Over the recent
Thanksgiving weekend, my husband and some close friends made a return
pilgrimage to the Homestead Fair. I use
the term “pilgrimage” intentionally, because that’s what it always is to
me. It’s a journey that honors the
traditions and enduring values of our past; what America used to stand for. And it has much to offer us in re-training
for a different kind of future.
The first time I
stepped foot in this community, my soul responded immediately. I recognized what America has lost, and what
we need to regain if we are to make it through the tidal wave of massive change
headed our way. I also realized that
these people had much to teach me, and I’m soaking it up like a sponge.
They have
determined to stand for something, and have defined their goal as “dedication
to recapturing and perpetuating a sense of intentional community, which
includes rediscovery and perpetuating the knowledge and skills that can provide
for essential human needs (both socially and spiritually, as well as
materially) on a sustainable basis.” Did
you catch that last part? Essential
human needs ….and sustainable basis.
We’re going to need both of those components when… I don’t even say “if”
anymore …. when all that we’ve taken for granted no longer exists.
Still need
further clarification? It means a
community of people who recognize the value of hard work, learning a skill, and
honoring shared principles. Whether it is farming, furniture-making, quilting,
cattle raising, canning and preserving, weaving or cheese-making, they know that true craftsmanship
requires more than skill; it expresses a care and concern, and a personal
investment in everything one does.
Oh yeah, they
also realize that a community of like-minded people results in a productive,
respectful and profitable populace. And
you know the best part? They’re willing
to teach others!
It didn’t take me
long to see that learning some of these long-lost skills would come in rather
handy when everything starts falling apart.
So I have since spent a glorious day measuring, and kneading, and
learning the joy of being up to my elbows in dough.
I took a bread-baking class, and now with
my 5-gallon buckets of hard red wheat and white flour (uncracked), I won’t be
standing in any bread lines. There will
be no shortage of delicious and healthy whole wheat bread, crescent rolls,
tortillas and cinnamon rolls (OK, maybe not so healthy) in my household. When the price of a loaf of bread skyrockets,
I’ll just pull out my beautiful red, hand-crafted wheat grinder and fill the house with the
aroma of homemade bread.
Besides this
class, I have immersed myself in demonstrations on soap-making, tasted their
out-of-this-world aged cheeses, examined easy-to-build chicken houses, and was
amazed by the solar systems they’ve engineered to run all their modern
household conveniences. These are all
skills we would be wise to master.
The smell of
freshly plowed earth as they demonstrated their farming procedures (using
horses and mules) made me proud of my own family’s agricultural heritage, while
at the same time I felt sadness that we’ve lost our connection to the land.
But I’m afraid we
will soon be forced to become re-acquainted…especially if we want to eat and
survive the re-building of this once-great nation. I have much faith that there will be those
who pull together and reclaim these traditions and principles. Not only will we plant and grow, but also we
will flourish and prosper, and once again know the joy and fulfillment of
returning to the art of work.
Necessary Steps to Sustain Essential Human Needs
--- Connect
with a community of like-minded people
--- Learn
a skill that will make you a valuable asset to the group
--- Seek
out these Homestead communities in your area.
Take advantage of their knowledge and their willingness to share
information. It could prove invaluable
for you and your family.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 …. “and to make it your ambition to
lead a quiet life: You should mind your
own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.”
Belle,
ReplyDeleteCan you please post the name and location of the community you mentioned today. I had given up the bread baking and canning I did in my younger years but may need to rekindle some sort of ability. I love your blog and thank you for spreading the word.
Char
There are only 5 homesteading schools I am aware of in the U.S. They are located in Indiana, Illinois, California, Michigan, and the one I'm familiar with, which is in Elm Mott, TX, outside of Waco. You can visit their website at www.homesteadheritage.com.
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