Yard work. Never cared for it.

Maybe it’s because I grew up in a giant yard in the middle of a forest? Or maybe it’s because the chores never seemed to end? Or maybe it’s because my father embraced a pointless but unwavering commitment to landscaping and curb appeal?  Beats me. I can only tell you that my brothers and I were drafted into this eternal conflict at an early age, with what one might call a conspicuous lack of basic training.

Armed with a vast array of modern weaponry, we were sent out every weekend to confront a determined foe. Acres of grass that refused to stop growing, weeds that laid siege to the perimeter of my parent’s farmhouse, and magical trees that needed to be pruned every few hours. We were doomed to fail of course, and overwhelmed by the futility of it all, which is why I now live in a condo. So then, why did I have so much fun last month, laboring for 10 hours in the back yard of a total stranger? Mostly, because the stranger was this guy – Sgt. Peter Mavropolous.

Peter came back from Iraq a few weeks ago from his second tour, and found his property an overgrown shambles. The knucklehead who had agreed to maintain his modest home while he was away had flaked out, and after two years of neglect, Peter’s yard slowly morphed into a condemned lot. (Can you imagine? I mean seriously – what kind of slacker agrees to look after a soldiers property and then lets it go all to hell while his buddy is off getting shot at in a foreign land?) Happily, a group of volunteers materialized, and spent their Saturday restoring Sgt. Peter’s place back into the home it looked like when he left two years earlier. Read More...

Five years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast the deep emotional and physical wounds are still being felt today. HBO recently premiered their new drama series TREME which follows a group of New Orleans locals as they struggle to deal with the aftermath of that brutal storm. As that show explores, life is full of disasters both big and small. Many of those “little” disasters we fix among our own family or circle of friends.

Although based on true stories, TREME is still just a scripted show. In the real world, when devasting natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires or earthquakes strike thousands of people instantly become caught in the crosshairs of destruction. Yet, as history has proven time and again there is one thing they can count on: help is on the way from the U.S. Military first responders. Nowhere was this more evident then during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

On some level we all lived through Hurricane Katrina as video images of the misery and destruction were broadcast seemingly around the clock. But while the news organizations were scrambling for their stories, the U.S. Coast Guard was busy at the hard work of saving lives. Days before landfall, it became evident that Hurricane Katrina was going to be whopper of a storm. In coordination with local, state and federal agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard began mobilizing its forces. Air crews were pre-stage in Texas, Florida and North Carolina. Semper Paratus or Always Ready is the Coast Guard’s motto. They were ready. Then came the waiting game to see how truly bad this storm would become. Read More...

From the outbox of Meyer’s inbox:

We’re all about the Vets here at mrW. Our first impulse is to provide them with the resources to help get them to work as they return for service. Naturally, we think trades first but why not farming first as well? Okay, that would make trades and farming wrestling to be first but you get the idea. Here’s a recent profile about one Iraq war veteran who’s spreading this good idea to his band of brothers.

FROM SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES: INTRODUCING MILITARY VETERANS TO FARMING by Mary MacVean for the Los Angeles Times

Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training and other groups aim to encourage former soldiers, sailors and Marines to consider careers in farming and other food-related businesses.

After Colin Archipley and his wife sold their tiny Venice house and bought 2 acres of land in Escondido in 2005, he started caring for the 200 avocado trees on the land just because they were there. That turned out to be a catalyst for a new life for the Iraq war veteran.

After leaving the Marines in 2006, Archipley, 29, had a vision of replicating the teamwork and proficiency of his military colleagues. He found that business: Archi’s Acres now grows herbs and greens — and avocadoes — on 6 acres, some of which he owns and some of which he rents, selling at farmers markets and to Whole Foods and other retailers. Archipley and his wife, Karen, have also started Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training, an organization geared particularly to service-disabled, combat-experienced post- 9/11 veterans.

The Archipleys were among about 75 farmers, retailers and other vendors at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium last week for a career fair to encourage veterans to go into farming and other food-related careers.

Participants could talk with potential employers as well as taste food from several well-known chefs, including Josie LeBalch, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. The city of Santa Monica donated the space for the fair, and the Santa Monica Farmers Market set up produce displays. Read More...