Farmer Bartering Event from Greenhorns in New York City

Posted on August 29, 2011 by in Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

Greenhorns Farmer Bartering Event in New York City. Unsold Supper. September 3. Union Square, 6 - 8 PM Greenhorns are delighted to be partnering with OurGoods, a barter network for creative people. We heard about TRADE SCHOOL in the city and I taught a class there. Attendees could barter either a letter to the agricultural committee or agree to add their skill to our posse for Seed Circus. The people we met at the class have been our friends and collaborators ever since, working particularly on the BICYCLE powered seed circus TENT. Union seamstresses, wow seriously talented ladies who love fresh eggs. Here are some pictures from that event. Turns out many creative people want to barter with farmers. To reiterate. They want to trade you web design, graphic design, banners and backdrops for your market tent, and other skills your farm business needs: in exchange for flowers, produce, lard, off cuts, windfall plums for brandy, farmstays, volunteer opportunities or the prunings of your orchard. Incredible right? But how would you negotiate the terms and how to justify all the complexities of the deal-making? Do not fear, this is not an email transaction! It is a celebratory, community transaction accompanied by deliciously prepared food in a public pavilion. JUST SHOW UP in Union Square on September 3rd for a big free, UNSOLD SUPPER, a community barter area set up by Greenhorns and OurGoods to facilitate the particular barters between free individuals of talent. Make a CITY MISSION of it, country mice.

To prepare for this event:

Think quietly and logically ahead of time of what kinds of creative services you might need:

Henceforth these are called NEEDS:

– carpenter to make child-sized hand washing sink for your farm to school program

– painter to paint backdrop for EZ up market tent

– a new logo

– custom pear harvesting baskets with leather straps and canvas pouch that unbuttons

– mural on both sides of your delivery van

– a new website

Fanciful or practical, we can take advantage of historic levels of under-employment to create glorious fusions and solidarity between the artist/craftspeople, and the young (and all age) farming community.

Dream big! It is certainly not guaranteed that your wildest fantasies of collaboration will come true — but even not-so-simple barters have a proven track record on their website, www.ourgoods.org, and via their in person project called TRADE SCHOOL.

www.tradeschool.ourgoods.org

When the going gets tough, the tough get posses. We hope you can join us in person (or if you live too far away, online will have to do for now). To spend the afternoon open to the possibility of a bigger posse, one that includes skillsets very different from our own.
Remember kids: Cooperation makes it happen.

See you all September 3rd. It is coming right up!

Severine + Greenhorns
OurGoods