Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
From the acceleration of the climate crisis, the dangerous decline of biodiversity and Covid-19 to the sustained and committed work of social movements to raise agroecology’s profile – agroecology is now gaining recognition and momentum as an alternative to a failing food system.
We’re TEN this year! Hooray. Cause for celebration, we think. And to celebrate safely in the Covidsphere, we thought we’d give a whistle-stop tour of the history of Sims Hill, and talk a little bit about why we feel so passionate about what we do – local food and community engagement.
Even though it hasn’t been a productive fall for writing, it’s been a very productive fall for resilience activities. I’m excited to tell you about them, starting with the fun experiment of the cinder block rocket stove.
COVID-19 has raised significant questions about meat production, and Lutfi and Ruby Radwan have added their voices to the chorus of environmental campaigners, scientists and animal welfare advocates arguing that the pandemic is a direct result of industrial-scale meat production.
Listening to Bonnie share her history, this shift from personal studio to studio and store seemed inevitable. Bonnie is a gentle but persistent catalyst for building fiber communities.
Community-supported agriculture is a practice that seeks to connect consumers directly with producers, with the aim of fostering community, creating fair exchange and sharing risks.
In recent years on farms around the country, there has been a steady increase in the growing of ‘heritage’ grains – varieties of wheat, barley and rye which existed before hybrids were first created in the early 20th century.
The global crisis gives a chance for a new model of living to emerge – an economy of degrowth. In an interview with the LavkaGazeta, Teodor Shanin is reflecting on the role that farming can play in the new model of development.
On page 7 I write “Throughout the world, there are long and complex histories by which people have been both yoked unwillingly to the land and divested unwillingly from it”.
One thing this pandemic has made clear is that food doesn’t come from supermarket shelves. It never did. Food comes from the soil, the sea – and the hands of people.
In the future, employment opportunities will probably cluster in low-carbon, labour-intensive sectors – among which farming will loom large.
Jean-Paul has dedicated much of his career to educating the next generation of farmers. In 1995, he was part of the original CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance of Farmer Training).
