“We Are Living In The Most Important Time In The History Of The Universe” Dolores Cannon Discusses Our Current Paradigm | Collective-Evolution

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/02/19/we-are-living-in-the-most-important-time-in-the-history-of-the-universe-dolores-cannon-discusses-our-current-paradigm/

"We Are Living In The Most Important Time In The History Of The Universe" Dolores Cannon Discusses Our Current Paradigm

Dolores Cannon has over 40 years of regressive hypnotherapy experience from which she's acquired remarkable information about life in the Universe.

Dolores Cannon's career has spanned over 4 decades, during which she has worked with thousands of clients in regressive hypnotherapy sessions. With over 17 published books on the subject, Dolores Cannon can easily be considered one of the world's most sought after professionals in the field. Popular subject matter touched upon in her numerous books include: past lives, extra-terrestrials, life on other planets, energy healing, famous historic figures such as Nostradamus and Jesus, abductions, and the list goes on. Each book has the tendency to "bend the reader's mind like a pretzel," Dolores explains.

One of her latest books, titled The Three Waves of Volunteers and The New Earth, is an ensemble of regressive hypnotherapy client sessions which narrates a 'behind the scenes' look at Earth's current paradigm shift. During the sessions, Dolores hypnotizes her clients bringing them into the 'super-conscious' brainwave state, one of the deepest trances one can experience. Dolores elaborated on her technique in an interview with The Edge:

"I developed my own technique down through the years. It's not like any other hypnosis technique out there. We are able to contact what I call the greatest force there is, and it's a source of all knowledge. I found the way to have it come through every single person that I work with, and I've worked with thousands of people."

The results of her technique are astounding to say the least. Through the years Dolores began to notice a correlation among her client sessions, one that bridges the journey of the souls incarnating on the planet at this time.

"When you see thousands and thousands of clients, as I do as a therapist and a counselor, you begin to see a common thread going through many of the cases. Earlier on, it used to be that everybody would go back to a past life and I'd find some of the answers there, and then I'd explore the source of all knowledge to answer all of their questions and do the healing. Just in the last five years or so, I began to see clients who weren't all going into a past life on Earth. I began to find they had never been on Earth before and that they had come here directly from God, from the Source, from other planets, other dimensions, where they were light beings. That's the common thread that I have been finding, and that's where I came up with the theory of the three waves of volunteers."

Dolores's theory proposes that a series of souls are traveling from other planets and dimensions to assist Earth at this time. Many of these souls, which are of a higher vibration than the resident Earth souls, are incarnating on the planet for the first time. She affirms that the souls that have spent many lifetimes reincarnating on Earth are stuck in a karmic cycle, repeating the same patterns of mistakes and lessons which is ultimately leading to the destruction of the planet. Thus, there has been a calling for purer souls to come to Earth to cleanse and raise the planet's vibration.

But now in body, these people don't have any memory of why they came. "They come in and an amnesia descends on the person, losing the memory of why they are here. But this group has an energy that they have to project. It is a loving energy that will change the mindset here on Earth. It will change history, just them being here."

Throughout her clients' journeys, Dolores discovered that Earth is one of the densest planets in the entire universe. A soul that incarnates here is considered brave because life on Earth is a very challenging experience to come into, especially for souls coming from higher realms and planets of a higher vibration. Nevertheless, all of her clients have the same answer when asked about their reason for coming to Earth, they simply "heard the call."

The Earth is going through a major transformation, one that Dolores's clients state has never happened before.  For the first time, an entire planet is shifting it's vibration into a new dimensional frequency. Many souls or groups of souls have experienced a shift like this in the past, (i.e., the Mayans) but never has an entire planet shifted at once. Therefore, Dolores explains, the entire Universe has front row seats to one of the grandest shows ever seen. However, help is needed, because man has polluted the planet with a vibration so dense that it threatens the survival of the planet as a whole. Dolores reveals that if the planet blows itself up, it will reverberate throughout the universe affecting and disturbing all beings. Therefore, the call for help was made, and the souls quickly jumped on the wagon to assist.

