While most of us are not farmers, we do have the ability to grow plants in our homes and bring the essence of life to our surroundings.

Two years ago, after attending the now defunct Creative Health Institute (CHI) in Michigan, I began sprouting seeds and growing wheatgrass. The simple act of planting, watering and watching the plants grow was new to me.

As my garden grew, I became smitten with the taste and wholesomeness of sprouts, such as fenugreek and mung bean sprouts, and the burst of energy they provide. It was then that I began doing my own research into wheatgrass and other types of plants.

“ON A DAILY BASIS, I AM TRULY AMAZED BY THE GIFT OF GOD, THE SEED”

I discovered from a simple Google search that wheatgrass contains iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll and vitamins A, C and E. It helps boost the immune system and kills harmful bacteria in the digestive system.
I also learned that wheatgrass is nontoxic and one of the best sources of chlorophyll, which arrests the growth and development of unfriendly
bacteria.

So I set about formalizing the grow process at my place, purchasing a couple of different sprouters and some inexpensive equipment. I grew the wheatgrass both hydroponically and in soil. I watched the seven-to-10-day process whereby this diminutive little bud of nature, the seed, grows into a respectable blade of grass, ready to be harvested, consumed daily and to become an essential part of my journey to living healthier.

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I was deeply moved by the power that lay inside the wheatgrass seed, and any seed, for that matter. Imagine, I thought, that a simple seed, something the size of a big crumb, contains within it all the nutrients it requires to get a kick-start in nature. That little fella has a hardened coat protecting it. Inside of it, one will find an embryo, which is essentially the baby plant. Mind blowingly, as the seed begins to grow, one part of that embryo evolves into the plant, while a second part becomes the root of the plant.

As I studied, I considered the Godliness of all of this. It is telling that after Noah and his family exited the ark after the flood, they planted a vineyard. They had the wherewithal to carry with them handfuls of seeds, so that once the waters had subsided, they would set about germinating the world once again. We could say that all the lush vegetation, the rainforests and the vast acres of farmland, that we have today, emanated from those small, yet robust, seeds.

My quest to become a domestic farmer continues to inspire me. On a daily basis, I am truly amazed by the gift of God, the seed, which is available in plenty. I am amazed that a 2,000-year-old seed discovered in the remains of Masada grew into a date palm tree. It seems that seeds are ageless.

I am getting older. As I do, or because I am, my fingers crave the texture of earth. I want to nurture the blades of wheatgrass and the sprouting seeds. My inner farmer is surfacing. My appreciation for this world and its gifts, like wheatgrass, seem to be unending.