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		<title>ANNOUNCING: Love And Trash</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/announcing-love-and-trash/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/announcing-love-and-trash/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:20:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2455</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A brand-new DIY blog, featuring yours truly!


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/name-that-site-contest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: CONTEST: Name That Site!'>CONTEST: Name That Site!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/07/5-principles-of-living-green-and-cheap/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The 5 Principles of Living Green on the Cheap (as demonstrated by Nicole and Kevin)'>The 5 Principles of Living Green on the Cheap (as demonstrated by Nicole and Kevin)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/save-the-world-ride-a-bike/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Save the World, Ride a Bike'>Save the World, Ride a Bike</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well everyone, I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve noticed that the traffic here has died down. I&#8217;m nearly done with my personal travelogue, and soon will be figuring out a bright new future for this wonderful blog.</p>
<p>At the same time, I&#8217;ve been busy launching a brand-new site that has its own bright future: <a title="Love and Trash - a DIY blog for people who do things differently" href="http://loveandtrash.com" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Floveandtrash.com','Love+and+Trash+-+a+DIY+blog+for+people+who+do+things+differently')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Floveandtrash.com','Love+and+Trash+-+a+DIY+blog+for+people+who+do+things+differently')">LoveandTrash.com</a>!</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width: 510px; margin: 10px auto;">
<p><a title="click to view original photo" href="http://loveandtrash.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Floveandtrash.com%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')"><img style="width: 500px;" src="http://loveandtrash.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/winos-600x450.jpg" alt="Winos, by kables - flickr.com/photos/kables/" /></a></p>
<p style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 80%; color: #333;">Winos, by kables &#8211; flickr.com/photos/kables/</p>
</div>
<p>It&#8217;s a project with some of my very good friends. We&#8217;re calling it &#8220;a DIY blog for people who do things differently.&#8221; There&#8217;s a ton of content, some very fun stuff, and lots of &#8220;actionable inspiration&#8221; to get you motivated.</p>
<p>The truth is, the more I traveled, the more I found that while I love traveling, my true passion was more on the environmental/DIY track. Love and Trash gives that passion a voice, and I couldn&#8217;t be more excited about it.</p>
<p>So stop by and check it out! I think you&#8217;ll like it. <a title="Love and Trash - a DIY blog for people who do things differently" href="http://loveandtrash.com" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Floveandtrash.com','Love+and+Trash+-+a+DIY+blog+for+people+who+do+things+differently')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Floveandtrash.com','Love+and+Trash+-+a+DIY+blog+for+people+who+do+things+differently')">LoveandTrash.com</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/name-that-site-contest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: CONTEST: Name That Site!'>CONTEST: Name That Site!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/07/5-principles-of-living-green-and-cheap/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The 5 Principles of Living Green on the Cheap (as demonstrated by Nicole and Kevin)'>The 5 Principles of Living Green on the Cheap (as demonstrated by Nicole and Kevin)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/save-the-world-ride-a-bike/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Save the World, Ride a Bike'>Save the World, Ride a Bike</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Welcome to the Bioregional Congress</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/welcome-to-the-bioregional-congress/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/welcome-to-the-bioregional-congress/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FUN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summertown]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A meeting of the minds brings hippies of all stripes together to tackle heavy issues of environment and community.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Life on The Farm'>Life on The Farm</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/save-the-world-ride-a-bike/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Save the World, Ride a Bike'>Save the World, Ride a Bike</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4524185176/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4524185176%2F','Bioregional+Congress+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Bioregional Congress photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4524185176_f724bc2d74.jpg" alt="2009 Bioregional Congress at The Farm in Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">A congress member speaks at the morning fire ritual</p>
</div>
<p>In October, I traveled to <a title="Life on The Farm | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog" href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2010%2F04%2Flife-on-the-farm%2F','Life+on+The+Farm+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco%2Ftravel+blog')">The Farm</a> in Tennessee, where the 10th Annual Bioregional Congress was taking place. I was excited to be there, though I couldn&#8217;t help but wonder&#8230;</p>
<h3>What&#8217;s a bioregional congress?</h3>
<p>Good question. To understand it, you need to understand &#8220;bioregionalism&#8221;. From <a href="http://biocongress.org/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fbiocongress.org%2F','biocongress.org')">biocongress.org</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>[Bioregionalism] is taking the time to learn the possibilities of place. It is a mindfulness of local environment, history, and community aspirations that leads to a sustainable future. It relies on safe and renewable sources of food and energy. It ensures employment by supplying a rich diversity of services within the community, by recycling our resources, and by exchanging prudent surpluses with other regions. Bioregionalism is working to satisfy basic needs locally, such as education, health care and self-governance.</p></blockquote>
<p>Essentially, bioregionalism boils down to getting more out of what you have, instead of importing what you don&#8217;t. Many new organizations and communities are working in this way, with an eye toward resource (and human-resource) management.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4523552193/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4523552193%2F','Bioregional+Congress+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Bioregional Congress photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4523552193_6d4ebc1fc2.jpg" alt="2009 Bioregional Congress at The Farm in Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Shared meals in the common center, prepared and paid for by attendees</p>
</div>
<p>The Congress started in 1984, at which age your humble author was just learning to sing to trees. Since then, it&#8217;s continued to grow into a vibrant semiannual gathering of people from throughout the Americas who are actively experimenting with new forms of community and environmental awareness.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 10px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4524185350/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4524185350%2F','2009+Bioregional+Congress+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="2009 Bioregional Congress photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4524185350_2226a3f717_m.jpg" title="Bioregional Congress at The Farm in Tennessee" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>a group called Ecobarrios who are working with residents in Mexico City&#8217;s housing developments to institute sustainable practices, composting and gardening (<a title="Greening the Barrios in Mexico City | The Eseranza Project" href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2009/10/greening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2009%2F10%2Fgreening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city%2F','Greening+the+Barrios+in+Mexico+City+%7C+The+Eseranza+Project')">more on Ecobarrios</a>);</li>
<li>a housewife from Nashville who just got involved in nonprofits and wants to find out what the challenges are from a marketing perspective;</li>
<li>a self-described eco-punk from LA who organizes traveling shows to teach underprivileged communities around the world about sustainability;</li>
<li>several members of intentional communities from North to South America, here to discuss what works, what doesn&#8217;t, and where they are headed.</li>
</ul>
<p>There is a fair share of outré hippie yahooism here as well. Tie-dye, massage, singing with the earth, singing Woody Guthrie songs: it all happened. But that hippie veneer was only skin-deep: beneath the surface, every person here is honestly, fully dedicated to <em>working</em> for change.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4523552609/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4523552609%2F','Bioregional+Congress+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Bioregional Congress photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2714/4523552609_890c1e17d8.jpg" alt="2009 Bioregional Congress at The Farm in Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">These guys talked animatedly for a long, long time.</p>
</div>
<h3>Hippie Soup to Nuts</h3>
<p>Each morning, the entire group met to discuss the day&#8217;s topics. Nothing was predetermined; it all had to be hashed out by discussion and vote. Laborious, yes—but it meant that everyone present had a voice.</p>
<p>These folks have their system down TIGHT. I&#8217;ve never seen anything like it. They conducted a huge meeting, circle-style, in a format where everybody got a chance to talk, with minimal interruption, almost no off-topic ranting, and not a single insult. You try that sometime with a group of 100 people.</p>
<p>That was my first sign that the people here were not just <em>trying</em> to share, give and change, but <em>making it happen</em>.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 10px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4523551939/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4523551939%2F','2009+Bioregional+Congress+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="2009 Bioregional Congress photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2693/4523551939_693bc80984_m.jpg" title="Bioregional Congress at The Farm in Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Proposed lecture topics for a single afternoon</p>
</div>
<p>The next sign was the depth, breadth and complexity of the discussion topics. People here were not speaking in generalities, but addressing topics that had direct effects on their work.</p>
<p>One woman wanted to discuss GMO seeds, and how we can keep them out of gardens. A small group proposed a new community and asked for potential members. A man offered dowsing lessons. A Venezuelan woman offered to share stories from the revolution. A short film on Cuba&#8217;s survival without petroleum drew a crowd.</p>
<p>Throughout the day, people gathered in various groups and addressed various questions and topics. The level of intellect was high, and the work accomplished was impressive.</p>
<p>In the evening, there was food, music and dancing.</p>
<p>I could only stay one day at the Bioregional Congress, but I left completely inspired. I fully intend to take part in future Congresses: as the environmental movement ramps up, these are the people who are leading the way to the future. I have faith they&#8217;ll get us there.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Life on The Farm'>Life on The Farm</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/save-the-world-ride-a-bike/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Save the World, Ride a Bike'>Save the World, Ride a Bike</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Life on The Farm</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:49:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Summertown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecovillages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[places to stay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaia university]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intentional community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tennessee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the farm]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2421</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Farm is arguably America's most successful commune. How have they succeeded, and what's it really like out there?


