Live Earth Farm's
underlying philosophy
a note to the community from Constance and Thomas Broz
"Live Earth
Farm’s
commitment to its community is to provide nourishing,
sustainably grown food that honors our interconnectedness with Nature.
"In
our vision, 'community' encompasses all forms of Life; it is a community
in which humans are not dominant, but rather a part of Nature’s physical
and spiritual dimensions. Applying this philosophy defies the current
trends of an unsustainable society increasingly alienated from the wisdom
of Nature’s
creative processes. The farm meets this challenge through its commitment
to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and its affiliation with the spiritual
philosophy of Temple Guaracy.
"Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) honors the interdependence between
all participants involved in the food cycle and promotes biodiversity, which
is the key to long-term sustainability. Food is not viewed simply as a
commercial commodity, but as the fruit of a sustainable system in which the
community is willing to invest. CSA connects consumers
directly to the source of their food, therefore creating an intimate marketing
system that gives opportunities for more soulful exchanges. The
farm become a unique venue for these exchanges. Educational
programs (permaculture courses, school tours, workshops) and farm
events (seasonal
festivals, on-farm 'Mini-Camp') promote a direct awareness of the necessity
to protect the local ecology. Harvesting and eating food on the farm
becomes a tangible exchange with the Earth, that nourishes us at a deeper
level.
"Temple Guaracy of Brazil (TGB) proposes a spirituality in which the objective and fundamental commitment is the preservation and full development of Life. TGB honors all spiritual Masters and their Light to support the evolutionary development of spiritual consciousness. This philosophy, combined with its Nature-based cosmology, is in harmony with Live Earth Farm’s intent to reconnect with the sacredness of Nature as a necessary step toward sustainability. Under this vision, Live Earth Farm has dedicated a portion of its land for rituals and for the protection and reintroduction of wilderness.
"As of today, farm festivals have offered a valuable and unreplaceable nonsectarian avenue to informally ritualize the sacredness of Nature with the CSA members. Beyond and separate from these gatherings, Live Earth Farm has also welcomed Temple Guaracy on some of its land. Anyone interested in the Afro-Brazilian tradition practiced by TGB can visit the website for our local chapter, Templo Guaracy da Terra (TGT).
"In
this tradition, Nature is perceived as a Sacred Scripture where Life
can be read, and the 'encounters' with God can occur through the
pathways of 'perception.' Rituals
to develop this perception give a central role to Nature. The elements
of Fire, Earth, Water and Air are seen as the building blocks of Nature’s
unsurpassed composition – a sacred work of art which can be explored
outside and inside of us. Correspondence between the human body
and our planet’s
body is perceived, creating a natural awarness of our interconnectedness.
"The
farm's festivals and Temple Guaracy’s rituals are some of the
many vehicles that we can use to practice our philosophy and develop
a spiritual ecological consciousness – a consciousness which
we can draw from to bless our daily meals, bring greater coherence
between our philosophy and our action, and help build a more sustainable
society. Therefore, our intention in this section of the web site is
to open the doors for others to join us in sharing and exploring our
relationship with Nature at a deeper level. If you have
any interest in this subject and would like to talk more about it,
please do not hesitate to email Constance. Blessings!!!"