note-
italics is Naj talking
bold is Naj thinking
regular font is others speaking
“So, I just saw the Newbies head out. How was the first session?”
It was Fraeda, she was at home a lot. She had a small business making insulated drapes. It was late in the season for that but she still had a few to do and some other sewing as well.
“A good group. All very much engaged. I know several of the youngsters because I know their parents and grandparents.”
“Yes, I recognized several of them from events and parties here in the neighborhood. Several I think I've seen across the street at the farm. Speaking of across the street, you might go find Jim and Sue. They may be in the veggie green house.”
“Sure, I'll go have a look.”
Nice day. And what do I hear? I still can't quite get used to that. It just knocked my socks off the first time I heard a Mockingbird right here on Benjamin Street. I used to live in Texas where the feisty little avian critters were all over. They would dive bomb our cats and sing endlessly. Then after moving up here in the early 90's, I made a few visits to Santa Rosa, north of the Bay Area. One day in Santa Rosa, I borrowed a friend's bike and was cruising through a neighborhood and what did I hear? I had no idea Mockingbirds had a range into California. But there he was. And others too. Turns out, Santa Rosa is a popular place for Mockingbirds.
They are a warmer climate bird and I wondered if and when they would start to show up this far north. Even before the turn of the century, salmon were spawning in northern Alaska where they never used to be. Before travel became far more expensive less than a decade after the turn of the century, I took a trip to Texas and visited in Dallas. I could not believe all the palm trees. I had always been into exotics living Dallas even as a kid. There were a few hardy palms here and there and some banana trees that always froze back in the winter time.
1
Between 1965 and 2005, there was a remarkable difference. Its not like Dallas was looking like Honolulu but the change was a jolt. I thought I had landed in the wrong place.
That was the early onset of climate. I had spoken with several people who made it out of Texas in time and I can only imagine what it was like when the heat in Dallas became like Laredo and then even more than that and starting much earlier in the year. As it turned out, even all the windmills making electricity put up during the windmill boom of 2010 were not enough to keep that place livable. Combined with the decline in natural gas, over a period of several years, along with a decline in practically everything else people were used to, one source of the Migration took shape. Dallas was a sizable watershed that added to a huge river of environmental refugees. A few of those people made it into Cascadia. Those are great stories, later, for the Newbies.
Well maybe this Mockingbird is a descendant with family he could trace to Texas. More likely, these locals made their way up from California along the coastal corridor. They are not the only newcomer. How about malaria. We've been able to keep that in check but I've heard of a few cases in Cascadia. Still, some of those diseases from further south have made their way up here. Ironically, that's part of the reason others have survived. We do have enough resource here in Cascadia to take care of ourselves, thanks to a much reduced population.
And the Neighborhood Garden Center just across the street. This entire Willamette Valley and River Road area, in particular, was agricultural for much of the previous century. Great soil, wonderful climate. It was an extension of California's Mediterranean Climate. Thanks to a changing climate, our temperatures and rainfall were now like the Sacramento Valley 50 years ago. Very much like Chico.
Here at the Garden Center, we grew many kinds of seedlings including citrus. Several of us were only joking when we set up the Eugene Citrus Exchange almost 40 years ago. We planted outside the hardiest citrus available, up close to a house and then had to cover and heat that waist high shrub on occasion during winter. By and by, those shrubs grew larger and we started putting them out in the yard.
2
So now, we grow local citrus. Its not unusual. Olives, too.
When I bought my house in 2000, there was a wholesale nursery across the street. There were a half dozen green houses. The owners propagated their own ornamental, shrubs. But as they approached retirement age they began to subdivide the couple of acres into run of the mill suburban lots with as large of a house as could fit. Several of the lots were actually built on and sold. The housing market was hot. But after a few years, moving towards the end of the first decade of the new century, there was a noticeable change.
The bottom fell out of the housing market around 2007, especially for those kinds of houses. They never did fill in the rest of the lots. After a time, the owners came to realize the best use of the property was to make it available to the neighborhood as a suburban farm. The neighbors provided some friendly encouragement for that decision. It turned out to be a good choice for everyone. It made use of the owners' existing skills. Ornamental shrub propagation was similar to growing trees, shrubs and vines that made food.
They died during one of the flu outbreaks but ultimately, are remembered fondly. What was intended to be lamentable suburban houses became the Neighborhood Garden Center and it provided a great deal of food at all seasons for hundreds of people. The new houses they did manage to build before the real estate and financial markets crashed are now in a slow state of deconstruction, still with a sizable amount of debris waiting to be moved somewhere.
