National Bitter Melon Council

New Product Initiative: Developing Alternative Applications for Bitter Melon
2006

Bitter Melon homeopathy for urban renewal: Bitter is Better is a public garden-intervention, inspired by homeopathic healing philosophy where illness is treated with low-level doses of the toxifying agent. Joining this idea with guerrilla gardening methodology, we will launch Bitter Melon Seed Bomb Event, in which community members will seed and grow Bitter Melon plants in neglected urban spaces. Our goal is that cultivating these spontaneous Bitter Melon gardens will reclaim these sites and "cure" the bitter sentiments they evoke.

Background
Homeopathy (also spelled homœopathy or homoeopathy) is a controversial system of alternative medicine. Homeopathy calls for treating "like with like", a doctrine referred to as the "Law of Similars". The practitioner considers the totality of symptoms of a particular case, and then chooses as a remedy a substance that has been reported in homeopathic practice to produce similar symptoms in healthy subjects. The remedial substance is usually given in extremely low concentrations to cure the ailment.

Plans
During the Bitter Melon Seed Bomb Event (May and June, 2006), participants were asked to create and distribute the Seed Bombs (instruction is below) outside along the edges of public property – inside fences, in traffic medians, cracks in the sidewalk or abandoned lots. Interested persons can craft Seed Bombs at a Bitter Melon information and tasting booth that appeared at local farmers markets throughout the summer of 2006.

These participants were encouraged to keep documentation of its growth through photos and progress report contributions on a Bitter Melon Online Blog that will be available at the NBMC website. All the Seed Bomb planting sites will be marked on an interactive map, also available online.

Instruction: how to make Bitter Melon Seed Bomb
1. Mix Bitter Melon seeds, manure, earth and fertilizer.
2. Write a personal event, memory, or idea that makes you feel bitter on a 5"x5" sheet of rice paper
3. Roll seeds, manure, fertilizer and earth in a ball and wrap in the rice paper. Secure it with string.
4. Throw, toss, lay, or bury Seed Bomb in a neglected part of your neighborhood or location that you would like to bring more attention to. Cultivate it as you would a home garden or house plant. See what happens!