A Competent and Honest Nobody

On Self & Social Media

by Taylor Reed

Halfway through a snowy intersection in a nearby town, my blood pressure jumped. Our car lurched, stalled, and locked up in park because of a dead fuel pump. I didn’t know that then, so I hopped out to see what I could do as it threw irrelevant codes. I fumbled around with the hood up, overhearing muffled bits of my wife Jessi’s conversation with our insurance’s roadside assistance:

“No, the app won’t work, and no, you can’t text a URL—this isn’t a smartphone…

Right, Michigan…

No, Michigan…

Correct, not Wisconsin... ”

The conveniences of a smartphone wouldn’t have mattered at that moment anyway. They didn’t have anyone they could send out for a tow, local tow services were busy, and my own phone—my lifeline—was just about dead itself.

I heard the snow crunching underfoot before I saw the nearly eighty-year-old walking up to our car. Scrappy but warm, he was dressed for the Northern Michigan winter. Before long, I picked up on his hearty laughter at his own self-deprecating jokes. He checked in with us and helped remove some console panels and jimmy the car into neutral to get it out of the intersection. He then towed us out of harm’s way with his minivan. Then he lent us that van so we could drive back to Bellaire to get things in order. He seemed to be having fun as he helped us through the ordeal. He wouldn’t let us pay him.

I didn’t know who he was. What I did know was that, at that moment, he offered the hand we needed and more. He didn’t act to boost his ego or prove his worth. His help just seemed an extension of who he was.

And simply by nature of being who he was, he offered a grounding sense of community and care.

I hunger for that sense at times, especially when in crowds or even medium-sized groups of people...

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Writing (5 Minute Read, 1,202 Words)

Click Here to Listen to the Audio Version

The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration

|| 1 || The following Warp threads are written words largely about writings. If that's not your cup of tea, here's what might be a small step "towards something a bit more sane" in audio form: Rediscovering Wisdom in a World Gone Mad, a Local Futures podcast with Iain McGilchrist and Helena Norberg-Hodge. Listening to it is a way safer bet than reviewing the written stuff if you're driving to work.

|| 2 || Is it inspiring or frustrating coming across themes you've worked at communicating expressed more clearly and succinctly by others? Well, when Jessi read a brief selection from page 153 of Ethan Tapper's How to Love a Forest aloud, it was all inspiration.

I watch the doe's still body, so deeply sorry that things need to be this way. I can no longer choose not to choose, decide not to decide; a better world calls me, and I am thrust into relationship. I believe that the future belongs to people with the courage and the compassion to do what is necessary, even when it breaks their hearts.

That. I look forward to spending time with the rest of Tapper's book. The three succinct and powerful sentences capture quite a bit of the thrust of Brad's write-up, The Honorable Harvest and the Work of Small Farmers, and my Opening Day series from last year. Woven, the inaugural print edition of The Whole Field, tied those three "Crosshatchian" writings together for the first time. It was on offer at the big celebration at Commongrounds last week. I don't know how many copies we have left or the exact logistics of getting them out, but if you're interested in a print edition, reach out.

|| 3 || Speaking of writings that cover what we've already attempted to cover—

A Spirit Never to Betray, a Dark Mountain write-up from David Lauer, explores the world of sotol, a strong distilled drink crafted from a wild, desert plant primarily found in Mexico. It's reminiscent of the 2022 Whole Field writing Seeing through Smoke, which, admittedly, was a bit all over the place as it lauded the old-world practices of smoked beers and touched on sensory memories, traditional brewing methods, international markets, and industrial economies in a fairly-rapid fire manner. A Spirit Never to Betray trods that ground and lingers in a way worth savoring, offering a more comprehensive picture of a similar story rooted in a totally different locale and libation.

|| 4 || Adam Wilson recently wrote Encountering Atrophied Capacities, a reflection on what the humbling needs of the moment can reveal. It isn't long, and like all of Wilson's work, it's worth a read. His Peasantry School Newsletter write-ups attend to a grounded and agrarian meeting of vision and reality, an intentional collision of gift and modern society. In Atrophied Capacities, Adam's touching encounter with Gwynn, one of the matriarchs of the Sand River Community Farm flock of sheep, brought up memories of our family's own recent encounter encompassing brutality, presence, and care with domesticated animals here at Carpenter Road.