A half block further down the street was a one acre park dating back to about 2010. Fortunately, its design was such that it could be converted to community gardens. The city landscape architect designed it that way because he could see the trends. The food bearing nut trees also turned out to be a good move and more have been planted since. Much of the neighborhood west and north of here has been abandoned. In fact, there are only a couple of co-ops further out of town in this direction, the Missionary Co-op being one of them, another where the old Methodist Church dug up their acres of parking lot for gardens. Further west across the old railroad tracks in Bethyl, there is another group of co-ops.
3
“You found me. Good timing, we're expecting a visit from a group of school kids in a few minutes. I can handle the host part. You will be interested to tag along.”
“Sounds good and I'll do just that. A day in the life of kids. We sure make an effort to acquaint them with what goes on with maintaining ourselves. The sessions I just started this morning. Frequent school visits to the farm here. Apprentices all over.”
“That's for sure. We do this in our own best interests. Its healthy for the kids and its good for us, too. There will be a day when we will depend on these kids looking after us. Its not like when you grew up, Naj. People who were well enough off went to the retirement home and had professional care. If you didn't have that you needed family or a care giver. It was a hit or miss way to deal with the aged. This is our social security. All the kids in the community and the ones in your co-op in particular. That's one reason we treat our kids so well. We don't want them to take off and leave us on our own when we're dazed and confused.”
“Tasha, so nice to see you and the youngsters. You know Jim.”
“Hello! Yes, I know Jim. Here we are. A tour group from the Beaver group at River Road Elementary School. We are 20 in number, ages 8 to 10.”
I didn't know at the time how well they knew each other.
“Certainly, for quite some time, don't we Jim?”
She had a knowing smile. They both shared some kind of secret and laughed easily. Multiple affairs were not at all uncommon and even encouraged as long as everyone involved was ok with it.
I knew Tasha since she was 5. Now a grown woman, she was a logical conclusion to her younger self. Very creative and theatrical. She had started on a career in performance and was doing well when greater forces caused her to abandon San Francisco. Her heroic return and crossing the border in the winter time at Siskiyou Pass made for a great story. Maybe she will share it with us some time.
4
“Lets get started. Hi kids, I'm Jim and welcome to the Community Greenhouses and Gardens. I know some of you. Many of your parents have spent some time here.”
“As you may know, your parents work in a number of places besides their main job. One of the Great Agreements was for every adult to have a working knowledge of multiple kinds of work. We saw what happened after the Crash and into the Transition. We are multi skilled.”
That was only part of the story, I thought. People who had knowledge of multiple useful skills were invaluable. People who knew little of value were a burden. When it came time to organize Clusters- extended families- some people did not receive much welcome or embrace. It was bit like choosing sports teams when we were kids. Some kids were picked last. It didn't feel good and picking up the pieces just to survive during the Transition, it was far more important to choose "heavy hitters" than worry too much about hurting peoples' hurting peoples' feeling. A carpenter, gardener or handyman was of far more value than most white collar professionals.
Jim was good with kids.
“Did you kids know much of your food comes from this place? We grow vegetables inside during the winter and outside in the summer. We can extend the growing season by planting some veggies early inside the green houses and then later, take down the cover when its warm enough.”
“I bet all of you have gardens at home.”
All the children raised their hands.
“I bet many of your veggies had their beginning right here. We start the plants from seed, grow them in small containers and then transplant them. We grow thousands of small plants here and distribute them all over the neighborhood.”
5
“Here's a bit of history it may be hard to believe. Most of you know Elder Naj. He has lived in that house across the street for over forty years, before the Great Transition. What is now the Garden Center used to grow plants that were purely ornamental. That means you could only look at them. They made no food. Elder Naj was an early pioneer of growing food at home. Many people had gardens but Elder Naj was one of the first people to take his entire property and turn it into gardens with fruit trees, blueberries, nuts and many other food plants.”
“You may not believe this, but at that time, most people did not have a garden. Even more amazing and think of your Geography, much of the food people ate came from hundreds if not thousands of miles away.”
“What do you mean?” One youngster asked.
“I mean there was a system of food production that used a great deal of energy. With that energy being so cheap, it was possible to grow food in one place, ship it and consume it far away. As long as the energy was cheap for transportation and for cheap fertilizer, it worked ok. But about 40 years ago, the system fell apart. The energy was no longer cheap and a lot of other things happened. That was the beginning of the Transition."
