Dr Reza Rafie and Chef Tony Geraci cut into the First Virginia Grown Papaya and then make a Papaya salsa – a bit hot with the added Hot Red Pepper Recovery Sauce. This unveiling event occured at the conclusion of the 2010 Small Family Farm Conference hosted by VSU at the Williamsburg Hospitality House in Williamsburg VA.
Chef Tony Geraci cuts into Dr Reza Rafie’s first high tunnel seedless papaya and it tastes so good – they get that in the islands feeling! With the permission of the Willamsburg Hospitality House Chef Amanda Fowle, they make a spicey papaya ginger salsa. You can hear the surf and feel the tropics in their expressions as they just cannot believe such a delicious papaya is grown in Virginia.
Dear VA President, Board members and Teachers,
Hello… how are you. I hope great. I watched the video on tasting your first Papaya grown right there at VA. I was excited for you all… but then realized you where growing one time Papaya Plants… no seeds. How does one… grow the next generation of Papaya’s. It’s impossible. Only seed barers can administer seeds… can you see the danger for farmers and the American public. Access to food seeds should not be governed by the government of 1 or 2 seed companies. This is very dangerous. Nor should seeds … or any living thing be patented. This leads to the control over food supplies… thus.. the control over peoples lives. We need food to live.
I was at my mother’s house the other day and she was enjoying her seedless watermelon. But I was concerned… and when she asked if I wanted any… I said “no thank you… it’s seedless… I don’t trust GMO’s.” She thought I was being silly and then continued to enjoy her seedless watermelon.
I was thinking down the line… the future of food… and how we are all being lulled to sleep by a danger most of us… are not even aware of. And that is called… Food Control… or more accurately seed control. Big seed companies like Monsanto are trying to take over all other seed companies.. and have almost succeded. They are even suing Farmers when GMO wheat fields… from their lab fields… blow over into their neighbors farms… by the wind or birds. Farmers are loosing these lawsuits… having to throw away all their heirloom natural seeds… because the big seed companies are saying their seeds have already mixed with their heirloom seeds… and since they own the patent on the GMO seeds… they are forcing the farmers to either close down… or buy seeds from them. This is a dictatorship.. and should not be tolerated! This is the emerging giants head… of global food control. Very, very dangerous!
Another question here is… are we GMOing our food to death (because it’s fun I suppose for the scientist who are GMOing it… like they are playing God or something)… for the sake of a few inconvenient seeds… that need removing. Have Americans become that lazy.
Personally… I think in all this convenience food modification… we are not only messing with nature… but we are possible creating a sleeping giant… of famine, cancer caused by genetically altered foods (especially wheat, soy and corn)… and causing a dependency on “Big Seed” company GMO controled farms… to grocery stores… to dinner tables. This is not natural. This is communistic at the very least.
I know a lady whose family was originally from Cuba… her family was thrown in prison for several years… for growing their own food… in their own backyard… and not buying from the government food store houses. True story. I met the lady. My question… is this where America is heading… especially with our new socialistic type goverment. Oh… how we need to pray for the future of America… else we will end up like that lady and her family.
It seems the average American eater… which is all of us… are like the frog placed in that cold pot of water… that is so slowly heated up… the frog does not notice it… until it is to late… and it is boiled to death.
Have we become like these mindless frogs? Frogs with big open mouths… wanting the government to do everything for us… until this nation is totally broke and in debt… well actually that has already happened.
So the good news… on the brighter side… a positive note… I am encouraging all people… everywhere… to encourage all… to become self sufficient in growing their own heirloom seeded gardens or farms… much like they did in the 30’s and 40’s with their Victory Gardens during WWII. It is now a matter of survival… as it was then.
America… indeed… is not falling asleep… to the lull of the cool water in the pot like the frog did… but is starting to wake up… to Local Organic food Buying… Nationwide. Praise God! Halleluia! Getting back to a sytem that works. Getting back to the land in a natural way… not an unnatural way.
The old timey fresh Farm to Market… that works! No more GMO seeds… no more undernurished soils… not more chemical fertilizers… no more seed patents thus food control…. no more cancer causing pesticides or genetically implanted pesticides in our seeds (like Corn has been… the corn seed patent is actualy filed as a pesticide with the US Patent office! Yikes!)
You know… We know our doctor… we know our dentist… we know our lawer (if we need one)… but Do we know our Farmer? That is the multimillion dollar question. We NEED to know the answer to that one. And if we don’t … we NEED to grow our OWN food… or buy from Local trusted organic farmers and gardeners! That’s the bottom line… strange as it may sound… that’s the bottom line… we need to know our Farmer!
School to Farm and Farm to School Programs are now being started nation wide… and should be encouraged to raise more young organic Local Farmers and Gardeners in a natural way.. the way God indeeded it. Community supporting community… financially and socially. Local supporting Local. When a community comes together… the community is much healthier… body, mind and spirit. And when the communities are healthy… a Nation is healthy.
This nation needs to get back to the Land…. in a natural way… in each community… whether in the country or the city.
Cities need to open land up for the neighborhoods and schools… not only to educate the children and people in the neighborhoods… but to feed them also.
With this economic crisis we are in… this is the only solution.
Organic and Heirloom natural non effected seeds… for healthy food… thus healthy… body, mind and soul… for all people… all communities… all backgrounds… coming together in sharing not only God’s NATURAL bountiful harvest of food for us… but friendship and love one for another!
The Local Farm to Markets are coming about… I hope all that you are doing at VA will lean in the direction for NATURAL Heirloom seeds… no patent for seeds… and helping Local farmers, Gardeners and Local “Farm to Market” systems.
Let us hope and pray the Government will keep it’s figures off of this much needed miracle in America Today… Freedom for Local farmers… in Local communities… to grow as they please… as God has given each person in America the right to do… AND as our US Declaration of Independence states… “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Thank you,
and may God bless you and yours,
Carol Dickinson
P.S. I am a computer artist… and have a small garden in my backyard. I share my tiller with others in my community and am encouraging them in growing their own vegetables! They are yummie… and the good thing is… they are pesticide and chemical free. Something is happening … something wonderful… people are coming together… even sitting in their plastic chairs by the garden… watching it grow! It is wonderful! Something we in the city and suburbs… have not felt for many years. We are becoming ALIVE AGAIN! Halleluia!!! Amen!!! Thank you GOD!