The last farm season I was working with seeds. Planting seeds, growing seeds, harvesting seeds, packaging seeds and sending seeds. It was so amazing to see how little work one needs to do to grow an enormous abundance of seed. For amaranth, from one seed, will grow a plant with 500 000 seeds.
One amazing thing that’s been happening for me with seeds is this incredible new understanding of nature’s economy. So different from the mindset of scarcity which had unknowingly been controlling me in my life before seeds, seeds embody the maxim that, the more you give the more you get. If you would like some beans, keeping 10 beans in your pocket won’t do much for you… but giving those 10 beans back to the earth will give you many meals. With seeds you always end up with more than you began. Seeds beg to be planted, and given away (because there’s too many for you to plant by yourself), and shared with animals and made into meals, because they want to change into something new. Seeds embody change. Their function is to change. This is so different from the “ex-change” of money we are used to- in Latin “ex” means “out of”, like “excommunicate”. I see in this how economic exchange is being “out-of-change” – money changes hands but it can never change itself. Not so seeds! They contain the past and the future inside a beautiful, easy-to-carry package. Seeds are the natural currency, useful as counters and useful as themselves, easy to carry and trade and change hands and states.
This farm season I’m growing flowers. I’m still around the seeds on the same land as last year. Having learned from seeds how nature’s economy works, with my mindset opened up I’m experiencing more change and growth (like the seeds). I am lucky to work with someone who has learned the lessons of seeds well- that giving is greater than keeping- and I’ve been given land and seeds and even some money for my flower garden.
Being able to receive these gifts has taught me a lot. Being able to work with the seeds too, in an atmosphere where my gifts are never abused, and I never have to do anything I don’t like, and (more importantly) I can do whatever feels right for me, has been a great teacher as well. Essentially, I am being paid to do exactly what I want and feel the need to do, while also having my access to land and seed naturally restored.
After reaching this place, there’s a real feeling of “yeah duh! This is how the earth works- you are rewarded for applying your natural gifts, and the land and plants will work with you freely”. Actually, I think my next shift is already happening, and that’s away from “working” with land to “playing” with it, like an instrument or awesome game, or playing with it as a friend, elder and lover.
It’s amazing to re-connect with nature’s gifts. Long ago my ancestors had their natural rights on the land violated, and their access to seeds restricted… restricting access to seeds has long been a technique of invading forces. I know in Ireland this was true for a long time.
Seeds, like me, have basic needs- warmth, sunlight, food and water, so they can grow and offer their true, unlimited abundance. Being with seeds inspires me to give myself a great start and tend to my needs so I too can grow into a big and tall and multiple (multi-dimensional) expression of nature.
This year with the seeds, who knows how it will go, except nature herself. But I do know, based on watching amaranth, that it’s possible for the seeds of change that came to me after one season of growing on the land to become fields and fields and fields of abundance tomorrow.
Many thanks to Seeds and everyone at Seed Spirit Farms, Salt Spring Island, Canada.
About the author
I’m Tessa, I’m learning to live close to the land, right now in the gentle gulf islands of western Canada. I am navigating these times by prioritizing access to raw materials like firewood, shelter, dirt, wool, hay and natural medicines, as well as skills like spinning, weaving, sewing, building, gardening, foraging, and navigating landscape over access to traditional economic systems. I am still learning to balance and I definitely don’t get everything right- I make big mistakes and run out of money and don’t know what to do lots of the time and regularly have to ask for help. I am lucky where I am there is support for this pathway I’m trying out. I have very few possessions and I find life gets easier and easier as I narrow down what I really need to own.
In the future I dream of building a life from scratch in the mountains as a refuge for women in these times.
2 thoughts on “Returning to nature’s economy with seeds – By Tessa Jane Furey”
Thank you Tessa for this ispiring & Heart opening blog! It somehow felt as if my „heart seeds“ received a push to be nurtured & get distributed as well :).
Tessa, the beauty of your heart glows through your words.
Thank you for sharing.