This topic is inspired by this post by @jennislay, and subsequent off chain discussions with my friends @burntoblog and @ogbrog.
Please know that even if you use chemicals, I do not stand in judgement of you & I pledge to stand WITH you to support you in every way possible to help you transition your property to a healthy management system...
-@jennislay, in a pledge I'm working within myself to make.
Her post, and the above paragraph in particular was inspiring to me, and almost singlehandedly spurred another paradigm shift. The people using these products are doing so from a position of love and good will. There's just more to the story than what they're told or what we've been told. My enmity for them is falling to the wayside, and it's got new wheels turning. I'm working on harboring less disdain for people embedded in that system, and turning that previous negative energy into hope and love that I aim to use to help shift other people's paradigms.
The notion that we can help others is empowering. Once this tide shifts, once the paradigm breaks, there's no stopping human progress in this field of nourishment and regeneration. We just need to help reach that critical mass where consumer consciousness meets ecological consciousness.
How can we help?
Money is tight for people that are embedded in these industrial systems. It's built to be that way. You hear it constantly that "there's no money in farming." As it stands, that is true. There are farmers that are deeply in debt, torn between trying to sustain a family and trying to sustain a job on the farm. With the rising cost of equipment and the falling pay of commodity crops, they're between a rock and a hard place.
In fleshing out these ideas, I've come to the idea of volunteer work. People in the permaculture world have solutions that can help industrial farmers. The problem comes in that we need money too in order to live in this system, and the people that we want to help may not be able to support themselves while simultaneously paying their debt to the old ways and monetarily sustaining a shift to a better way. That's an immense financial burden, so those of us who are willing need to be able to help them free of charge.
Enter systems like STEEM and crowdfunding.
In the amazing times we're living in, people are wanting to help a cause, but perhaps they don't have the resources to physically help. They can donate value to a cause by contributing money, thanks to regenerative systems like STEEM, Fundition, Patreon, or GoFundMe.
What I envision
I wonder how fast it would come about if we could facilitate change by working for free.
Imagine -- and I may be out of my league here -- something akin to a non-profit, where you could raise a donated salary for yourself for a few months to help a farmer transition part of his life to a regenerative system. That's kind of what I'm envisioning here. Lord knows you're gonna have your own bills to pay in the process, so it would be tragic to have to choose between helping someone (and the earth) out or taking care of your own business. Maybe now we don't have to. I'd like to see someone make a regenerative business out of this, and I'll be making steps in that direction myself as I am able.
Imagine being able to show up on day one with a bag of non GMO seeds, ready to plant a garden. Or the money in a crypto wallet for a dozen fruit trees to help start a small family orchard. Or what if you were able to buy a laser level and shovels for you and a few friends and get to digging swales for someone? I imagine that'd make a difference for someone that's looking to jump track. Heck, imagine crowd funding a side gig of your own farming mushrooms, then using the mycelium leftovers to help remediate soil damage for a local farmer! There's a lot of possibilities here with this kind of idea.
What I'm Doing
As it sits, I've put myself out there a few times to local farmers and I've recently found a taker. Not someone that is switching from industrial farming, but a family that's starting a regenerative farm in my area. Melissa goes to Bible study with a woman who is starting a pastured meat farm with her husband. Cows and chickens on pasture, and pigs in a stand of forest. We signed up to be their customers as soon as we found out about them, committing to spend a minimum of $250 a month on their products. It'll be a regular part of our grocery spending now. At the same time, I let them know that I'd be able to help for free around the farm, and they accepted! I worked two days out there a couple weekends ago, and intend to do more! What's more, they're now in our raw milk co-op, which is super cool! So, even before this idea is developed, I'm committed to it.
As I'm jumping into the idea, I've adjusted my footer on my posts to include crypto addresses for donations. The goal here will be to save up time off from work so I can go do a week or a long weekend of helping someone and be able to cover my own expenses and at least some project materials. Depending on the level of success, of course. I'd like to build a small business on this model, as I think it meets a demand for something that can help people move forward. I may not be able to find a farmer wishing to transition, but I may find a neighbor wanting a small food forest or fruit tree guild. Honestly, I don't care as long as someone wants something regenerative.
All that said, I'm in this and I'd like to see others in it too. I'm excited with the possibilities here, and want to develop this idea moving forward. If anyone else tries it, let us know! The world of sustainable volunteering is new and needs all the minds, hands, and backs it can get.
I'm keeping my thoughts here open source, and will be sharing more as I go. This is information that I want to make available to anybody that wants it. I'll be working with @porters to get relevant posts gathered in the same place so other people can have easier access to them.
What are your thoughts on sustainable volunteering? Does this make any wheels turn for you? Let's talk more in the comments!
All action for the good of all.
Nate.
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