Intersections and callings

Theologian Frederick Buechner has written that vocation is "where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need." My dear friend and colleague Melinda Hemmelgarn, MS, RD (aka Food Sleuth) stated it slightly differently during her presentation today at the largest organic farming conference in the country, which is sponsored by MOSES -  Midwest Organic & Sustainability Education Services (Melinda's presentation was entitled Connecting the Dots between Food, Health, and Agriculture):

"Your calling is found where your deepest joy and 
the world's deepest need 
meet."

Those words are the ones I will remember from today. 

Through random meetings both yesterday and today, I met so many people worried about cancer, either as cancer survivors themselves, people who are living in counties recently designated as 'cancer clusters', or as someone worried about cancer and thus committed to organic agriculture for cancer prevention. All are viewing their work in this area as their 'calling', their way of contributing to changing the world, even if that change is only in their own little corner of it, and even if the change is only very small.

The MOSES organization has been sponsoring this conference annually for the past 23 years, which has now evolved into the largest organic farming conference in the country, over 3,300 attendees from all over the country, not just the Upper Midwest. We love coming here, even though it is a long drive, which can often be during difficult winter driving weather. 

We share values, belief, language, and a commitment that our 'work' is actually our 'calling', 'work' that is our choice and joy, in spite of all the challenges and uncertainties inherent in farming of any kind.  

I hope you seek out and get to know your local organic farmers. They are all my heroes as they heal our Earth and protect your community's physical health while they are also helping to rebuild and diversify your community's economic health. 

Tomorrow I'll be attending the sessions about CSA (community supported agriculture) management. Yes, we're still working out those ideas and logistics for our garlic CSA. 


Step, step, step............we are so fortunate that our work is our joy. :)

Cultivate your life - you are what you grow - inch by inch, row by row,

Diana Dyer, MS, RD