The culminating action project was essentially another novel experience of this class. I have participated a lot in community organizing because I started a club this fall focusing on indigenous rights and watershed protection. We have been working with different clubs and organizations around the area and I have gotten a taste for the bullshit that is community organizing. It’s hard. But essential. I assumed I would go through the regular trials with this project as well- high expectations, a reality check, a lowering of expectations and then the result, whatever it may be. And I did. We started off with big ideas, outlined this major event that included kids, a panel of speakers and dirt. We ended up with an intimate gathering at a picnic table on the UW Farm. Not the elaborate day we had imagined, there were no kids, we had a total of 5 people show up. No speakers, just us four talking about different aspects of soil that got us jazzed. The original TAGRO dirt we had imagined being present on the big day was really a dusty bag of potting soil from someone’s backyard. And yet, it was great. I had so much fun and I actually learned things.
I loved my group so that really helped. We were all calm and positive so when things were going awry it was not the end of the world- I think this really helps when organizing. We were flexible and accommodating and there was an equal share of work. No one was harnessing group project angst. We all contributed what we had, art, space, words. I think if it was just us at the table on the farm I would have learned. Maybe that is a solid takeaway in itself. We learn from pretty much every experience we have, especially if it’s new. I learned how to participate in a small group, I have done this a million times in my educational career but every group has a different dynamic and set of norms. I learned about soybean commodity chains, fisheries impacted by runoff, nutrient density and militaristic contemporary agriculture. I also learned that discussion is good for the soul. I think we underrate open conversations, this is truly the baseline of collective change.
