Growing Community at Crops Not Shops
* The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops but the cultivation and perfection of human beings *
~ Masunobu Fukuoka ~
Crops not shops is a community shared farming model for land diversification, working with land owners that see the vision of a new world for the people and planet to thrive in all aspects of societal needs.
We know that people cannot thrive alone and we do achieve greatness when we come together with a shared purpose and mission focused action. Community is about oneness and with such a separation in the world we know how important it is remember this way of living again. We have an amazing opportunity to reimagine a world of equality and justice for all life.
We must defend the Earth and life at all costs. The world is one big community and we are all part of it so in order to go forward we must return to our roots and reunite with one another.
Values
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Love above all else
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Earth care and total harmony with spirit and life
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Personal and collective wellbeing for spiritual growth and deeper learning
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To listen to nature and move accordingly with the earth's needs
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Care for the family unit and place children at the centre of the Project
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To share truthfully and honestly everyday
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Project commitment for a better world for all
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To care for the elderly
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To be in right relation with earth
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Holding the circle as the central decision maker
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We value everyone to have a voice and input in the direction of the project
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We deeply value community bonding and connection to each other.
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We are inclusive and show compassion for everyone's unique journey of healing and enlightenment
Ethics
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Conscious use of mobiles within the community setting.
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We are striving to purchase outside produce as ethically and locally as possible.
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We try and make as many of our own products directly from the land we live on.
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We are working toward consuming/being chemical free and organic.
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We are off grid and mostly use renewable sources for energy and power. We reduce, reuse, repair and recycle as much as we possibly can
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To work with other projects in line with our own vision
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We try our best to avoid cooking in toxic pots & pans, and limit the use of seed oils when possible.
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We discourage drugs & alcohol on site, and do not allow the consumption of them in and around our shared spaces.
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We ask that the community, refrain from smoking in/around common areas and in sight of children.
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We aim to limit consumption of stimulants & screens in community spaces.
Guiding Principles
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We pray, meditate and give thanks daily as a community
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We are guided by love and radical honesty
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We eat together daily, sharing the responsibility of each others nutrition and physical health through food
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We actively hold each other accountable for personal and collective growth.
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We practice deep care and wellbeing of ourselves and each other
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We put spirit and love above all else
Our governing system
We believe the world is in an undesirable state because a few seemingly powerful people or corporations have controlled things from a patriarchal top down place. In order to change that, we need to listen more to the women and tune into the love and nurturing aspect of the feminine if we are to find balance again, We are practising sociocracy as our governance model, it advocates for consensus decision making and holds the circle at the head of the community.
We are new to sociocracy, but it seems to be working for our community.