Re: The Important Role of Digestive Enzymes in Health and Longevity

Drying is something anyone can do.  And canning is a lost art for most of us.

Part of the seminar I mentioned in my above post was a presentation on organic gardening.  Though I already knew most of it, it was a good presentation nevertheless.   Part of the presentation naturally included how to save your own heirloom and other seeds and the guy that gave the talk gave us all some okra seeds (actually some very long dried seed pods) that had an interesting story behind them.

When his grandfather died and they were going through his property, they found some seeds that had been stored 60 years ago.  He wondered if any of them would still be viable and planted them in several dozen peat pots, with bour seeds to the peat pot to have a better chance of each pot producing a seedling.  Lo and behold, a great many of the seeds germinated and he ended up planting a large row of okra in his garden.  He said that the plants produced some awesome wonderfully flavored spineless okra and the pods he handed out were from the first crop.

We have a cooperative garden with a local farmer friend and that is where our seeds are being planted.  I can't wait to give them the taste test!

Another thing that was discussed in the gardening presentation was diatomaceous earth.  I knew that diatomaceous earth was a good alternative to chemical pesticides, but did not realize that food grade diatomaceous earth was an excellent way to rid the body of parasites with virtually 100% success!  One caution though, it MUST be food grade and not the chemically treated stuff that is used for swimming pool filters and such.

You are so right about eating the dirt and all provided you know your garden.  Properly maintained gardens that have not been subjected to better living through chemistry contain all kinds of beneficial organisms man has coincided with and flourished from for eons.

Tony