What do I like most about biking? I would say uphills. Although most people think it is the worst part of biking, I believe it is the best because everything that goes up eventually has to go down. Reaching 50 miles per hour on a bike is gives you an adrenaline rush no rollercoaster can provide. Yesterday’s ride was all about this. We have finally entered the mountains in the east coast and I have to say, the Rockies are nothing compared to these. For the first time we had to climb hills that are up to 14% grade, but that also means we are going down -18% grades reaching speeds that were not possible in the Rockies. Yes, it has been more challenging, but at the same time it has been more enjoyable.

Yesterday was one of the best days we have had in this ride. We took country roads all the way from Syracuse to Climax, NY enjoying beautiful sceneries and steep hills. At the end of the day there was not one person who was in a bad mood. We were all enjoying the ride to the fullest and remembering why life is so beautiful. Thankfully, the ride was not the end of the day. That evening we arrived at Susie’s Climax Creations Farm where Susie and Bruce greeted us with a party just for us. Their neighbors and friends came over for a night of food and drinks where we all got time to relax and talk. We were able to enjoy some Mac and Cheese, organic chicken from the farm, tarts made by our host Susie, garlic bread, enchiladas brought by the neighbors and much more.

Just to clarify, our blog posts have been lagging a bit and folks are uploading them as they get a chance. The post for Milwaukee was a little late, and we’re now packing up to leave eastern Ontario, and enter Buffalo, N.Y. Hopefully our team of writers will continue backlogging stories as we have Internet access. In the meantime, I’ll give you a quick rundown as I wait for others to finish breakfast.

We crossed Lake Michigan in style- waking up at 4 a.m. to bike through sleepy Milwaukee and catch a super fast ferry that landed us in Muskegon, MI that afternoon. Michigan proved to be full of interesting farms and we shared some incredible meals- including those at Earth Keeper Farm, Three Roods Farm, and Domaine Bell Family Farm. We also traded a little work- harvested lettuce, chard, tomatoes, and squash at Earth Keeper, which was a nice switch from the weeding we’ve done almost everywhere else. For some reason, farmers don’t exactly jump at the chance to let eleven strangers handle their produce.

We entered Canada via a bridge near Port Huron, MI. Biking up to a huge bridge full of trucks is a pretty sweet feeling that gets significantly sweeter when the border patrol shuts down the entire bridge to allow us to bike over. Which is what happened. Usually they shuttle cyclists across in trucks but we have a pretty big group. Oh yeah- that’s how we roll.

Eastern Ontario was pretty flat and metropolitan, and we spent a rest day in London. We scored a house to ourselves through the generosity of Katrina of Downtown Yoga Studios, where we also hosted a screening of a film about migrant labor issues with Mexicans in Ontario’s produce industry. We met two young cyclists named Jodi and Monique, who biked out of town with us the following day. We rode to Plan B Farm just outside of Hamilton, where Mippy ended her cross-country tour by leaving with her parents for her home in Toronto. She had been planning to ride to Toronto from the beginning and we weren’t quite able to convince her to come the full way to Boston, mostly because of the logistics of being so close to home at this particular point in the trip. We each said our goodbyes to one of our most colorful and high-spirited riders, and have been musing about the change in group dynamics that comes with every new or lost rider.

From Plan B, we rode to the home of Spencer’s aunt and uncle who were gracious enough to host us on short notice (a farm we had lined up canceled due to illness). Our cyclists had a pretty long day- worked out to be around 80 miles, I think, and we’re looking at an 88-mile day today. I say “our cyclists” because I can’t really count myself in that- I spent most of yesterday either driving the van or lying in the backseat because I’ve had a nasty stomachache for the past few days. I suspect food poisoning of some sort because at least half of our group has felt it at some point or another but it seems to pass pretty quickly. I think I just got hit the worst, or I’m that much more of a pansy.

The riding today should be beautiful, though, (biking along the Erie Canal) and there were some scenic stretches of lake and rivertowns yesterday. I’m feeling better and I think most others are, too, and we’ve learned a lesson in keeping our water coolers/bottles super clean and maintaining a fresh food supply. We’ve been stressing these good practices along the way but it only takes one slip for sickness to set in.

