Leisha ‘I’m thrilled to share exciting developments at the Living Ground Project Site – the creation of a secret garden soon to be home to 54 versatile plants, thriving globally. As part of my recent mission, I’m diligently digitizing teachings on self-reliance, covering topics like Microbe Compost creation, sustainable gardening, and adding nutritional value to harvested foods.
An invaluable addition is the Live Blood teaching tool, empowering individuals to monitor their health using a simple $100 or $200 microscope. Manuals on health protocols and a comprehensive 650-page book on the 54 herbs are in the works. The first draft is complete, and I’m currently navigating the intricacies of formatting.
This digital treasure trove will become part of Living Ground’s online courses, enriching minds globally. The Project Site serves as a living manifestation of these courses, welcoming apprentices, guests, and tourists to gain hands-on experience. Our goal is to empower individuals to return to their communities, spreading wisdom and knowledge for a brighter, self-reliant future.
The new greenhouse which has just been completed will be the nursery for these 54 plants. I have also created a card deck that will accompany the sale of any plant. Collectors cards!
Here is a sneak peak from The Secret’s of the Garden – Living Ground’s book….
Welcome to a walk-through of a living herbarium, a place that showcases the multifaceted relationships between microbes, humans and plants.
This book is a written version of a real garden in Southern Ecuador. At the heart of Living Ground Project in southern Ecuador, these pages come to life in a secret garden, where plants illustrate the lessons etched in their roots, stalks, leaves and petals. This book is the written version of this garden. It is intended that plants themselves emerge as orators of this book sharing their untamed wilderness. The emphasis on “Wild” as an identity signals a resistance to domestication and control.
The herbs planted in this book grow anywhere in the world. This is narrative where plants and nature are given characters to convey messages about ecology, environmentalism, or the intrinsic value of the natural world.
My name is Leisha. I intend to show you how each microbe and plant has played a role in nature’s creation, medicine, food, and culture. This written library is more than just a collection of plants; it’s an exhibit of the partnerships between people and the botanical world. I will also share the tenacity of the plants many who are considered weeds and how they have transformed the world around us and continue to be our steadfast allies.
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We are Wild, the ones you cannot contain. We have no interest in being in your cultivated gardens. Rather, we eat the sun and cultivate each other, drawing on the life force energy of the dirt. Some years we ourish, creating abundance, and some years we almost fade away. These ever-returning cycles of life generating life are the way of the Wild.”
After delving into the profound wisdom Dr Elaine’s new science on the soil food web, I underwent a transformative awakening that challenged my long-held beliefs as a natural healer. I came to a profound realization that the paths of natural health and allopathic medicine were actually taking the same approach to health and disease—their common ground being the battle against microbes. The germ theory! A
lthough, yes, using natural substances is better, the outcome and the intentions are the same. It is a war on microbes, the very essence of all life. Since a young child, I have been a devoted lover of wild nature. Plants, both medicinal and culinary, have been companions for over 4 decades. And, I have had culinary, medicinal and vegetable gardens for 4 decades. The other 3 decades were in Canada were I learned the art of seasonal growing, harvesting and preserving. Since being in Southern Ecuador, I can grow year round. Both have had their learning curves and challenges.
Twelve years back, while hitting middle age, I took a leap and moved to the South Andes mountains in Ecuador. Yes, it was probably a crisis time for me. While this relocation wasn’t a part of any premeditated plan and could be seen as an impulsive response to a mid-life crisis, it evolved into a journey of discovering how to lead a life based on my own principles, free from dependence on money or societal norms. It was a raw and unromantic experience, yet I embraced this lifestyle for a duration of four years. In Ecuador, the ability to cultivate crops throughout the year doesn’t necessarily translate to easier gardening compared to Canada. I hold the belief that seeds possess an inherent timekeeping mechanism, triggered by environmental factors even in the warm and semi-tropical conditions here. Placing seeds in the soil doesn’t guarantee immediate sprouting; in fact, it might take weeks or even months for them to germinate. While the specic reasons behind this phenomenon remain unclear to me, I am gradually advancing in my comprehension of these intricate cycles. It is a fascinating learning experience.
Most of my adult life, I have had an insatiable thirst for knowledge that led to delving into the realms of herbalism, ayurveda, homeopathy, and naturopathy. I don’t think there has been a time in my life when I was not studying about health and healing. Five years ago, I embarked on a transformative journey with Dr. Elaine Ingham, becoming a certied Consultant and Soil Microbe Lab Technician.
Humbled by the revelation to stop the war on germs, I recognized that my organic gardening practices and approach to natural health were inadvertently aligned with this “germ theory” and its a war mentality. This had a profound impact on my perspective, prompting me to reevaluate my practices and embark on a journey of unlearning, seeking a harmonious coexistence with the living world.
