Imagine the houses in your area, the people inside them, the seeds (that may look at first like food, but could be grown to become plants), the tools in their sheds and workshops, the skills they have, the financial resources they have in their wallets, bank accounts and capital they could use to be granted loans.
Then imagine the people in the neighbourhood bringing forward their list all of these resources, and making them available to be used by those in the neighbourhood who had the time and skills to use it all to turn one empty lot into a garden oasis, with it's own water supply (caught from rain), it's own power supply (low tech passive solar ovens, for example), and a communications system to keep everyone involved in the loop.
Each stage of the project is implemented as a workshop (inviting everyone around), using the intelligence of the participants to optimize how it might be implemented next time, with the next group, at the next project.
Houses are re-morgaged to free up financial resources, collaboration with groups near by helps determine how best to apply the finances so that what is really needed can be found and as many re-uesable tools shared locally.
Skilled teams travel together to where they are needed next.
Carpenters, masons, heavy equipment operators, soil experts, permaculture designers, systems planners, all putting their skill and savvy to use toward a common goal:
- growing lots of greenery, for human food, animal feed, carbon capture, for microclimate cooling, and to suppy seed for the next growing season;
- building outbuildings such as greenhouses, sheds, outhouses and sheltered camp kitchens to protect seedlings, store supplies, and provide gathering space under cover, while collecting rainwater off roofs, channelled by gutters;
- harvest, store and spread rainwater to take the presure off municipal water supply, to reduce flooding and erosion during heavy rain events, and to grow the greenery;
- preparing food on site for fresh community feasts, and for cold storage by canning and drying;
- collecting manure, seaweed, leaves, food waste and other mulches to use as top-dressing, and to make compost and compost teas to help build the soil;
- keeping inventory of what is on-site and communicating with other sites to move things to where they are needed: tools, supplies, surplus and experts!
Additional aspects can be added to sites as needed such as fix-it shops, workshops and craft rooms for such things as sign making, tool repair, upcycling junk into useable tools and treasures, beautification and innovation.
All generations can be part: children can work alongside neighbours or band together to play and learn; elders can keep watch, and do the jobs they can and want to do while younger bodies do the heavy lifting and bending.
All the while, people are training to use their feelings and emotions ever more consciously, so as to lower numbness levels, and so that reactivity (emotions) become doorways for Emotional Healing Processes, and the wisdom and energy of feelings can be used to empower the projects.
Even extra cars could be sold, spare rooms could be rented out... as people get to know each other, trust each other and share more!
