Conflict – JP026

We take umbrage with the promoted hippie-nature of interacting with nature. We offer some molecular biology of course to make our point. Enjoy.

* Works Referenced* Tomatoland* ߛߊ߲ߞߐߝߊ (Sankɔfa) – JP024* Calcium Oxalate crystals formed within the leaves of the Acacia in response to herbivory

Asante Sana ߊߛߊ߲ߕߌ ߛߣߊMedase Paa   ߡߍߘߊߛߋ ߔߊ Modupe O ߡߏߘߎߔߋ ߏThank you for listening to Jìgìjìgì ߖߜ߭ߌ߬ߖߜ߭ߌ߬

* Where have you been??!

* Dr. Isaac Zama – Amba Farmer’s Voice Part 3

* Dr. Isaac Zama – Amba Farmer’s Voice pt 2

* Dr. Isaac Zama – Amba Farmer’s Voice pt 1

* Urban Agriculture and Climate Change: “The New Normal”

Transcript

Peace,

I am Mason Olonade and this is Jìgìjìgì: Africulture Podcast. Here we believe building a healthy soil builds a healthy soul, so we share strategies for how to do both. To do both we ask two questions: How do you grow while you grow Kale, Collards, Tomatoes, and Melons. And why, do you think, the healthiest soils are Black?

Conflict. Chemical Warfare.

What happens when the poetic palliative “Everyone’s gotta eat?” What happens when the deer come and eat my purple bok choy that was going to seed? What happens then when that doesn’t soothe the pain of another plant lost?

We become conflicted.

I think someone has lied to me, shown me an image, a simulacrum of our hands in the soil, turning it out, growing avocados and peas from the grocery store in inappropriate soil or microenvironments, leaving us indignified, despondent, when our disney-fied dirt dreams begin pushing up daisies.

Growing your own is hard work, even moreso, because of ego, for those of us who believe we’ve inherently got it like that.

Perhaps it isn’t seen as this to you my loving Sibling of the Soil but I’ve seen it perpetuated too many times to not speak on it. The portrayal of agriculture as this entire act of loving misses out on the fact that agriculture also happens in reality. Famines, crop failures, pests, weather, all of these happen in reality and any palliative poem like “Everybody’s Gotta eat” is just that. Palliative, numbing, and an attempt, feeble at best, Garnered towards gathering likes, yet it actually does not do anything to appease your real pain.

Right now today is April 33rd, and it is the time where Kale, Collards, and all brassicas are in full seed setting mode, if you haven’t harvested them already. Very soon the harlequin bugs will be ready to munch on everything that is out there. Can you really just be satisfied with derivatives of “it is what it is” when you are satiated?

I am definitely fortunate to be in a position to be able to not have to sustain myself from the soil, but my food comes from the soil somewhere.

I’ve been reading Barry Estabrooks Tomatoland, and it is anything but the rosy red hue of the tomato.