Earth Care – People Care – Future Care
This book includes over 400 Pages filled with practical gardening/preserving techniques, regenerative ideas and delicious recipes that offer the reader a ‘passport for the senses’ allowing them to experience flavors from far away lands (includes recipes with cultural roots in over 20 countries spreading over 4 continents!).
Here are a few reviews from people that have read the most up to date version of the book:
Reciprocity
This concept of “returning the gift” is not just a philosophical idea, but rather a bio-physical fact of life. It is woven into the fabric of nature and can be observed in all layers of life. It can be seen in the mighty old growth trees and their symbiotic relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi and it can be seen in the human gastro-intestinal tract where beneficial bacteria help us to digest our food and protect our bodies from invading pathogens. In fact, reciprocity can be felt in every breath you take, for the oxygen that breaths life into you is the result of the plants who breathed in CO-2 and in return gave oxygen.
In nature symbiosis is the norm and many ancient cultures saw mother earth and the fellow beings we share this world with (plants, animals, fungi, insects etc.) who all live by the covenant of reciprocity as wise teachers. These were cultures that taught their young that when we receive a gift from the Earth we must in turn give back to the Earth. This is the way eco-systems thrive and become ancient resilient communities of diverse life. Communities of abundance, regeneration, and beauty that foster the unfolding of beings of many shapes and sizes into ever higher levels of complexity, beauty and uniqueness.
Many humans in the modern world have forgotten what it means to be part of a community of life (eco-system) based in reciprocity. We have been told the story of “consumers” and “natural resources”, “profit margins” and the illusion of scarcity. We humans now face a choice, we can either revitalize the ancient knowledge and way of living that honors the gifts mother earth shares with us by giving back to her in return, or we can choose to define ourselves as “consumers”, “takers” and live with a parasitic relationship to the living planet that sustains us. One path leads to abundance, true fulfillment, understanding, inter-connectivity, health, longevity, peace, and joy… and the other leads to the host organism (the Earth) having to expel the parasitic presence we have chosen to become and the collapse of modern civilization. There is no middle road. We have pushed the eco-systems to the breaking point and the systems our centralized ‘consumer’ society are built upon will inevitably collapse in the face of soil depletion/erosion, manipulated markets, inflation and the unstable supply lines of toxic industrial food system. The Earth now calls those of us who wish to walk a path with a heart towards a brighter future to give back to her for what which we as a collective have taken.
Choosing to walk the path of reciprocity can take many forms through our choices as individuals. The form of our expression can range from composting, mulching, planting a garden, planting a food forest, teaching children to care for plants (and the soil they grow in) and expressing gratitude to mother earth through closely observing her living systems and seeing what they can teach us about how we can come into balance with the ecosystems. There are countless opportunities for us to give back to mother earth and the limits are only defined by our imagination. Each and everyone of us can look inward to discover our own unique gifts and through living through the lens of gratitude and symbiosis we can allow those unique gifts to form a reciprocal relationship with the living planet that sustains us all.
In choosing to discover and utilize our gifts to give back to the living planet that gives so much for us we are embarking on a path of aligning with the forces of regeneration. When we align with nature to heal to soil, the air, the water and our relationship to all facets of the Earth and beyond we are really embarking on the path to heal ourselves. To give our energy to nurture life and align with the creative momentum of nature is a path to receiving medicine for the soul.
In this book I will offer the techniques and information that will enable you to be able to give back to the living soil through composting your kitchen and yard waste. This act goes far beyond just creating a valuable garden resource for producing more nutritious and delicious food, it means helping bring resilience back to the living soil and sequestering atmospheric CO-2 into the ground.
When we choose to set up an organic food garden we are withdrawing our support from industries that are hurting the Earth and we can use composting and mulching to not only give back to the Earth but also help to heal the carbon cycle in the process. Even starting small, each one of us can become part of the solution (while also taking better care of our bodies and improving our quality of life at the same time). We can nourish our selves, our loved ones and the planet and create a brighter future together, one garden at a time.