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/welcome-to-the-bioregional-congress/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Welcome to the Bioregional Congress'>Welcome to the Bioregional Congress</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/potomac-vegetable-farms/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Little Farm on the Subdivision'>Little Farm on the Subdivision</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/10/the-waterpod-life-on-a-new-york-boat/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Waterpod: life on a New York boat'>The Waterpod: life on a New York boat</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4515252272/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4515252272%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/4515252272_194e98d353.jpg" alt="Gaia University housing at The Farm, Summertown Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Intern housing at The Farm</p>
</div>
<p>Way out in the Tennessee hills lies a 1750-acre establishment that has been quietly affecting change for almost four decades.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thefarmcommunity.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefarmcommunity.com%2F','The+Farm')">The Farm</a>, an intentional community, was formed in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and a group of hippies who were tired of the status quo. Like so many other groups at the time, they chose a new path, dropping out of society and moving to a plot of land outside Summertown where they could start fresh. Like other groups, they were dedicated to peace and love and new age spirituality.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:0 0 10px 15px;">
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4514614717/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4514614717%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4514614717_a638b0c16e_m.jpg" alt="Community center at The Farm, Summertown Tennessee" /></a></p>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Visitors hang out at the community center</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4515266854/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4515266854%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4515266854_9cb42e3c6b_m.jpg" alt="Outdoor theater at The Farm, Tennessee" /></a></p>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Outdoor theater behind the store</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4514617561/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4514617561%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4514617561_104b70194f_m.jpg" alt="Cooper Mini in front of a shack at The Farm, Summertown Tennessee" /></a></p>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Hippies in the real world</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4514616755/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4514616755%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4514616755_7f3eb40d81_m.jpg" alt="Gaia University bookstore at The Farm, Tennessee" /></a></p>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Gaia University bookstore</p>
</div>
<p>Unlike many other groups, The Farm survived.</p>
<p>39 years later, it&#8217;s not much of a farm. In fact, <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#8FA760;">almost no farming goes on</span>. It feels more like a small town with its own roads, store, school, town hall and university. The long-term population is around 150 people, with plenty of visitors who come and go. This is a huge drop from the peak population of 1500.</p>
<p>People used to drop their lives and come live on The Farm, but it doesn&#8217;t work that way anymore: now, they come for education and training, then take their knowledge back home.</p>
<p>One of The Farm&#8217;s biggest draws is its school of midwifery. <a href="http://www.inamay.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inamay.com%2F','Ina+May+Gaskin')">Ina May Gaskin</a> is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570671044?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=uprooanecotra-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1570671044" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1570671044%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Duprooanecotra-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26creativeASIN%3D1570671044','Spiritual+Midwifery')">Spiritual Midwifery</a>,<img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=uprooanecotra-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1570671044" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> a seminal book that reinvented childbirth practices in the 1980s. Ina May is now considered &#8220;the mother of authentic midwifery,&#8221; and continues to practice, teach and write. <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#8FA760;">Together, the five Farm midwives have birthed over 3,000 babies in 38 years.</span></p>
<p>But that success couldn&#8217;t shield The Farm from the harsh realities of survival in America. By the mid-1980s, the group was deep in debt and, to save themselves, had to abandon some of their more radical practices. From a loose commune, they became <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#8FA760;">an intentional community:</span> a group of like-minded individuals who are responsible for their own wellbeing, while still sharing the most important resources.</p>
<p>Residents own the land in common and share property taxes, roads and water costs. Apart from that, they&#8217;re on their own to build their homes, create their lives, and figure out how to survive.</p>
<p>As a part of the community&#8217;s evolution, Farm residents began taking on individual projects that were supported by community money and chosen by a vote from all members. This led to the founding of <a href="http://www.gaiauniversity.org/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaiauniversity.org%2F','Gaia+University')">Gaia University</a>, <a href="http://www.plenty.org/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plenty.org%2F','Plenty+International')">Plenty International</a>, <a href="http://plenty.org/KTC_overview.html" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fplenty.org%2FKTC_overview.html','Kids+to+the+Country')">Kids to the Country</a> and other endeavors. The Farm had become, rather than a unidirectional commune, a diverse community united by a desire to improve the world.</p>
<p>From what I could tell, <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#8FA760;">the key to The Farm&#8217;s success is that it has adapted over time.</span> From a fever dream of hippie farmland to a grown-up, idyllic town, this group has clearly dedicated their lives to finding the answer to that age-old question: how can we all live together in peace, without going broke?</p>
<p>Not to wax overly poetic, but that&#8217;s really what it&#8217;s all about. Residents of The Farm appear to have figured out that their work here can have wider effects: they are a testing ground for a new type of community that most people only dream of.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why The Farm was chosen as the host of the <a href="http://biocongress.org/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fbiocongress.org%2F','Bioregional+Congress')">Bioregional Congress</a> in 2009. And that&#8217;s how I came to visit Summertown, Tennessee.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4514613939/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4514613939%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4514613939_e5990e9266.jpg" alt="TVP silo The Farm, Summertown Tennessee" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Hilarious: a TVP silo.</p>
</div>
<p style="font-style:italic;">Next up: uh, <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/welcome-to-the-bioregional-congress/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwelcome-to-the-bioregional-congress%2F','Welcome+to+the+Bioregional+Congress+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco%2Ftravel+blog')" title="Welcome to the Bioregional Congress | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">what&#8217;s a bioregional congress?</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/welcome-to-the-bioregional-congress/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Welcome to the Bioregional Congress'>Welcome to the Bioregional Congress</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/potomac-vegetable-farms/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Little Farm on the Subdivision'>Little Farm on the Subdivision</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/10/the-waterpod-life-on-a-new-york-boat/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Waterpod: life on a New York boat'>The Waterpod: life on a New York boat</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Travel Days: Asheville to Nashville to Summertown, Tennessee</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/travel-days-asheville-to-nashville-to-summertown-tennessee/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/travel-days-asheville-to-nashville-to-summertown-tennessee/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:40:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Summertown]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A series of bus rides and colorful characters and unlikely interactions, arriving finally at the middle of nowhere.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Life on The Farm'>Life on The Farm</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina'>Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436796306/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436796306%2F','Asheville+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Asheville photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4436796306_06914afd41.jpg" alt="red maple leaves in Asheville, North Carolina" /></a></div>
<p>I like to move around.</p>
<p>Throughout this journey, I&#8217;d always been happy to move on to the next spot&mdash;but <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#a62345;">leaving Asheville hurt just a little.</span> Still, there were adventures ahead. No time to stop, not now.</p>
