[Chapter_Fourteen] chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net Digest, Vol 2, Issue 26
Shannon Stewart
shannon.stewart4 at gmail.com
Thu Nov 11 10:52:45 PST 2010
Topic: The Fence (Shannon Stewart)
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. Thank you also to
the person who called the Homeless Outreach Team. I understand that in this
rather anarchistic developmental time at the farm the communication and
actual decision making on such matters is a point of frustration for some.
I actually find it to be a beautiful and rare occasion in our history, but
empathize that more structure may become necessary for the group and support
this exploration fully.
The way in which it happened (the calling of HOT) is not a topic that
concerns me at this moment. What feels most alive is the fact that people
are still finding needles on site. Aside from the obvious health risks to
all of us who are putting our hands in the soil, this is a huge problem
where children are concerned. IT IS a very real part of urban agriculture,
however, and one that we need to all be constantly vigilant around when
working at the farm. If there is not already in place a very honest
orientation being given to newcomers and parents escorting children on the
farm, there absolutely needs to be.
When people volunteer to help clean up parks in the city, they are given
very specific warning and instruction around the dangers of needles, how to
clean up under shrubs, what to do if a needle is found, etc. Do we do that
at HVF?
If a health and safety orientation that includes needle education is already
in place, GREAT! Please, let's keep it that way for the benefit of all
beings.
Next, are we allied with Project Homeless Connect? I assumed since we are
neighbors and both part of the Octavia temporary land usage projects that
our groups are in contact. If not, I hope that we connect soon. Aside from
just being neighborly, aligning with PHC seems the most appropriate way to
begin dialogue with the folks who are sleeping at the farm and who were
sleeping there long before any of us planted a seed on that soil. I've met
Judith Klain and several of her staff at PHC and think very highly of the
work they do. Whoever called the outreach team at PHC was on the right
track in my opinion. It makes sense that we would ask for help in this
matter, and they are trained professionals...I know my own limits.
Definitely a farmer. Definitely not a social worker..
I have a very clear vision of a future that includes the people who sleep at
HVF and the farmers, artists, and philosophers who also consider HVF home.
In this vision, we are all working together and learning from one another;
the people who are sleeping there are helping to protect the new bees and
possibly guarding our shared space from late night intravenous drug use. I
believe that this is possible but that we are much more likely to get there
with help from people who are equipped and trained to work with homeless
people. The PHC staff includes several people who were once homeless as well
as at least one recovering addict, so there is a credibility they can offer
that perhaps a lot of us cannot.
Lastly, I've had a bit of experience working with recovering addicts at
Gracenter in Excelsior. It is a complicated epidemic. I agree with
Levi...it is not a given that the needles being found on site belong to the
people who sleep there. People with trust funds are likely to climb under
a fence to shot up, and are more likely to have the money to buy the drugs
in the first place. We worked with both at Gracenter: women who'd been
living on the streets and were sent to us from drug court, and women of
privilege sent by family or by drug court. One thing is certain in both
cases, it is most often impossible to reason with someone in active
addiction and it is often unwise to form relationships with active users
(theft, dishonesty, and emotional instability are symptoms of the disease).
This is another reason that a third party liaison sounds wise to me.
Thanks for hearing my thoughts and for sharing yours.
Sincerely,
Shannon Stewart
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Re: the fence (margaretha haughwout)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:17:03 -0800
> From: margaretha haughwout <xmargarethax at gmail.com>
> To: "Chapter Fourteen: Where abundant food and human cultures
> intersect" <chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net@
> lists.beforebefore.net>
> Subject: Re: [Chapter_Fourteen] the fence
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTi=qvCYJfragsTtD2qu05GEdVo1v4eQsYx8AddgE at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> hi all,
>
> i've been staying silent on here in the hope we might get some new voices
> on
> this thread. this thread has initiated several conversations for me outside
> of this list, one on one, which has been very interesting.