In The Three Waves of Volunteers and The New Earth, Dolores elaborates on the three different classes of souls incarnating on Earth:

1. The First Wave: Now in their late 40s to early 60s, these volunteers are disturbed by the violence, anger and hate that they experience on Earth. They have had the hardest time adjusting to life as humans, and many of them try to commit suicide.
2. The Second Wave: Now in their late 20s and 30s, these volunteers are more comfortable in bodies and are said to be beacons or channels of energy who can affect others just by being near them. Their mission of just sharing their energy with others means they don't have to do anything but just be.
3. The Third Wave: The new children, many of whom are now teenagers, have all the knowledge needed to exist on the planet after the dimensional shift and transformation takes place. Their DNA is more advanced, and the greatest challenge they face is being misunderstood by humans as having a condition (ADHD) that needs to be medicated.

Interestingly, through her many client sessions Dolores has also written extensively on the lost civilization of Atlantis. She discovered that, like Atlantis, there have been numerous civilizations that have been destroyed in the past.

"Each time when people got to the point when they were using energy in the wrong way and couldn't control it, they had to be stopped. And every time, everything would be reset on this planet. The civilization would go back to the primitive stages and start all over again. That's why they don't want to have it happen this time. They don't want to start over with the planet and begin life for humanity one more time.

During a hypnotherapy session, a woman went back to Atlantis and was telling me the prime reason for Atlantis being destroyed. I was told that there were scientists at the time of Atlantis. There were others who were fooling around with what they called Dark Matter. I was told that this is the same thing scientists are doing now when they are fooling around with what we call Anti-Matter. They said we have to know this, because the scientists are doing the same thing now.

The Large Hadron Collider experiment in Switzerland is the same thing. They are messing around with Anti-Matter. The scientists who are now fooling around with the Collider experiment don't have any idea what they are really doing, and it's very dangerous.

If those experiments had continued at that time in Atlantis, it would have broken down the grid of the planet, causing an implosion of the Earth, and it would have reverberated to the point where it would have broken the grids down of the entire Universe. But they stopped it before it got to that point, but destruction took place."

When asked about people's criticism of her work, Dolores says she finds humor in people's remarks stating she is a 'great science fiction writer'.

"There's no way on Earth I could make this stuff up. I have [17] books out there now, and all of it has come through the cases I have worked on with the average person just walking in off the street. I did not know these people until they came through the door of my office, from every walk of life you can imagine: CEOs of companies, professors of colleges, priests, shamans, and many ordinary people. I have not found anyone who has not had a past life. When I began writing The Convoluted Universe series, I wondered if anybody out there would be able to understand it, because I said that book is for people who want their minds bent like pretzels. People when they read it say, 'I know this and I don't know how I know it, but I know it and I know it's true'."

In the final segment of her interview with The Edge, Dolores was asked if there were any final thoughts she wanted to leave people with regarding the shift in consciousness.

"We are moving into a new frequency, a new dimension where it is going to be the New Earth, and it's going to be extremely beautiful. They have described it in the books – the beautiful colors, that everything is total love.

We're moving away from the negativity of the Old Earth, and it's going to be a complete turnaround, beyond belief, and we're all going there now. The New Earth is where it's at. The Bible in the Book of Revelations talks about the New Heaven and the New Earth. That's the same thing we're having now. It's just that St. John, when he had the vision on the Isle of Pathos, didn't realize it was going to take another couple of thousand years before it was going to happen.

The most important thing is that we are living in the most important time in the history of the Universe, and it's very important to be here now. There are thousands of souls who want to be here to experience this – even if they can just be here for a few hours. They say even if they're born and die right away, they can say, "I was there when this occurred." This is how important this is to the entire Universe. So, you're living in a very wonderful time that will never be repeated again."

For a fascinating read, check out Dolores's book The Three Waves of Volunteers and The New Earth as well as her Convoluted Universe series.

