I recently visited a farm that had signs on the fruit trees that read, “EAT ME”. One of the girls in the group read the sign and did just that. She picked the fruit and ate it. She commented afterwards that it was sweet and refreshing.
Every morning I walk by countless fruit trees where the fruits grow beautifully and then rot because no one picks them for consumption. If that isn’t strange, we then go to the grocery store and buy those same fruit. But why?
The farm I’m referring to is called – Hava & Adam Farm: a multidisciplinary center involved in environmental and social education located near the city of Modi’in.
I feel that somehow, I like many others have been taught that you buy fruits and vegetables commercially rather then pick the fruits directly from the tree. Somehow we have been distances from our beautiful surroundings and are officially tech-urban dwellers. Nature is reserves for day trips to the country or like we did on Sunday’s in Montreal Canada, apple or strawberry picking. Or we have the farmers bring the produce to the city shuk or open market.
After visiting this farm I began to wonder: Can the high-tech city life provide sustainable living for all people? Around the world, people that lived off the land for generations are leaving everything behind in hopes of a lucky break in the city. The Chinese government estimates that close to 300 millions people will take that risk in the upcoming years which is bigger than the size of America. This imbalance in China and around the world is extremely dangerous. Smartphones can’t feed us or grow apples. The farming industry in the U.S.A is disappearing and so to all those cozy little towns along the Greyhound Bus routes that existed for generations.
Governments need to develop the high tech industry since innovation keeps the mind and body proactive. But governments need to revitalize and develop traditional industries like farming in order to ensure sustainable living for all people.
Sources
Rethinking China’s Cities, Fortune Magazine 2012 – article
Hava & Adam Farm – website
The Story of Change – 9 minute video
Focus Israel 