David King is the Garden Master of The Learning Garden in West Los Angeles. He supervises the garden’s growth and works to create a single, unified garden. He teaches people that we will soon need to grow at least a portion of our food. David was featured in the inspiring documentary “The Need to Grow.”
In the beginning of our conversation, David talks about launching The Learning Garden at Venice High School in southern California. Aside from growing fruits, vegetables and other plants, the garden also includes a Chinese medicinal garden, a fabric garden and much more. There’s also a diverse community of people working in the garden.
David tells a very poignant story from years ago about struggling to find a job after being sober for several years. Feeling discouraged and hopeless, he wandered into a garden on a rainy day and realized that all of the plants were talking to him. This was a profoundly healing experience, and it changed his life. It helped him discover his highest purpose as a caretaker of plants, soil and Mother Earth as well as her inhabitants.
Later, David talks about his seed saving library. He explains that the diversity of vegetables and other plants have been lost over the years. He says: “The disappearance of so many cultivars is scary.” Not only are we losing diversity of the plants, but we are also losing diversity in the soil, since industrial chemical agriculture is destroying the very life and structure of the soil.
Ultimately, David says that we are in dire straits. It will take people with understanding and love for this planet and the people on this planet to turn things around. He reminds us: “You can’t fight this war by being negative.”
In terms of practices that keep him grounded and peaceful, David says that he prays with his feet and his hands. He hopes that his healing garden will give people the peace that they need.
You can learn more about The Learning Garden here: https://www.thelearninggarden.org/
You can also connect with David King on Facebook right here.
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