Listening to Your Inner Voice
by Rev. Sindi Somers
ordained 1986

Have you ever heard an “inner voice” that you didn’t listen to and then later wished you had?  I believe we have all had these experiences.  We all have an inner voice that is us.  We also have the ability to hear guidance from the spiritual realm outside of us.  An example of someone benefiting from listening to his inner voice can be seen in the life of CDM Board of Directors Vice President, Peter Salgot.

In 1988, Peter was working in Eastern Washington as a Highway Construction Superintendent and looking for a change.  During this time, he kept hearing a voice and receiving guidance to pursue a new venture.  Instead of ignoring what he heard, he chose to explore it further.  “Initially it began with a realization of an inner voice and listening to that inner voice.  It kept saying, ‘This is what you need to do.  You need to make a change in your life, change directions and work with plants.’   And so I started.”

Peter’s interest was in hydroponic farming, which eliminates the use of soil.  “Hydroponic is Greek for ‘working water,’” Peter says. “It’s been around since time began.  As long as roots are submerged in water, the plants can be exposed to sunlight.”  Peter grows his plants in trays to protect the roots from sunlight.

“First I did research,” Peter says.  “I found other places in the U.S. doing this, and then I set up appointments with them.”  After gathering information, Peter built his first greenhouse and began growing different types of plants and vegetables, including different types of lettuces, Asian vegetables, and huge broccoli and cauliflower plants that were eight feet tall.  During this educational phase, Peter experimented with different types of growing techniques including injecting oxygen into plants and roots.  He also developed a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), which is a plant growing system that recycles water and nutrients throughout the plant.  Since the water is recycled, the biggest problem is if one plant gets a disease, they all do; so disease prevention became a focus of study for Peter as well.

This learning process led to Peter’s life as an entrepreneur and the incorporation of his hydroponic herb farm, Aqua Farm Inc., in 1990.  He began his business in Eastern Washington, moving to Western Washington in 1998, due to market demand.  Previously selling directly to Larry’s Markets, Aqua Farm now sells wholesale to distributors in the Seattle area.

Aqua Farm has grown from one initial greenhouse in 1988 to 16,000 square feet of greenhouse space in the present.  He also shifted from growing vegetables to a myriad of herbs, including sage, basil, chive, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, spearmint, dill, savory, thyme, rosemary, and others.  Peter says, “Being intrigued by the voice I heard” is what led him to growing herbs. 

“I love growing things,”  Peter says, continuing, “I’m always healing the plants and it’s a two way street, they’re always healing me.  They go through their cycles, cycles in life.  I talk to them all the time.”  He jokes, “They’re my girlfriends…all my ladies….thousands and thousands of them.”
 
In the mid nineties, Peter found something else that he wanted to change. “I wanted to change the way that I had relationships with people.  I knew that being in fear and trying to control people was not a method.”  This pursuit led Peter to the Fremont Fair in Seattle where someone referred him to CDM.  He visited Seattle CDM later that day where he was introduced to the books and tapes available.  He began reading the books, stuck with it, and they kept him coming back. “The books were like magnets,” Peter says.   

Eventually, he took the Meditation and Healing classes and also completed the first year of the Clairvoyant Program.  “The CDM techniques help me with my clarity and focus.  They help me put my attention on something and keep it there.”  In his life and in his business, the CDM techniques also help him with his patience and perseverance.  “Anybody who has ever grown anything knows that in order to see healthy growth in plants, it requires patience, perseverance and attention.  The health of plants reflects the health of the individual growing them.”

Peter remains an active member of CDM by serving on the Board of Directors.  As CDM’s Vice President, he is in charge of the hiring and maintenance of staff and related issues. 

Being involved with CDM has assisted Peter with his personal growth and healing, and so has his work with plants.  Peter explains, “The healing process of plants, the growth and the decay, is very similar to us.  We all heal when given the chance.”

In addition to his volunteer work with CDM and running his successful business, Peter enjoys downhill skiing, which he has done since he was 12 years old, hiking, fishing, water skiing, and flying.  Peter is a fun, healing presence and a strong asset to the CDM community.  If you hang out around CDM in Everett you might get the opportunity to sample some of Aqua Farm’s fresh and tasty herbs.