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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org, OWL-OldWaysLiving@yahoogroups.com
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Maria Rodale: What’s Really Important?
  • Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:59:19 -0600


What’s Really Important?
September 26, 2011
http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/what%E2%80%99s-really-important/

Sometimes I remember what’s really important when I am doing something that
doesn’t seem very important at all. And I remembered it while manning the
grill with Dave Zinczenko at Apple Fest 2011.

I didn’t ask him to help me cook organic hot dogs (generously donated by
Applegate Farms) for my Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen stand, he volunteered.
He joined an august group of dedicated helpers who I am extremely grateful
to—Ethne Clarke, Kate Oswalt, Tony Hail (son-in-law), Dana Blinder, Heidi
Rodale, Melissa Chuhran, and others—some of whom I had never met before.
Since it was Apple Fest’s third year, we weren’t sure what to expect. All we
knew was that whatever we did that day was to benefit the Rodale Institute,
and that was the primary reward.

The festival began at 10:00, and by 10:01 there were cars lined up down the
gorgeous country lane as far as the eye could see. And that line of cars
didn’t stop all day (the final count was about 4,000 attendees). I thought it
reminded me of what Woodstock (no, I wasn’t there) must have been like.
Others said it reminded them of Field of Dreams. We started grilling. We had
four giant grills going at once. And we didn’t stop until 5:30.

While we grilled we talked to people. I pointed out to Dave people I’ve known
for a lifetime and new people I’d just met. There were employees and their
families. There were former employees and their families. Everyone had a
story and a reason for coming, even if it was just to enjoy getting outside
on a beautiful day.

As we hustled over the grill I thought back to the night before, when we had
honored the 30th anniversary of the Farming Systems Trial and the organic
pioneers who started it. Dr. Dick Harwood, the scientist who built the
research study, told the story of how it all began and how critical the
support of Rodale Inc. was to making it happen. But I also remembered from
that time how many corporate executives within the company were opposed to
the fact that my father was spending so much money on the institute and some
crazy study. But through my father’s courageous generosity, he helped create
the fertile ground where all sorts of new things grew. Businesses like
Stonyfield Farm and Whole Foods grew out of that research. Organic farmers
saved their family farms based on the research. Universities around the world
expanded their research based on ours. And the company (which is a separate
entity from the Rodale Institute) gained valuable insights that helped us
become the information leader in healthy living on a healthy planet. And
together we learned that organic farming can feed the world.

Gary Hirshberg, CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, spoke passionately about the role
the institute has played in his business and the importance we all play in
shaping and encouraging public action—which is the original beating heart of
Rodale Inc.

One of the honorees, Maurice Small of Ohio, also reminded me what is
important. His mission involves helping people in inner-city, underserved,
and down-on-their-luck communities learn how to grow their own food. He asked
me to sign my book. Of course I thought he meant Organic Manifesto, but he
ran back from his car carrying my original gardening book (he also had a copy
of J. I. Rodale’s Healthful Living Encyclopedia). These books helped him
learn to garden organically and share his knowledge with others because the
messages were simple. J. I. Rodale founded the company with the idea that we
can take complicated information (whether it’s medical journals or scientific
research) and make it easily understandable for people. Maurice Small got a
standing ovation for his acceptance speech, which encouraged all of us to
serve others and keep the message simple.

What does all of this have to do with grilling hot dogs? Well, it’s simple.
Rodale Inc., at it’s organic apple core, exists to serve other people, to
help them learn and understand how to live healthier lives and take care of
this precious earth that sustains us. That’s all. It’s that simple.

And doing that work is a pleasure and labor of love that has supported
families, communities, and other businesses for decades. And when we do our
work with that spirit and energy of service, the business flows in—the cars
line up for miles, because people can tell it’s real. In fact, bringing this
back to Apple Fest, the whole reason we can have a Pick Your Own Apple
Festival is because people said growing organic apples “couldn’t be done.”
Well, we did it. And now almost everyone in America can buy beautiful organic
apples at their local grocery store.

So yes, times are tough right now for everyone—economically, politically, and
emotionally. But we’ll get through it. Sometimes we can’t see where things
will take us, and how it will all work out. But as long as we stay on the
right course I am confident we will get “there.” And we will get through it
because people and the planet need us more than ever and want us to exist and
to serve. And there are still enough of us who love working hard, as a
fabulous team, for the sheer joy of it, with love as the most valuable reward.

That’s what’s really important. And it’s simple.





  • [Livingontheland] Maria Rodale: What’s Really Important?, Tradingpost, 09/26/2011

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