"As you all know from your history, this was a terrible time. Many people died, especially in other parts of the country. What was the great United States came undone and different parts of the country began to look after their own affairs. Some areas did not do so well. At that time, what was the states of Oregon, Washington and Canadian British Columbia became Cascadia."
"We had to take much greater care of our needs much closer to home. Like our food here. Gardens are everywhere. And did you know people used to eat animals as a normal part of their diet? Not anymore, the meat eating took too much energy and resources to continue. Being vegetarian was a bit unusual fifty years ago but that is all different now. Meat is a rarity now."
“Its true, kids. Even at the turn of the century, a lot of our food came from California and much of it even came from outside the country. People just expected it and when that all ended, it was a severe shock and many people did not survive, especially in the dryer and hotter parts of the United States. You will learn more about this in school.”
6
“OK, where were we? The River Road Garden Center is a cooperative. Many people spend part of their time here. You know we all commit to a certain amount of Community Service and the Garden Center is one place where people can do that. Other places for Community Service include schools, child care, elder care, the hospital and clinics, serving on civic boards and advisory panels. Some people volunteer to go to the border.”
“Here at the Center, there are a number of managers whose primary task is to take care of the Center. I am one of the managers. We trade some of what we produce but most of it stays right here in the neighborhood. There are a dozen other urban farms like this around town. Some are in former parks, golf courses and even where there used to be pavement like at the Mall. This is actually one of the smaller Garden Centers. We also provide agricultural advice to co-ops in the neighborhood, like a neighborhood extension service. We make “garden calls.” We provide guest speakers to schools and we love to have visits. We have classes here and we collaborate with other neighborhood Centers in the area. The days of food from a distance are long gone. We have to take care of our needs close to home. ”
I reflected on this field trip and am continually reminded as we walked around the Center. This was vital education. When people have a clear knowledge of the sources of what they use and what it takes to produce what they need, they have a far greater connection and appreciation for what the need and use. Especially if they actually participate in taking care of those needs.
In the years before the Transition, most people had a severe disconnection between what they used and what it took to deliver it to them. A way of live had been created with people having little idea or interest of what it took to maintain their affluent life styles of big houses, driving cars, eating food from thousands of miles away and all the rest. In reality, much of the world's human culture and natural environment suffered enormously for the affluent people of the world. And most of them had no idea.
Jim continued.
7
“There are many activities here at the Center that are essential for our survival. Years ago, people, even if they had a garden, would normally buy seeds every year at the store. Most of those seeds were what we call hybrids. Those seeds were the product of humans manipulating flower pollination of the vegetables that would not happen by itself. The manipulated seeds became wonderfully productive plants but the seeds gathered from those hybrid plants would not reproduce the same vegetables as the original hybrid seeds. The vegetables from the plants from the second generation seeds would oftentimes be no good to eat.”
“We can't go to the store anymore. We have to maintain plants and collect seeds that will continue to reproduce themselves and the quality vegetables we want. So seed saving is essential and we do that here at the Center. We are the back up seed bank for the surrounding co-ops. Most co-ops save their own seeds, we back that up and then we collaborate with other centers around town as additional back up. In case something happens at one location, we receive help or can offer help to another.”
"Other towns in the Willamette Valley have similar arrangements. We can all help each other when needed/"
“We also encourage growing what we call perennial food plants. Some of those are native, others come from other places but do well here. What they have in common is they are hardy and do not require the amount of time and resources to maintain as annuals, plants that live less than a year and you have to plant each year. Plus, many of them don't require seeds, they commonly grow tubers that can be replanted.”
“The Center has a number of greenhouses. These places use sunlight to create heat. With that additional heat, some food plants that would do little outside will actually grow well during the winter time inside. Extending the growing season is very important. Cool weather crops do well over the winter inside and warmer season crops can have an earlier start in the Spring and last longer into the Fall. Something of interest to you all is what we call climate change.”
“Years ago, humans created a world wide problem called climate change. By burning all kinds of fuels like gasoline, coal and later so called bio fuels, a lot of gases were put into the atmosphere. These gases behave like the clear cover on the green houses. They let sunlight in but hold it in and that increases the temperature. Fifty years ago, Eugene's first freeze in the Fall came about the beginning of November. Now it closer to the beginning of December. Last freeze in the spring used to be mid April. Now its mid March. Temperatures aren't as cold in the winter either, as you saw, we grow citrus here now and that was very difficult fifty years ago. Our rainfall is less now and when it does rain, it can rain harder than it used to. We also have more thunder and lightning than we used to. There is even an occasional tornado. That was unheard of when Elder Naj moved here in 1990.”