Only ten or so days left and today we cross back into the U.S. It’s surreal to know that we’re so close to finishing and many of us aren’t quite ready to believe it. Places like southern Washington and Montana feel like forever ago, and it’s hard to imagine a change in life’s pace that doesn’t involve biking seventy miles a day.

Here’s to riding!

“Terratheism teaches that we find our joy in life by feeling God’s enjoyment of the world as a part of our own enjoyment.” These are Andrew Kerr’s words. Andrew and his wife Jennifer run a CSA farm in Dodgeville Wisconsin. The name, GreenSpirit, perfectly embodies their farming philosophy, a philosophy based on the notion that God is in everything on this Earth: in our bodies, in the weather, in the fields and in the soil. To play with the soil, to man the fields, to plant the crops, to do anything on this earth is to be one with God,

Gaia, the spirit or whatever else you want to call it. For me, God (if he does exist) is not a bearded white fella who sits a top of a cloud and passively watches over us as we sin and play or do good work and perform miracles. The God I am referring to is the God of the Land. It is the energy that moves through all matter.

Some of this matter is part of the agricultural system, part of the ‘natural’ environment. Agriculture exemplifies our relationship with nature for it represents our first major interference in the natural environment, one which continues to this day with more far-reaching tools at our disposal. As we, the whole human race, sought to understand our place in nature, we discovered a unity that includes us, made comprehensible through a marriage of intuition and rationality. That is what farming boils down to for me-its where knowledge, experience and science intersect with one’s intuition and spirituality.

To take it one step further, I think that sustainability is where science meets spirituality and farming. Some of the most inventive, sustainable practices involve massive amounts of ingenuity and scientific knowledge. At the same time that knowledge is honed into particular practices that benefit us in the long term, that is, practices that are sustainable. We can no longer see nature as something that works for us, but more as a dynamic flow and a dynamic exchange of which we are a part of and to which we continually adapt.

Passion Starts With an Idea (Insert your own lightbulb)

Sean Peters
Featured Passionista #6

T and I recently sat down for our very first interview together! Passionista number 6 is Sean Peters, co-founder and chair of the Board of Global Agents For Change ”a Vancouver based social change incubator that finds creative ways to impact global poverty.” Check it out! He is an SFU alumni and currently works as a Research Analyst at Friuch Consulting in addition to his ongoing support of the Global AFC. Perhaps you’ve seen or heard from him?

Join us with your caffeine fix of choice as we ask Sean some very loaded questions.

______________________________________________________

Peters: I guess what represents passion is the idea of finding things you are connected to, and things you either want to see happen or want to see change, or somehow different from the way they are now; whether that be an idea you have, or something more tangible…I see artists who are some of the most passionate people, but I’ve also seen business people that are some of the most passionate people…Passion starts with an idea.

Passion: How do you incorporate passion into your everyday life?

Peters: One of the things I am passionate about is the non-profit that we work with. For me, being able to tangibly impact impoverished people in a way that is sustainable in the long term is something I can truly feel good about. Coming up next Saturday, we have a gala where we’re recognizing young people under 20. That sort of thing is something that drives passion in my life. Seeing other people who are passionate; it’s like an explosion that sets off other explosions.

Passion: 3 items off the Sean Peters bucket list?

Peters: For the non-profit, we set a goal of $1 million and we’ve reached $200 000. I want to hit that before I kick off. As a childhood goal, since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to climb this volcano in Hawaii…I’ve always wanted to take that journey; pack in and hike up. As for number three, I’d never jumped out of a plane before…so last Canada day I was actually able to jump out of a plane for the first time. So that was one on my bucket list that I got to kick off.

Passion: WOO HOO! Could you tell us about a challenging experience and what you did to overcome this?

Peters: Definitely starting up the non-profit was a huge, challenging experience. The only way we really overcame it was having really good people support us. This ties into your earlier question about how do you stay passionate. Having good people to help you along the way is so important. Starting up in the non-profit sector is really intimidating because having so much legal and financial barriers…not having had the help that we had, we would not have been able to get our non-profit off the ground.

