Comments on: Steaming http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:25:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ode to Crop Mob (and totally Sam) « wowed out http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-56 Ode to Crop Mob (and totally Sam) « wowed out Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:27:04 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-56 [...] to and from WUNC when we went to talk about our experiences with the mob. Soon after, Sam posted a blog to sum up her thoughts that I’ve included (the majority) here because I couldn’t have [...] [...] to and from WUNC when we went to talk about our experiences with the mob. Soon after, Sam posted a blog to sum up her thoughts that I’ve included (the majority) here because I couldn’t have [...]

]]> By: Trace http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-55 Trace Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:24:57 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-55 Tom - Firstly, we don't get to choose the words that media use in their headlines. "Raiding" has been a tough one to shake. You are right that farming is not a once a month thing nor is it a weekend thing or a morning thing or an evening thing. It is also something that you should not have to do alone. I am fortunate to have access to my own farm. When I get home from my job at ECO, I can see the progress made by the folks who are there full time. I can then contribute to it with my own capabilities and knowledge. It is an unconventional hybrid living situation that many new farmers are welcoming. Be your own hero. Tom –

Firstly, we don’t get to choose the words that media use in their headlines. “Raiding” has been a tough one to shake.

You are right that farming is not a once a month thing nor is it a weekend thing or a morning thing or an evening thing. It is also something that you should not have to do alone. I am fortunate to have access to my own farm. When I get home from my job at ECO, I can see the progress made by the folks who are there full time. I can then contribute to it with my own capabilities and knowledge. It is an unconventional hybrid living situation that many new farmers are welcoming.

Be your own hero.

]]> By: Kristin http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-54 Kristin Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:52:12 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-54 Sam! Your writing is seriously inspirational - what a manifesto! Thanx for sharing. Sam! Your writing is seriously inspirational – what a manifesto! Thanx for sharing.

]]> By: Tom K. http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-53 Tom K. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:26:48 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-53 Sam, I understand....one of the frustration I might share with new farmers is how difficult it is to start a farm. Through luck and perseverance, we have so far managed to carve out our spot. More difficulty lies ahead. My hope is that people looking into agriculture don't lose perspective or grounding in the aspects that make it difficult, i.e. financing, resources, land, etc. Maybe I misunderstand the references to your group "raiding" farms or descending on them, although I don't take it literally, I think better words could be chosen. As I told Steven Horton when I met him this past fall, farming is not a once a month activity if you want to make a living, and I realize your groups goal is not to do that. True sustainability of a farm is economic as much or more so than biological. No matter how good my compost is, if I cant pay the bills and keep a roof over my family's head, it doesn't do much good to farm and loose money. Keep up the good work. Tom Sam,
I understand….one of the frustration I might share with new farmers is how difficult it is to start a farm. Through luck and perseverance, we have so far managed to carve out our spot. More difficulty lies ahead. My hope is that people looking into agriculture don’t lose perspective or grounding in the aspects that make it difficult, i.e. financing, resources, land, etc. Maybe I misunderstand the references to your group “raiding” farms or descending on them, although I don’t take it literally, I think better words could be chosen. As I told Steven Horton when I met him this past fall, farming is not a once a month activity if you want to make a living, and I realize your groups goal is not to do that. True sustainability of a farm is economic as much or more so than biological. No matter how good my compost is, if I cant pay the bills and keep a roof over my family’s head, it doesn’t do much good to farm and loose money. Keep up the good work.
Tom

]]> By: sam http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-52 sam Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:08:57 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-52 Tom, I wrote this blog only to share my feelings about the Crop Mob, a group that holds an event once a month that has elevated my life here in the Piedmont. When I am often feeling homesick for Ohio, or wonder why am here at all, the Crop Mob has been a great incentive for me to stay. I am not using this space to delve into a conversation about farming as a living. However, hopefully Crop Mobs make farming life better for those who are doing it. The saying holds true, "food should be celebrated," because it doesn't come easy. Tom,
I wrote this blog only to share my feelings about the Crop Mob, a group that holds an event once a month that has elevated my life here in the Piedmont. When I am often feeling homesick for Ohio, or wonder why am here at all, the Crop Mob has been a great incentive for me to stay.

I am not using this space to delve into a conversation about farming as a living. However, hopefully Crop Mobs make farming life better for those who are doing it.

The saying holds true, “food should be celebrated,” because it doesn’t come easy.

