During a worldwide pandemic, one might have a hard time wishing anyone a happy anything.
I mean, it’s hard to really see too far ahead while we are sobbing into our soggy corn flakes each morning and having hour-long heart-to-hearts with our genuinely concerned dogs, or hamsters, or plants. However, we are human, we persevere, we find the silver linings, we will get through this as trite as that might sound, we are tenacious as…well, you get the picture.
So, in the tradition of being a crazy human, I’d like to wish all of you a Happy Earth Day, because, now more than ever we need this wild planet. We need the only biosphere, the only provider, the only Mother Earth that we have to be healthy. The alternative might actually lead to more outbreaks like COVID. (1)
And I can’t think of a better way to appreciate Mother Earth than to introduce you to a non-profit, a farm, that is, even now, doing an utterly fantastic job in celebrating, cultivating, and stewarding the Earth below their feet. That is, the aptly named, Dharma’s Garden.
(This is the shorter version of the video I made for them this past winter in their efforts to save their farm. To view the longer version and learn how you can support their efforts, please visit www.savethisfarm.org.
“Pictured: an interview with Tim and Kerry Francis, founders and caretakers of Dharma’s Garden.”
To say more, Dharma’s Garden, founded in 2014, is a working farm and a pillar of their urban community in North Boulder and one of the last intact parcels of land left amidst a sea of ever-encroaching development. The historical plot of land was once a sheep farm in the early 1900's and to this day remains a last vestige of an area with a rich agricultural past.
The founders and caretakers of the farm, Tim and Kerry Francis, two of the most industrious and gregarious people you’ll ever meet, are working hard to protect this land as a nonprofit working educational farm, for the benefit of their community, and future generations to come.
Even during COVID-19, their work continues (socially distantly and within accordance of local laws, of course). On the farm, you’ll find a booming CSA (community supported agriculture) program, educational programs, regenerative agriculture, and community events. On top of that, while I was filming there, I experienced a passionate community cultivated around this farm hellbent on saving it.
So, please watch the video, learn about the farm, escape from your couch, or your bed, virtually at least, and consider joining that passionate community, either on the farm or with your wallet.
Then, I invite you to join me today in being socially distant outside and enjoying nature from your window, your backyard, or your local secret spot. Take a moment to reflect on what amazing thing is crawling, buzzing, flapping, or growing near you.
Ask yourself, what you are grateful for from Mother Earth and what deserves protecting, especially amidst the COVID madness. And let’s all continue to always be better stewards of this one and only home we have.
Thank you so much. Stay safe and have a peaceful Earth Day you crazy humans.
-Phil Hüffeldt
Founder, Wool Hat Creative
References:
(1) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/coronavirus-nature-is-sending-us-a-message-says-un-environment-chief