Feed Each Other: The Radical Power of Free Grocery Stores

How This Kind of Mutual Aid Transforms Hunger Relief into Community Empowerment

Reprinted with permission from JM Heatherly

Imagine walking into a grocery store where there are no price tags, no checkout lines, and no guilt attached to taking what you need. Free grocery stores embody this vision—a radical alternative to the commodification of food and a powerful expression of mutual aid. They enable us to embody the ideal that food is a human right.

Free grocery stores operate on a simple yet transformative principle: access to food is a human right, not a privilege. Unlike traditional food banks, which often require proof of need, free grocery stores are open to all, fostering dignity, solidarity, and community. Their shelves are stocked through donations, community gardens, food rescue programs, and local partnerships.These stores exemplify mutual aid by addressing systemic food insecurity while also challenging the profit-driven model that suppresses wages and perpetuates hunger. 

Below is a powerful video embedded in the article about a group called "Food Not Bombs" in which  volunteers from the organization were interviewed. They outlined the simple principles that are the foundation of their organization: vegetarianism, non-violence and consensus decision making. 

Food Not Bombs, founded in 1980, is a grassroots collective that uses food as a tool for social and political change. Operating in hundreds of cities worldwide, the organization focuses on recovering surplus food from markets, bakeries, and other sources to create free, nutritious meals for anyone in need. By doing so, they not only combat hunger but also challenge the systems of waste and inequality inherent in capitalism.

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military ‘defense’ than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

JM's article features other videos and links to organizations that demonstrate a range of Free Grocery Store models. To read the full post, go to Feed Each Other: The Radical Power of Free Grocery Stores

 

What happens when you set a river free?

Virtually all the UK’s rivers have been physically altered in one way or another – straightened, dammed, dredged or restrained by barriers in some way along their course. Which is why the National Trust decided to do a radical experiment, to see if it is possible to the ecological equivalent of a complete reboot.

They filled a river in west Somerset in and let it take its own course through the landscape. Our climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, has been finding out how the project worked out. 

Teach the children a helping way...

This is a quote excerpted from a conversation between a Lakota Sioux elder and the author of  a wonderful book I've just read (see below). It speaks to the importance of living a life of generosity, focused on vision, not fear.

"In the old way there were no locks on our doors. We had no fences to make lines between 'mine' and 'yours'. To be great among our people was not to gather the most for ourselves, it was to be the biggest giver and sharer and to protect the weak. We honored those who could help the most, not  those who could have the most.

"Once a person starts to live in your way, everything changes, because everything has to be protected. You start making rules about what people can't do, not what people should do. Look at those Ten Commandments you tried to teach us in the boarding school: 'Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.'

"I'd rather have rules that say, 'You should, you should.' It teaches us who we should be, not who we should not be. All your way does is tell someone how not to be bad. It doesn't tell them how to be good.

"When we teach the children this fear way, we set their feet on a bad path. We teach them to grow up thinking about themselves. Sharing is just a small stick they hold out to other people, not the strongest branch on the tree of their lives. They learn to protect, not to give, and it builds a wall around their hearts.

"We need to change this. We need to teach them a helping way. We need to teach them that the way to be strong is to help the weak; the way to have wealth is to give things away; the way to lead is to serve. We need to let them know that they are an important part of the circle of life, and if they do not play their part, no one else can.

"If we teach them these things they will have hope in their hearts."

                                                          from "The Wolf at Twilight - An Indian
                                                           Elder's Journey through a 
                                                           Land of Ghosts and Shadows" p 307-308
                                                             By Kent Nerburn

Your Body is all in Your Mind!

As many of you know, Chris has been dealing with the fallout of two whip-lash injuries from when he was much younger. This has effected his balance, his digestion and he's been dealing with almost constant tingling in his feet and legs for several years now. We have surmised that all these symptoms could be the result of pinched nerves in his neck. Chris is not really one to put his faith in doctors but he's not willing just to succumb to ever decreasing mobility either so we've been researching alternatives that feel aligned with our beliefs and values.

We are both avid students of A Course in Miracles and read from it every day, seeking to put its principles of radical forgiveness (of self and other) into practice. It's helping our relationship immensely; our communication and sense of shared purpose has been increasingly profoundly, especially in the past year or so. But unfortunately, we hadn't noticed any significant changes in Chris' bodily healing.

Recently, we came across the teachings and practices of Dr Joe Dispenza. Dr Joe (as he's affectionately called) healed himself from a devastating bike injury that damaged six of his vertebra. The surgeons and doctors on his case all told him he was lucky to be alive but that he would probably never walk again and they were all encouraging him to undergo radical spinal surgery. 

Dr Joe opted to commit himself to deep and profound meditations for many hours a day and through the power of connecting to the "quantum field" (God? Life? Source?) he was able to re-frame his perceptions of his body and its injuries such that he experienced a total healing! You can read about some of the highlights of his journey HERE.

