Page 17 - Barefoot guide
P. 17
STORY
“Seeds?” Martha asked. “But aren’t those expensive?”
“If you buy them in the shop. But there are other ways to get seeds. And the shop-bought ones are not
the best. Many have been treated with pesticides, which is bad for the good microbes in the soil. And
some of the plants that grow from these seeds don’t make good seeds for the next season.”
“So where can you get good seeds?”
“I get them from my Ma, she’s a farmer and knows how to keep seeds safe from insects in ash. Lots of
farmers share seeds from season to season. The food grown from these is best.”
Martha looked worried. This was beginning to sound complicated.
“What else do you need?” she asked.
“Just sunshine and water, my dear. The sun is plentiful, the water we collect from the rain and the
household – we wash our bodies and clothes with soap that won’t hurt the plants.”
“Really?” Martha asked. “That’s all you need – healthy soil full of microbes, seeds, sun and rain?”
“Yes… and some love too, but I can see you have plenty of that in your heart.”
CHAPTER 2: NATURE’S FOOD GARDEN 9
