Building Community: Then and now

As we slowly begin to transition from Summer to Fall, the needs and activities of the homestead may begin to feel overwhelming. This is the time of year to harvest, process, plan, and plant. As the calendar year begins to come to end and the air begins to cool down, it often feels like things are just heating up on the homestead. How do we tackle all of these chores and get everything done in a timely manner?

For the answer to this question, it may be useful to take a step back and look to the past. In recent years many people are moving back to the land with romantic ideas of our forefathers, and they quickly find themselves in way over their heads. This is a feeling that we can identify with all too well.

In these modern times, people are equipped with all of the world’s technology at our fingertips, and seemingly have so many advantages over those who came before us, so what is it that we are missing? Is there some secret that all those pioneers had that we have somehow lost? Perhaps there is: community. Tending a homestead, land , animals or ecosystem alone is beyond challenging, but for whatever reason, all too many of us try to take it all on ourselves. In the past, here in Appalachia, when harvest time came around, the community banded together and moved from homestead to homestead all working together. Your neighbors came to your farm one day and you went to theirs the next and so on.

At In True Nature, we recognize the importance of building community. We are moving more of our focus there and we would like to put it out there in the world for others to do the same. Recently, we have noticed a desire for people to learn about regenerative agriculture and get their hands into some of the techniques used in growing and preserving food. The harvest time is a perfect opportunity for folks to learn all of those things while working in and for their local community. We all have something to give, something to teach, and some things that we want to learn. Reach out into your community (including us!) and make these things reality.

The last year and a half we’ve likely been closer to home, but in many ways it has also pulled many of us out of communities and isolated us on our own little islands. As we get deeper into the pandemic, it is also apparent that there is new normal. Community resiliency is becoming more and more important every day ,so if you haven’t done it lately, go ahead and reach out to your neighbor or friend. Do they need help with anything? Offer a class or a workshop. Give back to and help build up your community, after all

“Only by giving, do are you able to receive more than you already have” ~Jim Rohn