Into the fray

I am a rural homesteader. I grow my own food, I raise livestock, I hang my laundry out to dry, I collect rain water, I bake bread, I knit and make things by hand instead of buying them, I use wood to heat my home,I forage wild food, I preserve food. But this is where I am now. My journey to homesteading began in Portland Maine. In my 3rd floor apartment on Munjoy Hill.

I started as an Urban Homesteader in 1996. I had a 10x15 community garden, where I grew herbs, winter squash, tomatoes. I would bring my kitchen waste to the compost bins at the garden. That garden fed us well curing some VERY lean times. I grew greens, tomatoes, and basil in pots on a large roof just outside my kitchen window. I collected rain water on that roof. My neighbor and I would go strawberry picking at a farm a fifteen minute drive from my home. We then learned, together, how to make strawberry jam. I baked bread. I walked down to the beach and collected seaweed for my garden. I foraged for wild raspberries on the hill leading to the beach. I harvested pole beans and froze them in my tiny little apartment freezer. I canned tomatoes. I joined a barter network and learned to work with my neighbors in a new and exciting way. I learned to knit and started making warm clothing for myself and my son. I was a single mother and I was an urban homesteader.

So, I was sadden and not a little annoyed that the Dervaes Family has decided to copyright a series of phrases including the term Urban Homesteading.

All I have to say is that if the Nearings were living, I very much doubt they would be copyrighting the term Homesteading. I think they would be very excited to see a movement grow to encompasses a lifestyle they promoted whether is was rural or urban.

My First Challenge....Plant a Row!

This post and challenge is inspired by this post over at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op.

The food crisis never really went away but because of political, environmental and financial factors the cost of food is nearly at the same levels as 2008. Remember 2008? I do. I bought a 25lb bag of King Arthur Four for 11.oo in January of that year, by the end of February the same bag was 21.00. Oil would later become 147.00 a barrel and the economy collapsed. Many,many folks lost their jobs, had hours reduced, lost benefits or did not get raises. The social safety net was stretched.

In developing countries the effects were even more harsh. Some countries stopped exporting rice, causing the price to rise even further. Haiti and other countries had food riots.

Corn went to 7 dollars a bushel and suddenly we realized the food products used as fuels causes food to become expensive. The relationship between food and oil finally became a mainstream reality. The idea of the 150o mile salad took on a more menacing reality as food security slipped through the fingers of more people.

Nearly 3 years later, revolutions are being fought and won by the spark of hunger.

This is the global reality in developing countries but western societies will be challenged by the food crisis this time as well. In early 2008 a lot more people had a lot more money and jobs. Unemployment is still at 9%. This is the number of folks still looking for work. The actual number is closer to 16% if you count discourage workers, part time workers who want full time. That's a lot of hurting.

In addition to an economic recovery that does not seem to be reaching many folks there are austerity measures from every level of government threatening the very weave of the social safety net. From heating assistance for the poor to The Woman, Infant and Children's nutrition program these vital services are under attack.

I do not want to get on my soap box too much here. It would be easy to debate the morality of a society that bails out big bankers at the expense of those most needy; and there are a lot more needy.

Instead I think it is time to think globally but act locally.

So here is my challenge, Plant a Row. In my state of Maine and many other states, the cooperative extension sponsors a Plant-A-Row program. Farmer's and Gardener's Pledge to plant a row of fresh vegetables and donate it to food bank or soup kitchen.

My thinking is that the challenge will begin in March. Some folks will be able to start their gardens in March, some of us in the northern reaches are still dreaming of gardening. But it is a good time of year to plan. The challenge will go through the whole growing season. For the coming month I would like folks to start planning. This could include researching the plant-a -row program in your own state, choosing a crop or crops that you would like to grow. If you do not have a garden maybe you can discover alternatives in your community. Perhaps there is a community garden that donates the food to low-income folks in your community. If you don't have a garden but would like to participate in the challenge, maybe you could explore opportunities to volunteer at local food pantries or soup kitchens. Do you have cooking skills or food preservation skills you can share? Do you know a family who could use some assistance getting a small garden started? If you have a container garden maybe you could plant a couple extra pots of greens or tomatoes. Every little bit helps.

As for help, I would like to make a nifty button you can post on your blog, if there are any tech savvy folks out there that could lend assistance I would be most grateful.

So, if you would like to join please leave a comment to this post. I will create a widget listing the participants at the side bar. I will check back mid- March for an update at which time you can either post your up-date or link to your update.

Please Spread the Word!

On my soap box....

My preparations for our Thanksgiving meal began this morning with the music from our local public radio station. The classical music program began with the Shaker Hymn "Simple Gifts" while I was helping Evan prepare his part of our meal; deviled egg boats. I love this hymn. I love this holiday. It is our feast day to celebrate a good meal with close friends and family. It is a holiday to give thanks for our blessings...

And then we shop??

Tomorrow is Black Friday. This day received its name because retail businesses rely on this day to help put them into the black. For far too long it also put the consumer (not citizen?) in the red. To me the message to get out there and find a good deal during the wee hours seems shrill and disconnected from the reality of many people. There are still plenty of folks without jobs. While Maine's unemployment number has fallen, the number of people who are discouraged workers has increased and are not considered in the tally. Foreclosures in Maine are rising. We did not have the subprime mess that many other states have had. But now folks are losing their homes because their incomes have fallen or they are unemployed for longer periods of time. There are still grim headlines about food insecurity in our state. And yet the message is to buy buy buy!

On the one hand some of the news stories about the shopping season (what? not Holiday season?) are encouraging. Credit card use is down and more folks are using cash. Folks are sticking to a budget. The projected growth in sales for this shopping season will be better than last year but are not expected to reach the heights of the bubble. But the over arching message is still the same. Buy Buy Buy!

Many smarter folks than I agree that the shock our economy has experienced is a paradigm changer. The figures that come from the government are not all entirely pointed in the same forward facing direction. There is still too much volatility in the global economy to provide a firm foundation for "growth". I would argue that the idea of "growth" that we are sold has caused great income disparity, harm to our environment and depletion of many resources. I don't know what the answers are but I am pretty sure that none of them requires a trip to the mall.

Maybe I'm wrong. I do live a different life than most people. We don't have a lot of money. We don't shop as a pasttime. Major expenses are purchased with cash. We don't use credit cards and this year we plan to continue our tradition of a handmade holiday. For us this just feels right. We want to be giving. We want to share our bounty and love in ways that convey the true spirit of the holiday. So while the huddled masses are lining up outside the Walmart. I'll be sitting quietly in my living room with a cuppa tea knitting a few more rows on the vest I am making for my new nephew. Till by turning turning I come round right....