References:

1.)    Cannon, Dolores. The Three Waves of Volunteers and The New Earth. Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc. (Sept. 15 2011)

2.)    Cannon, Dolores. The Convoluted Universe: Book Four. Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc. (Nov. 7 2011)

3.)    http://www.edgemagazine.net/2011/08/the-three-waves-of-volunteers-part-one-with-dolores-cannon/

4.)    http://www.edgemagazine.net/2011/08/the-three-waves-of-volunteers-part-two-with-dolores-cannon/

~A.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/21/vitamin-d-depression-dementia.aspx?e_cid=20140821Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20140821Z1&et_cid=DM54156&et_rid=630229056

Vitamin D for Depression, Dementia, and Diabetes

By Dr. Mercola

Vitamin D research has repeatedly shown that vitamin D can improve a number of brain disorders, including depression and dementia—the most devastating form of which is Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain.

Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important chemicals in your brain and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health.

Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on your brain through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.

Vitamin D Deficiency Drastically Raises Your Risk for Dementia

According to one recent study,^{1 ,} seniors who have low vitamin D levels may double their risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, compared to those with vitamin D levels in the normal range:

• Those with low levels had a 53 percent increased risk for dementia, and a 70 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's
• Severely deficient individuals had a 125 percent higher risk for dementia and 120 percent higher risk for Alzheimer's

 As noted by the authors: "This adds to the ongoing debate about the role of vitamin D in nonskeletal conditions."

The Link Between Depression and Dementia 

Other recent research has found links between depression and dementia, and between vitamin D deficiency and depression. One eight-year-long study from Rush University Medical Center found that higher levels of depression translated into greater risk for dementia later on.

The severity of the depression was also linked to the speed of memory decline—the worse the depression, the faster the decline in memory. According to lead researcher Robert S. Wilson:

"These findings are exciting because they suggest depression truly is a risk factor for dementia, and if we can target and prevent or treat depression and causes of stress we may have the potential to help people maintain their thinking and memory abilities into old age."

Studies point to the fact that low vitamin D levels also predispose you to depression, so the links between vitamin D, dementia, and depression indeed appear to be quite real.

In essence, vitamin D deficiency raises your risk of both depression and dementia, so the fact that depressed individuals have a higher risk of dementia then becomes rather logical—but the root of the problem is likely to be a lack of vitamin D, not depression in and of itself.

Vitamin D Deficiency Predisposes You to Depression

In one previous study, seniors with the lowest levels of vitamin D were found to be 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels. More recent research was discussed in a Times Online article:

"The Amsterdam research, which tracked over 1,200 people aged 65 to 95, showed that blood vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower in individuals with major and minor depression compared with non-depressed participants.

A study in the United States indicated that vitamin D deficiency occurred more often in certain people, including African-Americans, city dwellers, the obese, and those suffering from depression.

People with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL had an 85 percent increased risk of depression compared to those with vitamin D levels greater than 30 ng/mL" [Emphasis mine]

Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and in 2007, researchers noted that vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression and fibromyalgia.

A double-blind randomized trial published in 2008 also concluded that: "It appears to be a relation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and symptoms of depression. Supplementation with high doses of vitamin D seems to ameliorate these symptoms indicating a possible causal relationship."

Vitamin D May Reduce Depression and Diabetic Pain

Vitamin D supplementation has been found to reduce both depression and diabetic pain.^9, Here, researchers assessed how vitamin D supplementation affected women with type 2 diabetes who were also diagnosed with depression.

At the outset of the study, 61 percent of participants reported neuropathic pain (shooting or burning pain in their legs and feet); 74 percent reported numbness and tingling in their extremities. The participants were given 50,000 IUs of vitamin D2 once a week for six months. At follow-up, both depression and pain scores had improved.

According to lead researcher Todd Doyle, Ph.D., vitamin D supplementation "is a promising treatment for both pain and depression in type 2 diabetes." However, I would note that you'd probably get even better results using vitamin D3 rather than prescription D2. In fact, previous research suggests vitamin D2 might do more harm than good in the long term.

