issue no. 792

EACH YEAR, WHERE WE LIVE . . .

in that portal between the time when the first buds burst and the trees and bushes are full of leaves…I think about what magic must occur for everything to come alive. It all looks automatic - after all, it just happens. In the span of a single month, each branch goes from completely barren to blooming, and within my eye span at any given time I can see - quite literally - millions of leaves that seemingly appear out of thin air.

Right now we inhabit a geographic corridor where all the plump perennial fruits ripen - the strawberries and cherries and blueberries have already come and gone, as we await the plums, pears, and apples to come.

And with the precise combination of heat, rain, and light, the annuals take off - all of a sudden, the squash plants that were the size of your hand in June can cover a whole garden bed.

A few days ago, I was dropping something off to a dear friend who is rounding out her first year in a new home. Seeing what magic she weaved in this first garden season almost brought me to my knees with its beauty and abundance. Days later, I can’t stop thinking about how - in such a small patch of space - she coaxed so much nourishment, both physical and spiritual. As we sipped water scented with black currants and basil, I recounted how the black currants came from bushes that were cuttings from a plant in my back yard - bushes that her partner had planted there a decade ago when he worked with the former inhabitant of our home. Full circle. I remembered how generous the gifts of the Earth are, when we have the time and space to work with them.

This is no small distinction. As Toi Marie rightfully points out, the systems that constrict and control us work effectively to limit the time and space we have to be in awe of the Earth. The material conditions of someone who has to labor long hours to pay to live does not have equal access to the Earth - not in the form of time to enjoy it, the autonomy of the space they inhabit, or the freedom of energy to imagine the ways in which we can emulate the wisdom of nature’s cycle.

How do we respond to the crushing weight of this truth, and the injustice it maintains? A number of stories about resource redistribution have been percolating in our minds over the last week, as we consider how every step we take to redistribute resources eases the burden of the systems that work so hard to keep us disconnected - from ourselves, from each other, and from the same life force that makes those buds burst, allows us to birth creativity of all kinds, and gives us space to tap into a wisdom that is bigger than any one of us. We look forward to sharing more of those stories in the coming days.

To making space for everyone to imagine,

Tay + Dor

photo by Azra Sadr

tidbits...

resources on anti-racism, environmentalism and food culture AKA stuff we’re reading / listening to / watching / noticing / thinking about / captivated by this Tuesday . . .

Do One Small Thing . . . are there ways that you have participated in redistributing resources? A clothing swap? A seedling social? A meal train? - you can reply to this newsletter, share in the comments, or email us at info@goodfoodjobs.com.

Toi Smith’s 1,000 Hands project perfectly encapsulates the power of redistributing resources in creative ways.

Drive Change is an organization that redistributes wealth, skills, and joy through the connection to food and work. Read their latest newsletter and consider sharing a monthly redistribution to suppor their work.

The Seasonal Slice Calendar is available for pre-order and will make a great gift in the coming fall / winter seasons. We included this last week, but it’s special enough that we wanted to make sure that you don’t miss it.

It’s been fun to see this (extremely useful) work of art come to fruition over the years. Nora Singley’s One Pot Pasta cookbook now available for pre-order. Don’t underestimate how employing this technique will change the way you cook.

Similarly, Ali Slagle’s bean formula will set you free in the kitchen. Liberation comes in various forms, which is why sharing kitchen wisdom in nourishing ways can become such a linch pin to changing our everyday lives.

Get your copy of Dorothy’s new book - online, from your favorite local bookstore, by asking your local library to carry it, or requesting it on the Libby app.

View and share this free guide to How to Write a More Equitable Job Post, and stay tuned for new resources to deepen this work.

got a tidbit? drop it here for us and we’ll share it in next week’s newsletter.