I've often found Adam's writings to speak to things I'm muddling through on my own—which is one of the reasons I'm excited that he's working on a book. When it's out let me know if you're interested, and I'll pass my copy along, future dog-eared pages and marginalia and all.

The Weft — News and Events

We’re heartened by a wide-range of expressions of resilient communities and gatherings. Here’s a smattering of regional events and happenings that reflect that diversity, collected for your consideration. Choose your own adventure!

|| 1 || Happening now! Canopy Collaboration Cafe—It might be too late to make it to the 9-11am (February 27th) in-person gathering, but if you saw this in time and are interested you can click here for the ZOOM option. Crosshatch is hosting farmers and community members to discuss tips and tricks for establishing trees and shrubs as a part of ecosystem and agriculture diversification. Please attend eager to share your input and experiences and/or come curious to learn from others. Click here to view additional details.

|| 2 || Save the Date! The 2025 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference will be Monday + Tuesday, August 18 - 19th at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor, MI. We look forward to seeing you there. Stay tuned for further information on schedules, speakers, concurrent happenings, and more.

|| 3 || March Madness Opening Reception. March 21st, 5-8pm at the Commongrounds Aviary, Hive, and Monumental Stairs. Featuring the work of Katie Shulman, Tryst Red, Andrew Dost, and more. Join us as we ponder the multiple meanings of March Madness, considering both isolation and connection. Compete with fellow cabin fever escapees in our single elimination tournament. Get out of hibernation to celebrate women (women's history month), reflect and share in the doldrums of winter, and maybe shoot some hoops. Free and open to the public.

|| 4 || Growers Masterclass: A Two-Day event at Tillers International (Scotts, MI), Feb. 28th-March 1st. Join Ken Laing, a seasoned organic farmer and educator, for a two-day seminar that explores essential strategies for sustainable and profitable vegetable farming. Drawing on over 40 years of farming experience, Ken will provide practical insights, innovative methods, and proven techniques to enhance your farming practices. Tickets available here.

|| 5 || Groundwork's Building Resilient Communities Micro-Grant Program. Small grants and staff help to support food pantries, churches, farms, schools, and other community-focused sites in growing their capacities to positively impact their communities from the ground up. Find more information on the BRC program here, or check out the intake form for applying.

|| 6 || Farmland: Food, Justice, and Sovereignty. An art exhibition at MSU's Broad Museum "centered around questions of food knowledge, production, scarcity, and consumption against the background of Michigan State University’s 170-year history of agricultural tradition." January 18th-July 27th. Find more information or get free tickets here.

|| 7 || Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program. Application Deadline March 3, 2025. The CAG program provides direct financial support to farmers who seek to mitigate climate change through the use of agroforestry to sequester carbon, sustain healthy farms and forests, and protect water quality, soil, and biodiversity through applications like alley cropping, forest farming, riparian buffers, windbreaks, etc. Find more details and apply here.

|| 8 || Interlochen Center for the Arts' Sustainability Department is hiring. Find out more about the Garden Activities Manager, Farm Intern, Operations Intern, and Environmental Arts Educator positions by clicking on the respective links.

|| 9 || NDN's Community Action Fund Grants are now open for applications. CAF grants support Indigenous frontline, grassroots, community-based groups and organizations, Tribes, communities and villages, and individuals leading direct action or movement-building work in their effort to defend Indigenous People’s rights, and protect their land, air, water, and natural resources. Find more information here.

|| 10 || Farm Stop Conference. March 2nd-4th, Ann Arbor. Schedule, speakers, registration, and other details available here.

|| 11 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: The Jeff Haas Trio featuring Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, NMC Chamber Singers: "Music of Solace and Strength", Leslie Mendelson, “Pre-Fat Tuesday” Mardi Gras Celebration with Kanola Band & Funky Uncle, Ship Yard #3 - Featuring Betsy Soukup + Nik Carman, Mindful & Musical with Miriam Picó - Mini Bird, Mariee Siou, SkyeLea, The Marcus Belgrave Songbook Ensemble, Big Fun, Here:Say Storytelling: "I’m With the Band", Bob James & Dave Koz, and Rasha Nahas.

Find more information at www.thealluvion.org.

The Whole Field • Volume 4 • No. 4 • New Moon • February 27, 2025

A Competent and Honest Nobody

The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration

The Weft — News and Events

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