{"id":242,"date":"2010-07-10T18:44:37","date_gmt":"2010-07-10T18:44:37","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2010-07-10T18:44:37","modified_gmt":"2010-07-10T18:44:37","slug":"agrarian-road-trip-part-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/food-faith\/agrarian-road-trip-part-six\/","title":{"rendered":"Agrarian Road Trip &#8211; Part Six."},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_950\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/viva-la-revolucion.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-950 \" height=\"306\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"viva la revolucion\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Agrarians unite in Detroit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Sharing Our Stories over Cherry Pie, Blueberries and Beer:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">the Agrarian Tour at the 2010 US Social Forum<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In this our final leg of the journey, we \u2013 <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/presbyterian.typepad.com\/foodandfaith\/\"><em>Agrarian Road Trippers<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n\u2013 shared many a story with many an agrarian minded folk in Detroit \u2013<br \/>\nlocals as well as way-faring strangers flocking to the US Social Forum<br \/>\n\u2013 to prove \u201cAnother World is Possible, Another US is Necessary, and<br \/>\nAnother Detroit is Happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day Ten:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_957\" style=\"width: 290px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/blaine-and-djembe.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-957 \" height=\"504\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"blaine and djembe\" width=\"280\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Headed towards our workshop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cFaith Communities in the Local Food Movement: Sustainable and<br \/>\nJust!\u201d \u2013 this is the culmination of our wayward travelings on the road.<br \/>\nA workshop at the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ussf2010.org\/\"><em><strong>US Social Forum<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><em><strong>,<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nby us. One of thousands. And close to a hundred other workshops<br \/>\nhappening at the same time as ours, including: \u201cThe Coalition of<br \/>\nImokalee Workers: Fighting for Fair Food\u201d and \u201cRe-Purposing Auto<br \/>\nFactories to Manufacture Renewable Energy Infrastructure\u201d and \u201cHow to<br \/>\nStart a <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/raginggrannies.org\/\"><em><strong>Raging Grannies Group<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>.\u201d<br \/>\nWith over 17,000 people expected to be in attendance, how were we to<br \/>\ncompete against Raging Grannies? We set our expectations low \u2013 maybe<br \/>\nfour people will show. If we\u2019re lucky, the crowd will outnumber us<br \/>\npresenters (15). Thankfully, the good Lord provided, and we hosted a<br \/>\ncrowd near 60.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_958\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/pointing-the-way-to-the-workshop.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-958 \" height=\"270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"pointing the way to the workshop\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Recruiting participants for our workshop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Andrew (organizer for the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/ministries\/hunger\/\"><em><strong>Presbyterian Hunger Program<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> \u2013 and our fearless leader) introduced our tour with the aid of Blain, morphing into a tale of our <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/maps.eatwellguide.org\/maps\/homepage\/view\/118\"><em><strong>trip across eight states<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\nled by Kate. Three gals (Amy, Laura, and yours truly) shared a<br \/>\ntestimony of the work we are doing at home, connecting the realms of<br \/>\nfaith and food justice. Then we split into small groups to learn about<br \/>\nthe good work of those so politely listening to our journeys. To<br \/>\nemphasize the faith component of our time on the road, Talitha<br \/>\nexpounded upon our beloved passage from <em><strong>Exodus 16<\/strong><\/em>, first shared with us by <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/speakingoffaith.publicradio.org\/programs\/2010\/land-life-poetry\/\"><em><strong>Ellen Davis<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\nback in Louisville, before we calmed our minds for a sacred eating<br \/>\nreflection. Jud passed around blueberries, asking us to think of all<br \/>\nthe people who came into contact with this blueberry before it finally<br \/>\nreached us. The farmworker, truck driver, grocery store employee,<br \/>\ncashier, Monsanto madman, etc. Then we closed our eyes, thinking about<br \/>\nthe life of just one of those people, while savoring all the flavors of<br \/>\nthat one blueberry. We opened our eyes to share our experiences and<br \/>\ncontinue our fellowship, sharing how we want to be involved in our food<br \/>\nsystems back home \u2013 and help our faith communities with our food<br \/>\nsystems.