The sharing economy
May
I’m having spectacular conversations when it comes to our farm cooperative project and there is a lovely buzz of interest in media organizations as well as non-profits.
I had an excellent chat recently with a long time friend of the farm. As I recall she was even part of the Keene Bread Club we did in concert with the Keene Library one Winter.
She is very interested in the cooperative’s mission and is looking to be a part of it in some shape or fashion. What we vibed on most was The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and how this little “big” book could and should be the basis for the farm cooperative.
The above passage is an excerpt from the book which really hits home.
As a common thread to many of the emails and discussions I’ve been having with folks interested in community is how there is a real thirst out there to 1.) bring meaning to the work they do and 2.) to be a part of a collective.
An underlying weft of this tapestry of information exchange is also purely economic in nature. We know the pinch many of us are all under right now as shareholders increasingly try to squeeze blood from a stone.
One basic example I always give about the benefits in a farming cooperative is that 6 small farms may need 6 tractors, but 6 families living on one farm could just share one tractor.
The same goes for basic living expenses.
Many communities share a washer and dryer and buy items in bulk. There is a cooperative in Ithaca that shares a car and members sign it out like a library book when they need to drive somewhere while loan payments, insurance, maintenance and associated costs are shared among the members of the coop.
Casting my net further, I wonder about the potential for the towns where you live and all the in-between areas we serve: how can we all work together collectively towards a more resilient community?
I’m encouraged and highly optimistic for the worlds we can create.
If you know someone who is interested in learning more about our project or is simply community-curious, I’m happy to listen.
