[ChatAction] Community Gardens

Sat Dec 26 17:34:19 MST 2020

otoh, I can offer this paragraph from my (old draft) Business Plan to start
to address the question:

There are similar iterations of the community gardening aspect of OHG
(organizations like The Stop Food Bank <http://thestop.org/>, Green Bronx
Machine <https://greenbronxmachine.org/>, etc.) but none I found combines
indoor gardening with everyone working together while sharing culture and
knowledge, nor do currently-existing organizations include/utilize the
potential of linking multiple facilities within a city, both by transit
(people come and produce goes) and the Internet (enabling a worldwide
network). OHG provides an alternative for people on the streets, sitting
home alone watching television or in bars, casinos, night clubs, bingo
halls and video arcades. Organizations such as homeless shelters,
restaurants and service agencies who partner with OHG will be able to
combine efforts with our facilities, and be better able to reach their
target market, informing local people of the services they offer. Indoor
hydroponic gardens can use up to 90% less water
<http://www.greensociety.co/aquaponics/> and effort, but they bypass the
benefits of  the smell of fertile earth - it can relieve
<http://www.livescience.com/7270-depressed-play-dirt.html> the symptoms of
anxiety and clinical depression all day in just 15 minutes. A combination
of hydroponic and traditional indoor gardening practices will provide work
for strong young people, the scent of rich earth and reduced water usage.

