Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA
None of us had pandemic on our bucket lists, but, well, here we are. Reactions are still processing. The word “apocalyptic” is showing up in news reports. What we’re hearing from SPIN farmers is, “Well, it’s pretty bad.”
Farmers bring a unique perspective to what’s happening now because they have nature as their business partner. It can’t be predicted, reasoned with, or controlled. It can wipe out all your planning and work in minutes. So the fact that an invisible organism destroyed $15 trillion in stock market wealth in 5 weeks, threw millions out of work and upended the entire world order is, while stunning, not unfathomable. Farmers live with a constant degree of uncertainty pretty much most of the time. What this cultivates in us is acceptance and patience, two things that have been in short supply in our culture for quite a while. Maybe now others will learn to cultivate that too. Humility is not a bad thing.
Something else that may be useful to learn is that powerless does not have to mean helpless. SPIN farmers, especially, are far from that right now. We can produce a significant amount of food, and even though for some, the snow hasn’t left yet (damn, a late spring), we’ve been busy re-tooling our business plans and sales channels, setting up online stores, starting mobile markets, beefing up our buying clubs and CSA’s, fielding calls from local distributors we never got before. Maybe considering taking on a few more plots. After years of fostering community we’re starting to master contactless delivery and communal safety practices.
So what do SPIN farmers do in a pandemic? Pretty much what we’ve always done. Try stuff. “We’ll get better at all this,”one posted in our online support group. Yes we will.
CONNECT WITH SPIN FARMERS WHO ARE GOING OUT AND DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, IN THE SPIN ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP. FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP WITH THE PURCHASE OF ANY SPIN GUIDE.