STORIES FROM THE FIELD
The Staple Foods Network Project
The History
In 2008, the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative began to assess what was necessary for a regional organic staple grain and bean value chain in Appalachia. Michelle Ajamian who, along with her partner Brandon, runs Shagbark Seed and Mill in Athens, OH, had the vision, and began to reach out and form relationships with others interested in staple foods. Ten years later, this informal collaborative had grown from a handful to several hundred farmers, bakers, millers, and others around the country who are focusing on local, heirloom and organic grains and beans.
Now a for a bit of a necessary segue…..
Why a staple foods network?
For those readers who are not deep into sustainable agriculture, you may wonder why staple foods are important? Or even, what staple foods are? These next few bullets help delineate this, and also how staple foods relate to well-being, and equity bridging:
Staple grains, beans, and oil seeds are integral to a healthy human diet and food security; yet this market is dominated by an industrial global food market.
Strengthening regional staple food networks supports equity, vibrant communities and food security.
Bioregional access to nutritious staple foods strengthens the health of citizens, the environment, and local economies.
Regional food networks encourage socially and environmentally responsible food production and processing based on reconnecting people to food in a place-based context.
So, given the importance of staple foods to health, and the lack of local and regional availability, it became obvious to those of us with an eye on our food system that this group needed to gain traction. Acknowledging that to shift the staple foods culture in this country from industrial to a values-based value chain, it is necessary to be intentional in facilitating change to foster collaboration in our efforts to gather and share collective knowledge, resources, and best practices around policy, food access, and business. Because I had been participating in the RWJF/LLC trainings and community of practice, and as a farmer, was interested in cultivating (pun intended) staple foods work, I was uniquely situated for acting on this opportunity. So, I approached Michele with the idea, and she rallied support from Slow Food Columbus and Bill Best (a local expert). Together we applied for, and received a seed fund grant to support the growth of the Staple Foods Network.
The Project
The project began with a survey of the Staple Foods Collaborative Members. It was also at this time that we began referring to it as the Staple Foods Network, realizing that there were people involved from Maine to California, not just in Appalachia.
Using a web-based application, Sum App, data was collected from individuals who self-identify as belonging to the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative. Through a participatory questionnaire, individuals answered demographic and relationship questions about their involvement, their expertise, and what they need help with. This part of the project went well with 73 out of 145 people responding, and a total of 586 connections made.
Mapping of the Network
Data from the initial questionnaire phase was used to develop a map using Kumu software. Data was to be exported from the collector to the mapping software to create a visual display of who is connected to who in the network. This information was used to analyze the hubs, clusters and connections within the Staple Foods Collaborative. People can see who knows who, and what the opportunities and gaps are. One of the major themes that emerged from this mapping is that staple foods members are all across the country. This established a need for developing a communications platform, and some digital communications training, which will be of further assistance to staple foods network members in building community and open up opportunities to engage with each other, and initiate activities around mutual visions, values and goals.
Lessons Learned, or “Where Things Are At”
Ultimately, despite the initial enthusiasm of many, Michelle and I were predominantly driving this project, and we both have many other irons in the fire. Once Michelle was able to get a comprehensive data base together, I created the survey and we let it snowball out. However, after the initial launch, without someone to facilitate ongoing engagement, or provide structure and governance, things have lagged. Though we understand that creating a community of learning and practice would exponentially enhance the ability of all with a common interest in staple foods to address policy and business challenges, and open up opportunities, at this point we are lacking someone to facilitate this.
Another challenge is getting people together for video conferencing and digital communications platform training. I can sum this up as many people have a fear of the unknown, and digital skill building with strangers is scary stuff . As a facilitator, it is important to acknowledge and bridge these differences between those of us who are comfortable in the digital world and those to whom this is new. Moving networks forward requires adding some tools to the toolbox and creating conditions to support these learning processes in a way that works for people whose voices are essential.
Slowly, progress is being made on getting a website together using the RWJF seed funds. However, without a curator it is unclear at this time who will be able to coordinate and engage the network long-term. A facilitator will be necessary to support innovation, and further regional, national and international networking opportunities for staple foods farmers, bakers, millers and others.
