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The joy of harvesting – How Brussel sprouts made my day – By An Pintelon

I got up early in the morning with a feeling of lacking energy, time and joy. Despite this feeling, I still went to the farm nearby for harvesting some of my vegetables. It always takes an effort to go there and harvest everything on my own. In the past I was so used to simply buying vegetables in shops or with farmers on the local marketplaces … so it’s  still quite new for me to tap into my responsibilties around this chapter of my life. Somethimes I don’t even know how to get the vegetables out off the ground smoothly, without damaging them!

This time, when I was searching for food, I saw a very abundant field full of good looking Brussel sprouts. I felt excitment in my body, as I took the first gift of nature in my hands 😊. You cannot predict in advance how many sprouts each plant has. It’s always a surprise. There was a mixture off fresh ones and older ones on the same plant. Just as in life where we have different ages, and all are connected by the same soil under our feet.

What I was remembering in the field is that Brussel sprouts flourish so well in Belgium’s ground, and are often perceived as a ‘delicacy’ in other countries because of their typical, unique flavor. The plants grow here from late summer till the end of March: what nurturing foods we have here in Belgium over such a long period of time, covering our vegetable supply year after year. Mabybe our crownjewels are actually our local plants, who knows.

It really touched my heart because we – the people who live in Belgium – usually don’t like our own country so much, for many reasons. I can feel that my whole being is more grounded in the Belgian soil now, more connected to the land. My body felt lighter and more energetic after harvesting the sprouts. How incredible, such a lovely surprising experience on the Belgian fields.

By An Pintelon

3 thoughts on “The joy of harvesting – How Brussel sprouts made my day – By An Pintelon”

  1. Sarah

    Hey An! I just read your story. My heart felt so… much… tears welled up.
    I’m also from Belgium.
    I’m writing in English, because I don’t know whether you speak Flemish or Wallon 😄.
    My heart really felt the sentence ‘the people who live in Belgium usually don’t like their country so much’. Because that is TRUE.
    And that is so sad! I myself, am starting to really LOVE my country over the last months (yep, quite recently).
    A lot of people have so much to nag about, they want to move to another country, because it’s better there but and I myself, now, think and feel, ‘we are so blessed to live here!’. No, we have no mount Kailash here, one of the 7 world wonders or I don’t know what, but the beautiful modesty of our Nature, of the people here, of… so many other things… IS something to be proud of.
    We should feel more pride of being a Belgian, don’t you think?
    The image that Jacqueline (oracle girl) once posted, about INDIGENE, really really touched me. I placed it in my garden, I placed it in my house. Because I am really ‘from here’.
    There’s only one place in the world I want to live and it’s here…
    Thank you for sharing your story!!!!
    Sarah

    Reply
    2. An Pintelon

      Dear Sarah,
      I’am so happy with your reaction to my story.
      Yes, we are here in Belgium the gardiens of the future. That feeling of togetherness here in our local communities is so important to take care off.
      I speek Flemish , but I can also speek good French and basic German. It’s a joy to speek more than one language and maybe that’s also a strenght of the Belgian people that we should be proud of.
      I enjoy you enthousiasm , so glad that to meet somebody who is also happy to live here.
      Maybe we can meet one day in person in a nice cafe or a place in nature.
      So nice to meet you by this way 🙂

      Reply

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Poetry booklet: Solar Flares on Earth – Standing Strong in these Times

Carina Ramm

Carina was the original founder of SunBeings who approached Kate to do the design for the platform. In the 3.5 years of working together, a friendship blossomed, and creative ideas arose between the two of them that has helped build what SunBeings has the potential to grow into.

Since December 2025, Carina has left to move onto engaging with the world in other ways, more offline, but we cannot forget the legacy she has left behind – SunBeings wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for her!

Carina’s dedication, passion, and knowledge is very admirable. Her compassion and drive for supporting a new better world we know is possible is still felt. She was a whiz at research, writing and speaking. Her sense of solidity enabled her to work even while on the move with her constantly changing environments.

Carina managed to research and write summaries for nearly 500 ethical businesses! She shared many possibilities for how we can live with less dependency on money and banking systems, how we can use gift economies, a new donation model, what real ethics aligned with nature is, the true histories of this planet and more.

She has lived for many years without a bank account or phone, engaged very minimally with financial systems, travelled to many parts of the world, and lived in deep trust and communion with herself and nature to receive what it is she needs. She has contributed many posts onto the blog inspiring others with her experiences and findings.