Passion: What is one thing that makes you laugh?

Peters: What’s one thing that makes me laugh? You guys are making me laugh right now. Can I roll with that? There’s also this other show called Community that’s on and that’s been my de-stresser.

Passion: How do you ensure that everything you do connects to your core belief and value system?

Peters: That’s such a good question. If you’re rolling with your core values, you feel so much more in sync with the world around you; you feel like you have so much more purpose. If you want to call it conscience or motivation or passion…the idea that if you’re rolling with that, you feel more at peace with the world around you.

Passion: What do you think has been your most meaningful contribution to date?

Peters: I guess I’ll dodge that question by saying that I would hope my most meaningful contribution has not already happened. We’ll see what the future holds.

Passion: Blueberry cheesecake or blackforest cake?

Peters: Ooh blueberry cheesecake for sure. I’m not a huge dessert person and cheesecake is not overly sweet. I like cheese.

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Thank you Sean for taking time out of your day to sit and share!

Passion out!

<3 E

For the original interview, click here.

Thursday July 30th we glided into the Twin Cities! We’ve crossed the hump and are now just over 3 weeks from completion. If the roads were as slick and smooth as the Minneapolis Greenway we’d be there in half the time. We thought we hailed from some of the best biking cities in North America (Vancouver BC, Portland, Milwaukee) but hot damn Minneapolis has the best biking infrastructure of all of them! No other city has a bike FREEWAY of such caliber. Not only is the lane large but it’s smoooth. It’s absolutely incredibly that we can go under the busy streets and through the slow ones. Cars even stop for bikers on the slow intersections, which is something we aren’t used to after coming through the wild wild west. We were also amazed by the public art, graffiti, community gardens, and bike stores right on the Greenway. We were truly impressed by the folks that fought tooth and nail against city bureaucracies, railroad companies and private interest to get the road built for the bike-starved public. Long story short, build more bike freeways people! Get vocal about biking local! After that, we shot over to Saint Paul for a rest at Sam’s place before heading back into Minneapolis. Our event of the night was ‘Saving the Seed’ Movie Night at the Resource Center for the Americas.

This film was put together by a couple of students from the University of North Carolina. For us bikers, it was the first time we were able to get a taste of the work Unitarian Service Committee does abroad. The film was about a food sovereignty project in Honduras. It is very similar to the project we are supporting in Bolivia. It talked about the issues of autonomy and farmer independence in a region that was converted to large scale farming operations. It also spoke of the importance of seed diversity. A pluralistic seed bank allows for resilience against climate change, improvements of yields and pest management. The film was short and sweet.

Our discussion afterward was long and worthwhile. Long-time family friends of mine were in attendance as well as a neighbor and Resource Center volunteers. We all contributed to a group discussion. As a result we all concurred that we need to improve the food system by localizing resources. We all agreed that the only way to do so is through a diversity of tactics. Consumers have big buying power that can shift the big-business trends. People can organize to counter big ag lobbying power over policies that give advantage to large scale operations. City folk can grow food in their own yards. A pinch effect can be reached by working from the bottom up and the top down. All and all it was an eye opening experience for us (in different ways) and the night was a great success. Big thanks to our hosts at the Resource Center for the Americas.

PS If you live in the area, check them out! They need your support. If you’re interested in learning more Spanish they can arrange intercambios with Spanish speakers so both parties learn a new language.

The day started with the dreaded, but necessary, van clean up. After everybody organized their own things, the food bins were in order (which never lasts long), and bikes were checked over, we left for breakfast. We rode down the street to the Prairie Dog Cafe, owned by Jerry & Mary Petersen. Most of us ordered their specialty: the Prairie Mound. It’s a heap of hash browns, sautéed onions and red peppers, topped with cheese, two eggs and choice of meat. We filled up on great food, coffee and enjoyed sharing a bit more time with the Jones’.

After two full rest days, getting back on the road felt amazing. The sun was shinning, the hills were a breeze, and it seemed that every car was waving at us. Everybody was chatting and riding strong. To make it even better, that pavement was soft as butter and the shoulders were plenty wide. After having participated in the spiritual sweat, learning about the traditional use of plants, and simply visiting with our gracious hosts, the landscape had another dimension.

