Page 3 - C.A.L.L. #45 - Summer 2019
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We need all sorts of farms to preserve the culture of agriculture
By Brenda Schoepp
www.albertafarmexpress.ca - May 7, 2019
It is time to be in the fields; to sow what Going a step further are food communities
will soon be an abundant Canadian harvest. that grow food and live in proximity to it.
There is something spiritual about growing These are communities where folks from
food and it is supported by the sights, all walks of life live and work together for
sounds, and scents of our time in the the sowing, care, and harvest of food. They
fields, gardens, and greenhouses of our have a common goal or goals and work
community. towards those as a unit. These are
intentional communities.
Some young folks could only dream of An example of a highly functional and
owning all that responsibility — the feeding successful intentional community would be
of a family, a community, or a nation and the Hutterite community, which has a
beyond. And born into most people is a specific purpose and vision that includes
desire to connect with the ground in some growing food and related industries while
way, if even just to relax and recharge.
honouring their religious and social beliefs.
Farming is often geographically isolating Other intentional communities incorporate
and a very independent way to make a life one vision, such as ecology, and are often
and a living. For rural and urban young referred to as ecovillages or they may be
people who want to get in on the action, it unified in agriculture or historical
can be a long successional runway or an preservation.
abrupt dead end. And there is little space A community west of me has chosen to live
for the unification of all of the dreamers near and preserve a historical lighthouse.
and schemers to find ready solutions.
Another looks at land acquisition for the
Some regions have resolved this road in purpose of food security and housing
their own way. In British Columbia through within its town and yet another group
the Young Agrarians’ Land Matching chose to live in a space with the specific
Program, adults wanting to farm are purpose of protecting an environmentally
matched with landowners not fully utilizing sensitive area. A farm in the U.K. houses
their property. They can farm the land families with the intent of healing (land
without buying it and receive support and people) while some folks live in
services as they navigate in the intentional educational hubs or bee
agricultural community. This brings two or production hubs.
more families together with the same It’s a new take on the old tribe, where
intent of using the land for food folks lived together for a common purpose.
production.