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone was a Christian. Not everyone was connected to their<br \/>\nfood systems. But that was the beauty of our communion together. We<br \/>\njust set aside a little time to share a sacred meal. Together.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By Any Greens Necessary: Food as a Tool of Colonization and Joining the Resistance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is the first workshop I attended. Intense. Hosted by Jade Walker, farmer from <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.millcreekurbanfarm.org\/\"><em><strong>Mill Creek Urban Farm,<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\nand Chris Bolden-Newsome, farm educator at King High, both in West<br \/>\nPhiladelphia. Led our discussion about the struggles and movements of<br \/>\nindigenous people throughout history for <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foodfirst.org\/progs\/global\/food\/finaldeclaration.html\"><em><strong>food sovereignty<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>. We split into groups to discuss: <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blackpanther.org\/legacytwo.htm\"><em><strong>Black Panther free breakfast program<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><em><strong> <\/strong><\/em>(before the USDA), <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hnn.us\/blogs\/entries\/10426.html\"><em><strong>Native American fry bread<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> as example of dominate culture becoming sacred,<em><strong> <\/strong><\/em><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/ipsnews.net\/news.asp?idnews=35418\"><em><strong>Cochabamba Water War <\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>over the privatization of water in Bolivia, <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mstbrazil.org\/\"><em><strong>Landless Farmworkers Movement<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> in Brazil to reclaim the commons for the benefit of all, and so many more. My group discussed the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zapatistarevolution.com\/\"><em><strong>Zapatistas<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> as reaction to the <em><strong>NAFTA<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nsigning in 1994 \u2013 and its impact on Mexico. A man from Mexico was in my<br \/>\ngroup \u2013 and shared from personal experience how the trade agreement<br \/>\naffected his family, farming and flight to the US.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 410px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"262\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"mst\" width=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Farmers fighting back, the MST &#8211; Landless Workers Movement &#8211; in Brazil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>We discussed organizing tactics \u2013 and the basic fact that WE ARE<br \/>\nONLY LIMITED BY OUR IMAGINATIONS! That the struggle for food<br \/>\nsovereignty is still happening. As Jade said, \u201cColonization is not<br \/>\nover. Sometimes it looks like gentrification. Sometimes it looks like<br \/>\nlimited access to resources.\u201d As we continued to delve deep into these<br \/>\nstruggles, we were faced with our own stories \u2013 the stories of our<br \/>\npeople, the stories of our connection to the land. Our stories are our<br \/>\nresistance to a culture that wants us to accept French fries as food,<br \/>\ntelevision as community. Our stories must be shared.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Re-Localization and the Role of the Rustbelt.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Next, hanging out with the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.michiganyoungfarmercoalition.org\/\"><em><strong>Michigan Young Farmers Coalition<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\nto hear about some of their young farmer stuff. Gardens. Farms.<br \/>\nAnimals. Hoop Houses. Hoorah! One particular project \u2013 the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theoaklandpress.com\/articles\/2010\/04\/01\/news\/local_news\/doc4bb56407e1fe0547667208.txt\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Haven Garden Project<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/a>&#8211;<br \/>\nwas started by a Michigan State Ag student with a womens shelter in<br \/>\nPontiac, MI, using permaculture methods and the resources of MSU\u2019s<br \/>\ngreenhouses and other resources. The shelter serves 15,000 women each<br \/>\nyear. Limited access to fresh food in the community. Growing food for<br \/>\nthe shelter on 1\/5 acre \u2013 improving the soil with compost to build<br \/>\nraised beds. Surplus goes to a food pantry. Starting a relationship<br \/>\nwith a local chef to teach the women what to do with the food they grow.<\/p>\n<p>After another day of food and farming, I was burnout. So my new<br \/>\nAgrarian friends and an old farm buddy met up for a taste of the local<br \/>\nculture at <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.motorcitybeer.com\/\"><em><strong>Motor City Brewing Works<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>,<br \/>\na local microbrewing specializing in handcrafted ales and o-so<br \/>\ndelicious pizza. (Darren\u2019s favorite: Mary-Had-A-Little, topped with<br \/>\nroasted lamb!) Then to rest for another full day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day Eleven:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ilovemountains.org\/\"><em><strong>Ending Mountaintop Removal<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>My first workshop was canceled \u2013 with two very large, armed men<br \/>\nstanding outside the entrance. So I made my way to another workshop,<br \/>\nled by the <a href=\"http:\/\/ran.