<p>I took the bus to another bus, to another bus, to a hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The road wound through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and was lined with new sights: little towns that seemed to be no more than bus stops&#8230; soda-sipping teenagers in camouflage, heading off to war&#8230; endless ridges fading from green to emerald to blue to purple to grey, forever into the distance&#8230; and here and there, little bursts of red on the leafy hillsides, signaling the onset of autumn.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#a62345;">I&#8217;d hoped to be in North Carolina to see the leaves turn</span>, but with red leaves come cold nights&mdash;and after <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/04/springtime-in-taos-part-ii/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fspringtime-in-taos-part-ii%2F','Springtime+in+Taos%2C+Part+II+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco%2Ftravel+blog')" title="Springtime in Taos, Part II | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">New Mexico&#8217;s horizontal snow</a> and <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/05/colorado-springtime-ice-rain/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fcolorado-springtime-ice-rain%2F','Colorado+Springtime%3A+ICE+RAIN+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco%2Ftravel+blog')" title="Colorado Springtime: ICE RAIN | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">Colorado&#8217;s ice rain</a>, I didn&#8217;t want to get stuck in the cold again.</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:dotted 1px #8FA760;" />
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:160px; float:left; margin:5px 15px 5px 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/435491466/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbrent_nashville%2F435491466%2F','SeeMidTN.com')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbrent_nashville%2F435491466%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/435491466_e6703461c9_b-150x150.jpg" alt="Elvis in Nashville" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Hey, it&#8217;s another Elvis statue!<br />photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/435491466/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbrent_nashville%2F435491466%2F','SeeMidTN.com')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbrent_nashville%2F435491466%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')">SeeMidTN.com</a></p>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:160px; float:right; margin:5px 0 5px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robot_zombie_monkey/3119003709/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Frobot_zombie_monkey%2F3119003709%2F','robot_zombie_monkey')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Frobot_zombie_monkey%2F3119003709%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/3119003709_97b17f6a06_b-150x150.jpg" alt="Elvis in Nashville" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Santa and Elvis on the Roof<br />photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robot_zombie_monkey/3119003709/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Frobot_zombie_monkey%2F3119003709%2F','robot_zombie_monkey')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Frobot_zombie_monkey%2F3119003709%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')">robot_zombie_monkey</a></p>
</div>
<p style="text-align:center;">And so I went to sunny Nashville, where <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/07/5-principles-of-living-green-and-cheap/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F07%2F5-principles-of-living-green-and-cheap%2F','The+5+Principles+of+Living+Green+on+the+Cheap+%28As+Demonstrated+by+Nicole+and+Kevin%29+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco%2Ftravel+blog')" title="The 5 Principles of Living Green on the Cheap (As Demonstrated by Nicole and Kevin) | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">Kevin and Nicole</a> joined me.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">We walked Nashville&#8217;s strip that night, trying to get excited about Music City USA, but mostly nonplussed by the tourists and the beer-drinking party hoo-ha. We had better reasons to be here: we were in Nashville to visit a <a href="http://friendsofhollis.blogspot.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ffriendsofhollis.blogspot.com%2F','friend')">friend</a> we hadn&#8217;t seen in a while.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Several laughs, a few tears and one bad movie later, I was ready to hop another bus. Nashville had been a renewal, and I was heading toward something exciting.</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:dotted 1px #8FA760;" />
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#a62345;">The next bus was piloted by a driver with Elvis glasses and a pompadour</span>, who had the thickest hills accent you ever heard. He grinned ear to ear while asking me ten questions about where I was from and where I was going. He seemed to know most of the passengers by name. Three of my fellow passengers were Amish: a quiet family in black and purple.</p>
<p>Later we pulled off the two-lane highway and waited for nearly an hour next to a hospital. The driver explained: there was another Amish family in there, the girl had come down with bronchitis, we were waiting for them to be discharged. Nobody on the bus seemed to mind waiting. We all sat silently in the green heat.</p>
<p>Eventually our passengers arrived, and the bus motored on through lush woods, a sunny winding highway into the southeast corner of Tennessee. Traffic got scarcer as we drove, until finally we pulled off at the Summertown bus stop.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4462754093/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4462754093%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+bus+stop+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee bus stop photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4462754093_90c138e670.jpg" alt="Summertown, Tennessee bus stop" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; text-align:center; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4463538128/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4463538128%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+bus+stop+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee bus stop photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4463538128_1bdd3194e1_m.jpg" alt="cat statue and funny sign at the Summertown bus stop" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4462756515/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4462756515%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+bus+stop+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee bus stop photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4462756515_7fb0bfc3bc_m.jpg" alt="Summertown bus stop window" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; text-align:center; margin:0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4463534108/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4463534108%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+bus+stop+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee bus stop photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4463534108_8f61d56713_m.jpg" alt="Summertown Tennessee bus schedule" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4463535244/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4463535244%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+bus+stop+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee bus stop photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4463535244_35362184de_m.jpg" alt="Summertown Tennessee bus schedule" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin: 0 auto 10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4463539210/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4463539210%2F','Summertown+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="Summertown Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4463539210_2374a2291e.jpg" alt="Stable at the Summertown bus stop" /></a></div>
<p>I had called ahead to have someone meet me here, but the bus was now an hour behind schedule. Nobody was here. The town was little more than a scattering of shops, most of them Amish souvenir stores. The six Amish people had all gotten off the bus with me, and were now riding away in black buggies. The Elvis driver winked a goodbye out the window as he guided the bus back onto the highway.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#a62345;">The bus stop was closed. I was out of food and water, and it was late afternoon.</span> My cell phone didn&#8217;t work, and there was no Internet reception; how would I get where I was going?</p>
<p>But I hardly had time to worry before the lone bus-stop employee reappeared from someplace. Country manners kicked in immediately: in short order I was being given a tour of the establishment while phone calls were made on my behalf.</p>
<p>And thank goodness: <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#a62345;">I hadn&#8217;t missed my ride, because they&#8217;d forgotten to come pick me up.</span> If I hadn&#8217;t called, I&#8217;d have spent the night at the bus stop. But they were on their way now, for sure this time. I sat down out front to wait.</p>
<p>Soon enough, a muddy Subaru stopped out front. Two barefoot and bedraggled dudes stepped out, all hair and patchouli. I hopped in the Subaru and we toiled up the hill, a few miles outside of Summertown where we came to:</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:10px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4463540630/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4463540630%2F','The+Farm+Tennessee+photos+by+Jessica+Reeder')" title="The Farm Tennessee photos by Jessica Reeder"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/4463540630_b2cb4d614a.jpg" alt="The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee" /></a></div>
<p>And I&#8217;ll tell you all about that very soon.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/life-on-the-farm/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Life on The Farm'>Life on The Farm</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina'>Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:12:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asheville]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[places to stay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[things to do]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotravel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Carolina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outdoors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2353</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I discover the not-so-hidden, but very precious, gem of Appalachee.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/friday-photos-asheville-botanical-gardens/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Friday Photos #1: Asheville Botanical Gardens'>Friday Photos #1: Asheville Botanical Gardens</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/north-carolina-progress-and-contrast/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: North Carolina: Progress and Contrast'>North Carolina: Progress and Contrast</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4435958107/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4435958107%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4435958107_906b36953f.jpg" style="width:500px;" alt="Skate park in Asheville, North Carolina" /></a></div>
