This time of year is always so incredible for people growing neem. Sprouting seeds just have this awesome charm – anyone who walks in the greenhouse is immediately drawn to them – almost like babies and puppies get more attention than teens and dogs.

This year’s crop is no different except it’s the first in years that we haven’t had professionally harvested seeds from Mexico. Every single sprout came from a seed that Donna or I picked up from underneath a tree. My middle-aged body doesn’t always appreciate hours slinking along on my hands and knees -- or backside when my knees give out! -- but it’s been a great opportunity to slow down and smell the compost. (Nobody who knows neem would call them roses but compost is great too!)

The really odd thing about neem trees is that the leaf and oil taste horrible, but the fruit and flowers are highly attractive to birds and bees. I haven’t seen any scientific studies but it does make sense. The flowers attract bees because they need pollination and the fruit tastes good so birds eat it and then “deposit” seeds further away than wind would blow them. At the same time, the leaves repel insects that might eat them -- with no benefit for the tree -- and the oil tastes bad so the birds don’t chew up the seeds.

I haven’t figured a logical reason out why neem has all the other qualities it has, but sitting under the trees reminds me why Hindus believe it is blessed. I've had a crazy couple of months rewriting the website from scratch to focus on the recent medical research, and taking the time to pick up seeds and watch them sprout has been a real blessing in my life.

I'll write more next week when the new website is up!