On Making a Positive Change

It’s easy to be discouraged by all the problems of the world.  Wars and global warming, polluted water, and disease—for some, the answer is to fight, or rail against it.  Others choose to drop out of the system completely.   

But when we, as a global community, decide to create our own system within the system, whereby both the environment and the people can be served in a sustainable way, that’s when we are really onto something.

That’s the way we feel about beginning this challenging and rewarding journey as co-directors of ReTreeUS, a budding nonprofit whose mission is to promote an environmentally sustainable, socially just food system.  We plan to establish educational orchards in schools, as well as provide gardening tools, tips, and labor on a sliding scale, making organic produce available to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Now, I realize that planting trees provides no solution to domestic violence, and it certainly does not cure AIDS, but we are providing a direct and positive response to many of the issues plaguing the planet today.  And the chain reaction of a child growing and eating his own apple, or the self-empowerment of a single mom growing veggies for her kids, creates more nourished and creative minds to solve the problems that remain.

Richard Hodges and I are working together on a few acres near Portland, Maine, where we will establish our first nurseries and orchards.  We are building a network of members, supporters, partners and friends to help as we find interested schools, raise our first funds, and plant our first fruit trees.  This is the story of our progress.

We begin on the day our first 125 trees were planted.  There were, of course, many steps leading up to putting those tiny plum saplings in the ground, and we might cover those later.  But this momentous occasion seems an appropriate place to start.

Richard and I pulled into the New Hampshire State Nursery on a rainy afternoon to find everyone—and it actually did seem like everyone in the town of Boscowen was there—happily preparing thousands of fir trees to be sold at a discounted price.  Instead of the firs (which are their biggest seller), we purchased 100 beech and 25 American plum trees for their edibility, beauty and relatively low price.  A friendly fellow who overheard us talking about ReTreeUS offered to show off his outdoor operation.  We eagerly accepted and found another group working hard to gather saplings from the ground.  A large contraption on the back of a tractor was moving slowly before them, loosening soil and uprooting trees for an efficient harvest. 

It was an impressive system, but on a bit larger scale than we plan for at first, so we asked—quite hopefully—if anyone ever does this by hand.  “That’s the traditional way,” said the man who had invited us.  We were relieved by the confirmation that buying one of these machines would not be necessary right away.  We made sure to thank the gentleman who showed us around, to introduce ourselves, and get his name (connections go a long way in a venture like this).  Then we headed down the road to heel in the trees at Richard’s family place on a New Hampshire lake.  

Most of the work with plants at the lake house has taken place within the forest: thinning out smaller trees to allow larger ones to thrive, clearing invasive plants, and nurturing hazelnuts and blueberries.  That’s because most of the property is forested.  There is, however, one corner garden where Richard plants kale and other nutritious annuals each year.  It is a small, triangular plot—about 15 feet on each side—yet it made a surprisingly perfect new home for over 100 baby trees.  

The fun and hilarious process of fitting all those plants into such a tight space is documented through the photos on this page.  Planting them so close together may seem like a death wish, but this is standard procedure for trees as young as these.  We soaked the soil and asked Richard’s parents to water them for the next two months.  That’s the amount of time we’ve allotted to finish our jobs in California and make the cross-country drive back to New England.

Richard and I separate one tiny seedling from another.

Richard in mid-shovel jump.

The two of us with 125 trees in bags.

More planting...

  

The roots will develop while we are away, and in the summer, we will transfer them into large pots for our fist 125 east coast members.  These fruits are great for jamming and have beautiful blossoms in the spring, but the benefits are just small, tangible emblems of what ReTreeUS hopes to do in the big picture. 

We hope to make our mission a reality, and we hope for your help and support along the way.  

For more information, please visit our website or email us at info@retreeus.org.