The pandemic changed my business forever. I’m enriched by all the knowledge I’ve gained from the challenges of this long 14 months. This has been a period of finding new things I can do as the Kitchen Garden Series to survive. I leaned into what still worked and expanded by digging deeper to find more.

I’ve always loved the metaphor of deepening roots to expand. It’s regenerative to reach deep into the earth to find the resources to grow; like a tree. The roots I put down during COVID19 are the roots of community. Connecting through email and blogs to all of you to share ideas and knowledge about sustainability in our homes. Connecting with entrepreneurs and growers and activists through webinars and zoom zoom zoom. Free from the constraints of travel and real world access, I’ve been able to meet so many people, to attend and present at conferences. The most literal roots I've put down, are the roots of the Flax project begun with Emma at Kneehigh farm and now including 7 other growers and our consultants at Fibrevolution as we work to reestablish a US based flax into linen supply.

2020 meant the end of live events. While heartbreaking, this turned out to be a good thing for my business. It became clear that the resources spent to keep the relentless schedule of live events going wasn’t supporting my work. So now I’m reimagining how to be in person. Going forward, most of my in person time will be in relationship to the flax project. The first event will be our flax flower dinner scheduled for June 20th at Kneehigh farm in Pottstown PA, details to follow shortly!

Happily, my linen products remained relevant throughout the pandemic and still today. And through the tumult of 2020 the value of business models like Kitchen Garden Series became even more obvious. Ethical, environmentally responsible business practices and local self reliance are the future. And deep roots in community make them possible.