simple miracles .. 

a meaning of jambican or, 'that which gives me life..'

the music and voice are my own, the content is long overdue.

The meaning of jambican, or ‘that which gives me life”.

Jambican.   Generally, jambican is a verb-like word meaning ‘the embracing of all of one’s experiences’.  It denotes an active state of being. There have been many iterations:  ‘closer to wild’, ‘the promotion of health and happiness’,  ‘weaving the foundations of social fabric through creation and communication’, and ’creating a peaceful place together’.

Meaning is of course mutable, yet definitely consistent.  The underlying threads are plainly visible. 

I enjoy relating it to the Japanese word of ‘satoyama’.  Which I have come to understand as fulfilling one’s authentic, natural role as an active contributor in nature… more than passive observation, less than active destruction..

Jambican is authenticity, honesty - an embracing of the nature of one’s being.

Jambican wears all these definitions, never simply ‘just growing vegetables and playing music’…(neither of which of course, are devoid of complexity).

On pilgrimage, I was given these words : “acceptance is the gift of life”.  

The goal is to shine more light upon each unique miracle of creation, the complexities in the simple.

There needs to be reverence or simply, respect for all things… all living things, all creation.  This can happen through power of simple observation through clear senses.

Strip bare the cloudy film around the senses, and enjoy the power and beauty of the nakedness of life.

Jambican is an act of being.. the embracing of all of one’s experiences, the act of being closer to wild, the act of being in tune with one’s own nature.. where inner and outer reality coincide. The act of acceptance.

Jambican is a gift of life from this miracle-filled world.

Jambican is a gift of life to this miracle-filled world.

jambican .. we grow, we deliver, we welcome you to our farm

organic vegetables, flowers and farm experiences.. therein lies our focus.

for yourself, your family, your friends, your co-workers, your employees, your students, your teachers.. 

the three of us (man, woman, child) and a host of volunteers throughout the season try our best to bring out that which our land wants to give us.

and the fruits of this labour continue to this moment in time

as of today's date, we still have the following :

• carrots 1kg @ $6
• rutabaga lb/$2
• black radish lb/$2
• daikon lb/$2
• sunchokes lb/$4
• kohl rabi lb/$2
• Gobou 200g/$5

• herb salt $7
• peppery garlic salt $7
• shiso salt $7
• dry beans (clean) 200g/$5

Call us today!

sensational experiences

just a friendly reminder.. searchlight popular voting ends this monday april 13th.

if I or my music activated any of your senses, you could vote with those senses and encourage more sensational experiences from 'man from jambican'

also, we'll be at market (aberdeen pavilion in lansdowne park) this sunday april 12th with more miso, some natto (new!), herb salt and beans of course.

man from jambican will offer musical treats from 12:30-2:30pm.

thank you for reading

next steps.. the future in the present

next steps.. the future in the present

i've been asked what i would get if i win this searchlight competition..

..and after some thought, it would appear that i would get pretty much what i already have...

..the challenges and benefits of being an accompanist.

for most of my working life i have been an accompanist.

i have played a supporting role.

an accompanist is engaged in participatory exercises

an accompanist is a supporter

an accompanist is a source of inspiration

an accompanist brings people closer to achieving their potential

and i will continue in this role, trodding on the road to possibility and capacity, with health and happiness being the substance beneath my feet

there are endless possibilities - in case you were wondering..

imagine - a farm school.. where children of all ages are encouraged to experience the processes of production on a farm specializing in health and happiness.. and to document some of these experiences in an audio format

a compilation of felt experiences expressed through a filter of sound..

adding to the tapestry of life..

to be continued..

welcoming another traveller

we welcome another traveller on the jambican journey..

rinwa has come and joined this journey, and we have welcomed her at every stage along the way up to today.

we honour her choice and pledge to do all in our power to provide her with the means to find health happiness and security.. 

we will change our pace and alter our path as necessary..

..for this journey is a journey of creation ( = rastafari), where we are creating a peaceful place together ( = kagiso).

these have been constants since our journey's beginning.

now we have been joined by our powerful spirit of harmony / peace, and are strengthened as we fondly remember from where we have come, enjoy our presents, and imagine that which may come to pass.

all are welcome on this journey, knowing that the itinerary is clear 

we create a peaceful place together.. through food, music, farming, nurturing, communicating, studying, learning, observing, be-ing, .. and all are welcome.

jambican is hiring

join the jambican experience!

the successful candidates should :

• want a happy life
• be able to recognize what they have been given.. the resources which surround them everyday in every way
• forgo passing value judgements on said resources
• have gratitude for said resources and accept / embrace them in their being
• be willing and able to use their energy to transform said resources into forms useable to others
• be secure in the knowledge that applying inspired acts to given resources gives meaning to one's life (and happiness to others)

here is a job description:

jambican studio gardens is engaged in the business of taking and transforming the offerings from 10 acres of horticultural activities and 20 acres of woodland into products useable to others.

all those involved in this business will have a part in performing the following activities :

mixing soil for starting seeds

planting and transplanting into pots

planting and transplanting into the ground

preparing soil for planting

managing moisture

handling wood chips

handling compost

observing the potentialities in all situations

weeding (providing space and air)

observing insect activity

evaluating plant readiness for harvest

harvesting

washing

post-harvest handling

packing

distribution

communicating business values

communicating potential methods of use (for offered products)

task performance will require 12-20 hours per week from april to october.

remuneration shall be in the form of an hourly wage or payment-in-kind (at market value based on an hourly rate)

other tasks may be added depending on candidate's interests and abilities.

if this posting is sparking some interest, please respond to csamuels at storm dot ca or 613-299-9183

thank you for your time

the jambican csa 2014 season

christmas markets are finished..

seed catalogues have arrived..

post-mortem has been performed on the 2013 season..

now it is csa time!

jambican's version of Community Supported Agriculture is centred around a food box delivered or picked up weekly or bi-weekly.

our basic food box contains 3 bunches of greens (cooking), 3 bunches of roots (with tops normally), 3 boxes of fruiting veggies, 2 bunches of herbs, and cut flowers.

each box contains 'extras' - which can include things such as strawberries, gooseberries, hot sauce, herb salt, dry beans, whole grains, dried vegetables, vegan baking and much more.

we offer three options - full shares (16 weeks from july to october) for $720.00, extended shares (20 weeks from mid-june to mid-november) for $900.00, and half shares (every second week from july to october) for $360.00.

work shares are also available for those who wish to participate in the jambican experience on a deeper level.

some form of committed interest would be appreciated by march 15, 2014.

we are limiting our memberships in line with our production capacities, so please keep this in mind as you weigh your food options for the season.

alternatively, we can still be found at both the main street market and the ottawa farmers' market from may to november.

enjoy life with health and happiness..

saucing up a storm

it's that time of year again when we take the fruits of our outside labours and put them in a more lasting form.  

this year's scotch bonnet harvest was particularly nice, so we have been able to make some sauces with quite a kick to them.

for us the flavour is of prime importance, so with or without the heat the careful selection of our available produce is what makes our sauces special.

we make small batches with an ever-changing list of ingredients.. it's difficult to get bored with a selection of jambican sauces.

our sauces will be available at the ottawa farmers' market christmas markets (dec 14, 15, 21, 22 @ the ernst and young centre on uplands drive near the airport).