Optimizing Your Vitamin D Also Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes, New Study Suggests

Bringing the focus of this article full circle is research showing that vitamin D may also play a role in type 2 diabetes; so now we have a number of cross-links between vitamin D and dementia, depression, and diabetes. One Indian study found that vitamin D and calcium supplementation in combination with exercise can aid prediabetic individuals by preventing the progression into full blown diabetes. 

Since exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve your insulin and leptin sensitivity, this certainly makes sense, and may make it more difficult to ascertain which of the two factors—vitamin D or exercise—had the greatest impact. Either way, both are part and parcel of diabetes prevention, so the results still speak to the power of simple lifestyle modifications. As noted by Nephrology News:

"Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to prediabetes, which is a blood glucose, or sugar, level that is too high but not high enough to be considered diabetes. It is unclear, however, if bringing low vitamin D blood levels to normal through supplementation will affect progression to diabetes.

In the new study, every unit increase in vitamin D level after supplementation of the vitamin decreased the risk of progression to diabetes by eight percent... 'Without healthy lifestyle changes, nothing works to prevent diabetes in at-risk individuals,' said the lead author, Deep Dutta, MD, DM... 'However, our results are encouraging because the addition of vitamin D and calcium supplements is easy and low in cost.'" [Emphasis mine]

Here, a vitamin D level below 30 ng/ml was considered insufficient. All participants in the study were prediabetic. The treatment group received a once-weekly dose of 60,000 IUs of vitamin D3, along with 1,250 milligrams (mg) of calcium carbonate daily, for eight weeks. A second group received only the calcium supplement. Both groups were advised to get 30 minutes of daily exercise. More than two years worth of follow-up revealed that:

• Just under 11 percent of those receiving both vitamin D3 and calcium became diabetic, while 26.5 percent of the calcium-only group developed diabetes
• Blood sugar levels normalized in over twice as many of those in the vitamin D/calcium group, compared to the calcium-only group (41.8 percent versus 20.4 percent respectively)

US Seniors are at Particular Risk for ALL of These Problems

As noted in a recent MedicineNet article, 60 percent of seniors seen in emergency rooms (ER) across the US are either malnourished or at risk for malnutrition—despite 95 percent of them having primary care physicians, and 96 percent had health insurance, and being otherwise mentally competent. Those most likely to be malnourished were seniors who:

• Suffered from depression
• Lived in assisted-living facilities
• Had trouble swallowing or chewing due to issues with their dentures or dental pain
• Had difficulty shopping for groceries

Vitamin D sufficiency is important both when it comes to preventing depression and pain, but a vast majority of seniors are also vitamin D deficient. So here again we see how a vicious cycle can be set into motion by vitamin D deficiency.

How to Optimize Your Vitamin D Level

When it comes to vitamin D, you want to be in the "optimal" range, not the "normal" one. Based on the evaluation of healthy populations that get plenty of natural sun exposure, the optimal range for general health appears to be somewhere between 50 and 70 ng/ml. 

Sources

As for HOW to optimize your vitamin D levels, I firmly believe that sensible sun exposure is the best way. There's a smartphone app called DMinder (dminder.info) that will tell you how much UV radiation you're getting and how many IUs of vitamin D you're making based on your local weather conditions (reported from the weather service) and other individual parameters such as your skin tone and age. It will also tell you when to get out of the sun, to protect yourself from sunburn.

If you can't get enough sunshine, then a safe tanning bed would be your next best option. Most tanning equipment use magnetic ballasts to generate light. These magnetic ballasts are well known sources of EMF fields that can contribute to cancer. If you hear a loud buzzing noise while in a tanning bed, it has a magnetic ballast system. I strongly recommend you avoid these types of beds and restrict your use of tanning beds to those that use electronic ballasts.

If your circumstances don't allow you to access the sun or a safe tanning bed, then you really only have one option left, and that is to take a vitamin D supplement. GrassrootsHealth has a helpful chart showing the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels based upon your measured starting point. Many experts agree that 35 IUs of vitamin D per pound of body weight could be used as an estimate for your ideal dose.

