Cooperation is Key to Local Success

Last night, the Carmel Valley Cooperative sponsored a local Holiday Faire. It was a small event in size, but the event for me represents what is needed to make local economies work: cooperation and community.

Of course, this sounds obvious. We've been told since we were young, that cooperation is the key to success. We all know this within our hearts. However practice can sometimes be more difficult than concept. For just as we all know the value and benefits of cooperation, we are equally trained in the art of competition. Finding a balance can be a delicate endeavour, but one I feel is worthy of pursuit.

The Faire last night, for me, was symbolic of the purpose for which the Carmel Valley Cooperative was created: for small local producers, to work together, to create relationships with customers. The goal is for each and every product to find maximum potential to enrich the lives of those in our community, and by making our labours of love sustainable for our lives too. After all, if we cannot afford to do those things that enrich our community, then it benefits no one.

Community truly a powerful motivating force behind everything that I do. I am often amazed at how strongly this has developed, especially when I reflect on my thoughts years ago when I first considered farming. In the beginning, farming seemed to be the ultimate independent experience. Just one's self living off the land. It doesn't get any more independent than that, right? Well, as with everything in life, reality is much different when experienced first hand. The reality has been that nature is amazingly complicated and powerful. Living off the land, so to speak, is just as complex. I am a hands-on person. I actually like to get my hands dirty (literally!) and what I have learned is self evident in retrospect, but unpredictable. When you throw a shovel at the earth, and it bounces back from a stone the size of a golf-ball, and you look at the size of the field that must be turned, it is not really overwhelming independence that you feel. In fact, it is quite humbling. The value of neighbors and community is never so evident than when you are doing everything on your own.

Well, yesterday's Holiday Faire reminded me of this value as a microcosm of how we can come together in a community to enrich our lives. I was struck by the thought last night while talking to some of the guests that came looking for Holiday gifts, what an amazing thing it was that they were there. Today's local newspaper (http://www.montereyherald.com/) runs the headline:

HOLIDAYS FILLED WITH PLENTY TO DO
Take a deep breath and count your blessings
Shopping: Four area shopping centers will offer extended hours as the Christmas holiday approaches.

When I read this, I wondered: Is this serious? We are bombarded with messages like these. Go to the large corporate box stores. Be thankful that you can buy plastic toys from China, produce from Chile, cheese from France, and shoes from Italy. Almost every dollar we spend at these malls gets put on a truck heading straight out of town. When it comes to building a local economy, the competition comes from outside the community. The challenge is always to keep our competitive energy focused in the right place: in building a larger local economy for everyone. As a small producer, I have talked with some of these stores about interest in carrying produce from a small producer like myself. There is always initial interest. But so far, the red-tape has made this difficult, esp. with the larger stores. I am pushed to add overheads. Outside of my personal dislike for spending more time on things that are not directly related to growing and producing, adding overhead creates pressure to grow bigger. Something I do not want to do. I want to stay small. I know that sounds strange in today's world. It seems the key is to stick with smaller, locally owned businesses, and to continue to reach out directly to the community.

Last night's event gave me hope. The people there were either friends or friends of friends. They were a community in the truest sense. And they were supporting us in our passions for creating local. This is a very precious gift that we should not take for granted. In return, it is my hope that the product of our passions will make their lives richer too.

My co-op partner Elizabeth was there with her soaps. She has been working long hours these last few weeks on her craft. In fact, a conversation only a few hours before I left yesterday, she was in her workshop bottling lotions. You can see the care and attention she puts into her products in her beautiful display as well as the variety. Soaps, lotions, lip balms. Plus two new products this year, a shampoo bar gentle enough to use to wash your hair with, and a lotion bar. The lotion bar is very cool. It looks like soap, but when you touch it, it feels like lotion. You have to try it to really know what I'm talking about! Elizabeth's husband Mark brought refreshments to make the mood more festive. Everyone pitches in to add their touch to the experience. That's what makes cooperation work.

Kerin is a local artist that produces beautiful jewelry. Kerin has been making jewelry in the area for ten years. Kerin has been travelling quite a bit lately, so we were fortunate that she was in town this month. She brought with her special pieces including some stone pieces that were very unique. There was one agate piece that had the most amazing natural spirals in it, a theme that is common in her work. It was fun just to look at the different pieces, and the creativity that goes into each one. Kerin has a business called Acqua Fire, and you can see more about her at the http://www.acquafire.com/ website.

And of course, there was lavender. In the photo at the right, Daniella displays the various products, including the new pint sized hydrosols we showed at the Yule Fest. It was so rewarding to meet the interesting folks that love lavender. Many just enjoy the scent. But I also met some very interesting individuals that use lavender and other essential oils for well being and healing. Learning a bit about people's lives and how what I do enriches them is one of the best gifts of all for me.