In summary, some progress has been made in connecting staple foods people, and creating a shared identity. However, in order to initiate activities to build community and circulate ideas and practices, a facilitator or “network guardian” is needed. However, valuable knowledge and experience was gathered regarding the obstacles and limits of network leadership and learning processes. This is relevant for data collection, research and future practice.
In summary, some progress has been made in connecting staple foods people, and creating a shared identity. However, in order to initiate activities to build community and circulate ideas and practices, a facilitator or “network guardian” is needed. However, valuable knowledge and experience was gathered regarding the obstacles and limits of network leadership and learning processes. This is relevant for data collection, research and future practice.
Power to the People
During my first few days in a municipal district an hour south of Masaya, Nicaragua my eyes were itchy, and I had a chronic cough. Quickly I realized it was from the blend of exhaust spewing from old trucks and cars as they struggled up the mountainous terrain, as well as the even more obvious, the thick and almost ever-present haze of smoke from the 1,000's of open air cooking fires in the "urban center."
It was also hard to miss noticing that the power grid infrastructure is in serious disrepair, and that in most homes and businesses extension cords and electric wires are strung all over the place in "MacGyver-style."
This new insight rolls around in my brain bumping up against the fact that despite this lack of utilities, the per person emission of carbon for the average Nicaraguan is 0.82 compared to that of someone from the United States, which is 19.78 (as of 2007 data). Pretty eye-opening, especially if you consider that Nicaragua ranks fourth in the Long-term World Climate Risk Index (Germanwatch 2016. Think what these resourceful, frugal people could do with renewable energy!
Although the purpose of my trip to Nicaragua was to gather information for a case study on agricultural cooperatives, now I find myself reading about the energy issues…….
Nicaragua is the country in Central America with the lowest electricity generation, as well as the lowest percentage of the population with access to electricity. About 68% of the rural population still lacks access to electricity. In absolute terms, it is estimated that a total of about 340,000 dwellings (1.8 million people) in both urban and rural areas lack electricity service (MEM 2010) Nicaragua also continues to have a high dependence on oil for electricity generation (the highest in the region). Nicaragua also has one of the dirtiest power grids, with nearly half of their electricity coming from plants that run mainly on low-cost bunker fuel, which is the heavy, residual oil that is left over after gasoline, diesel and other light hydrocarbons are extracted from crude oil during the refining process. So in addition to the exhaust from vehicles, and the cooking fires, this low-quality fossil fuel burned for electricity also has an impact on the health of local inhabitants (Globalissues.org). I also learned while I was there that part of the problem is that even the people who have access to electricity do not use it, or use it sparingly due to the high cost and the power outages. Yet right next door Costa Rica is almost entirely running its grid on renewables. What's up with that Ortega?
MEM.2010. Electrificación rural: descripción general, estado actual de la electrificación rural en Nicaragua. Acceso online 15.10.10 http://www.mem.gob.ni
On National Day of Mourning: Don't Be a Turkey
Now is the time to educate, organize, and mobilize. You don’t need to go to Standing Rock, educating someone about the reality of what Thanksgiving represents makes a difference.
Here in the United States Thanksgiving is all about family, a turkey dinner, and football. However, the reality is that Thanksgiving day is a day that celebrates the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and a relentless assault on Native culture. Because of this the, back in 1970, United American Indians of New England established Thanksgiving as a Nation Day of Mourning. Participants in the National Day of Mourning honor the Indigenous People of America, and the struggles of these people to survive, even today. For these Native people it is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Indigenous Americans continue to experience.
Happy Thanksgiving! Think about it, you are celebrating genocide!
Many justify the day. They say, “Oh, but that is not what it is about for us, it is just an opportunity to gather and be thankful for family, friends and all that we have.” Ok, I get that! I am thankful, actually very thankful for all I have...but...yet…… in the present econony perhaps we should be celebrating what we have not yet lost....jobs,.....homes, FREEDOM. In any case, this tirade is not all about us white descendants of europeans, or our thankfulness, it is about the repression of the authentic history of our country.
This holiday that is upon us.....So, how about... moving forward, we all start a trend that for ua non-indigenous Americans, Thanksgiving be celebrated by a moment of silence for the atrocities of the past, and followed by the acknowledgement of the contributions of the Wampanoag Indians in Plymouth, and all those in soldiarity with them around the country who graciously cared for those helpless Europeans vomited out of the ocean, who slaughtered eventually slaughtered and oppressed them as thanks. Let’s stop celebrating Thanksgiving from a Eurocentric point of view. By the way have you made a contribution to an indigenous peoples project yet?
