A very long time ago, when people first began to walk the land and swim the shores and sail the seas, before there was any thought given to the planting of crops and the caring for animals, people wandered from here to there looking for food. There was usually enough and the good Earth's fruit sustained generations of families.
From the joy of learning from the other animals a revolution of thought occurred: it was easier and better to domesticate animals and plant seeds than to wander. People were at last able to settle down in one place all year: families needed not move about to find food. The idea caught on, and through the help of animals like the camel and plants like the watermelon, people didn't even need to move about when water ran low: during the rainy season of the desert, the melons and camels could drink up, and store their milk and juice for the people later in the dry season.
Tools, fire, clothing. The revolution changed life so much that a Greek by the name of Herodotus was able to notice when people strengthened the land through cultivation, they were, in turn strengthened. Years after that, a Roman by the name of Columella realized that the quality of life and quantity of food were wholly the responsibility of the people who would enjoy them. Jethro Tull the Englishman set upon himself the responsibility of improving the quantity of food and quality of life and invented mechanized Agriculture. With this new wealth, the first economist, Montesquieu, could see and define the understandings that would allow an end to war, famine and poverty. A democratic revolution in America followed, and brave, beautiful words were said about every person's right to be free of hunger, want and fear, of a person's right to speak freely and worship freely.
From the planting of seed and caring for animals came our modern society that expects - and demands - that no citizen be without food or water, that no two countries fight for resources that need not be scarce, that no person might be robbed of their right to plant what crops they like and reap what harvest they can. And yet, we verge today on a return to the ages of wanderings, with no roots to care for, no animals to bear us company.
The greatest food crisis in the history of humanity is about to strike its heavy blow against the foundation of civilization. As climate change begins to undermine the progress made in the domestication of land and people, as farmers struggle to raise crops in a changing and unpredictable world, what hope can anyone hold that the future harvest will be any easier or more bounteous than the last? What hope can we hold that we - or, far worse, our children - will live to see the last harvest?
Even as you read this, orchards die in the south; wheat harvests fail far across the sea. Diseases of unspeakable terror destroy entire families. Instead of water flowing peacefully down from the mountains in great rivers, herded into canals and brought to the thirsty grounds for melons and cattle to drink freely, instead of water tamely washing through cities to push the water wheels that power industry, water is today rushing through mighty cities and leaving behind only rubble. What hope can humanity hold for the future?
The revolution of thought required to invent the first stone tools and to plant the first seeds has come to fruit, allowing a new season to dawn upon us, requiring us to apply new thoughts and new inventions alongside the old - or else die.
It has come to us to choose life or death. Great sacrifices will be required in years to come if we are to survive at all.
There is hope that humanity can rise to the challenge so long as every human being cares for their neighbor, so long as the freedoms promised to us by those ancestors who first dared to put a seed into the ground are kept. We have civilized ourselves, and learned the purpose of civilization is to empower every citizen towards the betterment of their neighbors and the world.
A new age is upon us when we must work together, not just with members of our own species but with members of all species in a battle whose victory - or failure - will impact us all equally.
The greatest lesson gained by touring the Coastalfields farm is the power of working with other creatures, of working with other people. Two are stronger than one, and the false science that has misled people to make war upon the weeds and their fellow creatures is a lie whose treachery now lays before us plainly.
There is hope so long as people question truth: the testing of truth, like gold, improves its quality. Do not blindly follow what others teach! Employ the skills that made your ancestors great! Through science, fire was invented, through science the greatest crisis of food supply may yet be averted. The need has never been greater for citizen-scientists and citizen-journalists to shed light upon the darkness of the lies of despair: do not despair, but courageously and non-violently pit yourself against those problems you see; seek what friends you may, and never give up hope.
This crisis, like any crisis, has the potential of a failure that surpasses the darkest nightmares of humanity. But it's also brimming with the opportunity for future greatness that exceeds all previous hopes! The choice lays in your hands which path we choose, and therein lays our hope: we know that you will choose the path of glory.
What words of encouragement can we give to you? What words of encouragement can you give to your friends, family and neighbors? Talk with them, urge them to cease their war against their world. Urge them to plant seeds for the future, to till the soil and be at peace. The restless lawlessness that pervades our society - from the apathetic voter who does not take the time to come to the polls to the murderer who shoots innocents while they sleep - must end today. Tell them to cease their friendless wanderings. Do not allow us to begin an age of dark, friendless wandering. Begin today by supporting and upholding the laws that protect your world, yourself and your neighbors. Work with your friends, family and neighbors.
The need to work together has never been greater; together we can do great things. Together, we can follow the path of glory. If you want to join Coastalfields, at our
Earth Daycelebration or in our pursuit of solutions to these pressing problems, either email at
directors@coastalfields.com or telephone at (720) 207-3642. There are many things we can do