It is good to pause from time to time and take stock of where we stand and in which direction we are heading. Modern life is so full of possibilities that one is sometimes overwhelmed with the feeling that there is no time to do just that. Inner peace has to be actively sought for.
We stand in the midst of evolution, are part of it and can contribute to its progress. In a lecture given by Rudolf Steiner on 12 September 1919 (Spiritual Life, Economic Life and Juridical Life ANS 18 Feb '40) the following significant words were spoken. 'If we contemplate that which develops from year to year in the life of a child, we can see in it the inheritance coming from the spiritual world, enabling us to develop a spiritual sphere of activity upon the earth; and if we look upon that which occurs through our economic life, namely, that through our will we develop activities for others, we can see therein the impulses which we carry along with us into the spiritual world, when we pass through the portals of death.' And '…….we develop and economic life in order to carry into the spiritual world forces that we unfold through it.' It appears then that 'economic brotherliness' is the seed corn for future evolution in the best sense of the word.
Farming is essentially a commitment, not only of body, but soul and spirit as well. Unless that is so the 'magical; elements' is missing. Animals and plants, even compost, must inspire us to the point that our enthusiasm can carry us over all obstacles! Faith has an attracting power and as Rudolf Steiner also describes in a Whitsun lecture (7 May 1923): "A picture, or an imagination, works in a living way, like a living being itself.' Thus, we have the power through such pictured ideals, to begin to fashion the future.
Each one of us comes to earth with a particular impulse. To become aware of, and to work with this, leads to fulfilment. One can only hope that more and more of us can find this 'meaning' in life and focus our forces on it.
Here, at Perry Court Farm, we can count ourselves extremely lucky that a group of like-minded people have come together to support 'life' on the land. Some 7 years ago a group of parents and friends of the school started 'Perry Court Community Supported Agriculture' group. This was formed to help the farm to grow and sell vegetables. Some members of the group had been meeting a gardening group, doing practical work and studying BD literature for many years. The plan was to take the worry about growing and marketing BD vegetable away from the farmer. Although the area, 1.5 acres or so, was not large, it enabled up to 100 family boxes to be produced weekly from mid September to mid March. The group rented land from the farm, (the area itself moved around the farm) and planned cropping, cultivations, harvesting, grading and packing. A building was put up with the aid of donations and interest free loans. Initially it was possible to rely on one or two regular growers employed by the C.S.A. as we started off with only 30 boxes. These were helped by volunteers for weeding, harvesting etc. As the economics of farming have been deteriorating over the last few years, the farm decided to grow more vegetables itself. These wee sold in the old farm shop which had had to close earlier due to family illness but was reopened by Organic 'Health' owned by Jackie Garfit from Ilkeston. This was expended to the point where a move to Canterbury was necessary. The farm will now be looking at maintaining income by growing and selling more vegetables, possibly in the farm shop, which has been closed since last October when Jackie moved to Canterbury.
To improve production considerable mechanisation has been brought in and the CSA group will now concentrate on grading and packing boxes, with only volunteers actually working on the land when possible. The CSA itself is run by a 'Core Group', which meets monthly all the year and issues a newsletter (quarterly). It also organises open days, workshops and lectures where possible. The lively interest and enthusiasm, which the volunteer packers bring to the Friday morning 'packing sessions' allows a real community spirit to develop. Our monthly BD study group also allows this social activity to unfold on a truly human basis. A further consequence of this activity has been a growing interest in the neighbouring areas and a number of other initiatives for box schemes have been encouraged to start up. It is very important that more and more such working groups are formed around the country, to act as focal points where people can come and see what is possible. This is essentially a grass roots approach to a big problem - how to get more people onto the land. The land needs people and people need this connection with their birthright.
Alan Brockman Perry Court Farm, Kent
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