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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Grow Local, Eat Local

Six or seven years ago, I listened to a presentation about food—more specifically fruits and vegetables. About soils, chemicals, spoilage, the costs of delivery and about time from picking to eating. The presenter brought to my attention the challenging process of transporting fruit and vegetables across our country and even across continents. He talked about the impact of weather delays, difficulties with refrigeration and much more.  

Now, when I shop, I notice the origin of what I am buying, and think about how long and what that product went through to get to my table. Just how fresh can blueberries from South America or even avocados from Mexico still be once they arrive in New Jersey? The presenter talked about the future and how eventually local was the only answer. It made sense to me, and still does. Here is the point of the talk. Grow local, buy local.

 I’m happy that the local supermarkets are boasting about local farmers supplying their shelves, and how organic has established a foothold in our supply chain. Organic agriculture makes so much sense to me. In a nutshell, it works with nature and eliminates chemicals. Biodynamic farming is another common-sense growing practice that is very intense and incredibly interesting.  

Personally, I am not close to being knowledgeable or by any stretch of the imagination an expert. Living in a small condo provides little room for a garden but we did manage to squeeze one in. We also bought a hydroponics vertical growing tower that we love. It even comes with soothing sounds from the water spray. Vertically growing allows us to stack and takes up no additional space. We love this! 

We enjoy watching the growing process and knowing where the food that hits our table came from. Nothing that I can think of is as good as a large Jersey tomato fresh from the side of our house, grown in the organic soil we treated back in April, or the salads we picked rather than paid for throughout this summer.  

Presently, we’re on a list with our local library for a plot in the community garden. By next year, we hope to expand our passion for growing our own into new challenges to eat with enjoyment. Let the feast begin!

With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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