Happy Anniversary

Carefree Gundi on Tioman Island all those years ago.

Happy Anniversary, lovey. You are my sunshine.

Mum's Birthday Ginkgo

Today would have been my dear old Mum’s 91 st birthday. She actually made it to the ripe age  of 86, succumbing then to a major stroke. Though she was beset by poor short term memory in her final years, she was sharp as a tack when it came to naming family and friends in photos (though she did get me and Dad mixed up!) She retained good humour and  never forgot her little boy, her eyes lighting up whenever she saw me on my twice a year visits.

We planted a ginkgo biloba tree in her honour in the garden. We look out over her  and the fields beyond from our deck. She is flourishing, with her striking leaves just starting to turn yellow at this time of year. Ginkgos symbolize memory and remembrance; adaptable and ancient, they are akin to the mother of trees. Happy Birthday, Mum, up there with your beloved on Kinver Edge.

To Farm or Not To Farm

Corn, beans and summer squash growing together here at Rolling Hills Organics

 in a "milpa" system practised by Central and South American smallholders

The reasons I farm were addressed in my book High Up in the Rolling Hills, of course. Here is my commentary on an article in the Summer 2014 edition of Edible Toronto magazine written by Montana Jones:

To farm or not to farm? For me, there is only one answer to this existential conundrum – a hearty affirmative. As an organic market grower, I would be bereft if I were not to be able to farm. I dread the day when my bones ache so much and my back is stooped to such an extent that I shall have to surrender my body to the waste heap and give up this farming life.

Yes, farming has its challenges – the trying weathers with their spikes and extremes, the bugs, the pests that gnaw away at the leaves, the weeds that grow faster and bolder than the sown plants,  the fatigue, the various downsides that Montana describes, but…

There is nothing in this world that I would rather make a livelihood from, nothing I would rather be doing, dreaming about, planning, experimenting on, learning about, innovating with, or even getting wrong, not perfecting. Each season always throws up something new – new crops, new failures, new shortages, new over-abundances, new challenges, and fresh successes, fresh insights, fresh joys.

What could outdo the pride and joy gained from seeing seeds germinate, planting out rows of transplants, dripping with the early morning dew, watching the red sun come up over the horizon hills, harvesting the fragrant blooming lavender and the strong garlic bulbs, looking back from the tractor as the earthy soil folds over with the furrow plow, being in tune with the weathers and seasons, inhaling drafts of fresh country air, feeling the glow of robust good health, interacting with cheery regular and loyal customers, coming home from market sold out of produce again, tasting the bounty, falling into bed and deep sleep as head hits the pillow? Only by sinking hands into soil, out in the fields, in the glorious landscapes we steward – only by farming – can we do all of this. To me, farming is a learned trade; as with everything, proficiency comes with practice. And yet, it is also a romance, a passion, a marriage, and a full-time commitment. There is occasional heartbreak, but there is endless beauty. As in life in general, we do it for the love.

So, hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to farm I go. Let’s keep on encouraging and inspiring fresh, new, young farmers, and count our blessings.

On Blog Tour to May 9

High Up in the Rolling Hills book blitz April 28 – May 9!

Order A Copy Now

Publicity Tour Schedule

April 30 - Inkslinger’s Opus


April 30 - She Writes




May 1 - As the Page Turns


May 1 - I’m Shelf-ish




May 2 - In Our Spare Time


May 2 - Redroom


May 5 - Review From Here


May 5 - Blogher




May 6 - The Zen Reader


May 6 - Allvoices




May 7 - Literal Exposure


May 7 - Plug Your Book




May 8 - My Devotional Thoughts


May 8 - Beyond the Books




May 9 - Bent Over Bookwords


May 9 - The Writer’s Life

Fantasy & little yellow butterflies

The passing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez has drawn me to seek out my treasured copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude, now yellowed with age. We too have aged, by some 33 years, a third of a century.

My copy is treasured because it is well travelled, fully seasoned and mailed to me by Gundi shortly after we had met on the train in Lake Louise. It found me on assignment in the Libyan desert amongst a cascade of some thirty missives from Gundi that could safely be called love letters. So many letters arrived all together, having been misdirected and lost in transit for several weeks. (I had thought she had forgotten me).

Gundi’s inscription on the front pages reads:  “Peter, this book goes out to you filled with fantasy and little yellow butterflies, enjoy it and remember…” I hadn’t realized the words that followed in the scrawl… until today, that is, when Gundi pointed them out to me.  Fitting, heart-warming words to celebrate our life together, and the life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who dared us to fantasize and charmed us with magic, wonder, and little yellow butterflies. 

5-star review on amazon.com

 Charming and original, March 6, 2014

By 

Chris Lowry

This review is from: High Up in the Rolling Hills: A Living on the Land (Paperback)

Finch, an Oxford trained linguist and cartographer turned organic farmer, writes with wit and wisdom of a life spent in pursuit of good health, good food and an authentic livelihood. His personal story is well worth reading.

Book Signing in Toronto

I will be signing my book, High Up in the Rolling Hills, at the organic consumer conference in Toronto on Saturday, February 22. The book is for sale @ $15 on this day only (30% discount off retail). This year’s conference organized by the Toronto chapter of Canadian Organic Growers is called The Organic Vision - in Search of Change and takes place at the University of Toronto Conference Centre, 89 Chestnut St, Toronto from 9am to 5pm. It features 20 speakers, including keynote speaker Woody Tasch of Slow Money, an organic lunch, and many exhibits, including my own!

For more information, go to http://www.cogtoronto.org/COG_Toronto/2014_Conference.html

The sixth annual one-day conference is for everyone with an interest in healthy food that nourishes people and the environment. The show is always inspiring and informative. Hope to see you there!