<p>The word &#8220;Asheville&#8221; followed me across America. I first heard it uttered while <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/06/the-dandelion-war/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe-dandelion-war%2F','The+Dandelion+War%2C+a+Cautionary+Gardening+Tale+%7C+Uprooted%2C+an+eco-travel+blog')" title="The Dandelion War, a Cautionary Gardening Tale | Uprooted, an eco-travel blog">picking dandelions in Paonia</a>; after that, I heard it spoken of in nearly every city I visited. &#8220;Asheville,&#8221; people would say. &#8220;You gotta go to Asheville.&#8221;</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:190px; float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436783074/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436783074%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4436783074_1c6756db7d_m.jpg" alt="Biodiesel pump in Asheville, North Carolina" style="width:180px;" /></a></div>
<p>So I went. They were right.</p>
<p style="font-size:1.3em; color:#6699FF; font-weight:bold;">How to describe it? Well, it&#8217;s like taking all the best parts of Nevada City, Portland and Berkeley, and sticking the whole thing in the middle of beautiful mountains with gorgeous weather.</p>
<p>I almost feel like I shouldn&#8217;t tell you about it, because it&#8217;s a secret that wants to be kept. Locals and tourists alike recognize the yuppie wolf at Asheville&#8217;s door: moneyed do-gooders in Priuses and SUVs, ready to move in and pour their Starbucks all over this fiercely independent town.</p>
<p>But to be honest, I don&#8217;t see how a bunch of yuppies could possibly change a town this strong in spirit.</p>
<p>And anyway, <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#6699FF; font-weight:bold;">rich folks discovered Asheville hundreds of years ago.</span></p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermic/3560722267/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fexothermic%2F3560722267%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fexothermic%2F3560722267%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/3560722267_3b19bccbc3.jpg" alt="The Biltmore Estate - photo by Exothermic" /></a>
<p style="font-size:80%; color:#333;">photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermic/3560722267/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fexothermic%2F3560722267%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fexothermic%2F3560722267%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo">Exothermic</a></p>
</div>
<p>This used to be Cherokee land, but the natives were unceremoniously exterminated and Asheville slowly grew into a hillbilly township. After the Civil War, one George Washington Vanderbilt decided to construct a &#8220;little mountain escape&#8221; just outside of town: that property became the <a href="http://www.biltmore.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biltmore.com%2F','Biltmore+Estate')">Biltmore Estate</a> (largest house in America).</p>
<p>Funny thing about the Biltmore Estate, however: <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#6699FF; font-weight:bold;">unlike many gilded mansions, this one was intended to be self-supporting.</span> The United States&#8217; first forestry school was founded here; there were farms, gardens, a dairy, and scientific programs for managing all sorts of resources.</p>
<div style="float:right; width:250px; border:2px dashed #CC3366; padding:10px; background-color:#CCFF99; margin:10px 0 10px 15px;">
<h5>Everybody Loves Asheville!</h5>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.americanstyle.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&#038;nm=&#038;type=Publishing&#038;mod=Publications::Article&#038;mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&#038;tier=4&#038;id=029433CECC57424EAA6CC1B87E45AC58" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanstyle.com%2FME2%2Fdirmod.asp%3Fsid%3D%26nm%3D%26type%3DPublishing%26mod%3DPublications%3A%3AArticle%26mid%3D8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791%26tier%3D4%26id%3D029433CECC57424EAA6CC1B87E45AC58','2009+Top+25+Arts+Destinations+%7C+AmericanStyle+Magazine')" title="2009 Top 25 Arts Destinations | AmericanStyle Magazine">Top 25 Arts Destinations (3 years running!)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.countryhome.com/greencities/top25_2007.html" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.countryhome.com%2Fgreencities%2Ftop25_2007.html','2007+Top+25+Green+Cities+in+America+%7C+Country+Home')" title="2007 Top 25 Green Cities in America | Country Home">#25 Greenest City in America!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20200609/the_125plus_people_places_and_things_ruling_the_rock__roll_universe/print" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F20200609%2Fthe_125plus_people_places_and_things_ruling_the_rock__roll_universe%2Fprint','The+125-Plus+People%2C+Places+and+Things+Ruling+the+Rock+%26+Roll+Universe+%7C+Rolling+Stone')" title="The 125-Plus People, Places and Things Ruling the Rock &#038; Roll Universe | Rolling Stone">Best Rock Club in America!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goveg.com/f-vegcities-asheville.asp" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.goveg.com%2Ff-vegcities-asheville.asp','America')" title="America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities | PETA">#1 Vegetarian-Friendly Small City!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.alteryourview.com/index.php/style/travel_article/tr_asheville_so08/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alteryourview.com%2Findex.php%2Fstyle%2Ftravel_article%2Ftr_asheville_so08%2F','Blue+Ridge+Bliss+%7C+Style+Magazine')" title="Blue Ridge Bliss | Style Magazine">Happiest Place in America!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.exploreasheville.com/press-room/frommers-names-asheville-a-must-see-in-2007/index.aspx" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.exploreasheville.com%2Fpress-room%2Ffrommers-names-asheville-a-must-see-in-2007%2Findex.aspx','Frommer')" title="Frommer's Names Asheville a Must-See | Explore Asheville">Frommer&#8217;s Must-See Destination of 2007!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200608/best-outside-towns-2006-8.html" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Foutside.away.com%2Foutside%2Fdestinations%2F200608%2Fbest-outside-towns-2006-8.html','Best+Outside+Towns+2006%3A+Whitewater+%7C+Outside+Magazine')" title="Best Outside Towns 2006: Whitewater | Outside Magazine">Best Outside Town!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Poll-results/What-s-the-best-craft-beer-city-in-America-" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imbibemagazine.com%2FPoll-results%2FWhat-s-the-best-craft-beer-city-in-America-','Best+Craft+Beer+City+in+America+-+Imbibe+Magazine')" title="Best Craft Beer City in America - Imbibe Magazine">Best Craft Beer City in America!</a></li>
</ul></div>
<p>That&#8217;s one trend that held true throughout my visit to Asheville: <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#6699FF; font-weight:bold;">people here seem to be united by a true love for the land</span>, and an active interest in understanding and managing it.</p>
<p>That may be due to the fact that there are mountains everywhere you look. Beautiful, rolling blue hills encircle the city, omnipresent in the background, patient, serene and enticing. It would be hard to live here and not be enchanted by the landscape&mdash;and certainly, the town attracts a very specific type of person for just that reason.</p>
<p>In the middle of town, there&#8217;s an underpass mural that is far and away the best I&#8217;ve ever seen. Created by the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ashevillemuralproject" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myspace.com%2Fashevillemuralproject','Asheville+Mural+Project')">Asheville Mural Project</a>, it features portraits of locals, chosen by nomination. There&#8217;s a woman spinning wool; a man with a shovel; a cyclist; a city planner; a gardener; musicians; dancers; and a snake-haired tattoo artist. <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#6699FF; font-weight:bold;">The message is clear: this town loves the alternative, the artistic, and the sustainable.</span></p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:5px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436015589/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436015589%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4436015589_3732174b27_m.jpg" alt="Asheville mural" style="width:240px;" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436011329/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436011329%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4436011329_71f70aef09_m.jpg" alt="Asheville mural" style="width:240px;" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:510px; margin:5px auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436792998/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436792998%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2735/4436792998_085818d376_m.jpg" alt="Asheville mural" style="width:240px;" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4436792722/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4436792722%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4436792722_77d0a71542_m.jpg" alt="Asheville mural" style="width:240px;" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:0 0 10px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4435954703/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4435954703%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4435954703_1ef9537747_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="buskers in Asheville, North Carolina" /></a></div>
<p>It rained the first two days I was in Asheville, and when the sun re-emerged, so did the entire town. The streets were crawling with buskers: young dudes in old-timey clothes playing old-timey music. Sort of like a bumpkin Nashville&#8230; and in every corner without live music, there was a piece of weird art. The place was bursting with creativity, and the Carolina sun graced it all with glorious color.</p>
