Mary Beth Lind, co-author of the Simply in Season cookbook, visited campus March 29 to share her thoughts on eating locally and seasonally, and how those thoughts are a part of her spirituality.  A question and answer time followed her presentation, as well as a book signing. The event was sponsored by the Student Nutrition Awareness Coalition.  Here she shares with The Bridge Online:

My garden and my kitchen are my altars, the places where I connect with God. God becomes incarnate to me in my garden and in my kitchen. I, in turn, incarnate God to the land and to my community by my care of the garden and by the food I prepare in my kitchen.

Ten things I've learned from my garden:

1. Plant lots of seeds.

2. Work hard, but know it's all grace.

3. Be pro-life because your life depends on it. Healthy dirt is alive; don't kill it with chemicals or bad practices.

4. Resurrections are normal. My compost pile is my daily reminder of life after death, of hope.

5. Black and white is okay, but color is much better. The all American white diet: white potatoes, white bread, white meat, and white iceberg lettuce. Make your plate a palette of color.

6. There is a time for everything, but not everything all the time. Eat with the seasons.

7. Pruning and thinning are necessary.

8. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversity and variety are essential.

9. Walk gently.

10. All things are connected.