Cold Peace

The Chinese proverb says one picture is worth ten thousand words and so below are pictures from our latest work day at the Free Farm that is closing hopefully by December 22 . The idea being even though we can stay until the end of the year we would like to clear out before Christmas begins.

P1010050digging up the big avocado

P1010051 P1010052P1010054the tree will go to Fruitvale and join the community of  of love magicians there

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the multi-grafted  peach tree with plum grafts will go to the Texas garden on Potrero Hill

above the Food Bank

More love magicians at the Free Farm and at the Free Farm Stand. If we can’t grow soil and food at the moment we can still grow community and friendships:

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P1010043 P1010046P1010048 P1010049 P1010065harvesting lettuce for the Stand at Treat Commons

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bundled up for the sunny but cold Free Farm Stand

Please come by the next four workdays and be part of history. There is still a lot of stuff there besides plants and that is what people who come can do is take it all away. We also have two big trees there one that is dug up already and the other needs digging up up and then moved to a truck.

 Here is a photo of our Free Store at the Free Farm Stand. Alex sets it up most Sundays and it seems very popular.

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Last week I got interviewed by CW Nevius in the Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Free-Farm-faces-challenges-in-staying-in-S-F-5029027.php. In the interview he said to me that our operation sounded like the diggers. I told him I was personally inspired by them (but I forgot to mention that I have been  inspired by  Gerrad Winstanley and the original diggers of England of 1649). These days I think that doing things for free is a good antidote for the disease of materialism running rampant these days.

This leads into my thinking about gentrification, high rents, and evictions are on everyone’s mind these days . In today’s news a protest and blockade of a Google bus in the Mission: http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2013/12/09/protesters-block-google-bus-in-s-f-mission/.   People are upset, but other than these kind of actions, no one seems to have good solutions.  The other day I stumbled across this video in  Mission Local comparing the prices at several  “local foods” markets and one Latino market. The woman interviewed from the newly opened Local Mission Market claims they were trying to make their produce “as affordable and accessible as possible”. At the same time she seemed  aware and a bit defensive about being part of the gentrifying force in the Mission. I also learned from this video that a new Whole Foods opened in the Mission on Market St. near 14th.

Trying to keep positive and constructive,  recently Pancho sent me a link to an inspiring video which opened my eyes to an economic model that is not free per se, yet is centered around generosity and compassion for those in need. Perhaps  some of these new businesses could learn from this example of a business that is very successful money wise, but serves the poor at the same time.