The Vitamin D Council aims to raise awareness among the general public on the growing vitamin D deficiency pandemic and the benefits of sun exposure. They are currently at the end of fund drive but there is still time to participate. Your support will allow them to increase their efforts in reducing the burden of vitamin D deficiency and begin the many exciting projects they have lined up.

If You Opt for Oral Vitamin D, Remember Vitamin K2

Keep in mind that if you opt for a vitamin D supplement, you also need to take vitamin K2. The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn't be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the consequences similar to vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries.

The reason for this is, when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins that move calcium around in your body. Without vitamin K2, those proteins remain inactivated, so the benefits of those proteins remain unrealized. So remember, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you're creating an increased demand for K2. Together, these two nutrients help strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

Test Your Levels at Least Once a Year—Even if You're Healthy

I recommend testing your vitamin D level at least once a year, in the middle of the winter when your level would be at its lowest. This will give you an idea of the extent of your insufficiency. Ideally, you'd want to get your level tested several times a year, at regular intervals, to ensure you're continuously staying within the ideal range. Once you know your pattern and can comfortably predict that you will not fall below 60 ng/ml, then it would be fine to shift to annual testing.

I believe vitamin D testing should be at the top of virtually everyone's list—but especially pregnant women and cancer patients. It's important to remember that optimal vitamin D levels appear to offer powerful PREVENTION of a whole host of chronic diseases, so please, do not wait for a problem to appear before addressing your vitamin D status.

The D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth is one cost effective solution. To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. (Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.)

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five-year study, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee every six months for your sponsorship of this research project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."

A robust and growing body of research clearly shows that vitamin D is absolutely critical for good health and disease prevention. Vitamin D affects your DNA through vitamin D receptors (VDRs), which bind to specific locations of the human genome. Scientists have identified nearly 3,000 genes that are influenced by vitamin D levels, and vitamin D receptors have been found throughout the human body.

Is it any wonder then that no matter what disease or condition is investigated, vitamin D appears to play a crucial role? This is why I am so excited about the D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth. It is showing how you can take action today on known science with a consensus of experts without waiting for institutional lethargy. It has shown how by combining the science of measurement (of vitamin D levels) with the personal choice of taking action and, the value of education about individual measures that one can truly be in charge of their own health.

In order to spread this health movement to more communities, the project needs your involvement. This was an ongoing campaign during the month of February, and will become an annual event.

To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. (Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.)

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five-year study, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee every six months for your sponsorship of this research project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."

~A.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/16/reinventing-food-system.aspx?e_cid=20140816Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20140816Z1&et_cid=DM53643&et_rid=625238769

Reinventing Our Food System, One Small Farm at a Time

The producers of this film are allowing a full and FREE viewing through 8/15. Inspired? CLICK HERE to purchase a copy of The Greenhorns at a discounted price of $17.95!

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

As a physician, it's very obvious to me that the food we eat plays a major role in our health. As a result, the health of the general population can give us a pretty accurate picture of the nutritional status of our food.

About 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, and the health of the average American is a testament to the abject failure of such foods to support good health.

Countless health statistics unequivocally show us that the direction we've been going in is not in our best interest. We've simply strayed too far from our dietary roots and become so disconnected from our food sources.

Fortunately, more and more people are now beginning to recognize this, and are making efforts to get back to real food. Many are now sensing this disconnection from the sources of their food as a disconnection from life itself, and it's no wonder, because that's essentially what it is.

As the sustainer of life, food surely deserves to be regarded with some measure of reverence. And it certainly deserves to place high on anyone's list of priorities in life.

Necessity Breeds a New Generation of 'Greenhorn' Farmers

Fortunately, there's change afoot... People across America, from all walks of life, are taking part in a process to reinvent our food system.

The featured film, The Greenhorns, demonstrates how we can collectively transform the current industrial monoculture, chemical-based agricultural paradigm into a healthier, more sustainable way of feeding ourselves and our neighbors, while restoring the health of our ailing planet.

