Dear Earth, I planted a tree for you!

Madera, CA - Today is the day we pay homage to the beautiful lands surrounding us.   One of my first recollections I have of hearing about Earth Day back in the 80's or 90's, was the idea to plant a tree on this special day to signify your commitment to preserving nature and making a positive change to our environment.  In more recent years, it seems that Earth Day has become a miniature marketing opportunity for companies to get you to buy their "earth-friendly" products.  But let's get back to basics, shall we?  Wouldn't it be so much better to focus on things like reducing our imprint by using less water, electricity, fossil fuels and such?  Or maybe just go plant a tree?  And that is how I shall segue into my most recent adventures...

For the past two months, I have been volunteering on organic farms here in California through a program called WWOOF (World-Wide Organization of Organic Farms).  The premise of the program is quite simple...you help out on the farm doing various projects in exchange for free room and board.  Not only do I have a free place to stay and food provided to me, but I also have the opportunity to gain knowledge in the many facets of organic farming.  The first 3 weeks of WWOOF-ing had me in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California, working on an organic blueberry farm.  At that particular farm we were primarily clearing brush and working on a greenhouse.  At my current farm (Casa Rosa Farms), they primarily raise sheep and grow organic olives (for olive oil) and almonds.  It has been a wonderful experience working on a plethora of projects, such as installing an electric fence, caring for sheep, bottle feeding two baby lambs (2 weeks old), weeding the orchards and, yes, planting trees.  Since arriving here 4 weeks ago, I have helped plant about 100 almond trees and 40 pomegranate trees.  I figure this should keep me square with Mother Earth for at least a few years.  The owners of the farm, Anthony and Rachel, are so very knowledgeable and love to share their knowledge on organic farming, raising animals and everything in-between.  And this, I believe, is the most important thing to remember on Earth Day...Share your knowledge with others so that, collectively, we can make a positive change for our world.

Fellow WWOOF-ers planting almond trees