At New Moon Farm, we are firmly rooted in the rhythms of life. Everything is connected in some way and every action has a consequence, good or bad. To be aware of all aspects of one's life is paramount to peace and happiness.
No less important is our belief in seeking harmony in everything around us. We strive to maintain the natural habitats and riparian areas of the Farm. We build habitat to encourage birds, insects, animals and other native species to grow and flourish here. Sections of what appear to be weeds and brambles is a planned sanctuary for birds that nest close to the ground, as well as a place for beneficial insects to lay their eggs or burrow in for the winter. Certain crops are allowed to go to seed or winter over because they produce blooms early in the spring, giving the bees a source of nectar earlier than they might find it otherwise.
Instead of fighting to conquer the natural elements around us, we seek to find that balance which allows us to live in accord with them. These simple but powerful ideas are the foundation on which New Moon Farm was built and that touch everything we do.Here at the Farm, we try to promote not only a peaceful, healthful, natural lifestyle for ourselves and others, we also employ many of the tenets of simple living. By producing as many of our needs as possible on the farm and practicing voluntary simplicity wherever we can, we limit our dependence on other sources for our comforts and necessities. Sustainability is key not only to our farming methods, but to our daily life.
One of our specialties are the heirloom varieties we grow here at the Farm. These "antique" vegetables and flowers are literally a living historical link to our past. Many of the heirlooms we grow have their origins within the cultures that brought them to America during the settling of this country. Some of them are even indigenous species that grew wild in our region and were harvested by the native people who populated this area before the Europeans settled here. This fascinating aspect of what we do is something that is both intriguing and exciting. Not only are we able to grow our own food, we are able to make a connection between the past and present in a very tangible way.
Biologically, the human body responds to things in its immediate environment...we get allergies in spring, are more lethargic and have cravings for protein rich foods in cold months, things like that. Humans have always coexisted in the same environment as the plants that they used for food, until we started using the industrial food complex for our food supply. The rise in disease and other conditions related to diet have tracked a path right along side the evolution of our modern food systems.
We believe that eating local organically grown produce, in season, is one of the best ways to provide optimum nutrition and to feed both the body and the spirit. Government intervention has made our food supply about commerce instead of good health and nutrition and now as a nation, we are all suffering. It makes more sense to me to eat foods that grow in the same area or region where one lives than to consume something the came from thousands of miles away (or even from another country half way around the world...) not only for the sake of the environment but for our own good health. And there is an almost spiritual result from eating food that you know is good for you. If one truly believes in a Higher Power, how can that person not treat their body as a temple. How can one believe that human beings were made in the image of God, yet treat the body with such contempt? "You are what you eat" is one of the truest axioms ever put to paper.
Namaste