>
> one thing that has been gently pointed out to me is that the iv users are
> not necessarily the homeless. they could easily be rich and unable to use
> at
> home. i think i sort of conflated the two initially. i appreciate that i
> was
> shown this, and that the showing was so gentle.
>
> and thank you rachel, these suggestions are very good. one of the
> intentions
> behind starting this list was for people - newly forming farms, gardens,
> and
> other groups - to get practical advice from people who have experience
> working with alternative models of governance, economy, labor, human
> relationship, etc. there are maybe 50 people on this list at this point,
> and
> i'm hoping it will grow and that we can continue to advise each other on
> good practices as well as helping to clarify the issues as a few good
> friends have done offline in the past couple of days.
>
> clearly, we have a lot of work to do in terms of building relationships and
> trust across the border between day and night. i look forward to this work.
>
> i hope folks will continue to pipe in here. i'd love to further the
> discussion about written contracts. very curious about this debate rachel
> and i began, and hope someone might elaborate on peoples or practices that
> are successful that don't have written contracts.
>
> also continue to be curious about any suggestions we might have for working
> with the nighttime community on site and more generally, accountability
> structures that facilitate response - ability to the land and to the city
> (and to each other - !)
>
> best wishes,
> /m
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Rachel A. Buddeberg <rachel at rabe.org
> >wrote:
>
> > I agree that we'd have to tread carefully when involving outside
> agencies.
> > HOT might be out because it's a City organization (though there might be
> > people working for HOT who have "I wish we could" ideas that go beyond
> the
> > standard way of thinking...). The reason I suggested talking to other
> > organizations is to learn from them. Maybe some of them have figured out
> > ways to address issues like addiction. But I think the most important
> > people to get involved in these discussions are the homeless themselves,
> so
> > that Portland organization might be a good org to reach out to (
> > http://www.dignityvillage.org/). Maybe also Street Sheet (
> > http://cohsf.org/streetsheet/). Reaching out would be just to get ideas
> > for potential solutions...
> >
> > On Nov 7, 2010, at 6:47 PM, Levi Maxwell wrote:
> >
> > I feel that this issue is not only a farm issue but a city-wide issue as
> > well.
> >
> > I will not agree with any banning or invasion of an individuals home;
> HVF
> > has for two decades been the workspace and living space for many people
> left
> > with very few options in a city that cares only somewhat for Homeless
> people
> > under 24 and women with children (Which is important as we are more
> likely
> > to need special services that plague our demographic).
> >
> > It is my belief in harm reduction as well as inter-community dialogue
> that
> > the inhabitants and Farmworkers can come to a resolution.
> >
> > However I have no romantic notions about this; mental illness is rampant
> in
> > my community, esp. in the camper community who either because of the
> > feelings they have towards the shelter system or simply not understanding
> > what is best for their health choose to live literally in the streets
> (the
> > vast majority do not). There will be drunks, there will be
> heroin/meth/crack
> > addicts, there will be people with mental disabilities; but if we can
> work
> > with everyone even with the cultural gaps of two disparate groups
> (because
> > there are many cultures that belongs to homeless people) we can come up
> with
> > something.
> >
> > HVF must stand together with a single voice and come to a conclusion
> that
> > can be agreed upon, so that there won't be some individuals calling
> police
> > or disregarding new ground rules. We must not come off as saviors;
> neithier
> > should we push our beliefs of what is right for them (that is alternative
> > living situations); only suggestions.
> >
> > Long term goals like building up security or breaking down the fence, I
> > feel is too soon to think about because we should make sure the
> demographic
> > discussed is the one doing damage.
> >
> > Right now a few feet away the staff and clients of a youth runaway house
> I
> > am living at are talking about misidentification. We know the neighbors
> for
> > the most part don't like or want us here (even though this building in
> one
> > form or another has been a emergency home for 20 years and most residents
> > have been here less then 5-10 years) and we have to be on our P's and Q's
> > when outside because any time anyone who looks young makes noise or
> trouble
> > we get blamed, putting our housing and future housing in this building
> and
> > other buildings around the city for us in jeopardy.