<p style="font-style:italic;">Over the next couple of days, I&#8217;ll tell you about some of the specifics of my time in Asheville. If you can&#8217;t wait, check out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/sets/72157623503678853/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2Fsets%2F72157623503678853%2F','Jessica+Reeder')" title="Jessica Reeder's photos on Flickr | Asheville, North Carolina">my photos</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/friday-photos-asheville-botanical-gardens/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Friday Photos #1: Asheville Botanical Gardens'>Friday Photos #1: Asheville Botanical Gardens</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/north-carolina-progress-and-contrast/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: North Carolina: Progress and Contrast'>North Carolina: Progress and Contrast</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>North Carolina: Progress and Contrast</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/north-carolina-progress-and-contrast/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/north-carolina-progress-and-contrast/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:49:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durham]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[North Carolina]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2341</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Durham's tobacco fields are disappearing under miles of roads, but its Southern manners and natural beauty hold strong.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina'>Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/06/the-trouble-with-austin/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Trouble With Austin'>The Trouble With Austin</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/the-esperanza-project/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Esperanza Project spotlights Latin America’s eco-warriors'>Esperanza Project spotlights Latin America’s eco-warriors</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve been puzzling for days over how to write about North Carolina. What should I talk about? The history? The strip malls? The kind and lovely people? The kudzu-strangled swamplands?</p>
<p>It was all there, and more: North Carolina, as I experienced it, was a study in contrast.</p>
<p>I hopped off the train in Durham, which is right smack in the middle of North Carolina and home to Duke University. Durham&#8217;s neighbor cities, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, are each within a few miles; locals call it &#8220;the Triangle,&#8221; and commute frequently between towns.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:250px; float:left; margin:5px 15px 10px 0;">
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425815084/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425815084%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4425815084_f509864809_m.jpg" alt="a road in Durham, North Carolina" /></a></p>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:85%; color:#333;">blah.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425818782/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425818782%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4425818782_2361082ac0_m.jpg" alt="gas station in Durham, North Carolina" /></a></p>
</div>
<p>That&#8217;s where the area&#8217;s main problem lies: commuting. <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">These towns, built on tobacco and once connected by fields, weren&#8217;t designed for the 21st century.</span> But as they grew in concert, more and more roads were built: now, the Triangle is almost impossible to navigate without an automobile. Vast open spaces are bordered by wide roads. No sidewalks, few central areas&#8230; just a lot of cars.</p>
<p>It took me about five minutes to realize that Durham was a car town&mdash;and 45 more to procure a carton of milk and a little food for the night. To find eats, I had to hike down to the strip mall; cross a massive, empty parking lot; and wander through a ridiculously huge outlet store (which, luckily, was open late and had a grocery section).</p>
<p>Despite the hassle, I was undeniably happy. <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">As I left my hotel, it started raining:</span> a warm, fragrant rain that I&#8217;d rarely experienced out West. By the time I got to that gigantic parking lot, it was transformed: <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">a river flowed across the sealed blacktop, lit orange by the streetlights, steaming gently.</span> Frogs croaked, and the air was heavy with the odor of flowers and grass. It was beautiful, and it was new. I was in the South!</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:1px dashed #CDE9C8;" />
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:250px; float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425816380/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425816380%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/4425816380_8dcdc655b5_m.jpg" alt="Kirsten and CJ at Guglhupf" style="width:240px;" /></a>
<p style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:80%; color:#333;">Kirsten and CJ</p>
</div>
<p>I&#8217;d stopped in Durham to visit Kirsten Hausman, who (aside from being Larry&#8217;s daughter and therefore a step-cousin of some sort) is an environmental crusader in her own right. She&#8217;s a Director at <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.gogreenplus.org/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gogreenplus.org%2F','Green+Plus')">Green Plus</a>, a program of the Institute for Sustainable Development.</span> Their mission: to set standards for sustainability in business, and help people meet them.</p>
<p>One of the issues the Institute for Sustainable Development cares about is the same one that confronted me: getting around the Triangle without a car.</p>
<div style="background-color:#CDE9C8; float:right; width:250px; border:2px dashed #009900; margin:0 0 10px 15px; padding:5px;">
<h5 style="width:100%; text-align:center;">Side note:<br />what Green Plus does</h5>
<ul>
<li>Assesses small and medium businesses for sustainable practices</li>
<li>Guides and advises businesses toward sustainability</li>
<li>Offers and enforces &#8220;Certified Green Plus&#8221; status for qualifying businesses</li>
<li>Creates networking and referral opportunities</li>
</ul></div>
<p>Kirsten told me that <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">the area is at a crossroads both literally and figuratively</span>. People are moving around more, and populations are growing; more and more locals commute from one town to another. But the infrastructure to support all those cars hasn&#8217;t been completed.</p>
<p>Without careful planning, this area could become just another mass of strip malls&mdash;or, it can be guided successfully into a more sustainable future. Right now, that&#8217;s all up to the civic planners.</p>
<p>For now, we poor folks and carless freaks have to ride the bus.</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:1px dashed #CDE9C8;" />
<p>Lucky for me, there was a bus stop next to the Target. When I got there, a woman loaded down with grocery bags was standing near the door. I asked her if she was getting on the bus.</p>
<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; she said, <span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">&#8220;that bus costs two dollars and I only got a dollar.</span> I&#8217;m waiting for the next one in a half hour.&#8221;</p>
<p>I, carrying exact change for my own bus ticket, shrugged and climbed aboard. But the driver stopped me.</p>
<p>&#8220;She gettin&#8217; on?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think so,&#8221; I told him. I explained what she&#8217;d said.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">As I sat down, the bus driver was unbuckling his seat belt;</span> I watched through the window as he got off the bus and convinced that woman to come ride the bus for free. He even carried her bag for her.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s what it comes down to, in this part of the world: you might be poor, you might be carless, but you won&#8217;t be stranded. Not if someone is around to help.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; color:#009900; font-weight:bold;">I was to encounter this attitude more and more frequently as I moved through the South</span>, but here it really shocked me. That just wouldn&#8217;t happen in my beloved San Francisco, where people are more in the habit of stepping over others than stopping to help. It gave me something to think about.</p>
<p>And I had plenty of time to think, riding the bus all over Creation.</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:1px dashed #CDE9C8;" />
<div style="float:left; width:110px; margin:0 15px 5px 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425053707/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425053707%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2678/4425053707_430fe51386_t.jpg" alt="Greyhound station in Durham" /></a></div>
<div style="float:right; width:110px; margin:0 0 5px 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425052053/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425052053%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4425052053_3f6cc42afd_t.jpg" alt="the whole gang at Guglhupf in Durham" /></a></div>
<p style="font-style:italic; text-align:center;">Ultimately, the Triangle wasn&#8217;t for me. I had two delicious <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4425815544/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4425815544%2F','meals')">meals</a> with Kirsten and the family, then hopped a bus to Asheville. See you there next.</p>
<hr style="width:100%; border:1px dashed #CDE9C8;" />


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/asheville-heaven-is-in-north-carolina/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina'>Asheville: Heaven is in North Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/06/the-trouble-with-austin/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Trouble With Austin'>The Trouble With Austin</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/the-esperanza-project/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Esperanza Project spotlights Latin America’s eco-warriors'>Esperanza Project spotlights Latin America’s eco-warriors</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Not All Trains Are Alike</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/not-all-trains-are-alike/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/not-all-trains-are-alike/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:52:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[North Carolina]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2228</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In which I begin to see a whole new part of America.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/06/fast-forward/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Fast Forward!'>Fast Forward!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/travel-days-asheville-to-nashville-to-summertown-tennessee/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Travel Days: Asheville to Nashville to Summertown, Tennessee'>Travel Days: Asheville to Nashville to Summertown, Tennessee</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/where-are-you-now/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Where Are You Now?'>Where Are You Now?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4388536974/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4388536974%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4388536974_1e01db5859.jpg" style="width:500px;" alt="model train:Locomotivation by William S. Morrow" /></a></div>
