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| ISSUE NO. 723 |
| A DECADE HAS GONE BY . . . since one sunny day when - out in the fields - I had a quick but unforgettable conversation with a farmer friend. She told me about a recent pivotal shift in her mindset: she'd been farming for a few years, and every time some hiccup inevitably occurred - like a broken piece of equipment, for example - she would break down and think, 'WHY ME? Am I cursed? Why does this keep happening?' She shared that eventually she realized it was not the fates conspiring against her. In the normal course of doing business (and living life for that matter - especially in the systems in which we all exist) this is what happens. Things break and need repair. Challenges pop up. And that once she stopped directing so much of her energy toward the strife of everything being unfair, she was able to make incredible strides toward resolving the problems much more easily. It was not a shift to toxic positivity, but rather an acknowledgment that there is so much work to be done, and we are more capable to contribute to that work when the majority of our energy is not squandered in a pit of despair. In other words, energy is palpable. And how we decide to harness our energy matters. In fact, it can be a critical part of making progress. Perhaps there is no better example of this than the late, great Anne Saxelby of Saxelby Cheesemongers. Anyone that had the chance to meet her knew right from the start the magnetic energy that she possessed. You could not be in her orbit without feeling her curiosity, her care, and her penchant for connection. She harnessed these superpowers in ways that continue to have a profound impact - even three years after her spirit left her body. In honor of Anne's energy a whole collection of people who she touched in her lifetime came together to honor her by creating the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund. Each year the ASLF coordinates dozens of one-month-long paid apprenticeships across the country in the field of farming and food systems (not just cheesemakers and vegetable farms, but oyster farmers, Indigenous-led initiatives, and more). Anyone over 17 is welcome to apply to have a (more often than not) life changing experience. ASLF is now accepting applications for their fourth official season, to take place in the Summer of 2025. As the years roll on they are building up an extensive alumni network, as well as continued education opportunities expressly for alumni to build on our collective work advancing sustainable food systems. These include extended apprenticeships (up to 9 months long), with experiences ranging from working at a farm and culinary center in Kenya, preserving and advancing traditional goat cheese making in Spain, and supporting a small aquaculture farm during kelp harvest. Anne's energy proves that what we put out into the world matters - that the efforts that we make can continue to reverberate and be amplified for decades after we depart. That every small step and every interaction makes a difference. And that our energy can have a profound impact in these increasingly broken systems. We can be a part of the change that we want to see, simply by virtue of the fact that our energy is contagious, and we have a choice to decide what type of energy to spread. We hope that connecting with the ASLF will move you to apply or to support their work. Anne knew the magic happened when you share your enthusiasm in the most generous and intentional ways. She championed the power of care and community. May we all honor her legacy by harnessing that same spirit. With gratitude, Tay + Dor |
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 . . . each week we highlight one small contribution to the type of world we want to live in. This week, we invite you to express gratitude, out loud, when you might be inclined to keep it inside. Share it with someone, or write it / speak it / express it in solitude, but make it known. |
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