> >
> > The sons and daughters/students of this now gentrified, priviledged,
> > & "hip" neighborhood walk around drunk, yelling at people, screaming,
> > creating noise, yet we a demographic in need of services the most and
> > understand our placement in these surrounding people's minds get blamed.
> > Phone calls and complaints come to the program manager and he has to
> > decipher out what was us and what was them (Even though he can't know
> since
> > he is never here in the building itself).
> >
> > So remember think about what HVF does before we call any outside
> > organizations or people; some folks just want to live their life and
> thread
> > lightly and the ones who don't, those are the ones *we *need to speak to.
> >
> > On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 6:03 PM, margaretha haughwout <
> > xmargarethax at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> dear rachel and everyone.
> >>
> >> thanks so much for writing and offering your insights and feedback.
> >>
> >> a few brief responses with yes more to follow:
> >>
> >> sorry to link to the google doc; i mean to link to this:
> >> http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2041
> >>
> >> and no, we don't have a fixed decision making process at the farm right
> >> now, beyond the small groups that we at times work within. i work within
> a
> >> few small groups at the farm. the one i work most actively within goes
> by
> >> consensus with the bigger decisions, and a conversation- based ad-hoc
> style
> >> for the smaller decisions. to be clear, the ad-hoc nature at the farm
> that i
> >> described with the friends as an example has many advantages. it means
> we
> >> can respond very quickly in some circumstances and act with some
> freedom.
> >> i'm not necessarily arguing against it... is there someway we can have
> both
> >> consensus and ad-hoc? i worked as a gardener for over a decade, mostly
> with
> >> women; we would deliberate about what to do about an apple tree for a
> while,
> >> and then one of us would make a move. similar things seem to be
> happening at
> >> the farm, though there are more people, and not everyone is consulted on
> any
> >> given issue. i'm sure you can imagine there are some circumstances that
> >> arise where this may be more of a problem...
> >>
> >> in regards to Diana Leafe Christian, i'm so glad you brought her up. i
> was
> >> hoping she would figure here. to be honest, i'm wary of written
> documents,
> >> since they've been so successful of robbing native peoples of their
> land.
> >> have you heard criticisms of the written document? what are the pros and
> >> cons? what do non-literate cultures do?
> >>
> >> all the best wishes,
> >> /m
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 3:54 PM, Rachel A. Buddeberg <rachel at rabe.org
> >wrote:
> >>
> >>> Wow! There is lot to digest here, so I am only going to respond with
> >>> some initial thoughts, probably more questions/reaction that I had when
> >>> reading these...
> >>>
> >>> Sit/Lie passed on Tuesday. To me this shows that the majority of the
> >>> voting City does not want to see homeless. Homeless remind us of the
> >>> inequality we've created in this land of plenty where some don't even
> have a
> >>> place to sit or sleep or wash. To me this means that the farm
> represents a
> >>> real opportunity to show that things can be different. But it also
> means
> >>> the prevailing winds we have to deal with: Homeless are mostly seen as
> a
> >>> nuisance not as human beings with needs.
> >>>
> >>> As I was walking from the Farm yesterday to one of the cafes to use the
> >>> restroom, I watched a homeless guy comb his beard and hair. He seemed
> >>> strangely dignified, as he was doing something so usual to us - trying
> to
> >>> maintain a resemblance of dignity in a very humiliating situation. Are
> >>> there maybe some homeless who are not addicts and could offer some
> >>> suggestions and/or help? Why are the people using drugs (beyond the
> >>> addiction; addicts are very wounded people)? Would they get off drugs
> if
> >>> they had hope for something? Homeless are part of our communities.
> Most
> >>> people don't see them that way and we often don't talk to them to see
> if
> >>> they have solutions.
