An Organic Approach

Did you know that many small farms that practice Organic Farming can't label themselves as such because there are such stringent rules for claiming Organicness? I think its something like the land itself has to have been farmed organically for the previous three years and you've got to be a saint who lets the slugs feast away on your lettuces whilst pretending that you also don't mind that the birds are pecking into your plump tomatoes. And you've got to blatantly deny that any of the residue from your neighboring non-organic farming neighbor's pesticide sprays are drifting onto your crops in the tradewinds. Plus it's expensive to apply for the certification. It's a lot to think about and it's a lot to swallow for a small farmer.

Lolo Gardens is not Organic. I wish I had all the time in the world to patiently pick off individual slugs as they creep into my beds of greens. I wish I could claim that my home was never sprayed for termites. I wish I had time to sing to my flowers to encourage them to grow. But I don't. Sluggo (a 'non-toxic' version of slugicide, at least) is my friend. I make the best of what I have and try to treat my yard like its my bedroom- nothing too toxic or harmful allowed. But I am not a saint.

But I am planning to try. Maybe you could call it a resolution. This year I will strive to be successful in a quest to live in an Organic world. I will try to use only natural fertilizer (aka, chicken poo) for my flowers. I will continue to feed the birds natural 'veggie feed crumbles' offset by kitchen scraps. I will plant heirloom varieties of fruits and veggies and project love and affection to everything in the yard, wishing it a happy growth spurt. And I will try to Organically approach the one aspect of my life that needs all the help it can get. I am making a vow to try to date organically.

What the heck does that mean?  In the words of Bridget Jones, it means I will not date 'emotional fuckwidts or perverts', trustafarians or anyone toxic to my system. I will not try to wring life from a dead connection. I will not sign up for dating websites to go out with men who can only summon charm through a computer screen. I will not get hung up on timelines or ticking clocks. In my personal world of organicness, there is no 3-year moratorium- it will begin being Organic right now.

So- like a garden taking the good (ripe tomatoes and happy birds) with the bad (slugs and snails), I will put on makeup and put myself out there this year. I will take the bad (awkward conversations at a gas pump anyone?) with hopefully some of the really good (maybe he's out there after all?). And I promise to write about it... Ha. Like I could keep it to myself.