Local Group Celebrates Organic, Homegrown Food

Paul Nasuta's three-generation home sits in an unassuming neighborhood in the south end of Windsor. Nasuta grew up here in town, worked on local farms as a teenager and learned to garden and can homegrown foods from a very young age under the tutiledge of his mom and grandmother. 

Rose, Paul's grandmother, due to diabetes was a double amputee and needed help in the kitchen.  "I was the middle son," said Paul.  "My older brother was already working so I learned to cook," he said. "I don't regret it at all."

This month's "Eat to Live Organic Dinner" was held in Paul's backyard. 

"Eat To Live" is a new group out of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce's Green Committee with a mission to offer fun discussions about organic foods, healthy tips and natural living while enjoying healthy meals together. The group has been meeting every month since January.

As diners entered Nasuta's backyard, they were drawn to the verdant grape arbor.  As they found their seats, they passed a beautiful display of Paul's handiwork: fresh grown vegetables, spiced and canned, ready for anyone to try.

"This whole area was market farms," said Nasuta, "not tobacco."  He recalled several farm names, all long since gone.

Nasuta's garden boasts brocolli, onions, eggplant, beans and cucumbers among other things.  They are laid out in rows about 90 feet long and are well weeded and maintained.  "I spend between a half an hour and 2 hours out here a day," he said. "It's so peaceful."  Nasuta credits his healthy, organic eating and growing habits for the quick recovery he had from a brain tumor operation 2 years ago. 

As far as organic gardening goes, it's no big deal for Nasuta.  "It's the way we were taught.  It's just the way it was done," said Nasuta of his Polish heritage. And there is another rule too: "Nothing goes in the ground before May 31," he said. 

As diners walked around Nasuta's garden and passed his prize fig tree, they recalled memories of their grandparents, they recognized plants long-gone from their memories.  Nasuta himself has been traditionally growing something he is not sure what it is, but, it has been there since he was a young boy.

As all the diners enjoyed their meal, which included organic hotdogs and hamburgers, conversation drifted back and forth between how beautiful Nasuta's yard was to how challenging it can be to eat healthy. 

A brief presentation was also offered by local holistic doctor Kathy Mueller of Holistic Health Partnering, a Windsor based medical office that specializes in offering integretive medicine treatments that will enhance their clients' general health profiles in an unhurried, supportive atmosphere.

"It doesn't take a lot of garden space to do what you want to do," said Nasuta.