> >>>
> >>> There is a garden very close to the Farm run by the Project Homeless
> >>> Connect (it's on the other side of Octavia on Oak St). Would working
> with
> >>> them might help us figure out a solution? Also, what did the HOT
> people
> >>> say? (It looks like you linked to a Google doc. If that's true, I am
> not
> >>> able to access it). Also, there's dignity village in Portland (
> >>> http://www.dignityvillage.org/).
> >>>
> >>> I am not sure how to approach the communication issues other than
> >>> mentioning a couple of reactions: Calling HOT seemed like a breach of
> the
> >>> consensus and I am wondering if the person who called them realizes
> that; do
> >>> you have a process set up for making decisions. That's one thing Diana
> >>> Leafe Christian talks about as one of the absolute necessities for a
> >>> community: a written agreement on how important decisions are made. To
> me,
> >>> how to deal with the golden fence seems like a very important
> discussion
> >>> that might need to be made more formally.
> >>>
> >>> On Nov 7, 2010, at 3:01 PM, margaretha haughwout wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Last night a few of us went to see Starhawk?s new movie called
> >>> Permaculture: the Growing Edge at Madrone Studios. One of the things
> >>> Starhawk said during the panel discussion is that the edge is where the
> gold
> >>> is. The margins, the fence line, the difficulties. It?s interesting
> because
> >>> there?s a way in which all of our problems/ opportunities (in
> permaculture
> >>> problems and opportunities are the same) at the farm can be tracked to
> the
> >>> reality and the metaphor of the fence. How can we make the most of this
> >>> edge?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Jay <protojay at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> The morning after the ?Attack on the Bees<
> http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/07/bee-murder-at-hayes-valley-farm-unknown-attacker-sprays-hives-with-pesticide.php
> >?
> >>>> at Hayes Valley Farm, I was walking around the fence line looking for
> holes,
> >>>> evidence of the vandalism, hoping to find a can of Raid or something
> that
> >>>> could be fingerprinted or traced.
> >>>>
> >>>> I met one of the farm?s neighbors on this walk, the property manager
> of
> >>>> the building on Octavia and Hickory. I asked him about the holes in
> the
> >>>> fence on Hickory Street, and mentioned the vandalism that had occurred
> the
> >>>> night before. He offered to keep an eye on the site from his window
> and
> >>>> when cruising around the neighborhood in his car.
> >>>>
> >>>> Since then, he has called me a few times. The day after our first
> >>>> encounter, there was a burglary at the site, someone stole 3000 pounds
> >>>> of cardboard<
> http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-07-23/bay-area/21994721_1_bee-colonies-vandals-sprayed
> >,
> >>>> and my new friend called to let me know when the east gate was open
> and not
> >>>> locked. This is how I learned about the crime. After that, there were
> a few
> >>>> other late night calls with thoughts on security, and a few neighborly
> >>>> hellos over the summer. We talked about the fence-line some more, the
> new
> >>>> neighborhood-watch styled public safety group being formed to ensure
> safety
> >>>> and security on the farm and in the neighborhood, and friendly
> small-talk.
> >>>> I invited him to participate in the Public Safety Meetings with the
> Hayes
> >>>> Valley Neighborhood Association. Later, I learned that he has lived
> there
> >>>> for years, has been his old cars in the alley since the before the
> freeway
> >>>> closed (he actually used to have more of them), and had even
> complained
> >>>> about the farm (on behalf of his tenants?) in the earliest of days of
> the
> >>>> project.
> >>>>
> >>>> Two weeks ago a security specialist walked the site with me and
> assessed
> >>>> areas of concern, mostly along the fence and in a few places within
> the
> >>>> site. Just last week, during METHODS 101: Permaculture Design Basics<
> https://docs1.google.com/document/d/1m2-j1YZPmjG-sh_s3PdcieqLL_wQqrW9Rwxr1dCYgC8/edit#
> >,
> >>>> one of the students decided to address safety and security on the farm
> as
> >>>> their design project. During the site assessment, issues were
> identified.
