As the world around us unravels in ways most of us never imagined, I’m encouraged by the space being created for those who have been working to build alternatives to the destructive path we’ve been on for so long. In my business community, there is a great sense of renewal. 

I’ve had the good fortune to meet so many brilliant business people, farmers, shoe makers, researchers, administrators, financial advisors, fashion designers, glass blowers, wood workers. All of us are drawn together by the solutions we’re pursuing with our work. The good news is that we already have the tools to build community self-reliance through best business practices. Great change is happening. At the Kitchen Garden Series, our flax project is a significant step towards renewal of a local regenerative textile supply chain. The ⅛ acre of flax for linen we grew with Emma at Kneehigh Farm in 2020 was just the first thread connecting us to a network of people working to revitalize the production of flax into linen in our region and beyond. Now, almost a year later, we have teamed up with community organizers and enthusiasts in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. A group of us are contracting the consultation services of Fibrevolution, a similar group located in the Pacific Northwest, that is eight years into achieving the same goals in Oregon. We are forging relationships with hemp farmers, learning and exploring the similarities for processing the flax and hemp into fiber, and working on a three-year plan to have an operational mill in our region. We are weaving together our business plan, meeting with people interested in crop research and development, developing regional seed varieties, opening a mill,  and seeking brands ready to commit to using our PA linen- when we can finally make it! The strands of a toxic system are loosening and we are spinning them into solutions that are mindful of social justice and community self-reliance.

Being small business owners is challenging at best these days, but we are struggling with a renewed sense of purpose. We have great hope that the increased focus on local business, social justice, mitigating climate catastrophe and local self-reliance are permanent. We look forward to doing our part in improving our communities. We’re collaborating, pooling resources, cross promoting and feeling the energy of this collective effort to build a more equitable world.

I understand that it isn’t always the most convenient option to choose small ethical businesses to meet your daily needs. I appreciate every dollar you spend, and your patronage and support are crucial threads that intertwine to weave a stunning new fabric of society.