We arrived at the Rosin Organics farm high spirits. Bill and Julie welcomed us with bright smiles and invited us to bottle feed the lambs that were waiting in the yard.
In one view we could see a couple massive pigs, trotting piglets, waddling ducks, and dogs. A quick turn of the head and there were sheep, chickens, turkeys, and other birdy things. We knew the entire farm was free range, but it was surprising and heartwarming to see the animals roaming just around the house. Bill gave us a run through of his .12 acre garden. It was refreshing to see a diverse and lush and garden again after the long dry stretch across eastern Montana.

For dinner they served a full spread of homegrown dishes – beets, zucchini and squash, peas, swiss chard, potatoes, and fresh ham from one of their own pigs. As if that wasn’t enough, Julie brought out all sorts of pickled and fermented treats to try. And to top that we had the creamiest, richest, homemade ice cream any of us had ever had. It was a true summer feast.

Though Bill and Julie have astounding productivity with their produce and animals, they do not have a market outlet. Bill told us that there is no demand for their organic products and so no connection exists between them and would-be consumers. They are truly an oasis in the midst of monocropping corn, soybean, and wheat. On the 1,100 acres outside the garden they grow wheat, millet, and raise some cattle. They are able to sell these to large organic buyers, and keep their other products for themselves and to share with the interested people they do know.

We had a wonderful stay at Rosin Organics, and it was great to get back into the farm-visiting routine. We would have been happy to help Bill and Julie with weeding or chores, as we have on other farms, but they seemed to have everything under control. They do not have any interns, yet they manage to get everything done. Between the two of them, Bill and Julie have many years of experience, but say there is no end to learning. One technique they may try soon is to spray raw milk on their fields to put bacteria back into the soil. It makes perfect sense to use what resources they already have to improve their techniques.

Check back soon to catch up on our stay at Standing Rock, the Lakota Reservation!

For Natalie’s original post from the tour website, click here.

So it’s been most of a year since I wrote a rather extensive e-mail about the clarity of values I came to on the Global Agents For Change bike ride across Europe last summer (which ended up getting posted on their blog, if you missed it or if I missed you). As a quick refresher, here’s the core of what I said:

-I believe that the basics of life, freedom from violence and dignity are inalienable human rights — they are not dependent on any responsibility, but are simply entitlements of being human in this world at this time.
-I believe that every other person has gifts to offer to me and to others and that to maximize those gifts, I must create the most opportunity for the most people possible. The most basic opportunity is that of a healthy life.
-Thus, I am committing myself to increasing both the number and proportion of people who have access to the basics of life — sufficient food, shelter, water, medical care and dignity.

Since then I’ve been working on putting those values into action and I wanted to tell you a little bit about the projects I’m working on and how you can pitch in, if you’d like to. After working on two contracts this year (coordinating a national Unitarian youth conference and contributing to an evaluation of UNICEF’s work with adolescents), I found myself with a couple of months of free time before I head back to school in September (McMaster for Economic Policy). And this is what I’m doing:

1. Dig’n'it(y). A musical fundraiser for Canada Without Poverty, champions of the Dignity For All campaign. We’re challenging Torontonians to raise money to hear a handful of musicians perform sets in the streets of Toronto in September. We’re still looking for a couple more musicians, so if you know someone who might be interested and will be in the Toronto area in September, please let me know. I’m attaching a little letter I wrote talking more about the idea. And if you’re in the Toronto area and want to help out, we’ll need a couple of hands on the ground to make it work and some folks to get out and drop flyers beforehand, so let me know if you’re interested. Or just come and check out one or more of the sets!