> >>>>
> >>>> There were some trees and overgrown brush along the alley at Octavia
> and
> >>>> Hickory Streets that were preventing any of the lights from the big
> parking
> >>>> lot on Oak and Octavia from shining into the alley, creating a dark,
> >>>> boxed-in area that was obvious to the both the security specialist and
> the
> >>>> newest of observers as the easiest access point and biggest ?hole in
> the
> >>>> fence?.
> >>>>
> >>>> The assessment continued to describe the problem with clean up here is
> >>>> that the trees were hanging over the old cars. Cars which belonged to
> the
> >>>> same property manager. Apparently he had been asked many times by the
> >>>> community to move them, to help in clean up the alley, and he had
> always
> >>>> ignored these requests.
> >>>>
> >>>> Near the end of the METHODS 101 class, I noticed Robert parking in the
> >>>> alley, and began to talk to him again from the top of the off-ramp
> berms.
> >>>> We talked about the trees and the light and he offered to help. We
> talked
> >>>> about his cars being in the way, and he offered to move them. He went
> on to
> >>>> to tell me why there were so many paper plates near the corner of the
> farm?s
> >>>> fence. He explained he had been feeding some cats who patrolled the
> farm at
> >>>> night by. We talked a little bit about how the pile of plates weren?t
> >>>> really the best thing for the plants growing on the fance, and that
> maybe we
> >>>> could figure out another way. Feeding them on the outside wouldn?t
> work,
> >>>> putting a dish on top of the fence wouldn?t work. He liked the idea
> of a
> >>>> feeding tray attached to the inside of the fence, that he could pour
> food
> >>>> into...
> >>>>
> >>>> Then, we talked about the tomatoes. He was very impressed with them
> and
> >>>> I gave him a handful to enjoy, here is the shot I took through the
> fence -
> >>>> http://protojay.tumblr.com/post/1489300766.
> >>>>
> >>>> -Jay
> >>>>
> >>>> On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 2:59 PM, margaretha haughwout <
> >>>> xmargarethax at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> That story reminds us that our presence is new on this site. Homeless
> >>>>> folks have been on site for much longer than we have, and this is an
> >>>>> uncomfortable positioning. Many of us know the narratives of
> gentrification
> >>>>> and marginalization that frequently come with the creation of urban
> gardens;
> >>>>> the white people come and make a robust and pleasing green space, the
> rents
> >>>>> go up and so does intolerance. And yet we also have an obligation to
> the
> >>>>> city government for permitting us to be on site, and an obligation to
> the
> >>>>> neighborhood, to look ?respectable.? We need to protect the daytime
> >>>>> community from getting hurt, and the tomatoes from getting trampled.
> How do
> >>>>> the permaculture values of earth care, people care, and fair share
> figure
> >>>>> here? How do we care for all the people that tread across this site?
> What is
> >>>>> the fair share? Who gets the food? Who recognizes it as food? Is it
> too far
> >>>>> fetched to think this farm might help the drug addicts that trespass
> here?
