How the Cook and the Gardener Saved the World

Pat and Chris at first met weekly for lunch between classes.  Pat was contemplating how to grow the produce that Chris would need to advertise fresh and locally grown as a way to attract business.  Chris was contemplating how to pay for the fresh produce.  At that fateful meeting the conversation went like this: Chris said, "I have been thinking about what Professor Pena says about indigenous knowledge.  He calls it "saberes" as in knowings.  It is knowing how to interact with the living things in a place." "Yes," Pat responded, "That is what David Braden talks about at LSI.  All the living things in a place create the pattern of interactions that provide for all the living things.  Learning to create the pattern you want means understanding the needs of the living things around us." "If we were to consciously create a pattern of interactions," Chris pondered, "a pattern of interactions that produced fresh produce that I coul...

Chapter 1 Pat met Chris in school.  They both attended community college in Denver.  They both had Professor Pena* for a class about food justice. Pat approached Chris after class, "I bought a breakfast burrito from you this morning.  I thought I would say hi," Chris smiled, "I hope you liked it." "Yes, it was very good." Chris looked off into the distances.  "It could be much better.  It is hard to find fresh ingredients." and then, after a few moments, "You should taste the ones I make with my grandmother's yard raised eggs and greens from her garden.  It's like Professor Pena says, food we grow ourselves tastes better and is better for you." Now it was Pat's turn to look off into the distance.  "I pay my tuition doing landscaping.  Most of it is just mowing lawns because I won't use the pesticides.  I would like to do things different.  I did an internship at the Living Systems Institute.**  It w...

Our Heros We have chosen the names Pat for our gardener and Chris for our cook in order to be gender neutral.  They could be male, female, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans-gender of any national or genetic heritage.  When referring to either we can use the plural pronouns.  This is so that any reader can see themselves in this role. Pat Pat is the gardener.  Pat had grandparents that emigrated to the United States bringing a tradition of gardening from the homeland (which homeland is not yet decided . . . if you have grandparents that emigrated from another country and introduced you to gardening perhaps you can write that background).  Like many first generation immigrants Pat's parents required their children to learn English and downplayed the culture of the homeland. Pat has worked in traditional landscaping but wants to shift to a more ecological approach for their clients. Chris Chris is a cook.  Chris's grew up in an apartment building ra...

Each human being finds themselves within a pattern of interactions.  Not just the interactions among people.  Every living thing on earth is engaged in this pattern of interactions. There is a category of interactions that involve the exchange of money.  Within this category are all the business transactions, the operations of government and the work of charities.  We will call this money fueled pattern of interactions the Market Pattern. There is another category of interactions that involve a pattern of exchanges that does not involve money.  Within this category are ecosystems, traditional subsistence life styles, community gardens, home schooling and families doing other things to provide for themselves.  We will call a pattern of interactions that does not involve money the Sufficiency Pattern. The back story in our narrative is about a community becoming aware that the needs of its residents is not being met through the Market Pattern.  The...

This blog is about creating an inclusive pattern of interactions.  This is opposed to the pattern of interactions in which we find ourselves.  The pattern in which we find ourselves requires money to participate for the most part. The narrative describing how to create an inclusive pattern has not yet been written.  We will develop the new pattern as individuals become aware of the alternative and begin exploring that within their own communities.  It is only through this participation by people in communities around the world that we can write this narrative so we need your help. Begin with the Face Book Group " How the Cook and the Gardener Saved the World " where we will discuss what will go into the narrative . . .