8
Nice to be referred as a calendar marker of ancient times.
“What's that?” One tow headed youngster asked as we approached an odd looking tangle of pipes and tanks.
“Good question. That dome shape with pipes going in and coming out is what we call a methane digester. Years ago, there was what we called a sewer system. People would go to the bathroom, flush a toilet and away it would go to a central place where the waste would be broken down, treated and made safe. We don't do that any more. Instead, we have composting toilets and there are a couple dozen digesters like this around town.”
“Many people take turns collecting the waste. Its community service work. We bring it here to process it and make use of the gas it creates as it decays and breaks down. People who have composting toilets often bring the composted waste here so we can continue to compost it. Human waste requires care in composting.”
“Years ago, this waste was considered a nuisance. It was only when several “outlaws” began using the illegal composting toilets, were caught and then showed the authorities they were a good idea, that the laws changed to allow them. One of the first examples of challenging the old system occurred just a few blocks from here. Tasha, would you happen to know anything about that?”
Tasha smiled.
"When we were well into the Transition, energy from far away was mostly unavailable. We had to make much better use of what we had. We found many opportunities to take care of our needs that were here all the time. We should have been using them much earlier. We probably could have avoided a lot of suffering."
“Now human waste is a valuable resource. In this methane digester, the waste is kept anaerobic, that means without oxygen. At the right temperatures, bacteria become active and eat the waste and produce methane gas at the same time. The left over product becomes a valuable fertilizer. The gas produced can be collected in a tank and used as cooking fuel. We use much of the gas in the neighborhood kitchen. It has a lot of advantages over wood or solar. Tasha's father was an early advocate for composting toilets.”
9
“I can remember that.” Tasha spoke. “ We had a learning center, Karmalaya, its still there. Most of you have been there for the Pear Blossom Festival. It was a very early part of what was called Eco Culture Change. In fact, this neighborhood became a hot bed of Eco Culture Change. When I found my way back to Eugene from the Bay Area as the Transition picked up momentum, the once popular but modest sized classes and workshops about living more ecologically had become overwhelmingly in demand.”
Jim continued. “You see kids, your teachers and neighborhood and people who live here have many stories. And you are all part of those stories and you will take those stories with you into the future.”
XXXXXXXXXXX
“Nice tour today, Jim.” Back at Windmill. “Somehow this all seems like a novel. Even after 20 years of adjustment, it still seems so hard to imagine this has all happened. You know, many of us at the turn of the Century talked about the whole system coming unglued and what would it look like afterwards. Normally, I don't even think much of all about the past but when I am involved with the Newbies and I see the way you talk with the younger kids, it always puts me in a playback mode.”
“I was just a kid but my parents would tell me stories.” Jim replied. “ Action, drama, tragedy, heroics, disappointment, uplift. It was all there and sometimes one shifted to another in almost no time at all. Those were the years when my parents had been together for 6 or 8 years and I was only five or six.”
“We lived in Colorado. First memories I have, we were in the midst of widespread unemployment, civil organization was thin, there were long lines for everything and people were not happy. Even at that early time, I could tell this was a situation few were prepared for. My parents did the best they could to explain it."
"In retrospect, I think they were people who years before had heard all the gloomy predictions of resource scarcity and even collapse. I think they were as surprised as nearly everyone else when it actually happened. We left Denver to stay with friends in Kansas where at least there was land to grow food. After a few years, we knew that was not our final stop and we joined with others for the chance to live in Oregon. We were lucky to get in.”
10
“So, we have a Discussion this evening and we'll talk about another group of people who lived their own ordeal to make it here. We are reminded of the past all the time.” I replied.
“What's all the talk?” It was Aimie. She just walked into the kitchen.
“Hi dear. Just some talk about life and how we have fit into it. At Discussion tonight, we will talk about Wind Mill and a new cluster who will be staying with us. We have a few responsibilities with the River Road Co-p Association and the community. Like other co-ops, we agreed some years ago to host a new cluster from the outside when that became appropriate. Its our turn and it will be good for us.” We are being asked to hosts a cluster of seven. Five adults and two children.”
Even six year olds received a complete answer.
