Newsletter 7/1/20

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, 

Two songs permeate the mist-thick air on the summit of the Big Mountain this morning. Winter Wren sings a tune so Exuberant and Ornate as to call forth the Joy of being alive. White Throated Sparrow, in the other ear, whistles a Slow and Mournful reminder that the World is woven also from elegant Sorrows. These two songs, of Joy and of Sorrow, could be heard at the Gift Stand last Friday. Here’s the Story:

Considering Privilege at the Bread and Soup Stand.

The people who come to pick up Soup and Bread bring some remarkable and surprising gifts with them. Last week, two young people, unknown to one another, asked for my undivided attention, unwrapped their bundles of Sorrows and gifted me two heart-rending questions about Privilege. Urged forward by their tremendous Courage, I will do my best to tell their stories. 

What does it feel like to be On the Take? 

The first, an impassioned vegan, brought their Sorrow tucked inside a clenched fist. Justly dismayed by the exploitation of animals to produce cheap meat and milk for humans, this person’s dismay came at me that afternoon as critique and condemnation of our practice of obliging our cows and sheep to work sometimes in the sun when they might prefer to stand in the shade. Even as I stood in the full flow of this person’s anger, I sensed a familiar Grief and Rage for a society spiraling out of control. I recognized our kinship. Through every crack in this person’s armor shone the question: What does it feel like to be On the Take? I have found that it feels So Bad that I will almost always turn away or propose a solution or find someone else to blame – anything to feel better – rather than voluntarily expose myself to its undomesticated power. Living from the dead bodies of plants and animals obliges us to contend with this question daily here at the Farm, sparking the unravelling of many carefully guarded certainties and countless unquestioned entitlements. 

What do we do when we awaken to find ourselves in Possession of a Stolen Life? 

Just a few minutes later, another young person approached the table from the side, his eyes patient but pleading. This young man was unique in his way. Societally he is considered ‘differently-abled’ and his words came in beautiful, slowly breaking waves. “I want to volunteer. Can I please volunteer? I want to volunteer,” he said to me. His grandmother, who is his primary caretaker, said, “So you know, we come as a package deal.” This was indeed moving, but there was more to come. Some minutes later, the young man circled back around to my side and said, “I saw a video on the internet about White Privilege. I am very upset about what White people did to Black people. I want to be helpful. Can I volunteer?” There it was, laid out on the table – unfiltered, regal Sorrow. I said to him, “I think you will find that there are other people here at the Farm who are troubled by these questions.” He then said to me, “I’m not sure if I should have said that about White Privilege.” Now completely broken open by this young man, all I could say in response was, “I think you will find this to be a place where you can say things that you are not sure about.” He nodded that he had heard me. 

The next morning, alone for the first time in days, the emotion washed over me in salty, sobbing waves. How can the world be So Beautiful and So Sorrowful all at once?

The Soup Team this week included Polly and granddaughter Eva, Heather and son Atom, Zach, Deborah and Dickie. They made some magic together, with the help of beautiful vegetables from several Gardens and bone broth and meat from our dear friend Nigel. For information on our Sunday Work Parties you can click HERE. We were just $400 short of our June Budget, which carries over as a negative balance for July. Thank you so much to all those who have considered financial gifts! We will continue this unpromising work on behalf of some unlikely possibilities as long as we’ve got a few scraps of kindling for the fire, which generously casts its glow on the faces of the good people gathered ‘round. Thank you for reading. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

Here is what you will find in this letter:

1. SOUP MENU for 7/3
2. INVITATION: FOOD DISTRIBUTION DETAILS
3. BUDGET UPDATE

With Great Care, 

Adam and the Brush Brook Community Farm Team

SOUP MENU

1. Brush Brook Soup – Scallions, Garlic Scapes, Wild Greens, Radishes, Carrots, Beef, Herbs, Bone Broth.  
2. Vegetarian Soup – Pureed Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes from last summer.

INVITATION: FOOD DISTRIBUTION DETAILS 

Friday 7/3, 4:00pm – 6:00 pm
Brush Brook Community Farm & Running Stone Bread
4582 Main Road, Huntington, VT.

Bread Varieties this week:  Simple Wheat, Polenta, 3 Seed, Rye, Sprouted Grain, Backcountry Loaf (gf)

Would you consider coming by for bread and soup for your household, and/or some to drop off to a neighbor on your way home?

BUDGET UPDATE: Thank you for Considering the July Budget

Many heartfelt thanks to all who have responded to these invitations by sending in Financial Gifts. If you would like to support our work, you can mail checks made out to Brush Brook Community Farm to PO Box 202, Huntington, VT, 05462, bring gifts to the Bread and Soup Stand, or donate through the website.