conscious consumption 199
obtain from the soil what is needed for their health, vitality, and
growth.
The result for these conventionally grown plants is deadened soil
and artifi cially stimulated growth, much like the modern human
who is primarily consuming empty - calorie foods that are not only
excessive in calories (leading to obesity, diabetes, and every other
modifi able risk factor of heart disease) but also defi cient in essential
nutrients (such as antioxidants and polyphenols, which help prevent
cancer). We actually are what we eat, and we really should “ do unto
others as we would have them do unto us. ” It all comes back!
For the last couple of years, the Ricers ’ favorite fi eld trips in
Durham have been visiting a biodynamic farmer, Rob Bowers,
who produces numerous foods that we eat at the program. A self -
professed MBA dropout, Rob arrived at his occupation and passion
by becoming aware and conscious:
I have long believed that most of the problems of the world are
fundamentally spiritual in nature. That is, the thirst for power,
wealth, fame or comfort tends to undermine our ability to see
things in a larger context. While technique is essential in applied
biodynamics, it is only part of the story. For me, the most com-
pelling aspect of biodynamics lies in its spiritual foundations.
I use the word spiritual in its broadest sense. Biodynamics
demands we untie our fi nely honed skills of dissection and
begin to see and feel things in a vastly larger context. It demands
a shift in our consciousness. Not surprisingly, my dance
with biodynamics parallels a shift in my own consciousness.
In my early thirties, living the life of a good red - blooded
MBA, I began to study tai chi. For the fi rst time in my life,
I was able to appreciate the relationship between my mind
and my body. I tried to cultivate it further and further. After
a few years of focused practice, my teacher told me that the
only way I was going to progress was to learn how to meditate.
So, I sought out instruction for meditation, and before too long,
I found myself taken with formal Zen practice and began to do
so at a monastery in the Catskill Mountains of New York.