Repost From – The Green Gate

To Market, To Market

Amidst the pretty tables laden with garden goodies of the freshest quality, I wondered if we were in a ritzy hotel on the beach district as opposed to a grass roots community project. I have not seen vegetables priced so high since our honeymoon on Kiawah Island!

I believe the heart behind growing and selling locally is to allow the COMMUNITY as a whole to partake of the bounty; not just a very thin socio-economic strata who can afford it. It is BECAUSE we aren’t paying for the fuel and pesticide products to transport these foods from California that we should be able to afford them at a more reasonable price.

And if the idea is to educate the “masses” about the health and well- being of eating organic, and that it is POSSIBLE to financially do so (and that is makes sense to do so), then what are we doing charging so much for our foods here at the market??? I am certainly not against anyone making money…certainly from such a great cause…but if people support only because it is a good cause, then this surely won’t last.

From what I saw, there were 3 groups of people there…

1. The young, single person probably in school and making bold and beautiful changes towards a more simple and sustainable lifestyle, and who potentially isn’t entirely aware of the ins and outs of handling a budget with a family in tow, and without any outside assistance in doing so.

2. The grassroots, counterculture families who are making sacrifices to live small and choosing to eat well/support a movement and cause they believe in. (In my opinion this reasoning isn’t sustainable. When times are tough, we revert to more inexpensive options that can be nearly as healthy.)

3. The very white, very well off. I saw no one of any other race. There is certainly nothing wrong with having money and choosing to spend it on good things…I am not castigating this…but I am saying, that this is not a true cross-section (nor can it be, with the prices as they are) of our Athens community.

This isn’t at all to say we didnt’ enjoy ourselves, run into dear people and have great conversation with some amazing small farmers who we admire and would like to pattern after! And it isn’t to say we wouldn’t one day join and try to sell our edible wares. But I don’t know how, with good conscience, we could enter as it is.

Things morph and change…

I have this picture in my head of a field…with lots of pickups trucks …produce perched and piled on tailgates, kids playing ball and running around with apples in their hands…farmers and all types of folks having a friendly barter on the price of a pound of squash…

Ahhhhhhhh.

Kitten Update

The kittens are finally coming out from under the house, and starting to interact more with people. One of them, the runt of the litter, has already become accustomed to us, and follows us around when we’re outside with it. That one isn’t afraid of ANYTHING, and is much more interactive than the other four.

In total, there are 5 kittens; 3 solid white ones with black patches on their heads (like their mother), and 2 dark gray/black ones, at least one of which looks like it has dark stripes just visible on it’s body and tail. They’re still really small, and fairly dependant on their mother, but it will soon be time to start trying to find homes for them.

Four of the kittens have paired off, 1 white one to 1 black one, so if you happen to want more than 1 kitten, you can have one of the pairs. The last one, the runt, is alone because its “pair” died after the second day. It’s the most entertaining of them all though, and probably the one we will keep IF we decide to keep any of them.

There are also 2 cats that will probably need to go to good homes. They’re both less than 2 years old, and very people friendly. One is solid black, the other is solid white with patches on its head (the mother of these kittens.)

If you would like to know any more information, or you would like a free kitten, please contact me and let me know. Thanks.

Free Kittens

One of our cats just had kittens, and in a few weeks we’ll be looking for loving homes for them. One of them is spoken for already, but there will still be 4 more.

If you’re interested in a free kitten, please contact me and let me know. Thanks.

A Residential Renaissance

Local Crawford resident Clare Adams continues work on the second cob structure on their property. The first building was a small tool shed/pump house with a loft, but this time around Clare, helped by her 3 year old son Jack, is building a two storey house that will have roughly 1,200 square feet of living space.

With two kids, Jack (3 years old) and Esme (1 year old), Clare has to try and find time when one or both of the children are taking a nap to work on the structure, so naturally the building process is a slow one this time around. In the past, Clare also constructed a cob wedding chapel for a friend of hers in north Georgia, and has been featured in several local Georgia papers.

She and her husband, Josh, have started a company called Residential Renaissance, and together they offer cob construction (and training), general carpentry, renovations and conversions, and numerous other services. Josh also does occasional tree work on the side. If you would like to contact them and get a quote for a job, they can be reached at (706) 206-0546. Just ask for Josh Adams

First Snowfall Of The Winter

As the calendar ticked over to March, and the rains poured down, a cold front moved in, bringing Crawford its first snowfall this winter. Here are some pictures.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Welcome to the inaugural post of The Crawford Observer.

I started this blog in an attempt to reach out and connect with my fellow citizens in Crawford, Georgia. I want this to become a communal meeting place where residents can gather and discuss topics of interest, share news and information, and submit and learn about events and activities that are going on in the area.

I’m new to Crawford, and don’t know that many people around here yet, so this is also a way for me to reach out to my fellow Oglethorpians and extend my virtual hand in friendship. I want to become part of the town, taking an active role in community events and activities, but to do that I need your help.

So if you are a resident of Crawford, please take a moment to set up an account (if you don’t have one already), and join this blog. You’ll be able to post messages of your own, and contribute to the growing local community that will develop here over time. Once you set up your account, please introduce yourself and tell us why you joined this site. Also, if you have any news or information about Crawford or the surrounding area, feel free to post it and share it with us all. That’s the only way this site is going to grow…through active participation.

As I mentioned earlier, this site is new, and doesn’t have much in the way of content yet. It will also undergo numerous changes in layout and appearance until I find exactly what I’m looking for in terms of design and function. Please be patient as we grow and develop together.

In the meantime, if you have any comments, suggestions, or information you think should be a part of this blog, please email me and let me know. I can’t do this on my own. If this blog is to be successful it’s going to take community-minded people like yourself contributing on a daily basis.

So don’t be shy. Sign up for an account, then drop in and say hello! That being said, my name is Matt, and I would like to meet other people who live in the town of Crawford and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions or just want to say hi, drop me an email and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!