What are you teaching your children? Do you yourself even know the accurate history of this ”holiday”
The truth is that the pilgrims did receive help from the friendly and extremely generous Native-American tribe, the Wampanoag Indians, in 1621. However, the Wampanoag’s were not these naïve savages as the literature claims them to be, they had many previous dealings with fur trappers and traders. Europeans from Spain, Portugal and other places had already been plundering the America’s for decades. Unfortunately for the indigenous tribes of New England (and beyond), the Pilgrims gratitude was short-lived. It started with stealing their corn, and by 1637, Massachusetts governor John Winthrop ordered the massacre of thousands of Pequot Indian men, women and children. Most historians believe about 700 Pequot’s were slaughtered in Mystic, CT (My hometown). Many prisoners were executed, and the surviving women and children sold into slavery in the West Indies. This was the start of a genocide of Indigenous Americans, and the ultimate goal, to take the land from them and systematically plunder their resources. The genocide begun in 1637 marks the beginning of the conquest of the entire continent until most Indigenous were exterminated, a few assimilated into white society, and the rest were put in reservations to dwindle and die. Treaty after treaty has been broken by the US government. You would have to be living in a bubble not to be aware of what is going on right now at Standing Rock.
Now, on another note, back to feasting on your traditional “delicious” factory farmed turkey. If human genocide isn’t enough to make you lose your appetite, consider your turkey. The turkey that had a cruel death, and an even worse life. Each bite you take filled with flesh that was grown with GMO corn, antibiotics, steroid, and puss. Oh, yum.....
I have many friends who dread this holiday because it means they will be with family, and have to go through all that experience can be charged with. So maybe you just skip out on the “celebration” all together. If you do choose to be among those celebrating, yes, be thankful for what you have, but be cognizant. Bear in mind we are in some changing times (to say the least), and you can be part of that change. We don’t need to make American great again, as the true story of Thanksgiving shows, it was always far from perfect. That’s ok moving forward we can be a better people. But we need to care, we need to question everything, and we need to tell the real story! The real story about many things Thanksgiving, factory farming, but also climate change, sexism, racism, and homophobia. Now is the time to educate, organize and mobilize. You don’t need to go to Standing Rock, just educating someone about the reality of what Thanksgiving represents makes a difference.
https://zinnedproject.org/2014/11/the-politics-of-thanksgiving-day/
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/11/22/wampanoag-side-first-thanksgiving-story-64076
Not a big fan of PETA for several reasons, but this is a good, quick glimpse of some of the issues. This is focused on the problems of factory farming as far as cruelty to the birds, and quality of the meat. It does not address the work rights, pollution, climate change and other issues of factory farming.
http://www.peta.org/living/food/turkey-factory-farm-slaughter/
Coke, it's no joke ....drink juice instead!
Coca Cola's slogan for 2016 is "Its Always Real". Real what? Real bad for human consumption, national health care costs, developing nations......the list of the things BAD about coke is endless. Drink some veggie juice instead!
By now most acquaintances of mine have heard me say, “There is nothing “good” about soda! The response I get is usually, “but it tastes good!”
Coca Cola has been in the news quite a bit recently. In August they got caught red handed for funding research to disprove soda/sugar as contributing to obesity, and create data to point the finger at lack of exercise instead. To those of us who are food activists the fact that Coca Cola is bad news is not a revelation.
Soda is just one product, but consider that every time you purchase a Coke you contribute to the spread of disease, the proliferation of oppression, the destruction of culture, and the bank account of a transnational corporation that doesn’t give a rats you know what about you! Sure they throw money at charitable causes, but the long-term damage done by the corporation and their products leaves a large deficit to all!
Over break holiday break I read these articles (links below). I’d like you to read them too.
“The country’s Alliance for Food Health says that indigenous people are “some of the most affected by Mexico’s soaring epidemic rate of obesity, which is fueled partly by high consumption of sugary soda drinks. ”Mexico currently has the highest per-capita consumption rate of Coca-Cola in the world. According to Vice News, Mexico surpassed the United States in 2013 as the most obese country on Earth.”
What I find most frightening about this article below is that in the last paragraph the Humanosphere writer actually throws in a disclaimer as to Coca Cola’s responsibility. The reach of corporate control has no limits.
