St. Francis Day Of Learning Is Nov. 16

When Kyle Kramer speaks about environmental issues, he speaks from his head and from his heart. He has studied and written about those issues, but more importantly, he is living them every day of his life.

So are his wife, Cyndi, his twin daughters, Eva and Clare, and his son, Elijah.

Kramer, the author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer and Dirt, (Ave Maria Press, 2010) will give the keynote presentation at the upcoming St. Francis Day of Learning, which will be held Nov. 16 at the St. Vincent Conference Center on the Daughters of Charity property in western Vanderburgh County.

He will speak about Catholic teachings on environmental issues, presenting ways for individuals, parishes, even the diocese as a whole, to get involved.

When asked to summarize Catholic teaching on the environment, he shares three main points: God made the world and loves it; God gives human beings the great responsibility of being stewards of the world and to take care of it; and we are intimately part of creation, which means that whatever we do to the world, for good or ill, we do to ourselves - especially to the poor. God wants human beings and all creatures to flourish, and gives us special responsibility to help that happen. 

Kramer believes that God wants all parts of our lives to be integrated, "so that environmental concerns aren’t just one more part of a moral to-do list, but are part and parcel of all our decisions.” He admits, "It's impossible to do this perfectly, but God asks us to do the impossible -- and that's why God gives us grace."

Many people approach environmental issues in a mostly negative way. "The negative framing," he believes, comes across as "guilt trips or 'should-ing.'"

A positive way to see environmental issues is to remember that "God made this glorious creation, and that all its parts interact as a whole. We need to behave in such a way that makes it all thrive." When we do that, "it makes for a more deeply satisfying life for everyone."

Kramer lives what he believes. In 1999, he purchased 20 (now 27) acres of land in Spencer County, just south of Santa Claus. Years later, he has created a small-scale organic fruit and vegetable farm, using a sustainable “permaculture” system of farming that "tries to get all the pieces to cooperate together." That means less machinery, for one thing.

"We grow over 100 crops on our farm, including 40 fruit trees" and an assortment of berry fruit.

"We designed our house and built it ourselves," he said, noting that the electricity for the farm comes from solar panels and a windmill. The home is heated with firewood that he cuts and splits by hand, has its own water supply from a nearby pond, and uses hot water heated by the sun. 

"We aren’t completely off the grid," he said, adding, "but we are interdependent." They are working toward the goal of selling back to the utility company as much or more electricity than they use.

He laughs when asked about the pets and livestock at the farm, noting there is a blurry line between the two. "We have four cats, two dogs, four rabbits, plenty of chickens -- and thousands and thousands of honeybees."

St. Meinrad Archabbey, where he directs graduate lay degree programs, is about 14 miles away, and the family attends St. Nicholas Church in Santa Claus.

They lead a quiet life with no television, little traffic and few billboards on the way back and forth to work.

"People say I'm not in a rat race, and that’s true, but I'm in a different kind of race -- a race with nature, with the seasons. We are always running. We are always busy."

Is it a simple life? Yes and no.

"It's simple to go to McDonalds and buy a meal. It's simple to write a check so your gas doesn't get turned off. The simplicity of a farm is different; it’s very complicated. I think I'm busier than the average person in the city. I don't have much leisure time, but it feels less like work -- it feels more like purpose."

He has discovered that "when you live on a farm, you can't pretend the seasons don't matter, because they do."

Kyle grew up in a house in the Evansville suburbs, with the windows painted shut. The changing seasons were marked by switching between the air conditioning and the heater.

He and his wife made the decision to raise their children "with the awareness that they belong. In the First World, we have forgotten that we do belong in the natural world. We are a part of it. I want my kids to recognize that."

Of his life he says, "It's a hard life in some ways, but it’s a good life – a great life.” 

For more information on the St. Francis Day of Learning, contact Kathy Wilkerson at Catholic Charities at 812-423-5456 or go to the website www.charitiesevv.org/learningday