Black Eyed Peas in Community

Lately, we’ve been growing black eyed peas.

The immediate question was how to trellis these beans. We’ve tried different solutions in the past. This time, we put up wire fencing in the middle of each row. And it’s working.  

It’s surprising how fast a bean plant will grow. In two weeks, they grew about five feet. A lot of this has to do with the favorable and abundant rains we’ve had this season. The plan with the beans is to experiment with different ways of storing them: canning, drying, saving for seed.

They are to be saved for sharing. Because, in times like these, you never know what will happen.

There’s nothing like a global crisis to make us stop and think. The questions abound. The uncertainty abounds. What is the mindset we must adopt? Things have changed so fast in the world. Sometimes, it feels like being lost at sea. The past is inaccessible. The future is unknowable. Life is a moment to moment, breath to breath, swim in a direction we hope leads to land. In other words, every breath is a gift from God.

Community is also a gift. We cling to each other to survive. This is apparent to us in the garden, where the labor is too much for one person to complete, and the food is too much for one person to consume. Everything must be shared. (It should be noted, that for this to work, we must sacrifice our time and labor, and utilize each individual’s skills.)

In the end, reality is still an uncertain place. But right now, we are alive. And the black eyed peas are almost ready to harvest. Want some?