Permaculture
For me Permaculture was a very natural unfolding as I always saw nature as my greatest teacher growing up. It has served to help me see what I once called ‘problems’ as solutions and what I once considered as ‘obstacles’ as opportunities in disguise. Through learning to look at my garden (and the world around me) through ‘the Permaculture lens’ (“Nature’s eyes”) I was able to hone my ability to grow more nutritious crops (using less space) and requiring less physical work. It is a path way of learning and perception that allows us to become ‘apprentices to nature’ which increases our efficiency, productivity and positive ripple effects of our gardening (and other activities in life). Forests do not need to be fertilized or watered, permaculture offers us the tools and concepts to align with natural cycles that make the abundance, diversity, and resilience we observe in the natural eco-systems around us to make our garden space just as productive and self-sustaining.
I am grateful to all of you that have chosen to embark on this adventure with me. Together, we will make this world a more beautiful place, one regenerative garden at a time.
I will be sharing sneak peaks and excerpts from my book in my newsletter / blog on substack. You can sign up for the email list to be notified when I post a new blog here: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/
For those of you interested in purchasing an Ebook copy of my book that option is now available through this link: https://payhip.com/b/6P5Ab?fbclid=IwAR0VqL9rabDDvYPQP1apVtVh9-PwgnTYMVSrRn_KBeKWn30icgwcDT3bPZ8
If you wish to order a physical copy of the book, that option is available here: https://recipesforreciprocity.com/shop/softcover/
Reviews For Recipes For Reciprocity
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“I love my copy! Healthy bodies can only come from healthy food. Healthy food can only come from healthy soil. This book covers it all! And the quality is second to none. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to create this work of educational art. It is the best cookbook using permaculture principles that is on the market!”
“Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way from Seed to Table explores regenerative practices, permaculture, stacking functions, and other very specific and practical information. As the title suggests, it includes plenty of recipes for things that can be made in the kitchen from the things that you’re growing in the garden. But it also contains very specific and practical tips for people who are serious about actually weaning themselves off of the industrial food supply, the system feeding us processed chemical gunk that so many of us are stuck on. Its pages suggests processes and practices that help shape your garden into something that’s productive and regenerative. It is holistic in every way.”
James Corbett of corbettreport.com was kind enough to offer the review above and pic of him holding his copy of my book.
James Corbett is an award-winning investigative journalist, James Corbett founded The Corbett Report website in 2007 as an outlet for independent political and societal analysis.
The Corbett Report is an independent, listener-supported alternative news source. It operates on the principle of open source intelligence and provides solutions based podcasts, interviews, articles and videos about breaking news and important issues from 9/11 Truth and false flag terror to the Big Brother police state, eugenics, geopolitics, the central banking fraud and more.
Kim from Australia recently sent me the following pics and review:
“I waited with anticipation for this book to wing (or maybe sail) its way to Australia, and was not disappointed. It’s a treasure trove of inspiring ideas, using plants as seasonally available. Just a glance at the lovingly-photographed harvests and food sets me off thinking about what I can do with what I have in the garden. Not just inspirational though, this is a practical, useful book, not one for sitting on a shelf looking pretty, but for the “survival bible” section of the bookshelf.
So far I have tried out the fresh and fermented Sambal Matah (which was excellent) and can’t wait til my daikons are ready for Purple Dragon Chi. I really like the way most of the recipes can be adapted with what you have, or don’t have, on hand – an essential quality if you prefer to stick with only what you grew yourself.
I also like the section on soil remediation, and the fabulous additional reading. I want to add John Ott’s book “Health and Light” and the concept that plants are really stored light, to go with the light we get from being outside, tending to our gardens.“
The picture below shows Ken in Kjipuktuk (aka Halifax) in Mi’kma’ki (aka Nova Scotia) reading his copy of my book.
Ken was kind enough to share a review on his website stating “This book is my new bible!” and he later wrote me an email stating
“In a world where the moral compass seems to have gone missing, it’s refreshing – almost shocking – to discover an author with such a well-rooted sense of direction.
I show my copy of Recipes for Reciprocity to friends and strangers alike.
Response highlights:
- “A frigging amazing how to…”
- “This should be core curriculum in all schools”
- “This is such a good book, I want a copy”
No doubt about — Gavin inspires what must be the most important SOC (Self Organizing Community) on the planet today!”
For more info on how he came to hold that copy of my book in his hands and info on the amazing organic oat creations that he sells (and barters with) read this note.
Sheila from Tennessee wrote me to say :
“In it’s pages, you will discover not only luscious and nutritionally wonderful recipes for natural food preparation from your gardens, but also recipes and ideas for stewarding, preparing, and nurturing your soil, your environment, your gardens (big or small) AND your community!! These recipes gently nudge the reader into actions that are not only attainable, but inspiring and therapeutic for you as a Sower, Reaper, and Consumer – full of a heart of gratitude and reciprocating back on so many layers.
