Field Notes from my journey creating Living Ground, Ecuador.
“If I want people to care about the Earth itself, about the land and soil that feed us, about the way our food, medical, political, and religious systems are shaping us, and about how divided and dysfunctional we have become, then I need to plant those concerns inside stories that are wide enough and deeply connective enough that others can recognize themselves within them.” Leisha of the Living Ground Project.
Living Ground Recent Posts
When Healing Threatens the System – The Business of Dependency
Many systems in modern society are no longer built around creating healthy, independent, resilient human beings because independent people eventually stop feeding the system financially. Over…
What Mother Earth Teaches about Love
Today is Mother’s Day, and for some women, it is not a day filled with flowers, phone calls, grandchildren climbing into their laps, or family gathered…
The Living Ground of Ecuador Book Has Arrived
After years of writing, walking the mountains and forests of Ecuador, sitting with plants, listening to local knowledge, building gardens, studying the soil microbiome, and witnessing…
Ecological Memory
There was a time, once upon a time, when human beings lived in much deeper relationship with the living world. I do not care whether your…
Remembering Jim, Living Forward
Today is Jim’s birthday. Happy heavenly birthday!!! I woke up with him on my mind in a way that feels close. I wish he was here…
The Ecology of Modern Disease
What I keep coming back to lately is how much modern medicine resembles industrial agriculture. The parallels are becoming difficult for me to ignore. In both…
Walking Through Understanding
There is a point where living naturally, thinking independently, and learning to trust your own perceptions can become something deeply beautiful. It can reconnect us to…
Are the Kidneys Filtering?
In live blood analysis, one of the first things I notice is that the body is never still. Even when someone feels tired, stuck, or unwell,…
The Law Beneath Life
There is a principle I was raised with that never left me, even when I questioned everything else around it. It was simple in its wording,…
Between Holding and Letting Go
I have been sitting with something growing inside me, and I have chosen not to call it a disease. I will not give it that word,…
Food, Law, and Common Sense: How Did We Get So Disconnected?
There is a strange disconnect in the modern world that becomes impossible to ignore once you begin to follow anything back to its source. We speak…
Protected: What I Am Carrying, What I Am Releasing
The Living Ground Project is a visionary initiative dedicated to fostering self-reliance and sustainable living through hands-on education and community empowerment. Our mission is to create a thriving, living example of holistic sustainability, from nurturing healthy soil to cultivating diverse foods and medicines, and transforming these into nourishing, delicious products. We aim to be a comprehensive educational center, teaching both locals and visitors the skills needed for self-sufficiency, while also providing opportunities for eco-tourism and cultural exchange. The project encompasses a natural health food store, café, and apothecary, showcasing the practical applications of our sustainable practices. By offering rare and unusual plants and seeds, we promote biodiversity and encourage others to explore unique cultivation methods. Our vision extends to developing a product line of essential oils and producing microbe-rich inoculants, emphasizing the importance of soil health and natural farming methods. We offer land consulting services to help others regenerate their soils and transition away from chemical dependency. Additionally, we host health and healing retreats, workshops, and educational programs focused on human health, particularly the human microbiome, aiming to reduce dependency on pharmaceuticals. Central to our vision is the creation of meaningful local employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, demonstrating that self-reliance and community support can go hand in hand. Through these diverse efforts, the Living Ground Project aspires to be a beacon of sustainable living, inspiring individuals and communities worldwide to embrace self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and collaborative growth