2. A tax/benefit calculator for low-income folks. Most of the financial advice out there is geared toward people who can pay for financial service and doesn’t take into account a lot of the variables at play for low-income folks (e.g., what happens to your welfare cheque or your rent subsidy when you get a job or a raise). Gillian Manning and Don Drummond of TD Economics wrote a paper on the social assistance system (From Welfare to Work in Ontario: Still the Road Less Travelled – executive summary and full version) that laid the groundwork for this tool and Katherine Chan of the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity has done some excellent work updating it. Now I’m building in a few more variables and we’ll hopefully have something somewhat useful – and some good policy analysis – by the end of summer. I haven’t asked yet, but I’m hoping St. Christopher House (who I’m doing this for and who supported a lot of the initial work along with the Toronto City Summit Alliance) will be happy to share it if you know people or organizations in Ontario that could benefit from it. WARNING: This tool is only built for singles and single parents; we have not yet managed to build in the complexity of couples and all the possible income ramifications that would bring.

So that’s it – I’ve got another month and a half of exciting work ahead and then I’m off to Hamilton. If you know anyone who is interested in playing the Dig’n'it(y) set, if you would like to help out or if you’d like me to keep you in the loop on the St. Christopher House project, please let me know. Also, my offer from last year stands: You have allowed me to express my passion and purpose; I am here should you wish to express yours. I believe that it is in sharing what we want to achieve that we lay the foundation for realizing it. Please drop me a line if you’ve got something exciting going on or an idea you want to develop…or even the opposite, if you’re feeling stuck and need to move on.

With much hope and love,
Robbie

We have done it. We have hit our 1,000 miles mark. We have completed the first third of the trip, and we have done so with great success. We are all alive, our spirits are still high, and our calves have never looked better.

It has taken this day off in Miles City, MT to realize how well we are doing. Today, we have all scattered to accomplish our differing goals for the day, and I have taken the opportunity to reflect on the ride as a whole. Noticeable efficiencies are now apparent in our group. We are all getting up in the morning with greater ease, we are riding together in tighter, straighter pace lines, and we are continuing to tweak our organization schemes to make more and more sense. All and all, we are really getting good at touring together. And like anything in nature, when different parts work together simultaneously for a common purpose, it is a truly beautiful thing.

To me, this ride is literally a dream come true. I have been scheming, planning, and doubting this trip for close to 10 months now, and as I have mentioned to many of the riders, these past 20 days have been surreal for me. It is an odd feeling when your dreams become reality, when an idea actually wriggles its way into existence. But let me tell you, it is one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. The months of planning have paid off, and the contributions from all of the riders, farmers, friends and family have surpassed all of my expectations.

It has taken me until this first 1,000 mile mark to accept that this trip is successful. I have been holding back from wanting to show my pride for this ride until I was sure things were going well. Today, I feel ridiculous for not accepting it sooner. This ride has been an amazing experience for me and surely for everyone involved. We have all had different reasons for joining, but we all continue to find enough value in the ride to keep on pedaling forward.

Personally, I cannot wait to see what the next 2,000 miles will bring. I hope to continually be surprised by the power of collective forces, and the radiative energy of our group emits as a whole. A poster hanging in the shower stall on one of the farms we stayed on, reminded me of just this:

“Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone”
-Reinhold Niebuhr

Thank you to every person who has helped me along the way to turn my dream into reality. From the riders, to farmers, to community members, to those who read our blog, to the friends and family members that I have bounced ideas at for the past year… none of this could have happened without your support and input. What an amazing time to be alive.

Today our ride began just outside of Ovando, Montana, where the mountains are plentiful, the grass is tall, and there is no cell phone service to be found. The day started off with rolling hills and ended with our ascend up McDolnald Pass. Though many that we spoke to got us feeling nervous about the climb, about two miles before, a local told us “it’s not as bad as everyone says,” which, THANKFULLY we found to be true. From Ovando to the state’s capital, Helena, today we rode about seventy miles—with no flats!

