“The world is not to be put in order. The world is order. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order.”
― Henry Miller
Henry rested his head in his hands. His crops had produced poor yields again. He’d bought the best quality seeds, and high-quality fertilizer, and followed every instruction to the letter, yet the outcome wasn’t great. He looked over his fence at old John’s plot. Row after row of large healthy looking plants stared back at him.
He packed up his tools and started to head for home, John joined him on the path. After the dutiful discussion about the weather, Henry glanced back down towards the two allotments.
“John, what’s your secret?” he plucked up the courage to ask him.
“To growing?”
“Yea.”
“Cow Sh*t, my lad. Cow Sh*t and Chicken Sh*t.”
“What?” Henry couldn’t keep the shock from his voice.
“Nature, my lad, does a better job than any of us could ever do. She knows already provides all the best solutions we just have to understand them. Manure is better for the soil than anything you can find in your fancy packets. Those books of yours don’t take into account what the weather doing each year, some years like this, it’s worth holding back and putting your crops out a little later, give them a little longer to stand the weather. Whatever your issues, nature usually has the answer. That’s what I’ve found.”
“Thanks John,” Henry said.
The two men stood at the end of the lane ready to part ways.
“One last thing before I go, lad,” John said. “We all have bad years, don’t be too hard on yourself. You will do better, I’m certain.”

Originally written in response to:
Much Love.
KL