"The Greenhorns documentary film... explores the lives of America's young farming community – its spirit, practices, and needs.

It is the filmmaker's hope that by broadcasting the stories and voices of these young farmers, we can build the case for those considering a career in agriculture – to embolden them, to entice them, and to recruit them into farming.

The production of The Greenhorns is part of our grassroots nonprofit's larger campaign for agricultural reform... Today's young farmers are dynamic entrepreneurs, stewards of place.

They are involved in local politics, partnering with others, inventing new social institutions, working with mentors, starting their careers as apprentices, borrowing money from the bank, putting in long hours, taking risks, innovating, experimenting...

These young farmers have vision: a prosperous, satisfying, sustainable food system."

Real Food Is Key for Good Health

Our current food system is driven by policy and corporate control. And while those who promote it claim that it's the only way to feed an ever-growing population, it is in fact a highly unsustainable system. It may be financially profitable for a few large corporations, but it's driving the rest of us into the poor-house—as I am sure you are well-aware, it's not cheap to be sick in America!

My first passion and career was being a physician, then an Internet educator, and now I'm transitioning into biological gardening and agriculture because I really believe it's the most logical progression for most anyone radically committed to being healthy.

While this information is ancient, it's not widely discussed. There's only a small segment of the population that really understands natural farming systems anymore, and the potential it has for radically transforming the way we feed the masses and protect the environment at the same time.

Getting personally involved with the growing of your food can be very exciting. For the young farmers in the film, growing food truly is an important part of life itself.

For me, it has become a rather addictive hobby. So far, I've converted about 50 percent of the ornamental landscape around my home to an edible landscape. And once you integrate biological farming principles, you can get plant performances that are 200-400 percent greater than what you would typically get from a plant! All in a totally sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

What's more, not only do using organic principles improve the quantity, it also improves the quality of the food you're growing. These facts should really be at the forefront of everybody's mind when they think about farming, as it's the solution to so many pressing environmental and societal problems.

Two Models of Food Production 

There are basically two different models of food production today. The first, and most prevalent, is the large-scale agricultural model that takes a very mechanistic view toward life, whereas the other—the local, sustainable farm model—has a biological and holistic view.

While efficient, the mechanistic, large-scale model has many unexpected adverse side effects. Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) for example, have become a primary source of antibiotic-resistant disease, which has now reached epidemic levels in the US. 

This side effect of our food system alone kills at least 23,000 Americans each year... It's a well proven fact that factory farmed and processed foods are far more likely to cause illness than unadulterated, organically-grown foods. For example, one study by the British government found that 23 percent of farms with caged hens tested positive for salmonella, compared to just over 4 percent in organic flocks, and 6.5 percent in free-range flocks. This connection should be obvious, but many are still under the mistaken belief that a factory operation equates to better hygiene and quality control, when the exact opposite is actually true.

Factory Farming Causes More Problems Than It Solves

A pig rolling in mud on a small farm is far "cleaner" in terms of pathogenic bacteria than a factory-raised pig stuck in a tiny crate, covered in feces, being fed an unnatural diet of genetically modified grains and veterinary drugs. Genetically engineered (GE) plants add another level of complexity and hazard to our food system. For starters, GE plants produce foreign proteins that make them highly allergenic.

Then there's the issue of agricultural chemicals. Scientists have now proposed that one of the most widely used herbicides in the world (nearly one billion pounds per year), glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup), may be dramatically contributing to the rise of chronic disease. Glyphosate also denatures the food by blocking nutrient uptake, and kills the microorganisms in the soil responsible for plant health and plants' natural defense systems against pests of all kinds.

In short, the widely adopted factory farm "bigger is better" food system has reached a point where the fundamental weaknesses of it are becoming readily apparent, and foodborne disease and loss of nutrient content are just two of the most obvious side effects. The question is, what kind of food system do YOU want? If every American decided to not eat at a fast food restaurant tomorrow, the entire system would collapse overnight. It doesn't take an act of Congress to change the food system. All that is required is for each and every person to change their shopping habits to support the system they prefer.