]]> By: Tom K. http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-51 Tom K. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:18:55 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-51 Trace, I understand the idea behind crop mob, and I farm b/c I enjoy the work on all levels, mental, physical, and to some extent "spiritually". I was once accused by a full time farmer who sold next to me as being a hobby farmer, which made me mad. But his point was that until I made my living solely by farming, my point of view had its limits when it came to helping run the market, etc. There were a lot of great ideas on how to make a market better, but you only have so much time outside of the hard work of farming. I know you work for ECO and I enjoy your blog, but I strongly advise anyone involve in CM activities that if they truly want to farm as a career, nibbling around the edges part time on weekends and in their free time barely begins to address building a truly local food system. I was a teacher for 12 years and farmed on the side. I always had my "real job" to fall back on. But, when my household went from 1 to 3 kids with the birth of our twins, daycare wasn't an option and one income now had to cover two. I decided to farm full time and devote myself full bore into it rather than just nibbling at it and still teaching. Is it easy? No. Am I some sort of hero? Groups like the greenhorns who call their efforts heroic (an email I got from them) unjustly elevates some people to some cult status for no reason. Farmers are no more valuable than teachers, and no more so than mechanics. People tend to mistake the nobility of their cause with the magic of learning skills they otherwise would never would have any use for given the current food distribution paradigm in which food is plentiful and cheap. I for one believe that children should receive and education similar to Montessori's "head, heart, and hand" philosophy. That way, skills that the current generation behind me (I'm 40) had no use for in suburbia wouldn't be relegated to the scrap heap due to budget constraints. Until people walk away from their gardens as a sideline and start earning a livable wage from their gardens and supporting themselves and maybe a family (let's bring back true family farms), little will change in regards to local food. Tom Trace,
I understand the idea behind crop mob, and I farm b/c I enjoy the work on all levels, mental, physical, and to some extent “spiritually”. I was once accused by a full time farmer who sold next to me as being a hobby farmer, which made me mad. But his point was that until I made my living solely by farming, my point of view had its limits when it came to helping run the market, etc. There were a lot of great ideas on how to make a market better, but you only have so much time outside of the hard work of farming. I know you work for ECO and I enjoy your blog, but I strongly advise anyone involve in CM activities that if they truly want to farm as a career, nibbling around the edges part time on weekends and in their free time barely begins to address building a truly local food system. I was a teacher for 12 years and farmed on the side. I always had my “real job” to fall back on. But, when my household went from 1 to 3 kids with the birth of our twins, daycare wasn’t an option and one income now had to cover two. I decided to farm full time and devote myself full bore into it rather than just nibbling at it and still teaching. Is it easy? No. Am I some sort of hero? Groups like the greenhorns who call their efforts heroic (an email I got from them) unjustly elevates some people to some cult status for no reason. Farmers are no more valuable than teachers, and no more so than mechanics. People tend to mistake the nobility of their cause with the magic of learning skills they otherwise would never would have any use for given the current food distribution paradigm in which food is plentiful and cheap. I for one believe that children should receive and education similar to Montessori’s “head, heart, and hand” philosophy. That way, skills that the current generation behind me (I’m 40) had no use for in suburbia wouldn’t be relegated to the scrap heap due to budget constraints.

Until people walk away from their gardens as a sideline and start earning a livable wage from their gardens and supporting themselves and maybe a family (let’s bring back true family farms), little will change in regards to local food.
Tom

]]> By: Trace http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-50 Trace Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:22:04 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-50 Tom: If a farmer is offended by pie in the sky thinking then they may want to reevaluate why they are doing what they are doing. Farming sustainably is an ideal and it most often requires lofty goals and wide eyes within the framework of real and difficult work. We farm full-time and then come do it for someone else on a Sunday? That in itself requires a belief in this work that is beyond many many people. A good percentage of us have our own farms or work on one as an intern or apprentice. There is no doubt that there are menial and routine tasks all the time, but I do not think that is what Sam is speaking of. Without putting words in her mouth, I'm pretty sure she is talking within the context of Crop Mob itself. Chores are things that must be done. At Crop Mob a person does not have to do something they do not want to do. But they have to work. Tom:

If a farmer is offended by pie in the sky thinking then they may want to reevaluate why they are doing what they are doing. Farming sustainably is an ideal and it most often requires lofty goals and wide eyes within the framework of real and difficult work. We farm full-time and then come do it for someone else on a Sunday? That in itself requires a belief in this work that is beyond many many people.

A good percentage of us have our own farms or work on one as an intern or apprentice. There is no doubt that there are menial and routine tasks all the time, but I do not think that is what Sam is speaking of. Without putting words in her mouth, I’m pretty sure she is talking within the context of Crop Mob itself. Chores are things that must be done. At Crop Mob a person does not have to do something they do not want to do. But they have to work.

]]> By: Tom K. http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-49 Tom K. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:47:13 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-49 As someone who follows your efforts and knows some of the farms you have mobbed at (Beausol Gardens for one), I have a few observations. As someone who farms for a living and is raising a family, you need to broaden your context a bit and not be offended by the word "chores". Farming, if done to support a family and create a real local food system, is quite an undertaking that requires concerted effort. Try running a CSA that supports 200 families without doing "menial or routine tasks" and that will lead to disaster. If you support yourself with a job and recreate by mobbing, go into your job tomorrow and just do the tasks that are fun and inspirational, and see how long you remain employed. If you are really serious about local food then start your own farm and see how long you last with any other financial support. Pie in the sky thinking offends many farmers who work hard to raise the food that you celebrate with. Tom As someone who follows your efforts and knows some of the farms you have mobbed at (Beausol Gardens for one), I have a few observations.
As someone who farms for a living and is raising a family, you need to broaden your context a bit and not be offended by the word “chores”. Farming, if done to support a family and create a real local food system, is quite an undertaking that requires concerted effort. Try running a CSA that supports 200 families without doing “menial or routine tasks” and that will lead to disaster. If you support yourself with a job and recreate by mobbing, go into your job tomorrow and just do the tasks that are fun and inspirational, and see how long you remain employed. If you are really serious about local food then start your own farm and see how long you last with any other financial support.
Pie in the sky thinking offends many farmers who work hard to raise the food that you celebrate with.
Tom

]]> By: rumbley http://cropmob.org/2010/01/29/steaming/comment-page-1#comment-48 rumbley Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:43:09 +0000 http://cropmob.org/?p=203#comment-48 Great clarification Sam! Reciprocity is certainly a key to Crop Mob, even when its not measured the way folks typically do in our modern consumer culture. Great clarification Sam! Reciprocity is certainly a key to Crop Mob, even when its not measured the way folks typically do in our modern consumer culture.

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