<p>From Virginia, I turned left, heading southward at last. And right off the bat, things changed.</p>
<p>It all started at the train station, where I sat and waited for an hour past departure time before boarding. And that was just the beginning.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:left; width:250px; margin:5px 10px 5px 0;">
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuck_taylor/3081924460/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fchuck_taylor%2F3081924460%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/3081924460_d195658e07_m.jpg" title="Amtrak lounge car, by chuck.taylor" /></a></p>
<p style="font-size:.8em; color:#333; text-align:center;">&uarr; Amtrak in the Northwest, by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuck_taylor/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fchuck_taylor%2F','chuck.taylor')">chuck.taylor</a>.<br />&darr; Amtrak in the Midwest, by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emry/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Femry%2F','Steve+and+Sara')">Steve and Sara</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emry/473230504/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Femry%2F473230504%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/473230504_6fd27d35e6_m.jpg" title="train window, by Steve and Sara" /></a></p>
</p></div>
<p>Now, I&#8217;ve ridden Amtrak all over the West, and it&#8217;s always been my favorite way to travel. It&#8217;s scenic, comfortable, affordable and eco-friendly: <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#000066;">who, I always wondered, <em>wouldn&#8217;t</em> want to ride the train?</span></p>
<p>As I boarded in Virginia, I started to understand: <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#000066;">Not all trains are the same.</span> In this part of the country, you don&#8217;t take Amtrak if you can avoid it.</p>
<p>Out West, there were big seats and big windows, and the cars were rarely full. You could walk around the train, hang out in the sightseeing car where happy families sat in cushy chairs admiring the view.</p>
<p>Here, the windows were tiny; the dining car was run down and half filled with luggage; and the tables were inhabited by a passel of loudly un-sober people playing cards.</p>
<p>It was a warm, humid day outside. The train car, however, was so cold that everybody was wrapped up in blankets, shivering.</p>
<p>In the back corner of the car, the overactive air conditioner was dripping freezing water onto one of the seats. A little old lady clucked and shook her head. <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#000066;">&#8220;It ain&#8217;t sposed to be like that.&#8221;</span></p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4388537310/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4388537310%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4388537310_9560b8a6da_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="water leakage in an Amtrak train car" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4388537926/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4388537926%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4388537926_4354d72476_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="water leakage in an Amtrak train car" /></a>
<p style="font-size:.8em; color:#333; text-align:center;">Freezing water drips from the ceiling onto a seat, right next to a power outlet&mdash;<br />but don&#8217;t worry, the outlet doesn&#8217;t work.</p>
</div>
<p>The people were the saving grace of this train ride&mdash;which, as I later realized, was my first hint at the fast-approaching reality of the American South.</p>
<p>For, even despite the weird odors and discomfort in the overcrowded, dingy, freezing-cold train car, people were smiling, and talking. Old women and young college students had amiable conversations, compared backgrounds and family stories. People shared blankets and sweaters, and whenever the train stopped we all rolled our eyes and chuckled at our dumb luck.</p>
<p>We were all in it together, and we knew the train would get us there, and for a couple of hours we suffered through it in good company. <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#000066;">After all, it could be worse.</span></p>
<p>But it could be better. I missed the West.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/06/fast-forward/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Fast Forward!'>Fast Forward!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/travel-days-asheville-to-nashville-to-summertown-tennessee/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Travel Days: Asheville to Nashville to Summertown, Tennessee'>Travel Days: Asheville to Nashville to Summertown, Tennessee</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/where-are-you-now/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Where Are You Now?'>Where Are You Now?</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Esperanza Project spotlights Latin America’s eco-warriors</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/the-esperanza-project/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/the-esperanza-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:20:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tracy L. Barnett</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A guest post from the curator of an independent green news portal for the Americas


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/the-real-dirt-on-americas-counterculture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Real Dirt on America&#8217;s Counterculture'>The Real Dirt on America&#8217;s Counterculture</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/11/carbon-offsetting-doesnt-work/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SURPRISE! &#8220;Carbon Offsetting&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Work.'>SURPRISE! &#8220;Carbon Offsetting&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Work.</a></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="border:dotted 1px #333; border-width:1px 0; font-style:italic; color:#333;"><a href="http://tracybarnettonline.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" title="Roads Less Traveled - Tracy L. Barnett">Tracy L. Barnett</a> is an independent writer and photographer specializing in the Southwestern U.S., Latin America and sustainable travel. She has served as Travel Editor of the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle; recently she launched a new independent publication dedicated to environmentalism throughout the Americas. This is her story.</p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><a href="http://tracybarnettonline.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" title="Roads Less Traveled - Tracy L. Barnett"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4379618910_23450fc90e.jpg" alt="Tracy Barnett" /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text"><a href="http://tracybarnettonline.com/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftracybarnettonline.com%2F','Roads+Less+Traveled+-+Tracy+L.+Barnett')" title="Roads Less Traveled - Tracy L. Barnett">Tracy L. Barnett</a><br />Photo &copy;2010. All rights reserved.</div>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">I arrived in Mexico three weeks ago</span> as the first leg of my yearlong journey through Latin America documenting the environmental movement across the continent, from the perspective of its protagonists. I’ll be traveling through Latin America for this entire year, interviewing green architects and guerilla gardeners, indigenous farmers and bicycle activists, journalists and academics, even public officials engaged in the transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. I’ll be reporting on what I find – in Spanish and in English – on <a href="http://www.theesperanzaproject.org" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theesperanzaproject.org','theesperanzaproject.org')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theesperanzaproject.org','the+Esperanza+project')" alt="The Esperanza project | a green news portal for the Americas">the Esperanza project</a>, a new media initiative.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;"><a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/02/huehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fhuehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos%2F','Huehuecoyotl%3A+An+eco-power+center+in+the+hills+of+Morelos+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fhuehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos%2F','Huehuecoyotl%3A+An+eco-power+center+in+the+hills+of+Morelos+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="Huehuecoyotl: An eco-power center in the hills of Morelos | The Esperanza Project"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4378864755_14a83982e8_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="Photo copyright Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved." /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">Inside the theater at <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/02/huehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fhuehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos%2F','Huehuecoyotl%3A+An+eco-power+center+in+the+hills+of+Morelos+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fhuehuecoyotl-an-eco-power-center-in-the-hills-of-morelos%2F','Huehuecoyotl%3A+An+eco-power+center+in+the+hills+of+Morelos+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="Huehuecoyotl: An eco-power center in the hills of Morelos | The Esperanza Project">Huehuecoyotl</a>, an ecovillage in the mountains of Morelos, Mexico.<br />&copy;2010 Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p>Here’s how it all began. About 10 months ago I was working as the travel editor at the Houston Chronicle, when a round of cutbacks slashed a third of the staff, including me. It was a shock, but it ended up freeing me up <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">to launch a project that feels meaningful and exciting</span> to me in a way that working for a daily newspaper never could.</p>
