About the shared
ecological concern:
The tide of folks seeking
to bring into balance their relationship with the earth seems to be
increasing. With every illness tied to corporate farming practices, wave
of natural disasters, with every colorful box of local vegetables shared with a
neighbor, or hope for economic healing put into green jobs - we are
re-evaluating our lives.
Thus, a vision for a
garden/farm and other sustainable practices would mean:
-a form of
productive work,
-a way to foster an
intimate relationship to land, and
-to live lightly on the
earth.
A few models of community that I've explored and learned some about, have varying relationships with farming:
Camphill is a Rudolf Steiner-inspired form of community that is agricultural, residential community with persons with and without intellectual disabilities (of all ages) that are located all over the world. From what I gather, it has a Steiner/biodynamic spirituality about its form of community and its agricultural practices. I find this combination of spirituality, agricultural life, and life with persons with disabilities very intriguing - even if I may not personally ascribe to Steiner's particular agricultural practices and spirituality.
L'arche is a form of community that is faith-based (inter-religious in nature, but with a particular flavor of "L'arche spirituality" that seems to pervade most communities), residential community with adults with and without intellectual disabilities. It seems that some communities in the USA may do some gardening, on- or off-site, but that it is not a central part of any of these communities. And it seems, from my bit of online investigating that, for some communities in other countries, it is second-nature to have a "market garden" as a source of income and nutrition for communities.
Center for Living and Learning is a community in Franklin, Tennessee (just outside of Nashville) that includes a residential community for persons with mental illness, and a day program for persons with mental illness and/or intellectual disabilities, which includes horticultural activities as well as other "vocational rehabilitation" activities. They have a garden on-site that they use for educational/therapeutic purposes, as well as a bit of income, through a CSA (community-supported agricultural) program. They have also produced other products over the years that have been sold as a small source of income. The former director of the horticultural program told me that, from his experience, if you're going to have such a dual-purpose garden, you have to prioritize one or the other purpose - and it's probably going to be the therapy/education.
http://www.bellsbendfarms.com/farms-and-partners
Nashville Greenlands is a non-faith-based, Catholic Worker-affiliated community in North Nashville that grows on nearly every square inch of land it owns.
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Over the past couple years, I have spoken, dreamed, and visioned with a number of people and organizations in the Nashville/middle TN area who have land that they'd love to bear fruit - agricultural, communal, spiritual. I don't think any of us have been at a point to commit to one another, but I feel confident that the right fit will come along at the right time.
If anyone has ideas of persons or organizations to be in conversation with, pieces of land to consider, or ways of farming, consuming, or marketing produce - please offer your thoughts - personally to me (email, phone, over coffee, stop me at whatever gathering or street on which we find each other), or comment on a post.