Over the years, Dr Joe has researched the scientific basis for his healing and created a system whereby others can also generate profound healing in their own lives. these healings have not been limited to structural damage such as he suffered but range from chronic illnesses, cancer, allergies and just about everything that ails humans!

Chris and I have begun to incorporate videos by and about Dr Joe into our regular viewing queue. We are happy to report that he is experiencing noticeable signs of healing in the conditions outlined above. He's doing other things on a physical level as well but would say that he's getting the best results from the combined practices of meditations based on A Course in Miracles and Dr Joe's teachings.

What follows is an incredibly moving testimonial from a woman helped by Dr Joe's methods. It is followed by a synopsis/interview with him which explain his philosophy and practice succinctly and clearly. May you find inspiration, hope and healing for whatever ails you!

 

It's the action, not the fruit of the action that's important...

 

Heaven's Treasures

There was a man who died and found himself in a beautiful place, surrounded by every conceivable comfort. A white-jacketed man came to him and said, "You may have anything you choose--any food--any pleasure--any kind of entertainment."
The man was delighted, and for days he sampled all the delicacies and experiences of which he had dreamed on earth. But one day he grew bored of it, and calling the attendant to him, he said, "I'm tired of all this. I need something to do. What kind of work can you give me?"
The attendant sadly shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry, sir. That's the one thing we can't do for you. There is no work here for you."
To which the man answered, "That's a fine thing. I might as well be in hell."
The attendant said softly, "Where do you think you are?"

From Prosperity is God's Idea by Margaret M. Stevens

The Incredible "10% Rule" That Every Gardener Should Use for Re-wilding Your Land

(Note: originally posted September 2021). Apparently September is "Organics Month" (who knew!). I can celebrate anything that helps us all live more lightly on the planet with greater health for us, and the other life forms we share the planet with. Here's a sweet video about bringing rewilding down to the personal level; what each of us can achieve in our own backyards and gardens. It can be intimidating to think that one's own small actions don't really make a difference but as oft-quoted Margaret Mead says so powerfully: 

Image credit

Here is a brief description of the video described by its maker, Huw Richards, an organic gardener in England, followed by the link to watch...

"Today's video is something I have been wanting to make for a while to really explore how we as vegetable gardeners can help create more space for wildlife, specifically pollinators whilst also improving food production. The 10% rule is a very simple way that we can make a small change that will lead to great results and is something I feel every vegetable gardener should do on an annual basis. Little steps quickly add up to big changes that make such an incredible difference in the veg garden."

The Incredible "10% Rule" That Every Gardener Should Use 

 

 

Peter Owen Jones: Beyond Nations, Ownership and Competition

Web of Life - image credit

Imagine a world in which the care of the earth, sky and seas becomes a higher priority than profits, creature-comforts and our personal 'portfolio'. We can kid ourselves that a life in service to our personal family's well-being is a life well-lived. But it's time we moved beyond this narrow definition of "family"; move beyond our identification with a school, an employer or a nation as our 'tribe' and see that, until we live as though the web of life is our family, the natural world is our tribe, we will continue to degrade our planet and the legacy we had hoped to leave for our children will be bankrupt and dead.

Please watch this short, rousing Ted-talk by Peter Owen Jones in which he addresses these topics and more.

Wim Hof - Benefits of Cold Showers

For several years, Chris and I have been following the work of Wim Hof (affectionately know as the Iceman! - image: left). He recommends taking cold showers and ice-baths for their health and spiritual benefits.

We don't shower every day (so only do this practice 2-3 times a week), and we always begin our showers with hot/warm water. At the end of the shower we turn it all the way to cold (which, because our water comes from a well, can be pretty darn cold!) 

 

Sometimes I turn it straight to the coldest setting and and other times I work my way gradually through increasingly colder and colder settings. Then I linger for a minute or two running the cold water all over my face, back, armpits, belly, legs and feet.

 

It was very hard to develop this habit at first but eventually the benefits became so apparent that now I find myself looking forward to it.

 

I notice that the cold showers decrease inflammation in my body, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and seem to help me be more comfortable in cold weather. Here's an article, based on scientific studies of the Benefits of Cold Showers.

I greatly enjoyed this 31 minute documentary about Wim too. Big Pharma VS Wim Hof 

 

Tips for Maintaining a Well-Stocked Pantry

Tips for Maintaining a Well-Stocked Pantry
By Llyn Peabody

Whether you’re concerned about preparing for a natural disaster or economic hard times, or just tired of opening your cupboards and not having a variety of tasty, nutritious items to choose from, it’s always a good idea to get in the habit of stocking and maintaining one’s pantry. Here are some tips to help.