<p>The roots of this project really began long ago in Columbia, Missouri, long before I became a travel writer. Back in 2000, I started the bilingual newspaper Adelante, and my student reporters and of course our readers came from all over Latin America. I accepted every invitation I could to visit friends and their families in the South. Before that, I was an environmental writer at the Columbia Daily Tribune. The Esperanza Project tries to pull all of those themes together&mdash;<span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">travel, Latin America, and the environment</span>&mdash;using the multimedia tools I learned as a travel writer and the Spanish I learned as an immigrant affairs reporter in Missouri, California and Texas.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirstyboots/sets/72157623303458412/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623303458412%2F','More+photos+from+Teopantli+Kalpulli')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623303458412%2F','More+photos+from+Teopantli+Kalpulli')" title="More photos from Teopantli Kalpulli"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4379619116_cc893d4e42_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="Photo copyright Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved." /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">Community members at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirstyboots/sets/72157623303458412/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623303458412%2F','More+photos+from+Teopantli+Kalpulli')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623303458412%2F','More+photos+from+Teopantli+Kalpulli')" title="More photos from Teopantli Kalpulli">Teopantli Kalpulli</a>, an intentional community near Guadalajara.<br />&copy;2010 Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">Some people have asked me, why Latin America?</span> I can give several reasons for that: First, I wanted to do it. All my life I’ve wanted to take that trip where I just keep on going. Now I’ll be headed south for a whole year, and I’m really excited about that.</p>
<p>But more importantly, I think <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">we in the States get a little self-important thinking we have all the answers</span>. But there’s a lot we can learn from other cultures, ones that aren’t quite as caught up in the consumerist, carbon-dependent model we’ve adopted in the States.</p>
<p>Latin Americans, in particular, bring a different perspective and a level of creativity and passion to their activism really inspires me. My hope is that it will inspire my North American compatriots, as well.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">Right now a completely unexpected green revolution is going on in Mexico City.</span> Rooftops of homes and factories are being planted in gardens to provide an alternate food supply and offset carbon emissions.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirstyboots/sets/72157623086036855/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623086036855%2F','more+photos+from+Coyoacan')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623086036855%2F','more+photos+from+Coyoacan')" title="more photos from Coyoacan"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4378865051_6eb0df93e9_m.jpg" title="Photo copyright Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved." style="width:240px;" /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">A young activist in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirstyboots/sets/72157623086036855/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623086036855%2F','more+photos+from+Coyoacan')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fthirstyboots%2Fsets%2F72157623086036855%2F','more+photos+from+Coyoacan')" title="more photos from Coyoacan">Coyoac&aacute;n.</a><br />&copy;2010 Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p>In Guadalajara, <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/02/a-city-for-all-–-not-just-for-cars/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fa-city-for-all-%E2%80%93-not-just-for-cars%2F','A+City+For+All+-+not+just+for+cars+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="A City For All - not just for cars | The Esperanza Project">bicycle activists are taking to the streets</a> by the thousands, demanding green spaces, bike lanes and a more people-oriented approach to transportation and city planning. In the mountains not far from here, <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/02/hope-prevails-through-a-bitter-winter-in-bancos-de-san-hipolito/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F02%2Fhope-prevails-through-a-bitter-winter-in-bancos-de-san-hipolito%2F','Hope+prevails+through+a+bitter+winter+in+Bancos+de+San+Hip%C3%B3lito+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="Hope prevails through a bitter winter in Bancos de San Hipólito | The Esperanza Project">the Huichol people are fighting a groundbreaking legal battle</a> to take back their ancestral lands and manage them in their own integral way.</p>
<p>But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Everywhere you look in Latin America, local groups have formed to raise consciousness about the urgent need to shift to a more sustainable lifestyle. They don’t have a lot of resources, but what they do have is <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">creativity, passion and spirit</span>.</p>
<p>One of my first articles, though, has to do with a more personal dilemma: <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/01/from-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F01%2Ffrom-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets%2F','From+Mexico+to+Palestine%3A+Carbon+Offsets+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F01%2Ffrom-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets%2F','From+Mexico+to+Palestine%3A+Carbon+Offsets+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="From Mexico to Palestine: Carbon Offsets | The Esperanza Project">Whether to buy carbon offsets</a> to help compensate for the pollution my travel will inevitably cause. Carbon offsets have become <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/11/carbon-offsetting-doesnt-work/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fcarbon-offsetting-doesnt-work%2F','SURPRISE%21+Carbon+Offsetting+Doesn')" title="SURPRISE! Carbon Offsetting Doesn't Work | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">pretty controversial</a> of late, but after a lot of thought, I decided to donate $10 a month to the Marda Permaculture Project to plant olive trees and build greenhouses in the town of Marda, Palestine.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="width:250px; float:right; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;"><a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2009/10/greening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2009%2F10%2Fgreening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city%2F','Greening+the+barrios+in+Mexico+City+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2009%2F10%2Fgreening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city%2F','Greening+the+barrios+in+Mexico+City+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="Greening the barrios in Mexico City | The Esperanza Project"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4379619236_3ca950542f_m.jpg" style="width:240px;" alt="Photo copyright Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved." /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">Composting at the <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2009/10/greening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2009%2F10%2Fgreening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city%2F','Greening+the+barrios+in+Mexico+City+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2009%2F10%2Fgreening-the-barrios-in-mexico-city%2F','Greening+the+barrios+in+Mexico+City+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="Greening the barrios in Mexico City | The Esperanza Project">ecobarrios</a> in Mexico City.<br />&copy;2010 Tracy L. Barnett. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p>I don’t claim that this is the answer to corporate pollution on a broader scale, but <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">on a personal level, it felt like the right thing to do</span>. It’s a wonderful project that builds community resilience using tried-and-true permaculture techniques, and you can read all about it <a href="http://theesperanzaproject.org/2010/01/from-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F01%2Ffrom-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets%2F','From+Mexico+to+Palestine%3A+Carbon+Offsets+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Ftheesperanzaproject.org%2F2010%2F01%2Ffrom-mexico-to-palestine-carbon-offsets%2F','From+Mexico+to+Palestine%3A+Carbon+Offsets+%7C+The+Esperanza+Project')" title="From Mexico to Palestine: Carbon Offsets | The Esperanza Project">here</a>. </p>
