Writing for a personal blog has seemed to be frivolous and time not well spent these days. The organization I founded to bring environmental education to the public through contemporary art is growing at an unbelievable speed. Last year we took a vacant piece of land in the middle of Midtown Miami and turned it into a Sustainable Land Lab. The Lab hosted events, art, workshops, and was home to some pretty bad-ass gardens. We (I) grew about 350 tomatoes with about 13 varieties. In addition kale, salads and greens galore, carrots, herbs from cilantro to patchouli and other veggies. we had about 1500 mangos, 40 papayas, 20 hands of bananas and they are still coming. I can't express the satisfaction of feeding your family and others' by growing everything yourself. We got pretty creative with the excess, I kimchi-ed about everything I could, even Thai Eggplants.
Now the Midtown project is at its end, we still have a pumpkin patch fruiting, luffas and a rogue Moon and Stars watermelon. Would be nice to wait another 8 weeks to let these plants finish and yield, but money waits. Commissioner Edmondson of District 3, was super supportive to push for us to acquire land in Wynwood/Edgewater area to build our Colony1 project. We just have to go through the paperwork now.
In the meantime, the seasons are my favorite time to work with the children. I can feel the fall in the air, the tilting of the sun light eases my mind. Its as though the intensity of the sun has finally calmed and we can ground ourselves.
Check out our Colony1 project at www.artofculturalevolution.org/colony1