Yes, You Can Grow Your Own Food!

Even if you're not inclined to start up your own farm, you can still grow your own food. Even apartment-dwellers or college dorm students can join the revolution by sprouting. One can also grow a wide variety of herbs, fruits, berries, and vegetables in pots. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard, and chilies, for example.

While you will obviously need to use pots if you don't have a garden plot, avoid using many small pots. The smaller the pot, the faster it will dry out. Instead, opt for large yet lightweight containers. You may also want to consider self-watering pots, which will reduce the time you have to spend watering. Adding a top layer of wood chips will also reduce the amount of watering a plant will need. This is true no matter what the size of your garden.

Using woodchips is actually one of the single best ways to optimize soil microbiology with very little effort. One of the foundational principles of biological gardening and farming is to avoid tilling the soil as it will disrupt the soil microbes and important soil fungi called mycorrhizae. This is precisely what woodchips will allow you to do. After a few short months, you will develop lush soil underneath the chips that will happily support food or trees that you would like to grow—no tilling required. The longer you leave the chips on, and the deeper you put on the wood chips, the deeper the topsoil will be.

Woodchips will also help eliminate water evaporation from the soil, effectively reducing the need to water your garden. Another major benefit is the elimination of fertilizers. One of the reasons why industrial agriculture is so damaging is their use of chemical salts that decimate the soil microbes. When you use wood chips you not only radically increase the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes in the soil; they also attract earthworms, which create vermicompost, one of the best composts on the planet. Last but not least, you can eliminate expensive soil testing when you use chips, as they will optimize whatever soil you have. 

Where to Find Real Food

A website called Real Food University offers a fascinating analysis of where our food comes from, and reveals that despite what you hear on the news, every year, we produce less and less of the food we really need. From massive industrial farming conglomerates to feedlot and confined animal operations (CAFOs) to contaminated imports, Real Food University delivers the scoop on what you probably have on your plate right now.

Fortunately, there are ways to get around these food disasters, and sourcing your foods from a local farmer is one of your best bets to ensure you're getting something wholesome. Every state has a sustainable agriculture organization or biological farming organization that is the nucleus of the farmers in that state. You can also find an ever increasing number of "eat local," and "buy local" directories, in which local farms will be listed. The following organizations can also help you locate farm-fresh foods in your local area:

1. Local Harvest -- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
2. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
3. Farmers' Markets -- A national listing of farmers' markets.
4. Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals -- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
5. FoodRoutes -- The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA's, and markets near you.
6. Weston A. Price Foundation has local chapters around the US where you can find organic, grass-fed milk and other organic foods

Resources for Gardeners and Farmers

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to take control of the food that you're eating, because the resources are out there. They exist. It may take a little time and effort, but it's well worth it. For fledging farmers who want to learn more, I suggest reading some of the many books and other publications available on organic, biodynamic farming. This includes but is certainly not limited to the following:

Books:

• The Farm as Ecosystem by Jerry Brunetti
• The Edible Balcony by Alex Mitchell
• Farmacology: What Innovative Family Farming Can Teach Us About Health and Healing by Dr. Daphne Miller, MD
• Steps to Gardening with Nature by Dr. Ingham and Carole Ann Rollins
• Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels
• The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer by Joel Salatin

Magazine Subscriptions:

• Acres USA
• The Stockman Grass Farmer (the world leader in pasture-based how-to publications)

Websites:

• PolyFaceFarms.com offers a wealth of information and resources for farmers and consumers alike, including an online store that also offers the actual physical hardware to make everything from fences to chicken feeders 
• Savory Institute
• Weston A. Price Foundation
• Eco Organics, a company specializing in mineral products for hydroponics and home gardens, run by Dr. August Dunning
• Soil Foodweb Inc., a company created by research scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham, which helps farmers and gardeners understand the health of their soil

~A.