Captured Sunflower
I have been following the changing dynamics of organic seeds for over a quarter of a century. It’s one of the reasons I became an ardent collector of organic seeds. The other unintended consequences of my interest in seeds is that I have also been able to track the changing cost of what I call Just Food. The cost of seeds have a big bearing on both the availability and cost of just food in ways that is less obvious to the general consumer.
Today I looked at a few gorgeous photos of our organic sunflower seeds being grown by our astute farmer, one Muchemi Njenga.. The seeds growing in Kitengela are a perfect snack for the birds, especially during the current dry season when food is scarce. That means that we have to put nets on a big number of sunflowers to ensure we can harvest enough seeds for our seed bank.
While Muchemi is keeping an eye on the birds, I am keeping an eye on the price of seeds. According to the price of our latest sunflower seeds we are adding to our collection, 2 seeds costs the equivalent of a liter of milk in the local market. If one considers the cost of producing a a liter of milk, it becomes clear that the price of organic seeds is already one of the biggest obstacles in increasing accessibility of Just Food to most people.
The end result is that more and more stomachs are being captured and placed in Unjust bags of the evil forces of doom who thrive from peddling toxic chemicals and medicines. While Muchemi’s bags are keeping the birds from eating all the Sunflowers, he is gracious enough to share the bounty with the birds. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the enemies of Just Food, the foundation of any sensible food system or any semblance of viable civilization. What we do have instead is an insidious and pernicious web with astute super structures which dictate that a food system that is increasingly becoming dominant, or adored is essentially antithetical to justice, sustainability and civic gastronomy. The problem is so serious as to surpass the level of epidemic, yet its as if the majority of the masses are in denial. This epidemic hasn’t provoked the kind of ire one would typically expect gauging by the cost the problem costs all societies.
What many don’t see is the proverbial bag used to capture the masses by imperialists and the peddlers of toxic chemicals is the exact opposite of a sunflower. The word sunflower combines two beautiful words, sun and flower. Those words denote light and beauty. That light and beauty is exactly what unjust food obliterates, albeit slowly and over a long time.The end result will most likely be darkness and distortion. Put simply, many easily understood what state capture means: that the benefits intended for all citizens are hijacked for the benefit of a few crooks. Sunflower capture represents the same hijacking of a food system for the benefit of darkness, distortion and fiat culture.
We are thankful for all those who support our Sunflower seeds but also our efforts to promote light and beauty in our community and beyond.
ThayùCulture