EcoSomatic Action

Leaning into our collective unraveling through communal practices, education and deep listening.

Urban Homesteading

Me and Dr. Prepper

Interview with Rachel Kaplan and Dr. Prepper, an old-time back to basics author and prepping practitioner hailing from the hinterlands of Texas. We had a good talk about urban homesteading, heirloom skills and other practices of preparedness. Even though we live far from one another on the political spectrum, we found our common ground in these daily practices that support our lives. I appreciated … [Read more...] about Me and Dr. Prepper

Tallking About Important Things

"It is time to talk about important things. Why have we come so close to the brink of extinction so carelessly and casually? Why do we still have thousands of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert? How can humankind reclaim the commons of atmosphere, seas, biological diversity, mineral resources, and lands as the heritage of all, not the private possessions of a few? How much can we fairly and … [Read more...] about Tallking About Important Things

Governance in the Long Emergency

I recently read a great article about governance during the "long emergency".  It addresses questions of true participatory democracy, and how we might conduct ourselves in a civic way in the presence of ongoing resource shortages, economic hardship, corporate predation, et al. While not filled with simple solutions, it does clearly point in the direction of urban homesteading, and other DIY … [Read more...] about Governance in the Long Emergency

Am I My Chicken’s Keeper?

This story has its roots in my degenerate relationship with my neighbors who let their chickens wander throughout the neighborhood,  into my gardens, and never really seem to feel much remorse or need to change the situation. "Degenerate" because one year I swooped up one of the chickens committing mayhem in the yard and stashed her with my own flock til my neighbor discovered the crime. Check … [Read more...] about Am I My Chicken’s Keeper?

Urban Homesteading as Resilience Path

Our culture is growing now into the next level of change, evidenced by social movements addressing the environmental crisis with direct actions toward revising how we live today. Urban homesteading is just one of many creative approaches to this problem. The Transition Town movement is another, as are the growing numbers of young people from all strata of society training to become organic … [Read more...] about Urban Homesteading as Resilience Path

Resilience and Recovery

Resilience is the ability of a system to recover from shock, trauma, or change. The more resilient a system, the more shocks and impacts it can withstand and still recover. As systems—cultural or ecological—lose the strength of diversity, they become vulnerable to disruption or collapse. Nature is the ultimate example of resilience, with its systems of multiple planned redundancies and complex … [Read more...] about Resilience and Recovery

Digging Deep

It’s our family’s fifth winter at Tiny Town Farm on the westside of Petaluma. There’s no more room for another garden bed, or another chicken, and certainly not for the goat my daughter covets. The rooms of our house are filled up with the creative detritus of childhood and family. We sometimes wish we had just one more wall for a bookshelf, or a hallway, or the ultimate luxury: a mudroom. In … [Read more...] about Digging Deep