On Sat, Dec 26, 2020 at 4:26 PM Shannon McArthur <sparklingwithall at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Yes, Bruce, you have a good point. I'll make that list (to start!)
>
> Thank you,
> Shannon
>
> On Sat, Dec 26, 2020 at 4:05 PM <bruceschuman at cox.net> wrote:
>
>> Ok, thanks Shannon.
>>
>>
>>
>> Taking a break from programming data displays for the “Skillset”
>> poll/inquiry that I sent to you a couple of days ago, let me see if I can
>> move this along.
>>
>>
>>
>> Just speaking for myself – I actually don’t have time to be confused
>> about things I am not confused about.  Your project is elegant and
>> spiritual and profound – but it’s not bewildering different from at least a
>> thousand somewhat similar projects.
>>
>>
>>
>> If “Our Heart Gardens” is not exactly the same thing as a “community
>> garden” – of which there are thousands – what is the difference between
>> them?  The answer is probably something like “An Our Heart Garden is a type
>> of community garden”, and it is distinguished by these characteristics:
>> (you list some characteristics here – and I’d say do that right now – make
>> the longest list you can think of))
>>
>>
>>
>> Putting this simply – there has to be an answer to this question.
>>
>>
>>
>> On “the volatile capacity for outreach that you have not encompassed yet”
>> – I think the answer is – you have to settle down and work on it.
>>
>>
>>
>> I am saying this with a little bit of push because I have been building
>> visionary projects led by or with women for at least ten years, and more
>> like twenty.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have a beautiful anthropologist friend named Jeanie who could spend
>> three hours gazing lovingly at her design, without being able to move
>> forward on it by taking action steps.
>>
>>
>>
>> She was waiting for a miracle.  “The world is going to change.  It will
>> be like water changing into steam.  It will all be transformed.  We just
>> have to be patient and let it happen by itself.  It’s evolution!”
>>
>>
>>
>> She is beautiful and good, and a university-grade scholar – but she was
>> walking in her sleep.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sometimes I think a huge issue is this primitive distinction – women are
>> from Venus, men are from Mars – women want to “be” – men want to “do” – and
>> the proper answer in the real world, based on dynamic yin/yang – as I am
>> sure many of you have heard – is “do-be-do-be-do-be-do-be-do-be…..”
>>
>>
>>
>> The world is on fire – and actually, so am I – so I need to push for
>> concrete action steps.
>>
>>
>>
>> So – you don’t want to talk about “one garden at a time”
>>
>>
>>
>> Ok.  But the people who built Notre Dame Cathedral just built one
>> cathedral at a time – and the people who built YouTube and Facebook and the
>> Democratic Party just built those things one item or person at a time –
>> just in a highly organized way.
>>
>>
>>
>> I learned long (long) ago – that action is linear.  It is linearly
>> sequential – or maybe “massively parallel”.  There’s a famous foundational
>> book in psychology called “Plans and the Structure of Behaviour”
>>
>>
>>
>> We build a plan on the basis of what we want to do.  If we don’t “behave”
>> – we got no action.
>>
>>
>>
>> Beautiful ambitious abstractions have to be made concrete.  You want a
>> Golden Gate Bridge?  You gotta get some stuff and get organized and do
>> stuff.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ok, all of that is obvious.
>>
>>
>>
>> Back to linearly sequencing all this stuff I think you guys – you
>> ChatAction people – actually want to organize and do.
>>
>>
>>
>> dobedobedobedobedobedobedobedobe….
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Bruce Schuman
>>
>> Santa Barbara CA USA
>>
>> bruceschuman at cox.net / 805-705-9174
>>
>> www.origin.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Shannon McArthur <sparklingwithall at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Saturday, December 26, 2020 1:23 PM
>> *To:* Bruce Schuman <bruceschuman at cox.net>
>> *Cc:* Nirmalan Dhas <mentor at slt.lk>; ChatAction List <
>> chataction at communitymagic.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: Community Gardens
>>
>>
>>
>> Bruce, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Yes, I am aware...
>> while not a researcher (more a surfer and appreciator) I have considered
>> how all these lovely projects could be integrated and what would be needed
>> when that opportunity arises. I have felt insufficient to the challenge and
>> am becoming more confident and able with my new associations (UU, HR & you,
>> All).
>>
>>
>>
>> The concept of Oh-Gs' network extends to, and perhaps starts in places
>> already in existence - and I imagine the philosophy of The One we are and
>> sharing knowledge and wisdom and management methods and funding /economics
>> weaving the jewels of our communities/gardens closer. The outreach I
>> imagine best undertaken has a volatile capacity that I haven't encompassed
>> yet. I imagine the plan will unfold as we get closer to being able to
>> fulfill the required actions.  We are practicing and gathering acumen...
>> imho, and if you can see farther than I, please share. While each of us
>> is enough for our own lifeline, no *one* of us is enough to ground the
>> multi-faceted future we are destined to share... nor to speak to all of
>> the wonderful gardeners, tech & finance people, hands-on builders, artists,
>> educators, philosophers, entertainers and healers, etc., I imagine will be
>> associated with the flowering of Gaia's gift.
>>
>>
>>
>> If I spent my time cooking, gardening or talking to people in one
>> garden at a time (though I have done some of that) I could not do what I am
>> called to. I follow my heart, and trust you do too. We will feel our way
>> forward, learning how as we go... I imagine...
>>
>>
>>
>> I love you... thank you!
>>
>> Shannon
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 26, 2020 at 11:54 AM <bruceschuman at cox.net> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Shannon, dear All
>>
>>
>>
>> I wonder, Shannon – if you have had the time to do some thorough research
>> on the concept of “community gardens” – and considered how you could relate
>> to the considerable work and activity that is already going on?
>>
>>
>>
>> You might start with the Wikipedia article – which does list a lot of
>> resources:
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening
>>
>>
>>
>> This article reviews community gardens in the USA and mentions that in
>> Los Angles country, there are 125 community gardens and in the Denver area
>> there are over 100:
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening_in_the_United_States
>>
>>
>>
>> This website is the official website of the American Community Garden
>> Association:
>>
>> https://www.communitygarden.org/
>>
>>
>>
>> So I am just wondering – is this a wheel that needs to be (re-)invented
>> and financed, or a well-established party-in-progress where you would
>> probably fit in beautifully?
>>
>>
>>
>> Bruce Schuman
>>
>> Santa Barbara CA USA
>>
>> bruceschuman at cox.net / 805-705-9174
>>
>> www.origin.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* ChatAction <chataction-bounces at communitymagic.org> *On Behalf Of
>> *Shannon McArthur via ChatAction
>> *Sent:* Saturday, December 26, 2020 10:04 AM
>> *To:* Nirmalan Dhas <mentor at slt.lk>; ChatAction List <
>> chataction at communitymagic.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [ChatAction] [ChatPeople] FDR Knew How to Solve Today's
>> Unemployment Crisis
>>
>>
>>
>> Nirmalan, the article offers the answer to your question: "China built
>> 12,000 miles of high-speed rail in a decade: credit created on the books of *government-owned
>> banks*
>> <https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese-financial-system-elliott-yan.pdf> was
>> advanced to pay for workers and materials, and the loans were *repaid
>> with profits*
>> <https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704025304575283953879199386> from
>> passenger fees. "
>>
>>
>>
>> This is interesting - I wonder if/how this form of banking
>> could accommodate the financing of establishment of Our Heart Gardens.
>> Holding the intention of participation in Oh-Gs being free, who would pay?
>> Personally, I like the idea of tapping the government agencies who provide
>> services to the participants, and businesses that use the facility to serve
>> their mandate. I invite all imaginations to play in that field with me...
>> Perhaps artists who sell the work they create with/in an Oh-G would pay (a
>> tax or a fee?)... cooks who sell prepared meals (as opposed to those who
>> serve participants freely) would pay - based on their income from sales -
>> perhaps...
>>
>>
>>
>> This is an interesting avenue of inquiry. There are *many* avenues down
>> which I have never ventured and I value your input... This is the fun part!!
>>
>>
>>
>> Love
>>
>> Shannon
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 26, 2020 at 6:18 AM Nirmalan Dhas via ChatAction <
>> chataction at communitymagic.org> wrote:
>>
>> …"the country still needs trillions of dollars in infrastructure. Putting
>> the unemployed to work on those infrastructure projects seems an obvious
>> solution”
>>
>>
>>
>> Who pays back and how…
>>
>>
>> Anyone worked it too a spread sheet….?
>>
>> > On Dec 22, 2020, at 02:02, stan at othernetworks.org wrote:
>> >
>> > Oops...
>> >
>> > Here's the link:
>> >
>> https://scheerpost.com/2020/12/17/fdr-knew-exactly-how-to-solve-todays-unemployment-crisis/
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
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