Shared Abundance
The Chipmunk Farmer
One day I was sitting watching the chipmunk at my feeder. My latest attempt at redesigning the feeder to keep him away had again been overcome. So as I drank my morning coffee I watched as he leapt around my obstacle course with amazing skill. I was thinking I could learn more about his techniques and perhaps rebuild it better. But what I saw next changed the whole perspective.
The chipmunk stuffed his cheek with as many sunflower seeds as he could carry. He happily scurried down the pole and ran over to one of the potted plants on the deck. He looked till he found a perfect spot with just open dirt. Then he carefully tilled the soil and planted the entire mouthful. He covered it up, patted it down, then ran back to the feeder for more. He again stuffed in all he could carry and ran down to find another waiting plot of dirt. When there were no more open spots in the deck plants he leapt off the porch and ran off into the yard with his mouthful. He found a spot where the grass had worn thin to just dirt, tilled it up, planted, patted it down and bounded happily back towards the feeder for more. He did this all morning. And continued on into the next days.
Now, we all know folks have told us they are saving seeds for another day. And sometimes they forget where they put them so something grows. But what I watched then and in the coming days says otherwise, and shows clearly that humans have little insights into the thoughts of the animal world. We can only see from our limited perspective and judgments of animals. We rarely truly watch them, and we never of course simply ask them what they are doing.
Each day I saw him run to all the spots he planted. He sniffed looked, and raced on to the next one. He was inspecting, looking, waiting. About a week or two later the closest pot on the deck had a nice patch of Sunflowers all sprouted and pushing through the dirt. He came every day to check on them. One day they were about 3 or 4 inches tall. He sat down and carefully harvested them all. He ate them on the spot, all content and happy munching away at the young plants.
Sprouts! He made Sprouted Grain! He was farming.
A chipmunk farmer. Now I was excited to see him each day at the feeder. Day to day another patch would come to the right height and he would harvest them. And each day he would plant more patches. Often on the spot he harvested earlier. Always planting ahead, and harvesting one by one as they came to the perfect height.
Then I noticed something even more interesting. Out in the yard where his garden plots had full sunshine. He didn't harvest them all when they were sprouts. He let some continue to grow. They grew all summer into giant Sunflowers plants. Later in fall they formed beautiful flowers, and as they dried they blew seeds all over the yard. Making more plants in years to come. This small little chipmunk that I worked so hard to keep off my feeder knew exactly what he was doing. He was doing all he could to feed himself and share abundance for the future. We have learned sprouted grains are better for you than just the grain. Far more nutrition and easier to digest. This little chipmunk already knew this.
As I thought about all I saw it became clear humans have no idea what the animals know and do. We don't know the magic found in nature. This little Chipmunk knew the importance of planning ahead. Planting for the future. And planting for others. A lesson in Shared abundance. Taught by a cute little furry friend.