It takes a village....

[Skidmore]

I just wanted to tell you all about something we're doing in our little village of less than 200 individuals. We wanted to do something to help ease life a bit for the elderly (and we have quite a few) in our village in this time when things are hard. We're fortunate in that our collective group of 7 villages were originally built around a communal system in the 1800s and the idea of service and pitching in has never truly left the sensibilities of childrearing in this area, even long after the villages adopted to follow the capitalist system during the recovery from the Depression.

Anyway, we identified a good sized piece of land that was considered community property but was lying unused. Day before yesterday, one of the guys in town took his tractor over and tilled it under. Last night, at our monthly meeting, we set aside $50 to purchase seed and plant sets, and many people are volunteering to donate seed and sets. We established a very lengthy list of vegetables to grow. Saturday at 1 pm, we will show up to plant the plot. The entire garden will be maintained by us all. Produce will be free to retirees in our community, and all others can take from it as long as they donate labor to weed, till, and harvest. Harvested produce will be brought to our community building and wooden plaques will be hung out front to let people know what produce is available for them that day. Since perhaps 80% of our village participate in community functions, people can be trusted not to abuse this system or to take more than they need. Gracious, this is Iowa and we are practical people.

Someone commented last night how this type of project was in keeping with the way the original village elders conducted business back in the day. I think this will work and we have already had lots of younger people express interest in working the garden. There is still time to plant if others are interested in doing something like this.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Yes it does. Iowa, this whole country can learn a few lessons from you, Love, Calif. k+r, n/t

[H2O Man]

2. I think that

represents a wave towards the future.

Earlier this week, after one of the series of on-going, relentless doctors appointments I have, a lady behind a desk was taking my payment. She commented on the necklace that I was wearing, which is an 900-year old artifact made by an Algonquin person for starting a fire. She started talking about how, due to the hard economic times and the environmental issues that we face today, people will begin to learn lessons from the people who once lived on this land. Community gardens is one of those lessons.

I'll add more later. Right now, I have to get ready for yet another doctors appointment.

[Skidmore]

3. I'm looking forward to a time when land is seen less as something

to develop for profit and more as a resource for good stewardship with the community in mind. This nation needs a healthier balance between rugged individualism and community participation. That old saw that "no man is an island" has its place.