We rolled into Helena on Highway 12, which looked like any developing city with strip malls and chain food-stores galore, until we headed further towards our host’s abode, nestled among historic houses with tons of character. Hosting us tonight was Jessie, a young soul who started her own strategic consulting firm. She has devoted her time into helping non-profit organizations get to the bottom of their cause. She focuses mostly on getting right to the root of problems, by going to the source to change policy. She helps people “work with what they have,” in order to get their voices heard, and believes in not just helping the disadvantaged deal with the problem at hand, but mostly analyzes why these things are happening and goes directly to the institutions. She mostly deals with smaller organizations, but one of her favorite projects called AERO (Alternative Energy Resource Organization), deals with a bunch of the same values as we do. Check it out! To end, Jessie spoke of one of her favorite quotes, which are lyrics from singer/songwriter Ani Difranco’s song ‘Egos Like Hairdos’:

“I ain’t no saint
I help myself to what I need
but I help other people too
y’know I sleep soundly”

Until next time…

For Tessa’s original post from the tour website, click here.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Zang! Zip! Cruiiisin! These were the only sounds we heard on our way into Missoula yesterday. After climbing a whopper of a hill, err mountain, through Lolo’s Pass we were cookin’ at high speeds into downtown Missoula. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Tessa’s friends. We shared delicious Diablo Burritos at the river where people practice riding whitewaters in their kayaks.

From there we went to Clark Fork Organics, Josh and family were our hosts. “I have been farming in Missoula since 1992 when I co-founded Clark Fork Organics with my wife and a partner,” Josh congenially explained. When he bought the place he didn’t even look past the kitchen. “You can’t make quality soil” but you sure can make a kitchen nice. Which leads us to question, which is more important the property that sits on your land or the land itself?

The land his farm sits on also happens to be above a giant mobile aquifer. He uses the well to irrigate crops in a region where 13 inches a year is average. Water is major theme we are discovering on this trip. Reliable farms have access to water rights whether it is through aquifers, creeks, or river water rights. What makes Josh’s farm so productive is that it sits on a lakebed from millennium ago. Rich sediment deposits left an unbelievable valley that is essential to the success of Josh’s farm, he takes no credit for building these soils.

Currently, his place is 2 acres that includes rotating chicken coops. They rotate because chicken shit is actually a great way to fix nitrogen into your soil. Plants eat nitrogen in order to grow. At the end of the season much of the nitrogen is depleted so applying chicken poo is a great natural way to do restore the land. They also make great lawn-mowers.

His cash crop is veggie greens. They harvest every four days on Clark Fork Organics. Most Fridays they harvest over 100 pounds of leafy lettuce and greens for the Farmer’s Market. In Missoula there are now three Farmer’s Markets, Tuesdays, Saturdays and late Thursday afternoon. As Josh says “the money is in the leaf”. This is a difficult position for him because he needs to make money but knows that diversity is key. He does not want a monoculture. So finding the balance between cash crops and other products is difficult. We tried to balance his scale by weeding a neglected onion patch this morning. In 3 hours time we were able to do the work that 1 part-time worker could do in 20 hours!

Josh is an instigator. He used to be USDA certified organic. After years and years of dealing with their non-transparent ways, he helped found an organic farmers coalition. They all take a pledge to stay organic and share their information. One of the key problems with the USDA for Josh was that they came once a year and made everyone nervous with their high standards and sterile swabs and then mentioned other farmers were practicing the same farming methods. When he asked for details they couldn’t elaborate due to confidentiality. Now a group has bucked the system and sells their organic produce to local stores and they all get together twice a year to share information.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, Josh did it again. “In the fall of 1996, I was able to work closely with a small group of UM faculty, City staff and some of Missoula’s non-profiteers to start the Garden City Harvest project, the Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society. PEAS works closely with two Missoula non-profits who specialize in, respectively, hunger prevention and food security: The Missoula Food Bank and Garden City Harvest. In the 2001 growing season the PEAS farm grew more than 52,000 pounds of produce for distribution to low-income families. “

The Clark Fork Organic Farm is an ideal place for us to learn about organic farming. We spent time with the Attra interns and ingested some of their useful farming highlights. Josh’s place is great because we also learned that pairing organic farming with university education is a great way to organic farming a foot in the door to the farming world. However, after late night discussions, we still have questions left unanswered.

What type of political infrastructure makes Missoula a great place for local food? What type of infrastructure allows for an easy transition into a localized foodshed?

Do conventional farmers make more money than organic farmers?

Check back with us to find the answers!

For Ben’s original post from the tour website, click here.