Are Nurseries Essential?
Garden Clippings for April 24, 2021
When Eve and Adam first appeared on earth, they soon realized they were hungry. Good thing they lived in the Garden of Eden because food was plentiful. By trial and error, they figured out that melons, cabbage and apples sustained them, while pine cones and grape seeds did not.
After they ate of the forbidden fruit, they had to pull weeds. They had to learn that potatos were seasonal so they built barns in order to store grain.
They also tied fig leaves together in order to cover their private parts.
We North Americans rarely think of how our foreparents’ primary role was to grow food to feed the family. It has only been in the last few centuries that we relied on others to grow food so the rest of us could build cars, bank, or refine oil.
How quickly we forget that so many people in the world still have a small plot of land on which to grow rice and beans. We have grown accustomed to the weekly grocery store trip to pick up Frosted Flakes, ground beef and pasteurized milk, all wrapped in plastic.
Some things have hardly changed. Adam and Eve sat in the shade of trees to avoid mid-day heat. They built their homes behind evergreens in order to avoid wind. They assembled communities near bodies of fresh water.
Pardon me for sounding political, but it seems that Doug Ford and all his advisors have got it right. He has come to the good realization that most of the products at Walmart and other box stores is stuff that we can live without for 6 weeks. Milk and eggs, on the other hand are essential, as are carrots and potatos. On the health care side, Tylenol and shampoo are essential, along with today’s most essential drugs made by AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.
Ask any 5th grader how trees and plants are essential, and they will give a straight answer: trees and foliage plants remove carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Trees and plants create habitat for plants and animals. Plants temper climate, reduce erosion and provide food for us and countless animals.
Ask any health care provider how outdoor living is essential and they will give you a straight answer: Digging holes, planting seeds, trimming trees and walking in the woods is better for the soul than being holed up indoors watching Netflix.
Ask any farmer why soybeans, peppers, apples and rhubarb are essential and they will give you a straight answer: farmers feed people.
Nurseries are not going through this stay-at-home order unscathed. Our workplaces are open to 25% capacity. Our staffing is increased to deal with new cleanliness guidelines. On-line buying and curbside pickup is encouraged. We are running out of some products, while trying our best to get more.
Here is my message to Doug Ford, Justin Trudeau, Theresa Tam, Pamela Harris, Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden, and all world leaders: I have immense respect for you. You did not sign up for this. You are tackling today’s greatest challenge with all your wisdom and might. Please listen lots to the experts and scientists and listen less to the naysayers and special interest groups. You are not getting everything 100% right and you are not always gaining political points. But you are doing your best.
