KuidaOsumi Supporting South Central Farmers

Joan Baez says, "Save the Farm" (photo from her website)

Today Maiya is 16 months old. Hard to believe how fast the time goes. She is understanding more and more each day. Ask her where her pom-pom is, and she'll lift her shirt and point to her belly button. She can lift her leg and touch her feet if you ask her where her feet are. She can identify duckie, doggie, kitty cat, boy, girl, birdy and cow in any book, if you ask her where it is. It's very cute. Words we have heard her say are mama, dad dad, birdy (ba dee), dog (sounds like dad, but points to dog), yes and no. Maiya loves dogs from a distance, but if they start coming towards her, she gets a little freaked out if they come too close or too fast. Tantrums are frequent and intense. She loves balloons, and playing in dirt and water. This weekend I bought her a little sandbox/swimming pool shaped like a turtle for $5 at a garage sale. It was the happiest $5 I ever spent.

Tonight, we went to the South Central Farm, for the third time this week. We went to the Candlelight Vigil on Friday night, then the Farmer's Market on Sunday, and again tonight for the vigil we went with friends in J-town. It is a beautiful green oasis amidst warehouse after warehouse. 14 acres of urban farm, the largest in the nation. 350 families, mostly Mexican and Central American, grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and other indigenous medicinal plants.

Tony, his partner Kathy, and their students have been going more frequently, supporting the farmers. Kathy took a 4 a.m. shift the other day, and one of their students has been staying at the encampment several nights for the last week. We saw Julia Butterfly Hill and Daryl Hannah, who are up in a walnut tree in protest. You just have to walk the farm and see the beauty of all of the lush green vegetables and fruits, and why it should not be destroyed for the developer to build another lousy warehouse.

The other night, Maiya, Tony and I joined the procession, walking around the perimeter of the farm. Maiya walked about 3/4 of the way around by herself. Tonight's chant was "Save the Farm, Si Se Puede." I could see Maiya swaying and rocking to the beat. So proud of our little girl. It's ok that her favorite part was playing in the dirt. She's getting the seeds of activism from a grassroots perspective, so to speak.