Recipe for a Farm Community Potluck and Seed Exchange
Simple, versatile and serves all with plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients
- One Venue: any public, non-profit, union or other community organization
with a mission/mandate that includes community
outreach and capacity building
- One "Regular Schedule" such as second Fridays
- Assorted community members!
- One table for food and water
- Washed banana leaf sections and/or ti leaves for green/compostable
dishes
- Chopsticks or biodegradable utensils - or people may bring their own or
have some washable tableware, utensils (Keep it as green and pono and
inspiring as possible!)
- One Compost bucket(s)
- Flowers and greenery
- Tables for seeds, plants and cuttings covered with paper, newsprint or
brown paper roll to use
Crayons, markers for writing down seed and plant names, shared mana'o,
growing information...
- Recycled envelopes, old jars, etc. to take seeds home
- Chalkboard or white board (desirable but not necessary) for posting the
evening's order of activity, Hawaiian pule (traditional opening for a
gathering), open space sharing*,
- A place for sign up/contact information, and Farmers Union and other
educational information
Directions
- Volunteers set things up an hour or so before . . .
- Doors open and seed exchange commences
- Approximately 45 minutes after doors open, gather for opening greeting
and introductions - perhaps in a circle around the table - as people
annouce open space sharing topics use chalk or blackboard to list topics
and let sharers tell where they'll be seated.
- Pule (it's nice to have a singing grace ~ Hawaiian like Ho'onani or any
others the community offers)
- As folks eat dinner they can move to sit with different groups
discussing topics introduced at opening
- *During open space sharing, folks can offer information about their
professional services or products but it's best to have no selling or
advertising at FCPSE's in the spirit of community building (keep it
commercial-free!)
- Sometimes we might have an informal closing sharing and even sing the
traditional Hawaii Aloha song by Makua Lyons
- Encourage those interested to reinforce the calendar of scheduled
FCPSE's and keep in touch by phone tree and/or email ~ nurture a wide
volunteer base to keep it vibrant and fun and sustainable! Utilize
opportunities for media announcements and posters. We enjoy local
children's art to illustrate our posters.
Optional extras:
- Music
- Presentations
- Films
- Talent show
- 'Abundance Swaps' (more organized for alternative gift giving resource
at holiday time - or a Freecycle table as a regular feature.)
Have fun, let your community's light shine and grow food sovereignty -
Hawaii Farmers Union style!
