Our seminar last week, which is one I have been giving to garden clubs, describes a worldwide war being waged over the total control of our food supply — and the damage to our health, economy and environment from the battles we have lost so far.

It had videos of the almost unbelievable consolidation of seed companies, food processors, and food distributors in just the last few years. There are food experts describing the corresponding decline in food quality — health experts explaining the results of this decline — government researchers being threatened and their research being suppressed — people dying in war time numbers from associated diseases. It is goal of these companies to obtain total control of our food system.

Everywhere that I speak on this topic, when people learn what is happening they ask what they can do.

I tell them to plant a garden.

Learning how to grow food organically is empowering and enriching. Wonderful mythologies have been created to explain the energy cycle that moves from soil to seed to flower to fruit to food to decay, and around again.

A garden helps us understand that the nature of our food is the nature of our energy — and that the real pleasure of our food is in the appreciation of its quality, not quantity.

You learn more about your food by learning the basics of organic gardening — the beneficial relationship between plants and other creatures. This relationship provides essential nutrients, growth hormones, and natural protective systems to grow plants that are as healthy as possible. It improves the conditions for beneficial microbes, beneficial insects and pollinators.

Pest control is assisted by good cultural practices like varietal selection, proper fertilizing, watering, good air circulation, garden cleanup and weeding, and timing plantings to avoid periods when disease or insect problems are prevalent.

Fertility is achieved by the recycling of nutrients from compost, animal manures, cover crops and green manures, and manure or compost teas.

Organic gardening requires a greater knowledge of plants because it practices prevention of diseases and insects. It harnesses the benefits of a natural system that has evolved over 400 million years to grow healthier plants. You can learn about it and teach your children in your own backyard.

And, if you take the time to learn, you could be enjoying the most amazing heirloom tomato sauce from your own garden like we are tonight. You could also be taking money out of the hands of a food industry lobbyist, lawyer, advertiser, or researcher.