Opening Up the discourse
In 330 BC, at the same time Alexander the Great was off conquering Asia, Aristotle was enhancing daily life in Athens. He gathered deep thinkers and started a school, open to the public and free of charge in which he called the Lyceum. Here is where Aristotle invented the notion of intellectual discipline. And thus he divided his ideas up into three kinds of science. Productive, practical and theoretical. Often discussed were topics like ethics, politics, physics, metaphysics, engineering, architecture and more.
History proves there has always been a utility for open forum and free exchange of ideas. These virtues are what our little school here on the East End of Long Island were founded on in 1994.
So with the shoes in front of me waiting to be filled I am taking another step towards what Aristotle might deem productive. The Nature Lyceum is taking to the inter-web to bring steadfast ideas and information to the public.
I've started a show and asked a wonderful friend and farmer to host with me, Abra Morawiec from Feisty Acres. She and her partner Chris run a successful specialty poultry and game bird operation on the North Fork. They have been a great source of knowledge and insight for me on my agricultural journey so it felt fitting to have Abra on the show. She is a trusted mind, with a no bullshit attitude and versed experience to back it all up.
In this technological age information is increasingly hard to sort through. I personally got involved in agriculture to gain my own experience in a world that people hold so many strong opinions about. I'm looking to open up the discourse and understand reality through more perspectives. My hope and my goal with the podcast and the Nature Lyceum in general, is to be a source for alternative perspectives. I want to enhance our sense of quality not just through our soil and our food, though we can do that too. But I am also focused on our quality of information and how it's delivered to us.
We'll be bringing on different farmers to talk about their field of expertise and maybe some misconceptions that come along with it. In the first episode we scratch the surface on a few topics that we'll cover more in-depth as time goes on. Some of those topics include, organic certifications, regulated words in agriculture, the cost of getting by, and a fun dip into vegan/vegetarian trends in young gals. Can't miss it.
A Grandpa Jeff story:
I can remember him using his hand as an invisible crank next to his head as if he were rolling a tape and say something along the lines of...
"you're the director of your own movie, you can change the wardrobe, you can change the cast, re-write the plot, fire the director and make it a comedy."
It's all a practice. Welcome to my movie friends, I hope it is informative, I hope you laugh, ask questions and think outside the box.