There are a great many other qualities to add to this review, but rather than feed them to you, I encourage you to order a copy for yourself and seriously consider additional copies for gifts that will go on giving, encouraging, and calling into action those on your gift list – your little community. I promise you, this gift will not just sit on a shelf. It will become dog-eared, used, and especially grow into a guide and resource for plans that will inspire additional layers of depth into your community, your perspective, and your growing!”
“This book is a magnificent achievement. It can help you learn practical ways to grow and cook mouthwatering food-as-medicine, and build deeper and stronger community, but it is so much more than that. Gavin has written a love letter to humanity and the living world and a manifesto for workable hope, all with an unflinching honesty about the crises we face. Gavin uses the nuts and bolts skills in the garden and kitchen as a launchpad to reimagine our place in the world, and the result is a solid foundation in the chaos. His hope and love are infectious, and the applied knowledge shared in his book is encyclopedic. I highly recommend it to you.” – Jason Padvorac
The person who knows and understands me more than anyone else on this Earth has this to say about my book.
“Gavin, i watched you pour yourself into this book the last few years. You spent many long hours (even after working full days) and countless hours when you had a day off, all because you wanted to help the world take care of themselves in a way that is respectful to Mother Earth. I watched you day after day, carry the responsibility with you on your shoulders and in your heart, as you went through the years of creating this book, editing it and weathering the stormy seas of going from your original publisher to the one who could truly help bring your work to the world. I saw the concern you had when you realized just how much longer the process was taking than you had originally thought and how that wore on you because of the promise you had made to your supporters, as well as the urgent need you felt to get this book into as many hands as possible because you saw the inflated prices of store bought foods growing in the last three years. And i saw how you had to work hard to match dollar for dollar to be able to pay for the publishing of your book.
Your dedication as a writer and now as an author, is inspiring. I know it has never been about the accolades nor remunerations for you but rather a labor of love for the natural world and of bringing humans into a loving and much needed, better relationship, with Mother Earth.
However, i would be remiss if i did not say thank-you Gavin, for your unwavering loyalty to Mother Earth’s natural world and your commitment to getting your vast research and personal knowledge into this book to give others an opportunity to enjoy real food and better health.
I love you for all that you are in your heart, i appreciate the level of deep humility you show in stepping back whenever fitting, to give opportunities for others to be showcased in your book so that the world could have a variety of respected and knowledgeable authors from which to grow a more comprehensive and better understanding of regenerative living. And i admire you for the way you stand up for what is true and what is right even when that means you are walking alone against the grain. You inspire me with your courage to work to see your dreams come to life. I cannot imagine sharing my life with a more integrous man, a man who has strong morals, spiritual connection and an undying faith in the power of nurturing love. Thank you for this wonderful book and for being you. The world needs more men who walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”
– Johrey
She writes the spiritually uplifting and soulfully illuminating Substack blog titled Johrey’s Newsletter which focuses on Life, Love and Spiritual Understanding and invites the reader to walk with her.. on a journey that will be filled with joy and sustained by unconditional love.
“Gavin doesn’t just paint pictures with words, he also takes pictures of astonishing beauty. There’s a quality to his micro-focused photos of dew that make me feel like my eyes have been washed. And each photo is intertwined with deep knowledge that teaches me words like ‘trophic’ and ‘rhizobium’ for the connections between all things. And beauty, for Gavin, includes the functional and the delicious. I can’t put Gavin’s spirit into words better than he can, so I’ll end with the first couple paragraphs to his book:
…’In the following pages you will find recipes for much more than just creating food. You will find recipes for nourishing soil, relationships (with each other and the Earth), ways to nourish community and increase our collective resilience as we head towards what appears to be an uncertain future. I will also provide recipes for regenerating our hope, recipes for rekindling a sense of purpose, recipes for reciprocating the many blessings we have received and continue to receive and recipes for food for the soul.