> >>>>> Today Jay and I discussed designing a safe enclosed space with small
> trees
> >>>>> and other food forest layers for the nighttime users.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Another acquaintance regularly meets with the upper crust designers
> in
> >>>>> Hayes Valley (of which there are many). These are people who don?t
> know
> >>>>> permaculture, never come to the farm, but think they know urban
> design. She
> >>>>> says they frequently ask what the hell is going on over there. Why
> doesn?t
> >>>>> it look good? Our fence line is in flux right now. There?s a big area
> we?re
> >>>>> sheet mulching and there?s a lot of cardboard. It looks like trash
> because
> >>>>> it is! We?re closing that loop, turning trash into nutrient and
> resource. We
> >>>>> start all of our plants from seed, rather than buying big full
> plants, so we
> >>>>> aren?t transforming overnight. We?re a farm.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Somehow to me the fence is emblematic of our unique positioning as an
> >>>>> inner city farm. It is a constant reminder of the larger national,
> >>>>> civilized, and urban infrastructures we operate within: of land
> ownership,
> >>>>> upper class values, of real and perceived dangers that come from
> class
> >>>>> divisions and unequal distribution of resources.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> /m
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Jay <protojay at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> My good friend tells this story:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> ?Last fall, a group of us would meet for brunch on Sundays. This
> was
> >>>>>> before we were given permission to open the gates (to activate the
> >>>>>> space and provide the community with access to it). We were dreaming
> >>>>>> about "Volunteer Work Parties" on the giant lot. After brunch, we
> would
> >>>>>> walk around the perimeter fences to observe the site. After a few
> walks, we
> >>>>>> had met quite a few neighbors, who loved to talk about the potential
> for the
> >>>>>> space and what they had been observing over time. We came to know
> the fence
> >>>>>> line very well. We would admire the recently dumped furniture, look
> for
> >>>>>> freshly cut holes in the fence and other signs of life.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Along Laguna Street, at the west gate, two large gates locked with a
> >>>>>> formidable chain and series of married locks. The fences were all
> topped
> >>>>>> with barbed wire. At the south gate, along Oak street just east of
> Laguna,
> >>>>>> there was a hole in the fence big enough to crawl through but not so
> big
> >>>>>> that you could push a shopping cart through. The hole in the
> cyclone
> >>>>>> fencing was hastily cut and sharp of the passageway. The more
> formal double
> >>>>>> doors at the east gate was unlockable. The frame of the doors was
> >>>>>> stationary and the fencing slid open like a shower curtain. It was
> clear
> >>>>>> people had been camping under one of the Melaleuca trees. A tent
> and tarp,
> >>>>>> piles of trash, and a dumpster lined the path. On one section of the
> fence
> >>>>>> near the east gate, an entire section of the fence was removed from
> pole to
> >>>>>> pole.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On one beautiful sunny day last December, we visited the site with a
> >>>>>> good friend who was excited to shoot some "before shots" of the site
> for a
> >>>>>> documentary. We parked in the Octavia and Oak street parking lot,
> turned on
> >>>>>> the camera, hauling tripods and some extra gear, and approached the
> east
> >>>>>> gate. As we "slid back the curtain" of the fence and walked right
> in, we
> >>>>>> were immediately warned off by a barking dog. The large, gray black
> lab-mix
> >>>>>> was protecting its owner's campsite. We continued, and proceeded
> along the
> >>>>>> ravine. We took video of the homeless' camp, the tents and trash
> that lined
> >>>>>> the inside of the path. And the broken bottles and needles that lie
> all over
> >>>>>> the place.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> We slowly walked through the site and up towards the west gate. We
> >>>>>> had been there for a little while, testing different lenses and
> lighting and
> >>>>>> shooting some footage of the ramps. At one point, while heading
> back down
> >>>>>> the offramp, we noticed something "going down" at the east gate. A
> couple
> >>>>>> of more people were now assembling there, milling about behind the
> parking
> >>>>>> valet shack that was stationed right outside the gates. We wanted
> to get
> >>>>>> out of there, but all of this new action was happening at our
> entrance (and
> >>>>>> planned exit). With some adrenaline, we remembered the hole in the
> south
> >>>>>> gate and decided we should try to squeeze through their rather than
> "run the
> >>>>>> gauntlet" of the barking dog, the camp, and the new gang forming at
> the
> >>>>>> gate.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I went first through the hole, to show my documentarian friend how
> to
> >>>>>> get low and avoid the spikes. As she got through, she started to
> stand up
> >>>>>> and scratched her arm on the fence. It looked pretty bad. That
> night,
> >>>>>> after showing her family what happened, she never came back to the
> farm.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> So, the footage is in an archive somewhere (for now) and one day she
> >>>>>> might come back to shoot some "after" shots...?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> -Jay
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> http://protojay.tumblr.com/
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 2:47 PM, margaretha haughwout <
> >>>>>> xmargarethax at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On our farm we find heroin needles in between the broccoli
> plants.
