In Commune

As I sit in a hotel room after a conference I just attended, I can't help but feel a bit deflated at its conclusion. Now we can call to reference the oft-spoke phrase that the best way to avoid disappointment is to come with no expectations, and I do often try to apply this thought process to my life situations, but this time- I just needed expectations. It was a conference for Veteran Farners, and a New York chapter of the organization was coming into being at the conference. Most of the room was made up of previously networked farmers and service providers. I was in the minority- a Veteran who dreams of being a farmer. I stood up during a discussion forum and told them this- that here- who they sought- was in their midst and the struggles I have in bridging the gap from desiring to being. I earned applause for my eloquence, handshakes for my bravery in speaking up, yet no real guidance for my dream. Ironically, the main topic of the forum was communication and how to grow their organization, get farmers the labor they desperately needed in the form of hard working Veterans left without a purpose at the end of their military careers, and why there was a gap in their way of communicating and the majority of Veterans' reception of this information.

Communication is only vulnerability when you feel you have something to lose by sharing your story. I have often been told I am too open with my life, that I should keep information private, or at the very least- share less. This thought process is backwards to me. Here's why: I start on the premise that every person is inherently selfish- they listen only for what they can glean or what part connects to their life- the rest is soon forgotten. What they do with my story is then in their hands. If I become a lesson for them to make better choices, then may their way be  easier than mine. If I become an example for them to follow, then may they too reap the benefits my path offers. If but a story to ridicule or laugh- it truly affects me none- but the teller, well, for a laugh and a moment of drama- if that's what they seek, our paths will naturally take different heights in due time. 

But back to the conference: the biggest obstacle in getting Veterans into farming, it seems- is the start up capital and land, and the partnership with a farmer mentor to begin their journey. As a single woman alone even if I were approved to buy the ideal parcel with adequate living quarters, without a knowledgeable mentor and/or partner(s) to share in the labor, the undertaking is daunting at best. Yet there are others like me- passionate, hard working, with a dream- yet alone. I have long toyed with the idea of forming a community of Veterans to farm together- a farming commune if you will- similar to the kibbutz. I grew up in a commune of sorts so the concept makes sense to me: share the dream, share the labors, share the life. When I worked for a federal agency, I found a good percentage of them were part time farmers that could not make the leap from their main job into the farm due to cost of living, debts, and other obligations. I talked to them about beginning a labor co-op of sorts- we would all help farmer X with his spring needs, then farmer Y, whose needs were in summer would have labor assistance in his time of need, and so on and so forth, with possible bartering of goods that we produced with each other. One of the issues was distance- we all lived in different parts of three counties. In any case, that idea fell to the wayside when I left and lost touch with most of them. But I'm still brainstorming the idea of the farm commune. Especially one for Veterans run by Veterans. I'm sure it's not a revolutionary idea and it might already exist in some fashion somewhere, but I'm just designing this as I go. This is an odd post to say the least, but I needed to gather and present these thoughts, if only for myself, to reflect on at a later date. I know one of my strengths is to bring people together; it's something I've done no matter where I've gone in life. So I see the possibility of closing that gap that this and other organizations find- the pooling of Human Resources- a possible calling for Yours Truly. For to commune with those that truly seek community is my greatest love.