Slow thinking
Editor: Seeing politicians react to long overdue changes in marijuana laws convinces me that cannabis really does cause brain damage, but not in users. The people losing their minds are prohibitionists who cannot accept the fact that people are getting wise to the fact that marijuana prohibition is based on absurd fictions. Failing to perceive reality accurately and subscribing to patently false notions is not the sign of a well-balanced mind.
[Planning commission chairman] Michael George’s argument that “marijuana must be patented to be legal” is an example of serious confusion. Apparently, Mr. George has never heard of the market for unpatented herbs, which are completely legal.
Floyd Krautner
Bakersfield
Leaders in Earth tending
Editor: Each year around Earth Day, I like to take a moment, breathe in the fresh air here at the Benziger ranch, and think about where we started and where we are now. Earth Day is a special day – a day to reflect on where we are as a society and our relationship with the Earth.
And while much of the news about the environment as of late has been doom and gloom – global warming, a reduction in biodiversity worldwide, drought, etc. – there are glimpses of hope too. It’s the little things we all can do that make a big difference – choices we all make as consumers, business owners, and citizens of the Earth.
As business owners and as a family, we have been committed to doing our part to tend to the Earth for nearly fifteen years. For us, this meant choosing an approach called Biodynamics®. Embracing this way of farming meant eliminating pesticides and chemical inputs, emphasizing a holistic approach to land stewardship and focusing on working in rhythm with nature to create a healthy, balanced environment.
This Earth Day, I am particularly excited about the opening of our Biodynamic Discovery Trail on April 22. There is a lot of mystery and myth surrounding Biodynamic farming. Taken out of context, certain aspects of it might seem a little wacky. But as winegrowers and people that are out in the vineyard everyday, I have to tell you, there is a marked difference in the health of the vines and the health of the vineyard as a whole. We want to share with the public what exactly Biodynamic farming and winemaking entails and why it is better for the Earth. I’d like to invite anyone interested to come up and explore the new Biodynamic Discovery Trail and then taste the wine that comes from our estate. Even more importantly, we are teaming up with Vineyard Worker Services and donating 100% of tasting room net sales on Earth Day; because we believe it is important to tend to the people that tend to the Earth every day.
On Earth Day, I hope all of us took a moment to think about the things we can do better, whether it be at home or at work to reduce our impact on the environment. While the small stuff – like recycling, changing lightbulbs to compact fluorescents, and using canvas totes at the grocery store – may seem insignificant, if we all do our part, it can and will make a big difference in the long run.
Mike Benziger
Sonoma
Gardens teach on many levels
Editor: Thanks for writing the wonderful article about Sonoma Valley’s school gardens in last week’s issue of the Sonoma Sun. The article did a great job of describing the benefits of school garden programs, and showcased excellent local projects.
As the former school garden coordinator at Dunbar Elementary School, I would like to clarify the integral role the edible garden plays in the Glen Ellen school’s curriculum. In the six years I fostered the garden, the fenced quarter-acre plot morphed from weed-patch to a place where each student at the K-5 school attended weekly garden classes that covered everything from the Web of Life to the roles played by insects in the garden, from composting to harvesting, from sheet-mulching to bed building to journal writing to seed anatomy to preparing and consuming garden salads.
Much more than a few flowerbeds, Dunbar’s garden recently was the focus of the efforts of more than 75 volunteers who turned out on President Obama’s Day of Service in January to prepare the garden for the upcoming growing season. The volunteers, under the guidance of current garden coordinator and Dunbar parent Alissa Pearce, rebuilt and added raised garden beds (now totaling 12), reconfigured and repaired the irrigation system, removed blackberry brambles, and created a shaded learning area for the students. Garden classes are ongoing, and Alissa has invited the children to join her in the garden two days a week at lunchtime to explore and learn.
The garden also has been the recipient of many, many generous donations of goods and services from the surrounding community over the years, including the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, the School Garden Network, Dunbar’s PTO, the Sonoma Environmental Film Festival and Wine Country Film Festival, local businesses, and a number of private donors. The support of the community has been critical to the garden’s success.
The movement back toward nutritional, local, thoughtful eating must reach the children, who are most vulnerable to the temptations of fast food. We cannot pour enough energy into nurturing the healthful habits taught in school gardens. Beyond the taste of a sun-warmed tomato, gardens reestablish links between humans and their environment. As John Muir said, “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” The Valley’s school gardens are part of that kinship, and each deserves a place in the Sun.
Tracy Salcedo-Chourre
Sonoma