Spring is Sprouting

As a naturalist, farmer, and yogini, I tend to draw parallels between the seasons of wildlife and forests, our fields, and our bodies, minds and spirits. The natural world is our greatest teacher, showing us what to do for our crops, as well as how to take care of our selves--and we are then again nourished by nature and farming.

Winters at ReTreeUS are spent in semi-hibernation--we rest our bodies with all the other animals, while simultaneously gearing up for the growing season ahead. When we follow and flow with the natural rhythms around us, winter allows for--and often even yields--as many "crops" as the last year's summer season!

In mid-winter, ReTreeUS Co-founder Richard Hodges met with students at Durham Community School, who were charged by Jumpstart Our Youth with the mission of voting for their favorite local non-profit. The group who received the most votes would then receive JOY Grant funding from Jobs for Maine Graduates. Last month, we were honored to receive the news that DCS students voted for ReTreeUS! Now, we look forward to working with those same students at Wolfe's Neck Farm, where ReTreeUS is installing our first partnership orchard this spring. 

All this new support has enabled and inspired us to start our seedlings earlier this year. Our brassicas are sprouting up nicely in the reused/recycled egg carton containers you see here:

Reuse your egg cartons as seed-starting vessels. You'll save money and our planet! 

Next week, we will construct a hoop house where these baby plants will grow until they're ready to transplant into soil and/or find a new home through our farm stand. We encourage our participating students, members (and everyone!) to incorporate greens like these into every meal!

Find our greens in Durham, Maine, and find easy ways to enjoy them by looking at ReTreeUS recipes in our older blog posts. In addition, one way to find recipes for green smoothies is by following Freeport Yoga Company on facebook.

And so it comes full-circle. We rest and restore in winter, then shed cold and heaviness as we welcome spring. Eating nourishing, chemical-free produce can help us do that! ReTreeUS makes organic food more accessible to people of all income levels. And when humans are well-fed and nourished, the earth thanks us, too. To find out more about ReTreeUS food, visit www.retreeus.org.

We wish you all a light and healthy spring!