Each moment is an unrepeatable gift, each breath an unfathomable miracle of celestial mathematics, molecular biophysics and a symphony of intricate symbiotic relationships. It took eons of tireless work for the stage to be set for you to live here, now, in this life. Mother Earth has nurtured and built a paradise and a sanctuary for you to experience, co-create in and share.’…
Come for the sanctuary, stay for the amaranth.” – Tereza Coraggio
For another post where Tereza talks about my writing and explores how we met, read:
Recipes for Reciprocity by Gavin Mounsey: https://thirdparadigm.substack.com/p/recipes-for-reciprocity-by-gavin?
After I shared one of the full recipes from my book on Substack, Margaret Anna Alice posted a thoughtful note and said:
“I’m a big fan of kimchi (considered one of the secrets to longevity in Koreans) but would have no idea how to make it for myself. This recipe from Gavin Mounsey is a feast for both the stomach and the eyes. Gavin’s cookbook would make a great present for those seeking self-sustaining, delicious options for eating. He put a lot of love, nutritional knowledge, and thought into these recipes. This can also help you plan your garden in the coming years.”
She also posted a thoughtful subsequent shoutout as part of her powerful and illuminating post titled Letter to the Amnesty-Demanders: Why We Will Never Forget—Nor Let You describing Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table as a “…cookbook, which is packed with nutritional knowledge as well as healthy, delectable recipes.”
– Margaret Anna Alice is the author of The Vapor, the Hot Hat, & the Witches’ Potion: A Fairy Story. She also writes the eminent, well referenced, refreshingly candid and eloquent Substack newsletter called Margaret Anna Alice Through the Looking Glass which examines topics such as propaganda, media narratives, authoritarianism, neuropsychology, cognitive biases, emotions, logic, linguistic framing, philosophy, literature, art, film, music, and culture in her aim to unmask totalitarianism and awaken the sleeping before tyranny triumphs.
Seth from BC received his book and wrote:
“Recipes for Reciprocity by Gavin Mounsey offers a refreshing blend of gardening wisdom, reciprocity, and permaculture principles. Mounsey’s deep insights into the symbiotic relationship between soil health and successful gardening practices create a compelling narrative that invites readers to explore the interconnectedness of nature. While I’ve only begun to delve into the pages of this book, its unique approach promises to inspire both novice and experienced gardeners alike. With its focus on fostering a reciprocal bond with the environment, “Recipes for Reciprocity” presents an intriguing perspective on sustainable gardening that is sure to resonate throughout the horticultural community.”
Physical copies of the book have also begun to arrive at the homes of people in Australia that pre-ordered a copy! This means that am happy to announce that physical copies of Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table are now in the hands of gardeners on four continents!
The image below shows Andrew Barker in his garden in Strathalbyn, Austrailia with his copy of the book. Here is what Andrew had to say about the book:
“He has created this book as a way to invite people to fall back in love with our Mother Earth and to help themselves at the same time. If you’re into health, then consider this book The Bible. I’ve been so inspired by Gavin’s knowledge when it comes to everything food and health, and adamantly feel this is the future of medicine. He’s got chapters on permaculture, seed saving, companion planting, HEAPS of recipes, boosting your immune system, super foods, even regenerative poetry.”
Lorna from BC recently received her copy of my book, sent me this very original picture (which, being a Kale fanatic, I absolutely love
and wrote me to say:
“It’s so beautiful and interesting/inspiring to read. Truly a gift of love and sharing. This needs to be in peoples hands and hearts and spread into and throughout the education system.
It’s energizing and soulful.
I’m so glad I ordered this.
Thanks again. Now get spreading its seed.”
Charles from Maryland (in the United States) sent me a picture and described the book by saying:
“Recipes for Reciprocity ” is much more than a cook book. Gavin lays the foundation for holistic living, then provides road maps from seed, to exquisite meals, and back to seed. The reader gains not only the “how’s” of soul nourishing food, but also the “why’s”. From novice to expert, everyone benefits from reading this book.” – Charles Tatch
“An indispensable guide to the empowerment, nourishment, and self-reliance that comes from knowing how to grow food in harmony with nature. Recipes for Reciprocity is one of those rare books that shares a wealth of practical information and methods in clear and accessible language. This book goes well beyond the garden-variety garden book that tells you what to plant where and when. Rather, the author shows you how to create an at-home oasis of nutrient rich foods, beauty, peace, and security.” – Kristen Krash
and last but not least, Matt Powers in Texas recently received his book and sent me this pic
Matt described the book by saying :
“Gavin has created a very thorough and holistic cookbook that I suspect will be the model moving forward – excellent work!”