or otherwise.  I've had fantasies of catching my own fish, but the truth is I couldn't kill one myself.  My decision is a result of the clear preference of all critters to be free (see the escape artists in Chickens in the Road).  It makes sense. I'd prefer not to be confined to even the most pleasant of places.  Why would that not be true for any other critter?

Lastly, I'm prone to extremes.  ['Balance' means what now?]  It's best for me to excise things from my life and not look back lest my brain will engineer various times or reasons when indulging would be 'OK' (even though it's not).

When I last questioned my participation in conventional food systems two year ago, I found myself a 'lapsed vegan' after a few months because it was 'too hard.'  I've struggled with giving up other things because they were 'too hard.'  I finally realized that 'sometimes things are just hard,' but that doesn't mean I should stop doing them.  I'll call it getting hit upside the head with a big ol' frying pan of Buddhism.

So, no matter how hard or inconvenient, or _________it is, I'm going to return to eating and buying vegan.  I'm not trying to proselytize or to influence the behavior of others.  Really. I'm not.  I promise. I desperately need to let go of that artifact of teaching.  Changing my own behavior will be challenge enough.  I will, however, share yummy alternatives to meat and dairy.  I will also share examples of people doing good with their food.

I'm already a fan of the Forks Over Knives recipes as well as Straight Up Food.  Both of these resources do not use oil or additives, but are strictly whole foods, plant based.  When following their guidelines during my last bout of veganism, my total cholesterol fell below 200 for the first time in my life.

That said, for my occasional treats (with added oil) when things get hard but I'm not willing to give up, I am a huge fan of these yummy cones:

Special thanks to Chantell and Val at HyVee on Locust Street in Dubuque for adding these to their Health Market offerings!

I've also found a few seriously good vegan parms:

I will need to be very mindful of budget for the next year so I will also be reporting on the costs of my 'whole food, plant based' diet.  Contrary to what we've been taught by food corporations, whole foods are more nutritious than processed 'food' and cheaper, too.  Just got three sweet potatoes (that's three lunches) for $1.64.  I will buy from local farmers or farmer's markets as much as possible.

I also plan to grow our own food.  I hope to report on many successes.  My experiment in kombucha brewing has taught me that I can learn to nurture and sustain life.  By the last batch, my 'mother' had grown to about 1.5 inches thick, was as wide as her container, and even had a 'baby' floating in the booch below her.  Instead of my initial response of trepidation at her sliminess, I was in awe of her life.

I want to be part of food production that I believe in and to focus on the good that is out there.  My cousin's efforts on her land represent some of that good. She is growing cantaloupe, peppers, tomato, corn, beans, cucumber, etc. and canning.  Perhaps more importantly, she is 'growing children' who are mindful of the land and respectful of the animals.  She has a teenage son who refuses to eat factory farmed fast food.  She has a young daughter (only age 8) who speaks so eloquently about her own respect for their food and animals that it moves you to tears.  Their good gives me hope.  B.

P.S.  I've completely fallen in love with:

to obtain my necessary B12.  I don't know why I didn't like this stuff the last time I tried it, but I'm about ready to drink it now.  It's fabulous on broccoli, sweet potato, veggie burgers (or anything else as a cheese substitute) and/or tasteless (if you wish) mixed into any other sauce.

I also continue to love this plant-based milk substitute (and it's fortified with B12 as well):