Sunday, September 15
SASO for The Garden’s Edge
This month’s Social Action Shared Offering (SASO) will support the work of The Garden’s Edge, a non-profit organization that provides resources and training to farmers and community organizations that fight environmental degradation, global climate change, the loss of small-scale farms, and the erosion of indigenous cultural knowledge. Their name is inspired by the “edge effect,” an ecological understanding that the boundary between separate systems creates unique diversity that contributes to the health and resilience of both.
Through partnerships with indigenous communities and traditional farmers in Guatemala, California, Arizona, and New Mexico, The Garden’s Edge taps into a rich diversity of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices and knowledge. Their programs empower local leadership for community revitalization efforts including diversified home gardens, water rehabilitation, traditional medicine, and seed saving.
Over the past decade, The Garden’s Edge has been growing a movement that connects Maya farmers from Guatemala to indigenous, immigrant and settler communities here on Turtle Island. This movement is called Seed Travels. Through Seed Travels, delegations of indigenous farmers and traditional healers visit communities across Turtle Island, to teach seed saving techniques while sharing stories of resilience. These connections help to preserve and promote effective traditional practices and to develop resilient communities.
Those who were fortunate enough to hear Rebecca Cutter’s sermon in August are already familiar with the important work of The Garden’s Edge. Rebecca will join us again on the 15th and will be available after church for further conversation. In the meantime, learn more about The Garden’s Edge at http://www.gardensedge.org/.