Monday Musings from Melinda by Melinda M.

So, I’ve been asked to go “on assignment.” I’ve been asked to write a story about Hoola Farms on the outskirts of Hilo and in preparation for that, I watched this short video that tells their story:

The New Normal
Did you watch it? Are you as affected as I was? Are you as impressed as you should be? People are freaking awesome – to be dealt all those blows, to have small children and to get up and start anew and start something new on a massive scale? I just can’t get over it. Emily and her family sound AMAZING and I can’t wait to interview them and share more of their story and their contributions to our community with all of you.

John and his fellow veterans are not the only ones engaging in agriculture as a way to heal themselves and the Earth. Hoola Farms is not the only organization that was drawn to Hawaii Island to make a difference in people’s lives through tending the soil. Pacific Quest is a locally-grown business built on the wilderness therapy model that harnesses the power of farming and the spiritual energy of Hawaii Island to heal its adolescent clients. They, too, record heart-warming success stories of sick teens who are healed by farming, and by caring for something living. All of this brings me to this: nature heals. It doesn’t matter if you’re republican, democrat, anarchist, rich, poor, able-bodied, whatever. It never has. But by putting -ist at the end of “environment,” we’ve made it a dirty word and a shameful thing to care about the environment.

Look at when and why you go out in nature – to the beach with your kids, to the mountain by yourself, to go skiing, surfing, walking in the park, visiting national parks – most likely you “use” nature to heal yourself in some way too (in addition to actually needing it for water and food!). Now imagine if every day was a brown water day because the forest had died off. Or there was no more surf or fish because the coral bleached and died, etc. etc. I just don’t get how we’ve come to the point of politicizing the thing that unites us, that we all depend on, that we are a part of – not separate from. I guess the political part enters when we argue how much “space” nature should have and how much dominion we should. Last week, in particular, was a troubling one politically for our environment.We all need nature in one way or another and Hoola Farms is a perfect example of how many needs are fulfilled by engaging with nature. Stay tuned to learn more about this amazing asset in our community. What an honor that Emily and her family chose Hawaii Island to put down roots. I’m so excited, I hope you are too!

One last link for you: Nature Unites Us