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Rainforest Action Network<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/a> Because of our visit to <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.org\/2010\/06\/30\/agrarian-road-trip-part-three\/\"><em><strong>Mullens, WV<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>,<br \/>\ncommunities living in coal country have now caught my attention. So I<br \/>\nthought I would attend and not start trouble with the large, armed men.<br \/>\nActivists convened to hear the story of one woman who has lived life,<br \/>\nnot in coal country, but in a community where the coal industry has<br \/>\ndecided to mine: \u201cWe don\u2019t live where they mine coal; they mine coal<br \/>\nwhere we live.\u201d Her husband worked for the coal industry for 35 years,<br \/>\nbefore dying of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/lung\/tc\/black-lung-disease-topic-overview\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Black Lung<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nNow she feels she has no choice but to speak against the industry that<br \/>\nhas made her home Ground Zero for coal excavation. She expounded on the<br \/>\nmillions of pounds of ammonium nitrate used everyday to blow the tops<br \/>\noff mountains \u2013 the same ingredients Timothy McVeigh used for the<br \/>\nOklahoma City Bombing. \u201cWhen it happened in Oklahoma City, it was a<br \/>\ntragedy. When it happens in Appalachia, it\u2019s called progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 420px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"272\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"tension\" width=\"410\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coal: the tension between activism and the economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Of course, the solution to mountaintop removal is not clean cut.<br \/>\nCommunities may be 100% against mountaintop removal while being 100%<br \/>\ndependent on coal for energy.&#0160; Another tension arises between activists<br \/>\nwanting an end to the use of coal vs. communities that are dependent on<br \/>\ncoal for employment \u2013 an issue that became apparent at the workshop.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding health and environmental quality, the people of Appalachia<br \/>\nhave nothing to lose, and everything to gain. But their story needs to<br \/>\nreach beyond the hills and the hollers, into a larger forum. Only 8% of<br \/>\nthe coal that the US uses for energy is sourced from the Appalachian<br \/>\nMountain region, with the rest strip-mined from western plains regions.<br \/>\nYet, Appalachia has the most dense population of all regions where coal<br \/>\nis sourced \u2013 thus making mountaintop removal the low-hanging fruit in<br \/>\nour nation\u2019s transition away from dependence on coal.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">After almost ending mountaintop removal, I headed to a wonderful little street a few blocks away from <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/wayne.edu\/\"><em><strong>Wayne State University<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>, where many a local business thrived. Lunch was supplied by the wonderful hands of workers at <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/money.cnn.com\/2008\/03\/24\/smbusiness\/Avalon_Breads.fsb\/index.htm\"><em><strong>Avalon International Breads<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> and <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlive.com\/business\/detroit\/index.ssf\/2009\/07\/goodwells_little_grocer_brings.html\"><em><strong>Goodwells<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>. Then I bought the latest book by <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yougrowgirl.com\/\"><em><strong>Gayla Trail,<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> called <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.growgreatgrub.com\/\"><em><strong>Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> at an independent bookstore, part of the<a href=\"http:\/\/isak.typepad.com\/isak\/2008\/03\/detroit-stories.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Spiral Collective<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_956\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/taxi-heidelberg-project.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-3\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-956 \" height=\"270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"taxi heidelberg project\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reclaimed house (one of many) at the Heidelberg Project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After lunch, I joined a few friends to visit some Detroit hot-spots. First, the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.heidelberg.org\/\"><em><strong>Heidelberg Project<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<br \/>\nAn avant-garde art project, reclaiming a few blocks in Detroit \u2013 houses<br \/>\nand all \u2013 into a massive waste-infused piece of art. Reflecting on<br \/>\nthemes such as stories told in taxis, created in God\u2019s