Living with the Lake

Yesterday, my wife and I took a course on organic gardening. By no means are we experts and if anything have found out just how little we know about caring for and being caretakers of our environment. However, I did learn that we don't have to eat bean sprouts and wear Birkenstocks to do our part in reducing our impact on the environment and landscape. 

For some time now, we have been avid recyclers. Weekly, we sort the items for trash collection and when we were building our house, we tried to make choices in the building process that would save energy and further reduce our impact on the environment. Like everyone, we can always do better and by embracing the vision that this is a journey and not a destination, we can all take steps to lessen the impact on our world.  

But I digress, the course we took was in Matthews and sponsored by a company called Organic Plant Health. Billy Styles is the founder and President of the company and was a key participant in the panel of professionals. He is a fifth generation farmer and an international expert on organic gardening. This was one of the best things I have spent a Saturday doing in a very long time. I walked out with confirmation that my lawn would be an ongoing project (I've told my wife it will be no less than 5 years to get it where I want it and then I will have to maintain it) and living in such close proximity to the lake that there are no minor treatments to our garden and yard, that every thing we put on or in the soil effects everything around us, including LKN. Therefore, I need to be always aware of even very small things that I do. 

I have personally spent a lifetime working my way to living on what I consider one of the most beautiful and enjoyable places on earth, Lake Norman. It is now my responsibility to do everything I can to make sure it survives and even thrives for generations to come. Now I am going to have some bean sprouts and slip into my sandals before I head out to the yard.