I don’t think I ever knew the personal journey I stepped into when I realised I wanted to grow food. Indeed if someone told me I probably would have laughed at them. As this insane, hard, heartbreaking, truth searing year (in calendar form anyway) winds to its end there’s so many things I would love to say. But I think short simple and somewhat sweet shall suffice.
Last week at the end of our Thursdays group vollie session we had an informal feedback time. Sas and I wanted to know if peeps had any ideas of how to do things better, their lowlights/highlights and its always so inspiring to hear what others are grateful for so we chucked that in too.
I personally came away so touched and saw, again, in action how powerful it is to share your way in the world with others, out loud.
Sas and I have always wanted others, learning, health of body. – mind – spirit- soul, joy and beauty to be a part of Gung HOe. I know that we have forgotten some of that and gotten lost in stress, work, work, toil and tired. So it was with tears in our eyes that we listened and shared of the synchronicity as sas named it of how our current gang of peeps has come about and what it means to us.
Thursdays have helped us get a lot done. This crew have done pretty repetitive tasks for about 5 months now and have helped us create peaches and cream with sweat, social distancing, laughter, dirt (obviously) and cake.
But its been way more than that. Its been the conversations that we can all have around each other of a deep/sensitive/inspiring nature that feeds you like food can.
Its the support you can feel when maybe you woke up a bit sad, anxious, or worried or lonely and you can come just as you are and work alongside the team for a few hours out side in the fresh air with your hands in some dirt.
Its the shared joy when someone goes swimming again or finds a rad bug or pats a dog with love not fear. Its having space to be passionate or be quiet, to dance or to cry a bit or just to look up at the clouds as bunjil flys across.
The humans who have been with us this year have been involved in learning more about what it takes to grow food, on a small scale enterprise, in Harcourt – but I’m sure there’s similarities in lots of other places too :).
Working with people who want to learn (and through feedback we learnt we can do so much more of this) – is genuinely comforting; and to be around people who are keen for it and then put it into action in their lives is like energy for Sas and I.
To be around people motivated to make change, to learn and be active rather numb in the world also spurs us on ya’ know! I feel like they all incapsulate this quote by Wendell Berry:
‘Eaters must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used’ – Wendell Berry
These folk have fed us with their beautiful selves and we are so grateful that they came our way for this year. They remind me that the way I want to live on the farm (and off it!!)…it means that I can relate to others as Mel, the quirky odd human that I am, not just a tired, stressed worker who has to get shit done.
So THANK YOU! in no particular order; Sky Will Abigail Cohen Rex Ira Michael Annie Thea Keenan and Chip for gracing us with your presence and your time wheelbarrowing compost amongst many other things and for sharing yourselves with us. We hold it (and you) very dear.
Peace out for the year. May the next one be a bit more gentle, a bit more kind, a bit more understanding and with more ferocious power to the people who care about others and the earth.
May our small actions and lives add some force to that. Mel