image, and many<br \/>\nmore subtle-ly overt political messages \u2013 a pink hummer buried in the<br \/>\nground, sprouting flowers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 410px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"300\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"pink hummer\" width=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Code Pink Hummer at Heidelberg Project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Next stop, <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cskdetroit.org\/EWG\/\"><em><strong>Earthworks Farm<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<br \/>\nStarted by Capuchin monks to provide food for a neighborhood soup<br \/>\nkitchen. Also providing seeds and plants for community gardens<br \/>\nthroughout the city, as coordinated by the Greening of Detroit. My<br \/>\nfavorite part: the Compost Monster, resembling the Loch Ness monster<br \/>\natop a huge heap o\u2019 compost.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_951\" style=\"width: 296px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/cherrypiemixer-s.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-4\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-951 \" height=\"536\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"cherrypiemixer-s\" width=\"286\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flyer for the Cherry Pie Mixer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Not completely garden-ed out for the day, we headed to the Young Farmer Cherry Pie Mixer organized by the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegreenhorns.net\/\"><em><strong>Greenhorns<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><em><strong> <\/strong><\/em>at the Woodbridge Community Garden<em><strong>. <\/strong><\/em>And<br \/>\nboy, was there cherry pie! So we mixed and mingled, pie in hand, with<br \/>\nother young farmers and farm supporters, from Michigan and Missouri and<br \/>\nMaine and California. I talked with one man who was in the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.motherearthnews.com\/Real-Food\/How-To-Make-Mead.aspx\"><em><strong>mead<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>-making<br \/>\nbusiness and thus decided to start harvesting his own honey, setting up<br \/>\nhives across the city of Detroit. Before long, we were gathered<br \/>\ntogether via bullhorn and given an introduction by <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegreenhorns.net\/filmmakers.html#Fleming\"><em><strong>Severine von Tscharner Fleming<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><em><strong>,<\/strong><\/em> documentarian and Greenhorn. Then <a href=\"http:\/\/www.revbilly.com\/\">Reverend Billy from the Church of Stop Shopping<\/a><br \/>\nshouted us some proclamations about the revival of small agriculture in<br \/>\nthe face of overwhelming empire. Shortly thereafter, a keg of Motor<br \/>\nCity Brewing Works finest Ghettoblaster ale was tapped inside the<br \/>\nup-and-coming art project of the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thebeehiveproject.tumblr.com\/\"><em><strong>Beehive Project<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>,<br \/>\na \u201clarge-scale installation by an interdisciplinary community of<br \/>\nartists and thinkers in Detroit\u201d \u2013 not to be confused with the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beehivecollective.org\/\"><em><strong>Beehive Collective<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>, also awesome.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_952\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/reverend-billy-at-the-beehive.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-5\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-952 \" height=\"270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"reverend billy at the beehive\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reverend Billy preaching in front of the Beehive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tired and to bed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day Twelve:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BikeIt<\/strong><\/em><strong>: Pedal to the USSF \u2013 Testimonials and Exploration of the Bicycle as a Tool for Social and Environmental Justice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Welcome to the last day of thinking \u2013 for a while. Being a promoter<br \/>\nof pedal-powered transit (even while in a skirt, transporting garden<br \/>\ntools), I decided to buckle down with some bike riders. Two main bike<br \/>\ncontingencies shared their stories about biking to the US Social Forum.<br \/>\nOne from Ithaca, NY \u2013 covering 500 miles in 8 days. The other from<br \/>\nMadison, WI \u2013 covering 300 miles in 8 days. Coordinated through the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bikeit.org\/\"><em><strong>Bike-It Project<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>,<br \/>\norganized to promote biking alternatives and push both physical and<br \/>\nmental limits. Each of the groups were followed by support vehicles \u2013<br \/>\nincluding the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.permibus.org\/Skills_Tour\/permibus_II.html\"><em><strong>Permaculture Bus <\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>from<br \/>\nMontana. Each made stops in communities to volunteer and build<br \/>\ncommunity within the collective through skill shares. Ages of bikers<br \/>\nranged from 9 to mid-70s. Bike