Hello, food freedom fighters!
Here’s what we got for you this week:
Laying down localism, a pair of pets, and mishaps with the milkman.
from local first to local last
The reach of the local is shrinking. We see it happening all around us.
Widespread chains, conglomerate companies, and the mom-and-pops turning into big box shops. This all seems like the normal order of things. Bigger and better, faster and cheaper. But the benefit is all relative and comes at a cost. As our local connections shrink, so does our individual impact. As our local connections shrink, so does our understanding of the earth and soil that supports us. And it all comes down to the soil.
in soil we trust
Without healthy soil, basically all of our systems start to break down. The plants stop growing causing the earth to stop absorbing, leading ecosystems to decline, dwindling resources, and forcing businesses and individuals to resort to technological “shortcuts” for efficiency and profit. A whole myriad of downstream effects start to propagate, not all at once, but gradually.
One of the biggest unrecognized effects of this is the fact that our consumer habits begin to shift towards lower quality: “convenient” goods that last much less time and often harm us in the long run. Our clothing slowly poisons us, the water we drink is full of foreign particulates, the businesses we shop at have no sense of community, and the food we eat is barren of nutrients and soul; all in the name of “growth”.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way! Growth is good, great even, but there are limits to it across the systems we interact with everyday. Not every new business needs to compound exponentially to be successful. Maximum yield doesn’t have to be the goal of every food producer. We don’t have to constantly ride every trend, and buy every shiny new device.
Our conscious actions to support operations that source locally across industries compound to healthier communities, greater feelings of belonging, deeper cultural roots, and more sustainable growth in the long-run. How we use our money is key in this.
use money like manure
When you seek out businesses and producers consciously and not by what’s most accessible from your fingertips, you take back control in shaping the world how you want it to be.
The slow use of our money allows us to take a step back and consider our influence on that around us. When our sole focus is on speed and velocity of exchange, we lose site of what is before us and just look to numbers on a screen to guide our lives. Much like the difference between manure and fertilizers, if the time isn’t taken to nurture that which we engage with, especially when it starts smelly, the foundation upon which we stand will start to crumble and lose it’s integrity.
There are no free lunches.
The meaning and depth that develops from the beautiful act of engaging in communal and cultural commerce is something to be protected. A penny saved is a penny earned, but a penny spent with intention makes the whole world move with direction.
The closer to the source we engage with, the stronger the ties to the world we live in. Now, wouldn’t that be sweet!
Animal Spotlight
Polar (below) and Bear (above) making you fall in love with them.
Polar and Bear, two Great Pyrenees sisters that may or may not be double trouble, depending on the day of the week.
If you are trying to find Polar, she may be right under your hand, asking for the millionth pet instead of taking care of the chickens. And Bear? She is a little more disciplined, securing the perimeter… or taking a nap when you’re not looking.
Both enjoy some extra milk bowls in the evening, eating fallen walnuts, and running towards the squirrels eating /their/ walnuts.
🥺
Again, thank you.
See you in another 7 days! Let us know if this newsletter grew some flowers in your soil.
Cheers with a glass of milk and three cookies,
rearchitecting the broken food system. freeing the food.