AND Right here in San Antonio (where I currently live) Coca Cola is indirectly, if not directly responsible for the firing of the San Antonio Health Director
http://civileats.com/2015/10/12/was-this-soda-critic-fired-for-speaking-up/
Does soda still taste good? Does it really……. or are you just feeding a habit/addiction? Ask yourself is the short term gratification worth the long term consequences? Not just for yourself, but the world……what kind of “taste” does the behavior of Coca Cola Corporation leave you with?
Please consider discontinuing your personal consumption of Coca Cola products.
Farming with a Developmentally Disabled Crew - The Awkward Stumbling's of a Neophyte - Part II
Chicken Little the Sky is Falling
As some may know, and some may not, my background in farming also includes the study and practice of biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic agriculture is just one of the many branches of anthroprosophical work inspired by Rudolf Steiner. My interest in biodynamics led me to the work of Karl Konig an Austrian Pediatrician and anthroposophist that founded the Camphill Community. These communities provide curative education and “life sharing” to people around the world.
So what does all that have to do with Colchester Neighborhood Farm? Foremost, we are a farm (though not practicing biodynamic agriculture at the moment), and we have a staff that includes adults with developmental disabilities. In addition, though I do not come to my work here at CNF with a background in developmental disabilities or special education; I do approach with a personal philosophy akin to, and confidence in the work of Karl Konig and Camphill.
It was Karl König’s view that every human being possessed a healthy inner personality that was independent of their physical characteristics, including characteristics marking developmental or mental disability, and the role of the school (or in our case the farm) was to recognize, nurture and educate this essential self. A belief that, “a perfectly formed spirit and destiny belong to each human being (Busalle 1996).”
It is important to recognize the fundamental differences between mainstream traditional “service delivery systems” and the Camphill approach. Within the Camphill movement there is “a respect for and a wish to engage with nature, with the earth, with the natural cycles.” This is not a deliberate intention on the part of most traditional service providers of adults with developmental disabilities. I feel blessed to have found this farm where there is opportunity to honor the person.
Within Camphill there is also recognition that “individual growth and personal development happens at hand of others and in and through relationships (whether or not people are living with disabilities), relationships over the course of time and sometimes in the human encounter in the moment.” New England Village mission clearly reflects and supports the opportunity to do just that in our work here on the farm.
So there you have it, the foundation of my philosophy in a nutshell. However, before I digress further, my topic for this writing is some observations I have made on change, and how it affects some of our workers here at Colchester Neighborhood Farm.
Farming is filled with constantly changing variables, weather, pests, crop growth, and animal behavior just to name a few. No two days on the farm are ever alike. Though routine is established, flexibility and the ability to nimbly adjust both your thoughts and your plan are essential to successful farming. Though it may seem oxymoron, I love planning, scheduling and routines, however on the flipside change and adventure charge me up!
There is one aspect of our farm that is a planned and scheduled change. One I am very excited about, our rotational grazing pasture for our laying hens. Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing, also known as cell grazing, or mob grazing is a variety of systems of forage use in which ruminant and non-ruminant herds and/or flocks are regularly and systematically moved to fresh rested areas with the intent to maximize the quality and quantity of forage growth. This type of grazing can be used with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and other animals. Here at CNF I am grazing one portion of our chicken pasture, while allowing the others sections to recover. The length of time a paddock is grazed depends on many factors, but it is usually 1-3 days. Resting grazed lands allows the vegetation to renew energy reserves, rebuild shoot systems, and deepen root systems, with the result being long-term maximum biomass production. Keeping chickens on fresh pasture is good for the chickens, cuts down on feed, and improves the quality of eggs as well.
When I first arrived at CNF the chickens were in a pen, where they had been for several years. The soil was barren, compacted and eroded. The chickens didn’t move…. the chicken pen did not move……
Many people, especially people with developmental disabilities, are often most comfortable with routines that they can follow daily so that they know what to expect. Most adults with developmental disabilities thrive on routine. A change in the normal pattern of the day can be very upsetting. A major change might cause them to “lose control” and maybe even have a “melt down”.
