Give Thanks to the Mother Gaia

Have you heard of the “Mother Gaia”? I hadn’t until my daughter came home singing a springtime song of gratitude: ”Give thanks to the Mother Gaia. Give thanks to the Father Sun. Give thanks to the beautiful garden where the mother and the father are one.” It made me think: When was the last time I gave thanks to Mother Earth? (And why don’t we do it more often?)

At Diestel, we talk about regenerative and sustainable practices, and we strive to reduce waste and instill these values in our team and customers. But honestly, when was the last time we expressed tremendous gratitude for our “Mother Gaia,” the goddess who in ancient traditions was revered as the soul of our earth, a force of maternal power the land is literally born?

In honor of our Mother Gaia, we are going to express our gratitude in a few ways:

1. DONATION Y’ALL:

If you’re local to our beautiful county (Tuolumne, Stanislaus or Calaveras), give us a jingle; we’re going to donate a total of 12 yards of our compost to 2 lucky school or nursery gardens (each organization will receive roughly 6 yards) to help more kids learn the beauty of growing food—and to foster that tremendously important relationship with mother earth. On the heels of this past year, we thought it’d be a great way to kick those school gardens back into high gear. All you need to do is send in a picture of your school garden plot and a message from your students, explaining why you all love Mother Earth. Please send in your submissions to: [email protected].

Fine Print: Open the flood gates because you have until April 29th to send in your submission. Winners will be announced May 7th and the notes & images sent in your submission will be posted on our social channels. Schools must be located in Tuolumne, Stanislaus or Calaveras County and you must have a valid tax-ID.

2. EXPRESS GRATITUDE:

We get it, not everyone operates a commercial composting operation or even has a backyard to compost themselves (or even the desire to). However there are some great ways to get active in the composting arena:

Find a local composting program near you! There are more ways than ever to participate in your local composting program. Google is your best friend here.
Spend some time in nature. It sounds simple, but if it’s been a while since you went on a hike – head out this weekend!
Support your local CSA programs! Yep, another Google search away. When you go from store-bought to local, fresh and beyond organic production of the most delicious fruits and veggies, you’re in for a serious treat.

3. GIVE ‘EM A FOLLOW:

Follow some folks on social who will expand your knowledge of the regenerative movement, who love Mother Earth, and who want to work with her.

@SustainableDish: Diana Rodgers, RD, is a Dietitian and sustainability advocate, also the co-author of Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat.
@ROAMRanch: A multi-species regenerative ranch—deep in the heart of Texas. They are serving it up rare and raw when they talk, so… consider yourself warned.
@DiestelFamilyRanch: Well, that’s funny… How’d that end up here? Hey now… can we help it if we want you to share some social love? Are you following us on social… and have you told your friends? We’re here for you!