Check out her poetry booklet she has left behind with a wonderful collection of poems and writings she has done over the years.

You won’t be forgotten Carina! We hope to continue what you have started.

Poetry booklet: Solar Flares on Earth – Standing Strong in these Times

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Owen Hanner

Owen is Kate’s partner and a grounded presence behind SunBeings. Both highly creative and logical, with a gift for words, an eye for beauty, and an artistic soul. With his keen eye for what’s in alignment, Owen gives feedback, helps with writing and streamlines the content.

He is a gifted musician who can play many instruments, delighting those who happen to come across his live, dynamic improvisations, and the magic that happens when he gets together with other musicians. A treat for the ears and those who are willing to dream. His music is an expression of his dream for a new world, and it has often been his key to opening doors in his life… including in bringing Kate to him. He has had his music included in some of the SunBeings videos.

Owen has a deep appreciation for the history of the arts and culture, and in reviving the forgotten magic of our lives. He has a way of capturing that in his music… blending into whatever culture is presented to him and taking us back to our roots, with nature and the mystery.

As a video editor, he makes dreamy worlds bursting with freedom, colour and nature through the videos he sets to his music.

Highly creative at whatever he applies himself to, he creates with high attention to detail that reveals more subtleties when one looks deeper. It reflects his feeling and sensitivity for the intricacies in life.

Owen has a deep sense of love and beauty and lives in deep communion with it. With that, Kate and Owen share an adventurous life together that has provided a driving spark behind SunBeings. They have dived deep into exploring what following nature and a new earth looks like… this can be both a painful and joyful process, and one of deep growth, that helps to ignite this platform. Thank you to Owen for the flame and loving support!

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Kate Priestley

Kate is an original co-founder and the current coordinator of SunBeings providing much of the foundation and is the designer. Bouncing around with creative ideas, listening to others’ ideas, she has a way to ground them into the physical.

She is a passionate multi-disciplinary creative, and she treats this platform as a creative outlet, to make a space where people can commune and share themselves. Kate loves to nurture others’ gifts and help bring them out into the world. She likes to share the good and the innovative and has a natural passion for community.

An adventurous and playful spirit who likes to push the usual boundaries of the known. Through answering nature’s calls, she has found life to reward her in ways often very unexpected. Discomforts and challenges are often met but they provide doorways into her own understanding of herself and life. As a storyteller, she is enthusiastic about sharing her experiences with others in case it may benefit another.

She also is a painter, illustrator and photographer. Her works are often highly expressive with an explosion of colour and play. As someone who has a deep appreciation for music, she cannot resist playing with Owen instruments. She is a practising daf player!

Kate has long been interested in projects that bring about change or have a positive impact on the world. Since a young age, she has liked to combine art and social engagement. Now all her interests come together in running SunBeings, and growing its community platform for all of us.

katealexandrapriestley.com

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Nixi “No fixed thing” Cole

Coordinator, Coach, Creative and Champion of whole hearted projects and creatives. Nixi offers her gifts as a writer, editor, group holder, artist and art curator. She also loves being in a garden and growing things.

Nixi has a passion and strength for recognising and nurturing gifts in people, places and projects. She is empathic, intuitive, enthusiastic and dynamic in nature, naturally uplifting and energising in many of her offerings. Making connections across the physical and non-physical and encouraging our full and true expression.

Wonderful at coaching, mentoring and holding a safe space, she is gifted in seeing and expanding possibilities with a great sense of joy, play and creativity that pushes on our usual boundaries of imagination.

She has been helping behind the scenes at SunBeings for a little while supporting Kate and Owen and the wider field of the platform and its potentials, coming up with fun ideas, gently questioning, feeling and finding possibilities.

She loves playing with words, pens and fabric and hopes some of this will find its way on to SunBeings offerings too.

Nixi has a free and bright spirit, with extremely sensitive sensors for all subtleties of life. She is connected to the vastness of the universe and yet deeply grounded and anchored in nature. She moves fluidly between energetic, emotional and practical levels, integrating it all with humility and humour.

Nixi is full of magic, joy and love, while also not scared to sense and feel what’s uncomfortable, painful, or unfamiliar. Her curious and listening nature have carried her to many places and experiences and she has been nomadic for over two years.

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