What does a chapter 14 strategies discussion look like? I found out at the Strategies 101 meeting at Hayes Valley Farm. We read the introduction to chapter 14 – The Strategies of an Alternative Global Nation – in Bill Mollison’s book and then walked around the farm to see where such alternatives might be implemented. How can we spread the wonders of the farm to lay the seeds for an alternative global nation? The edges of the farm lead to two major thoroughfares: Oak and Fell. The people in the cars seemed mostly oblivious about what was going on next to them (a miracal!). One strategy to get them out of their cars might be to make them aware of the farm. Maybe we could put up signs that point out that food is growing here. We could include pictures of the highway ramps that were transformed into the farm. There is a parking lot adjacent to the greens, again we wondered how we could reach the people who park there. Maybe they don’t realize that what is growing right next to their parking spot is edible, so we could share the bounty with them.

Then there are the people who live close to the farm. Some of them have lived there for a long time and might enjoy sharing their stories about the site – how it used to be a highway; how the poppies came right back as soon as the cars stopped; how they are now discovering the farm. This could be modeled after some oral history projects.

Since a couple group members are changing careers or looking for jobs, we were contemplating how nice it would be to have an alternative economy. We envisioned a community board at the farm where we could post “jobs wanted” and “jobs offered” notices. There is already a hardly known and underutilized Time Bank in San Francisco. We brainstormed about ways to incorporate it on the farm. Maybe people don’t use it because they don’t know how? So, we could make computers available on the farm and volunteers could teach others how to set up an account. Maybe people can earn hours working on the farm, this would require that they can log their hours. Again, on-site computers might help with that. Then they can spend the hours earned on things outside of the farm thus spreading the alternative economy throughout the City. The seeds for an alternative global nation are there. We need to start watering them…

(Cross posted here)