collectives represented: <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spokenheartcollective.org\/\"><em><strong>Spoke \u2018N Heart Collective<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> (Atlanta), the Garlic Derailleurs (Chicago), the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thebloomcollective.org\/2010\/06\/01\/grassroots-caravan-madtown-to-motown\/\"><em><strong>Grassroots Caravan<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> (Madison) and the <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blinkx.com\/watch-video\/petrol-free-gypsy-carnival-tour\/n3dky103UhYimu_DmQtKfA\"><em><strong>Petrol-free Gypsy Carnival Tour<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 326px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"423\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"bike saddle bag\" width=\"316\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saddle bag for bike made from refashioned kitty litter boxes &#8211; workshops lead by Petrol-free Gypsies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Beyond sharing stories, we collectively identified issues and<br \/>\ninhibitors of bicycles as the main form of transportation \u2013 as well as<br \/>\npopulations typically marginalized from biking communities. And<br \/>\nbrainstormed ways of making biking accessible to all, while building<br \/>\ncommunity and sharing skills while delving into the deeper topics of<br \/>\nrace and privilege. This is the beauty of the bike. To pass through new<br \/>\nplaces and ponder the people and their stories.<\/p>\n<p>We Agrarians gathered together for the rest of the afternoon to<br \/>\nprocess yet we had learned \u2013 and what to do with all that stuff once we<br \/>\ngot back to our places of origin. This was also our farewell. Might I<br \/>\nadd that a number of our Road Trippers will be returning home to plant<br \/>\ngardens and wear more plaid.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_953\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/heart-in-detroit.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-6\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-953 \" height=\"271\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"heart in detroit\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Road Tripper group photo on our last evening together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Day Thirteen:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Already some of our group had disbanded before breakfast. The rest of us headed to Detroit\u2019s famed <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.detroiteasternmarket.com\/\"><em><strong>Eastern Market<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span> for some good eats before hitting the road (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KZIKb_bRoqE&amp;feature=player_embedded\">watch the video of our trek through the Market)<\/a>.<br \/>\nThe Eastern Market has been in existence since 1891 \u2013 and currently is<br \/>\na common source for groceries for a number of residents in Detroit.<br \/>\nWhile there are a fair share of resellers (all those \u201cfarmers\u201d who sell<br \/>\nproduce with stickers on them), there were a plethora of local bakers,<br \/>\nurban farmers, and cheese makers. Even a few Amish farmers who start<br \/>\ntheir trek to Detroit at 2am every Saturday. I also located my honey<br \/>\nman and bought a jar of his <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.greentoegardens.com\/Honey\/OurHoney\"><em><strong>Wild Detroit Honey<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_955\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/silly-faces-at-eastern-market.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-955 \" height=\"270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"silly faces at eastern market\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Getting a wee bit road weary at the Eastern Market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Then we started on our road home. Or at least to Louisville. And that\u2019s where my story ends.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_954\" style=\"width: 418px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/hotugc.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"\" rel=\"lightbox-8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"size-full wp-image-954 \" height=\"270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/badass-kate-and-blain.jpg\" title=\"kate and blain\" width=\"408\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ready to hit the road for home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>End Day Thirteen. End Part Six.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-info\"><\/div>\n<p>-bethel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Agrarians unite in Detroit. Sharing Our Stories over Cherry Pie, Blueberries and Beer: the Agrarian Tour at the 2010 US Social Forum In this our final leg of the journey, we \u2013 Agrarian Road Trippers \u2013 shared many a story&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.5 (Yoast SEO v23.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Agrarian Road Trip - Part Six. - Food and Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/food-faith\/agrarian-road-trip-part-six\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Agrarian Road Trip - Part Six.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Agrarians unite in Detroit. 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