“I started the garden in 2006 as an effort to help beautify Texas Avenue and its surrounding community, and to educate others about growing organically. It was my belief that if the community could see a living example of what could be done on a small scale, then others would do the same. That is still my belief.

“That first year I planted the entire garden in flowers. Now I grow flowers and vegetables.

“My love of gardening began as a child. I learned so much from my parents and grandparents. I have always had a garden. It connects me to my past, my family and the earth.”

— Noe Tristan

The post Organic garden provides personal connections appeared first on The Baytown Project.

There was major back surgery, followed by an infection and bad reaction to strong antibiotics. Ongoing pain issues led to losing her job. A fall brought on additional problems and doctor visits. Then came a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease.

To say the least, it’s been a rough couple of years for this blended family mom of five.

“Six weeks ago I couldn’t sign my name. There were days I couldn’t even get out of bed. I had been on antibiotics for 18 months. I was tired of doctors who it seemed like couldn’t help me anymore.

“Everything I read said it was what we were eating. Your gut health has so much to do with your overall being. So my husband and I started going toward a more organic, fresh-eating lifestyle. We began going to farmers markets and eating fresh because I was tired of being on medicine all the time. I wanted to see if I could be healthier with my eating.

“Plus, that was when I was at my heaviest, 225 pounds. I couldn’t do much exercising because of all the surgeries and stuff, and I didn’t want to gain any more weight. So I started following a very strict diet and protocol, and within two weeks I saw a major change in the way I felt. It’s astounding. I have been completely amazed.

“Because of that, my passion now is to get the word out. I know so many people who are dealing with things like rheumatoid arthritis or IBS, or they’re lactose intolerant, or they have fibromyalgia or autoimmune disorders. They don’t know why, and they’re in pain all the time. Those are the people I try to educate about eating right and how what they put into their bodies affects them. Changing what you eat can make all the difference in the world.”

— Christy Morris Reeves

Follow Christy on her Beloved Restoration page on Facebook.

Related:

• Eating healthy means eating fresh and organic

The post Eating right key to enjoying healthy life appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I try to tell as many people as I can how important it is to know where your food comes from. The government is not going to tell you what’s happening to your food.

“Most fruits and vegetables in our local grocery stores travel an average of 1,200-1,300 miles before they end up there. And even if it’s organic, the USDA allows a certain amount of gassing to the produce so it can last and stay in the stores. That’s why I try to push farmers markets. I tell people to meet your farmer, know who your farmer is, know where your food is coming from.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking for my family, but now I’ve learned to cook differently. A lot of people will say it’s too expensive to eat organic. Well, we have six kids at our house all the time, and I feed them completely organic and it’s fine. When you’re not buying bags of donuts and chips and spending $30 at Whataburger or Sonic, then you can eat healthy. You really can.

“I say eat local, eat fresh, eat organic. Know what’s being done to your food. Start looking into and paying attention to what you’re feeding your family because you could very well be the one who’s making them sick.”

— Christy Morris Reeves

Follow Christy on her Beloved Restoration page on Facebook.

Related:

• Eating right key to enjoying healthy life

The post Eating healthy means eating fresh and organic appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I like to call myself a horticulturist. But I guess that’s just a glorified way of saying farmer or gardener. I specialize in gourmet mushrooms.

“I’ve converted a large room in my father’s house into a grow room. Hopefully, when I have a little more money, I’ll be able to build a legitimate one outside. I also grow vegetables and stuff on a bit of land we have.

“I try to cater to the exotic to go along with the mushrooms. For example, last year I grew rattlesnake beans that look similar to rattlesnake skin. I also have grown moon and stars watermelon. If you use your imagination, it’s kind of like looking at a moonlit sky.

“I have this thing about going to the grocery store and seeing all the chemicals and stuff they put into our food. So maybe by doing my part to inject a healthier lifestyle into the community with the things that I grow, that will start to rub off. I find that people here are really looking to live a little bit healthier. I hope I can help with that.”

— Kurt Grevenberg

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• ‘I worry if I’ll have to say goodbye to more loved ones’

The post Healthy lifestyle important to local ‘farmer’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“The problem is that corporations have messed with the way food is grown. They’re genetically modifying it. For example, they spray a lot of things with glyphosate, which was the active ingredient in Agent Orange. They say it’s safe, but it’s not safe. It’s making people sick. There are people with all kinds of digestive issues, to name the least of the problems that it creates.

“The food that we get from the grocery store, most of it is dead. It doesn’t have enzymes in it like it should. It just isn’t what it used to be because they changed farming so much, claiming that we needed it to feed the world. But those were all lies.

“When I got sick in 2013 with celiac disease, I started researching everything and it really opened my eyes. Now I eat mostly organic and very little processed food. I feel a ton better. I have more energy than I have in years.

“Socrates said, ‘Let food be thy medicine.’ I’m passionate about our food and what it’s done for my life. If you eat right, it’s amazing.”

— Kim Buscaglia

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• Fighting for the bees and our food supply

The post Her motto: ‘Let food be thy medicine’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

The post Like mother, like daughter when it comes to health appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“We recommend going organic. It really works, and it’s harmless to people and animals.

“Everybody wonders why their gardens don’t do well, why they don’t have flowers and fruit. It’s because they’re spraying all this toxic stuff on their plants and trees and shrubs, and they’re killing the bee population. There’s no pollination.

“The last few years, more people are starting to go organic.”

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