• ‘Stocking-up’ shopping trips: Because we live 25 minutes’ drive from the nearest big city, we’ve gotten in the habit of doing our food shopping in two major trips per month; it’s just more efficient for us that way. But even if you live right in town with convenient grocery stores in your neighborhood, you might want to plan on doing at least one major ‘stocking-up’ trip per month. Find your local discount stores that feature discontinued items or items near their pull-date, or ‘big-box’ stores that sell case-loads of food and food in large containers, these are great places to expand your pantry, even if you’re on a tight budget. We find that shopping on week-day mornings is the best time to avoid crowds and long lines at the registers.

• As you do your regular shopping, look for sale items. If the foods are something you especially enjoy, and eat a lot of and they’re ‘shelf-steady’ (have a long shelf-life) - get more than a few extra. Also, many stores will let you special order whole cases, or large bags of bulk items at a discount saving you money and assuring you won’t run out of the things you eat often.

• Prioritize getting foods that are familiar and bring you comfort. Sure, it’s great to have some variety and to expand one’s menu from time to time but during a crisis is not the time to begin experimenting with one’s food choices. If your external circumstances are creating more stress than usual, you’ll want your mealtimes to bring you comfort and nourishment, not more stress.

• Be sure your pantry has plenty of items that are easy to prepare. You don’t want to be stuck in a crisis with foods that need extensive cooking or have recipes with complicated lists of ingredients. Easy, delicious and nutritious food brings comfort any time but especially in an emergency!

• Remember the treats! Along with your familiar staple items for main-courses, remember to have on-hand some sweets and salty/crunchy snacks, or the ingredients to make them. The trick with these is to dole them out slowly so you have them on hand during a crisis! I find that putting them out of sight, in a place that requires more effort to get to, slows our consumption a bit (but I’m still working on this 😊).

• Make your own: Though honestly, it isn’t always cheaper to grow, can, dehydrate and/or freeze your own foods, having and using these skill-sets does foster a sense of self-reliance and an appreciation for the foods that grow in one’s region on a seasonal basis. And it gives you control over the quality of the end products. If you’re not able to grow your own, go to your local Farmer’s Market and buy fruits and vegetables by the case, to freeze, can or dehydrate at home.

• Storing bulk food items: Bulk items brought home in plastic or paper bags should be transferred to rodent/insect-proof, air-tight containers as soon as possible. We prefer square and rectangular containers (as opposed to cylindrical ones) as they use storage space more efficiently. We also avoid reusing containers that had strong-smelling contents, like salsa, as these flavors can linger in the rubber gasket of the original lid and permeate one’s bulk food items. If you will be storing the bulk foods for a long time (more than a few months) and you’re concerned the lid may not be air tight, you can use a clean, empty plastic bag laid over the opening of the jar and screwed on with the lid as a gasket. Be sure to put dates on home-canned items and to label bulk-items with the date of purchase as well. We keep a roll of blue painter’s tape, a black, permanent marker and some scissors in our pantry to make making labels easy.

• Shelf-life: As you fine-tune your pantry, expand the number of items with a long shelf-life. Canned goods will last a long time and, if necessary, most of them can even be eaten right out of the can without heating (be sure to have a non-electric can-opener on hand in case power goes out). Bulk, dried goods (beans, grains etc.) also have a long shelf-life if stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, but they have the disadvantage of needing to be cooked. This is fine as long as one has access to fuel/electricity for cooking but for this reason, you don’t want to rely exclusively on them as ‘emergency foods’. Dried/dehydrated foods (such as dried fruit, seeds and nuts) are excellent choices since most don’t require cooking to eat them and they’re packed with nutrition. (Nuts do need special care though as their oils can become rancid if not stored well.) Frozen foods are fine for a short-term crisis but if one encounters long-term power outages, frozen foods can be lost as they thaw. (If you should be faced with a thawing inventory of food during a long-term power outage, consider preparing larger quantities of food with the ingredients you have and sharing with neighbors who may not have thought ahead. At least the food won’t go to waste.)

• A note on pull dates: Most ‘use by’ or ‘best by’ dates on packaged items are a general guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. The exceptions are: highly perishable foods that require refrigeration such as dairy/eggs or meat; anything being fed to the elderly, the very young, or people with compromised immune systems; and highly acidic foods stored in cans such as tomato-products – in which case the ‘pull dates’ should be honored more rigidly. When you are buying food for long term storage, try to avoid dented or damaged packaging but if you should happen to bring some home, eat it promptly, well before the expiration date printed on the package.

• And lastly, remember to rotate your inventory. As you bring home fresh canned/packaged items, move them to the back of your shelves and ‘front’ the older foods.

To contact the author, Llyn Peabody: ShareInJoy@gmail.com –

For tips on growing your own food, saving seeds and other ‘rural arts’, go to: www.TheSharingGardens.blogspot.com