crops NOT shops – reshaping communities – LOCKDOWN SPECIAL
Throughout our work in Networking RBE (resource based economy), a huge foundation of system change lies in what we eat, where we get it, how to ensure it is in permanent supply, and, costs as little financially as possible.
When it comes to Food, the values are built around:
Shared Food
Ethical growing
Chemical and cruelty free
Shared Knowledge
Community Support Network
It’s all very well talking about it, or looking at stand alone sites, no matter how community focused, how though to make this relevant and available to you the subscriber, reader, researcher, interested party or just web surfer ?
Networking RBE ideology successfully lies in getting the above in its entirety, and engaging with the community on the ground.
As people open the door to ethical reclaim community action programs, the question that always needs to be answered is: What is an RBE Network ? Check out the links below for a more info on the peoples movement for a genuine system change:
https://www.fishinaboxrecords.com/rbelegacies-michaelgreen/
https://www.fishinaboxrecords.com/rbe-goals-journeys-with-michael-green/
The Southend Group:
Enter Chay Godfree, community activist, vegan, earth warrior behind the crops NOT shops movement based out of Southend. Chay is well know in the Southend Area for his free food / meals nettle soup distribution group and the Know your Roots festival events, well know for great music, alternative lifestyle and ethical living choices.
crops NOT Shops is a guerrilla gardening project that is made up of a fast growing community of people stepping away from the unsatisfactory and unreliable retail food supply supermarket cash removal machines to taking control of their own living spaces, food and diet, by investing in growing and managing their own food supply.
Mission Statement and Introduction:
The project has been running just a couple of months but has already unifyied 800 active community members and is growing by the day. They have just started their 14th community site since January 2020, there is a vibrant seed, seedling, knowledge and work team sharing group that are also establishing contacts with other similar and related groups such as “Food Communities” , “Foraging UK” and “Grow Cheshunt”
Let’s take a look at some of what’s been happening on the ground:
Growing from the seed to sharing the seedlings is a foundation step. Getting as many people in the group to start seeds early in the season “under glass” allows for a strong supply of ground ready seedlings for planting as the garden spaces, wast lands areas and allotments are made ready to then get them all in the ground.
The more sites that are well stocked with seedlings means the more fully planted community sites, and the more fully planted community sites means more overages in each site, which in turns means surplus can become free food to be made available throughout the community .
By linking similar ethical permaculture and sustainability groups up and down the country, there is the foundation of a whole new food chain system, that can grow, bring together, unite and sustain communities free from monetarist, retail slavery, simply by just engaging in growing food.
Want to join ?
Want to set up your own sister group driving the change in your area ?
Here is the group page link for crops NOT shops: https://www.facebook.com/groups/824963631333587/
The more free food available in the community also means less cash clogging up checkout registers in your supermarkets. In line with the obvious we can take from this being that food, power, fuel, shelter are the core components to life that tie us to work , school, education, taxation slavery has not gone unnoticed by the powers that be,.
Going back as far as the English Civil war , the Diggers and the Levellers, self sustainability movements that draw authority from their own community and its needs have been targeted, legislated against and undermined to keep the population in the money game.
Food is the foundation of the freedom movement and being able to feed ourselves challenges the need for us to trade our divine human energy, our life force for material Monetarism , unfit Governments and complex social control that has us jumping through hoops for fines, taxes, bills, loans , fees and all other punitive unnecessary paper admin charges to burn out hard grafted income on. All of these ridiculous “controls” are over and above the basics of common law needed to run a safe , fair country and we should rightfully reject them.
Does anyone get excited over a parking ticket ? or a bank charge for bounced DD ? no… so check this link below and get up to speed on why we should adhere only to Common law, and at all times, question Government and know our rights to do so:
Most recently, media headlines have run with the same story over and over through Brexit and into the Covid-19 situation, a story of supposed degenerate greed and hoarding of supplies in supermarkets, food, toilet paper, you name it leaving shortages on the shelves and an absolute immediate need for the Government to legislate the Coronavirus Act. or that’s the story anyway. a story that has people turning against each other, watching reporting judging each other over what ? Toilet rolls….
What I see is that during the shortages, port information and French port delays were not being reported in the UK. though they were in France (why is that ?) The UK Government agreed a trade extension in late February for goods and transports to free up supply blockages and delays, this again was reported in the French press but not the UK press (why is that ?)..
We hit Brexit in January, traffic through the ports slowed and failed to complete their journeys, port delays, Dover and Calais were on full stop from January 16th doe to port blockages even and still we are experiencing delays into mid May. Perishables were not making their delivery window, and, permit transport papers were not stamped. Highways England were tasked with managing the back log of traffic through the ports on this side of the channel. Yet the British press reported the reason for shelves running bare was due to pandemic hoarding and greed, seriously ?, How many times did you see that same photo of the overweight guy with two trolleys of toilet roll at Costco be used in the papers up and down the country ?
The Government cannot be trusted manage retail food supply for the people.
Here is a little more reading to check out:
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-04-20/anarchist-farm-a-revolutionary-feast/
The explosion, up and down the country, through January and February of interest in home Growing, community food action groups and self sustainability movements has also flagged on the Government radar and the Coronavirus Act of March 23rd which now specifically targets the food supply chain with powers of control, and inspection.
Sections 25 – 29 of the act now makes anyone involved in the raising or the sharing of food supply to others, a target for inspection.
Reading the legislation and understanding the important of our community freedoms to support each other over and above being forced to accept a retail option not only makes common sense, it makes for a common good, a foundation of Unity among people to come together .
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/section/25
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/section/26
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/section/27
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/section/28
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/section/29
The Common Good:
Let’s take one last look on how progress is going on the sites at crops NOT shops, the next step is to get involved and start working on your own.
UNITY is COMMUNITY
The message of Unity, is the message Chay Godfree has been putting out there ever since I met him on the festival circuit, but unlike politicians, of every party, on the stand who “call for unity”, with false promises, lies and then back track with a gaggle of cameras and the tabloid press re printing the story ,. Chay’s unity is through community action. he bends his back, he offers food, knowledge and his time, he knocks on doors and he asks us to join him, to bring us all together and literally build a better world.
This is our opportunity to be involved in a movement for change that is meaningful. it only begins with growing your own food,. where it leads depends on how you embrace it..
Join us here at crops NOT shops : https://www.facebook.com/groups/824963631333587/
Can’t get involved in your area ? No time? Busy working but still want to project to flourish for the community ?
We are constantly needing supplies, materials, fuel to get sites up and running as quickly as possible, if you are able to help financially in investing in the project please do so using the below link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cropsnotshops?utm_term=dZv57Pm8J
NOTE:
photographs and video footage have been submitted from all corners of the crops NOT shops group and we all hope you will share this post as far and wide as you can, as well as connect with the group to support your self and your community for a better world.
BLESS.