Imagine for a moment a person with Autism, or even Down’s syndrome discovering that the chickens are in a different location just about every morning when he or she gets to the farm. Hum, yeah, It had not even occurred to me that something I don’t really even think about could be such a big deal, or news to talk about, much less think to let the girl who collects the eggs, or the guy who cleans the coop know so that they could “prepare for the change”. They were not ready for it, and I certainly was not ready for this -
“What happened to the chickens, why did they move (said in a very anxious and nervous voice)?”
“Are they ok? Are they going to be ok?”
“The chicken’s are over here now! They were there yesterday?
All I could think was “chicken little, chicken little the sky is falling.” Who knew that rotational grazing could cause such commotion……
In all seriousness, two things have become evident to me in my time thus far at CNF. We are all different and so there is no hierarchic relationship, with one teaching and the other learning. Instead it is a situation where we learn from one another and grow through our interactions with one another. However different in cognitive ability we may be, we share the same quality of being human. When working together we not only want to see good results of the hard work, but we also face the problems, questions and the need to adjust our expectations of how things “should be” and just accept the present situation…….if the sky is falling it will be ok.
Sources -
Busalle, Rebecca, Cornelius Pietzner, and Stephan Rasch. “The life of the soul”. Aperture, Summer 1996 n144: 26(10).
Holistic Special Education: Camphill Principles and Practice. 2006, Floris Books, Edinburgh
Marga Hogenboom,Living With Genetic Syndromes Associated With Mental Disability, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2001
Voth, Kathy. Mob Grazing with Chickens – http://onpasture.com/2013/06/24/mob-grazing-with-chickens/
Farming with a Developmentally Disabled Crew - The Awkward Stumblings of a Neophyte
Amongst the scads of things I have learned in the last 7 months working with adults with developmental disabilities, there are at least four lessons I just have to write about -
- “Paul” might be given a request by a supervisor, and enthusiastically comply one day, but it does not mean it will carry over to the next week, or even the next day.
- Change, any change, rocks their boats in a big way.
- Some of the best life lessons…… I am learning here on the farm… from my developmentally disabled crew
- It is easy to fall in love with people with developmental disabilities!
Some back-story- It has been suggested that I am a non-judgmental, impartial sort. This is perhaps true, though certainly not when it comes to transnational food corporations or the growing mass of entitled influenza……plenty of opinion and attitude to throw around there. On the other hand, when it comes to what I perceive as an underdog of any sort, welfare parents in poverty, the failing elderly, drug addict prostitutes or what have you, I tend to approach slate blank, benefit of the doubt, face value. In that same spirit and stride, I have approached my work with the “guys” who work at Colchester Neighborhood Farm, through our day programs at New England Village. To me they are not labels or clients, they are simply my staff! That said, though I have 15+ years experience working in social service programs, my entire experience with developmental disabilities was from a volunteer position at the Association for Retarded Citizens ( a high school graduation requirement), err…..decades ago! So arriving at the farm to take over as Farm Manger for New England Village …..Well, let’s just say I really had no clue about what I was about to dig into.
Part One
Back to lesson #1 and “Paul” –
When I began managing the farm there were two dysfunctional wheelbarrows; one plastic with a wide crack clear across the bottom, and the other rusty like a 200 year old plow, and both sporting semi flat tires. So I made an “investment purchase” of a brand new nice shiny black steel wheel barrow. Of course I want to protect this farm investment, so it will serve the farm for many years. Subsequently I instructed a young man I will call ”Paul” who works on the farm (He uses the wheel barrow often) on the importance of caring for our tools, this wheelbarrow in particular. This directive included the need to wash our wheelbarrow out after moving manure, compost or what have you. I also showed "Paul" how to prop it in the correct position to drain after washing so there will be no rust in the future. “Paul” demonstrated he could do this entire procedure, and enthusiastically agreed to my directive to do this EVERYTIME he uses the wheelbarrow. So the next day much to my dismay and frustration, I find a crap splotched (yes, literally) wheel barrow in a very non-tilted position, with a dirty shovel in it to boot. Ensuing conversation follows-
Farm Manager - “What is this? Paul you agreed as to how we would leave the wheelbarrow at the end of the day!”
Paul - “I did!”
Farm Manager – “Right, you did YESTERDAY! But this is today! Why is the wheelbarrow dirty today, you know how to clean it?”
Paul - “Sorry boss, I did not know you wanted me to do that today too.”
Oh, I have so much to learn…….