> >>>>>>> We have a barbed wire fence that wraps around the entire 2.5 acres
> of our
> >>>>>>> "freeway food forest" -- a food forest that is rising from the
> ruins of a
> >>>>>>> freeway that collapsed and then lay dormant for 20 years. At night
> there is
> >>>>>>> a pregnant cat that makes the place her own (all the sheet mulching
> has
> >>>>>>> stirred up the mice and rats). Other folks crawl through the fence
> at night
> >>>>>>> too. With perhaps one exception, the people that come at night
> aren't the
> >>>>>>> same people that come during the day. Often ?fresh? needles appear
> in the
> >>>>>>> morning. The stories we write about here all have to do with the
> chain link
> >>>>>>> and barbed wire fence that was on site when we arrived. The forces
> it is
> >>>>>>> meant to keep out, the forces it is meant to contain, the edge it
> creates
> >>>>>>> around our site, the fact that it is there at all.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> ...
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> There are regular potlucks Tuesday evenings on the farm. Last week
> I
> >>>>>>> didn't go, but I live really close by, so I got a text message from
> a friend
> >>>>>>> saying she way stopping by. She came up saying she wouldn't stay
> long as she
> >>>>>>> was getting up at 5:30am tomorrow morning to let H.O.T. - Homeless
> >>>>>>> Outreach Team<
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m2-j1YZPmjG-sh_s3PdcieqLL_wQqrW9Rwxr1dCYgC8/edit?hl=en>through
> the gates to talk to the folks that were sleeping there. "I guess
> >>>>>>> someone called them,? she said. I said I?d get up with her. I was
> curious. A
> >>>>>>> few minutes later I got another text message from another friend
> leaving the
> >>>>>>> potluck. "Coming over!" it said. Friend no. 2 came up and we told
> her how we
> >>>>>>> were getting up early for the Homeless Outreach Team. "Oh," friend
> no. 2
> >>>>>>> said; "I called them. That was me."
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> This call was predicated by several debates in our community about
> >>>>>>> the homeless. Some feel we should let them sleep in the farm,
> others are
> >>>>>>> more wary. Personally, I like the idea of city worn homeless people
> finding
> >>>>>>> the soft sheet mulch to sleep on, and maybe even helping themselves
> to some
> >>>>>>> cherry tomatoes. For a farm built on the principles of people care
> and fair
> >>>>>>> share as well as earth care, we are torn by what it means to give
> them the
> >>>>>>> boot. Youth education coordinators despair over the fact that a
> child might
> >>>>>>> come across a needle before they do, and since we lost our bees
> this
> >>>>>>> summer from a senseless act of violence<
> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/blog/324-two-killed-and-one-attempt-at-the-farm.html
> >,
> >>>>>>> we are all a little more skittish. The last time I sat with the
> women who
> >>>>>>> were at my house after the potluck, we had heated debate on the
> topic around
> >>>>>>> another table at another house in the neighborhood. It ended with
> all of us
> >>>>>>> agreeing if there was such a thing as a needle drop box that was
> configured
> >>>>>>> in a way that you couldn't reach back in and use the old needles,
> it would
> >>>>>>> be a good idea to install a few of those around the perimeter. We
> also
> >>>>>>> agreed that eventually we should probably just take the fence down.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> The obvious issue at hand in this story might be how to handle the
> >>>>>>> issue of homelessness and nighttime drug use on our urban farm. The
> not so
> >>>>>>> obvious issue in this story, but one that we want to tease out and
> explore
> >>>>>>> is how we decide what to do about the homelessness and the needles
> -
> >>>>>>> and the fence. In the scenario above, some of the farmers debated
> it at
> >>>>>>> length and then one person took action ad-hoc without really having
> a method
> >>>>>>> of checking in with the rest of the community. Also, the way in
> which the
> >>>>>>> conversations occurred were very ad-hoc, and happened at a variety
> of nodes
> >>>>>>> located not only on the farm but in the neighborhood around it -
> both inside
> >>>>>>> and outside the farm. There is a lot to say here about how we make
> decisions
> >>>>>>> on the farm, particularly when they negotiate between the farm and
> the city,
> >>>>>>> the inner and the outer, day and night, permacultural and urban. A
> lot of
> >>>>>>> times decisions happen exactly in the manner I?m describing above.