<p>This year I’m going to be using video and photography and my best reporting skills to bring these people to life for The Esperanza Project readers. <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#9a2e11;">I’ll also be seeking collaborators, people to write stories from their eco-experiences</span> in Latin America, and people to help with translations. I hope some of you will join us at <a href="http://www.theesperanzaproject.org" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theesperanzaproject.org','theesperanzaproject.org')" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theesperanzaproject.org','the+Esperanza+project')" alt="The Esperanza project | a green news portal for the Americas">theesperanzaproject.org</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/5-and-a-half-free-things-to-do-in-asheville/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville'>5 (and a half!) free things to do in Asheville</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/the-real-dirt-on-americas-counterculture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Real Dirt on America&#8217;s Counterculture'>The Real Dirt on America&#8217;s Counterculture</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/11/carbon-offsetting-doesnt-work/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SURPRISE! &#8220;Carbon Offsetting&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Work.'>SURPRISE! &#8220;Carbon Offsetting&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Work.</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© tracylbarnett for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Friday Photos! Art From Trash</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/friday-photos-art-from-trash/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/friday-photos-art-from-trash/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:56:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FUN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oakland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garbage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east bay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[junk art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[starving artists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teacher supply]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/?p=2203</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A look back at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/02/one-mans-trash-recycled-art-supplies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: One Man&#8217;s Trash: Recycled Art Supplies'>One Man&#8217;s Trash: Recycled Art Supplies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/name-that-site-contest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: CONTEST: Name That Site!'>CONTEST: Name That Site!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/announcing-love-and-trash/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: ANNOUNCING: Love And Trash'>ANNOUNCING: Love And Trash</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/3276844349/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F3276844349%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3276844349_847f1e020b.jpg" title="ASCII soup by Jessica Reeder"></a></div>
<p>One year ago, <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/02/one-mans-trash-recycled-art-supplies/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fone-mans-trash-recycled-art-supplies%2F','One+Man')" title="One Man's Trash: Recycled Art Supplies | Uprooted, an eco/travel blog">I visited the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse</a>, a shop in Oakland, California that supplies teachers and artists alike with craft supplies. The store takes in community donations and provides bin after bin of glorious junk. It&#8217;s also highly photographable. Some of these photos have been among my most popular of all time. Can you guess which?</p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><object width="500" height="375"><param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&#038;lang=en-us&#038;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2Fsets%2F72157615641011199%2Fshow%2F&#038;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2Fsets%2F72157615641011199%2F&#038;set_id=72157615641011199&#038;jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&#038;lang=en-us&#038;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2Fsets%2F72157615641011199%2Fshow%2F&#038;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2Fsets%2F72157615641011199%2F&#038;set_id=72157615641011199&#038;jump_to=" width="500" height="375"></embed></object></div>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/02/one-mans-trash-recycled-art-supplies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: One Man&#8217;s Trash: Recycled Art Supplies'>One Man&#8217;s Trash: Recycled Art Supplies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/03/name-that-site-contest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: CONTEST: Name That Site!'>CONTEST: Name That Site!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/04/announcing-love-and-trash/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: ANNOUNCING: Love And Trash'>ANNOUNCING: Love And Trash</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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		<title>Try This at Home: Get Yer Veggies Delivered</title>
		<link>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/try-this-at-home-get-yer-food-delivered/</link>
		<comments>http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/try-this-at-home-get-yer-food-delivered/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:43:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Reeder</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Virginia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[try this at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[csa]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[It's convenient, it's good for the environment and delicious to your tummy. Here's why (and how) to join a CSA this year.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/11/6-reasons-to-hit-the-farmers-market-this-weekend/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 6 Reasons to hit the farmer&#8217;s market this weekend'>6 Reasons to hit the farmer&#8217;s market this weekend</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/01/farming-on-sand/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Farming on Sand'>Farming on Sand</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/10/try-this-at-home-join-a-community-garden/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Try This at Home: Join a community garden'>Try This at Home: Join a community garden</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width:510px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/3788649430/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F3788649430%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3788649430_2d12f4d037.jpg" alt="organic carrots at a farmer's market in Louisville, Kentucky" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">We all know we <em>should</em> be eating local, organic produce.</span> And we know <em>why</em>: it&#8217;s healthier, it supports the local community, it doesn&#8217;t get shipped around the world on oil-spilling ships&#8230;</p>
<p>But buying local is <em>inconvenient</em>. In order to get what your neighbors are selling, you have to go to the farmer&#8217;s market (or&mdash;gasp&mdash;to the farm itself!) We Americans are creatures of comfort, we work dawn to dusk, and most of us don&#8217;t really &#8220;do&#8221; farmer&#8217;s markets. We&#8217;d rather go to a big store that has everything we need, so we can spend as little time buying food as possible.</p>
<p>So, <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">most people still buy fruit from South America via Whole Foods</span>. Environmentally egregious? Perhaps, but it&#8217;s <em>easy</em>.</p>
<div class="wp-caption" style="float:right; width:250px; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicareeder/4346588638/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fjessicareeder%2F4346588638%2F','click+to+view+original+photo')" title="click to view original photo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4346588638_48a4fbebb7_m.jpg" alt="Hana Newcomb sorts produce for the CSA members at Potomac Vegetable Farms in Virginia" /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">Hana Newcomb sorts produce for CSA members at <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/02/potomac-vegetable-farms/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fuprooted.jessicareeder.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpotomac-vegetable-farms%2F','Little+Farm+on+the+Subdivision%3A+Potomac+Vegetable+Farm+is+being+eaten+by+McMansions')" title="Little Farm on the Subdivision: Potomac Vegetable Farm is being eaten by McMansions">Potomac Vegetable Farms</a> in Virginia</p>
</div>
<p>That&#8217;s why local farmers came up with the CSA.</p>
<p>It stands for &#8220;Community Supported Agriculture&#8221;. The concept is simple: <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">you pay a weekly/monthly fee, and get a box of fresh, local food delivered to your door</span>.</p>
<p>Farmers refer to this as buying a &#8220;share&#8221; of their harvest. The harvest is divided evenly between everyone who chips in for the CSA subscription. If enough people participate, the farm does well and there&#8217;s plenty of food to go around. This helps keeps farms afloat, and it gets consumers more involved with their food and their community.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">This one&#8217;s a no-brainer, kids.</span> CSAs are (usually) affordable; they support local growers; they help the environment while improving your health&mdash;and you don&#8217;t have to get off the couch (except, okay, to answer the frickin&#8217; door).</p>
<div style="float:left; width:200px; margin:5px 20px 5px 0; border:dashed 1px #838C1C; padding:10px 8px;">
<h4>Find a Local CSA</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.localharvest.org" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.localharvest.org','LocalHarvest')">LocalHarvest</a> is a searchable database so you can find good eats near you. Use it to find everything from CSAs to co-op stores.</p>
<p>When researching a CSA, make sure you read carefully about what kind of food is included. Some farms send meats, cheeses, honey etc.; others are strictly veggies, or fruits-n-veggies.</p>
</p></div>
<p><span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">The time to act is now!</span> CSA subscriptions are usually sold at the beginning of each year, with priority going to existing members. New subscriptions for the best CSAs can be scarce, and get bought up quickly.</p>
<p>Now, don&#8217;t get me wrong: we all <em>ought</em> to be waking up bright and early Sunday mornings, grabbing our reusable cloth bags, and walking down to the neighborhood open-air market to shop. But for most of us, that&#8217;s neither possible nor golly bloody likely. So cut yourself a break, sign up for that CSA box, and <span style="font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold;">enjoy a year&#8217;s worth of real, healthy, good food with no guilt attached</span>.</p>
<p>You can thank me after the sweet corn and tomatoes start rolling in.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/11/6-reasons-to-hit-the-farmers-market-this-weekend/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 6 Reasons to hit the farmer&#8217;s market this weekend'>6 Reasons to hit the farmer&#8217;s market this weekend</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2010/01/farming-on-sand/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Farming on Sand'>Farming on Sand</a></li>
<li><a href='http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/10/try-this-at-home-join-a-community-garden/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Try This at Home: Join a community garden'>Try This at Home: Join a community garden</a></li>
</ol></p><hr />
<p><small>© jessicareeder for <a href="http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com">Uprooted, an eco/travel blog</a>, 2010. |
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