“Where are they from?” Aimie asked. It was not an idle question.
“This is remarkable. It used to be ten years ago, people from all over the country made it to Cascadia. Not so many these days. These folks are from what was known as Arkansas. Its about 1500 miles to the south and east. I can't wait to hear their stories. We haven't had word of huge parts of the country for years other than the occasional short wave radio.”
“You know since the Transition, birthrates have gone down. From what seems to be the case, much of the country doesn't have any birthrate at all, there's no one there. If newcomers can qualify, they are very welcome. We need to maintain our numbers. Many of our older population are passing on. The medical care that kept many of them alive just nearly vanished with the Transition and we are not able to recreate most of the treatments from Before the Transition- BT. Home care is mostly what we have and many older people don't want to be a burden so many just say that's enough I'm out of here.”
Aimie knew a good deal about these issues. Letting go of a flickering life was not at all uncommon.
“That years ago right to die movement is alive and well, Naj, and how have you dodged it so successfully?”
11
Jim's humor.
“Good luck. You know, I heard about a guy in South Africa years ago. He could run a hundred yards in 30 seconds. Doesn't sound so impressive until you find out he was 100 years old. Some just have it.”
“We are still glad you are with us Naj. But I am in line for the Bungalow. Say, this will be great, Windmill is up for sponsoring a new cluster. Its been a couple years. I can bet we will be in for some great stories. Imagine, Arkansas to Cascadia."
“Also, there is a request for volunteers for the Border.
“Finally, we have a request for trial residency. Her name is Misty and she is from South Eugene. Nice resume. She works in hillside salvage, has been active with her school group, looks to have traveled a great deal. She's been to Ashland, Florence, Portland, even to the Eastern Border Areas. That's a lot for a 15 year old.”
“I've met her. She is one of the Newbies. Left a good impression, maybe a bit mischievous. Sounds like a lot to cover.”
“Hi guys.”
It was Fred and Fraeda.
“Into the kitchen. We need to come up with a dish for tonight's Discussion. Your assistance is invited."
“Sounds like an invitation you pass up at your own risk. That was fast. To head for the dome. Should be perfect timing,”
The Dome was the pride of Windmill Co-op. Located where four properties once intersected, the fences were long gone. All together, Windmill counted seven clusters, each cluster an extended family of six to eight people. Windmill was about average. It was great to see everyone together, nearly fifty people. There were many stories here, some quite well known, others would be surprising.
12
Most of the co-ops in town had a common building, some even more impressive than the dome but this was the center of Windmill Co-op. It was a structure nearly 30 feet in diameter and twenty feet high with a sizable loft. It included a kitchen, big wood stove, a koy pond, many potted plants, couches and comfy chairs, library, kid space and tool room. Its furnishings were top notch. As the neighborhood's population went into steep decline deep into the Transition, homes were abandoned. Whatever was in them was there for the taking. Most of the neighborhood had become a giant salvage yard.
Next to the Dome was the co-op bike barn and workshop. The area facing southeast to southwest was clear for solar gain. There was a clever system for drawing a huge insulated drapes over the clear walls when temperatures were low.
Food was put out along with tables and chairs. Unlike in years past, there was no separate place for children. For the most part, even at a young age, kids had a sense to be on good behavior and it was important for them to become familiar with how the co-op functioned. They were encouraged to speak. It wasn't uncommon when a youngster made a comment that lead to a break through, a great laugh or both.'
People were filing in, there were bits of laughter, excited voices catching up on news. Discussions were a special event, happening once a month. The Dome was the heart of Wind Mill Co-op and that heart would beat its strongest when the community came together. Coming together was not only to discuss community affairs, it was also an affirmation of our mutual dependency and appreciation. Co-ops were an essential part of life in Cascadia.
Since the Transition, our culture had made conscious changes in how we lived. Co-ops were essential for both economic and human relations reasons. It was during these gatherings where new traditions and rituals took place that served to strengthen the connections between co-op members and teach young people the importance of cohesion and cooperation.
13
Co-ops and clusters had their own ways of expressing group solidarity and the entire community would also come together to recognize certain occasions such as the Spring Planting and Fall Harvest. These rituals served to bind the entire community's members together but also to bind the community to its physical location- its soil, its water, its climate. It was important to acknowledge those cultural and physical relationships. The traditions were far more than just feeling good about each other, they were about defining who we are as a people- our values and ideals and our respect and appreciation for the place we lived.