> This is a
> >>>>>>> thread someone might pick up for discussion: the thread of decision
> making
> >>>>>>> and accountability when our values ask us to be responsible to the
> land, the
> >>>>>>> common people and the terms of our lease asks us to be accountable
> to a
> >>>>>>> larger hierarchy. I love the unfolding at play in the story above,
> but what
> >>>>>>> if friend no. 2 decided to call the cops instead of H.O.T.?
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> ? Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
> >>>>>>> http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Lead Researcher, Hayes Valley Farm
> >>>>>>> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Lecturer, Film and Digital Media
> >>>>>>> University of California Santa Cruz
> >>>>>>> Communications 151
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> chapter fourteen<
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >>>>>>> http://www.beforebefore.net/
> >>>>>>> http://www.bitterpattern.net/
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I am best contacted by email:
> >>>>>>> xmargarethax at gmail.com
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>>>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> "If we're not working together, we're destroying each other."
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
> >>>>>
> >>>>> ? Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
> >>>>> http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Lead Researcher, Hayes Valley Farm
> >>>>> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Lecturer, Film and Digital Media
> >>>>> University of California Santa Cruz
> >>>>> Communications 151
> >>>>>
> >>>>> chapter fourteen<
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >>>>> http://www.beforebefore.net/
> >>>>> http://www.bitterpattern.net/
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I am best contacted by email:
> >>>>> xmargarethax at gmail.com
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> "If we're not working together, we're destroying each other."
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>>
> >>>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>>
> >>> ? Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
> >>> http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
> >>>
> >>> Lead Researcher, Hayes Valley Farm
> >>> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
> >>>
> >>> Lecturer, Film and Digital Media
> >>> University of California Santa Cruz
> >>> Communications 151
> >>>
> >>> chapter fourteen<
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >>> http://www.beforebefore.net/
> >>> http://www.bitterpattern.net/
> >>>
> >>> I am best contacted by email:
> >>> xmargarethax at gmail.com
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>
> >>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >>> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>>
> >>>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> ? Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
> >> http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
> >>
> >> Lead Researcher, Hayes Valley Farm
> >> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
> >>
> >> Lecturer, Film and Digital Media
> >> University of California Santa Cruz
> >> Communications 151
> >>
> >> chapter fourteen<
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >> http://www.beforebefore.net/
> >> http://www.bitterpattern.net/
> >>
> >> I am best contacted by email:
> >> xmargarethax at gmail.com
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> >> chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >>
> >>
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >>
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> > chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >
> >
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net mailing list
> > chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net at lists.beforebefore.net
> >
> >
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> >
>
>
> --
>
> ? Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
> http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
>
> Lead Researcher, Hayes Valley Farm
> http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
>
> Lecturer, Film and Digital Media
> University of California Santa Cruz
> Communications 151
>
> chapter fourteen<
> http://lists.beforebefore.net/listinfo.cgi/chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net
> >
> http://www.beforebefore.net/
> http://www.bitterpattern.net/
>
> I am best contacted by email:
> xmargarethax at gmail.com
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>
> End of chapter_fourteen-beforebefore.net Digest, Vol 2, Issue 26
> ****************************************************************
>
--
Shannon Stewart
♫ Spread the word, please help us support the farm on Kickstarter!
http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter
Hayes Valley Farm <http://bit.ly/hvf-kickstarter>
http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
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