Happy fall daily actors!
Just 8 days until we Ripple the World. Join us! Come gather with 600 allies to celebrate community and grow this unstoppable movement of inspired citizens, leaders and solutions galore. RSVP today. The second request is to voice your support for a thriving, just and sustainable food system for Sonoma County. By endorsing the Food Action Plan, you make your voice heard, your values known and your commitment clear.
After the recent Bioneers conference, a few things are abundantly clear … not only is there a deep need and desire for vital sustainability solutions and models, but we all need to get re-inspired and refilled; we need to be reminded of the painful and challenging truths of our time in a way that opens our hearts and deepens our resolve; we need to gather with like hearts and minds; and as Eve Ensler said, we need to “take our direction and inspiration from the most marginalized and hurt.”
Bioneers Co-founder Nina Simmons reminded us that it’s a crisis of relationships we face, so relationship is the strategy we most need, getting our networks connected and activated. To do this, she emphasized the need for self-care and rather than getting overwhelmed, to do what we can with what we have. When we do this, we grow more inspiration, more capacity, and more ability.
Myco-magician Paul Stamets spoke about the wisdom of fungi and mycelial networks. They make up the largest organism on earth, and 90% of plants on the planet have mycelial relationships. This extends their roots and supports interplant communication. Through these networks is how successes are quickly shared; helping communities learn, evolve, and grow stronger together.
Taking a cue from the mycelium, author Naomi Klein spoke about this movement of movements emerging, of local actions and efforts morphing into guiding principles, shared vision and strategy with Indigenous and frontline communities leading the way. She highlighted the importance of changing human behavior, our relationship with the earth and each other.
Both for Daily Acts and myself, Bioneers is a huge source of inspiration, support and connection that fuels our work. So it was an honor to speak on an Eco-Governance panel, as well as hosting an all-day, post-conference workshop on Food System Resilience. We toured home and public food forests and the McNear community garden; propagated and planted plants; pressed fresh apple juice; ate cob oven pizza with farm and garden fresh local ingredients; and discussed with Evan Wiig of the Farmer’s Guild and Naomi Starkman of Civil Eats this rapidly growing good food movement and how we can engage in it from garden to neighborhood, community and beyond. We began and closed the same way, in the garden with closed eyes and a shared breath, a light drizzle of rain on our skin, inspiration in our hearts and feeling a part of something larger.
It’s so vital to be re-inspired to remember to put self-care, our relationships and networks at the core of our work in building more resilient food systems and communities. So if you are inspired to, please join me in endorsing the Healthy & Sustainable Food Action Plan for Sonoma County. And I hope to see you at Ripple the World next Friday to celebrate this incredible community and raise the support to put these vital solutions in more hearts, hands and communities.