Community working with hands

College learning

Even in college, those many years ago now, there was a community of makers, farmers, doers. Those communities have been in place for centuries in one way or another. There was a community of people working with their hands that I was drawn to. It feels like a lifetime ago when I was in college, but lots of the non classroom ideas have continued throughout my life so far. It’s funny what things “stick” and what doesn’t in the long term.

Bulk parsnips for boxes

Bulk items are split for the co-op

Boondocks buying club food boxes

Co-op community

Presently I belong to a community working with their hands- whether it is fiber arts, gardening or food related. Two co-ops have enabled me to continue nourishing my family with wholesome foods that have been grown or crafted , most often, by local hands. The more local co-op is lovingly called Boondocks- since we live in the… well, boondocks!

My field of study in college was early childhood education and sociology. I guess I have used those skills in a variety of ways since then , even though it wasn’t the traditional way of doing so. I longed to be a weaver while still in college, fiber was calling to me then, but I have waited through my child bearing and child raising years to come back around to it. That was probably the right decision. I am not a weaver now but a lover of wool and how it feels in my hands. Rug hooking spoke my language.

Wholesome food

I shopped at the local food co-op in college and found a farmer who sold raw milk. I can still see the cream on top of the bottle- I would go directly to his farm to purchase, bringing my empty bottle as a return. Little did I know that this would set me up for a lifetime of thinking about food and community.

I became a strict vegetarian then and read Diet for a  Small Planet, etc. back in the late 70’s. It has all come back around to that way of thinking with such a focus on local foods- I guess I was ahead of my time. I am no longer a strict vegetarian, I eat sustainable seafood and organic chicken from time to time, but prefer the grain based vegetable diet.

What community building are you involved in? It’s not hard and definitely rewarding- give it a try- you will be glad that you did.

#foodcoop #fiberartists #communitygardening #communitybuilding #localfood #communitysailing