helping traditional skills flourish in our modern world

Category: Agriculture

Growing Great Food and Fiber with Fabric of Life!

Abundant vegetables growing in the Fabric of Life garden

Every living entity needs to eat – and eat well in order to thrive. This includes you, your family, your community – and the plants and animals that feed you and provide fiber for your textile needs! And you can do something about that… This year, Fabric of Life is introducing the essential skills needed to grow great veggies (and other plants for those pesky pollinators that are so essential) to our community – and you’re invited to come along with us on the journey. For those of you more interested in fiber than food – the quality of any natural fiber you work with is also based on the health of the plants or animals that provide that fiber. It’s a fascinating world under your feet!! 

Almost everyone who’s run a home garden has had problems with insects and diseases – ever heard of powdery mildew, blossom end-rot and potato beetles? Did you know that super healthy plants don’t attract insects or diseases? Even marginally healthier plants are resistant to quite a lot! Heck of a concept but true for all living beings. However, just like you can keep your own immune system up with care, you can do the same for all of the plants and animals in your charge. The question is – how to do it!!!!!

Understand Your Garden

Cherry tomatoes in the Fabric of Life Garden

We’re going to start with a learning opportunity with the garden here at Fabric of Life (80 Bassett Road) on May 1st at 9:00AM. We’ll learn the strengths and weaknesses of the site we’ve chosen to work with, learn its history, find out what we need to do to increase its capacity to produce great food and start the work of the growing season. This work will continue throughout the season with virtual program hours at the critical points in garden management. The four virtual sessions will take place from 7 – 8PM EST on June 2nd, July 7th, August 4th, and September 1st, 2021. And as a final hurrah for the year we will offer a fantastic program on October 23rd from 9:30AM – 12:30PM EST, where we can all build the basics of our soil reserves for the following year!

Join Our Gardening Community

Planting potatoes in the Fabric of Life garden

We’re inviting all of our community members to join us in creating an on-going garden story, even if you are not able to join us in-person or virtually, that includes the home farm garden and every other garden in our network. Your home gardens have a story to tell and we want to hear those stories – your triumphs, your challenges – and the food you create with what you can grow. Add your story to our brand new Facebook group or post your garden on Instagram and use #GardenWithFOL so we can all share the fun and frustration of learning something new! Join us as we all learn to master a new skill set – Growing Great Food and Fiber!!

Goat Milk Soap at JuJuBee Farm

Elliston Bingham lives with his wife, Kaydee, in Shelburne, Massachusetts. And among his many interests and passions, he maintains a herd of goats in order to produce goat milk soap. You’ll find him as a regular at the Greenfield Farmers market with his wares, with a variety of plain, almond, lavender, tea tree varieties, just to name a few. He also maintains a vegetable garden, and sells his produce alongside of his goat soap at the farmers market. 

Elliston is originally from Jamaica, having traveled here in the early 1990’s and became a citizen of the United States in 2020. And it is clear that he has a deep joy in the life he has built here in Western Massachusetts – always ready to help others and always with a good story to bring laughter to those around him. He has installed solar panels to support his soap-making operations and often creates opportunities for college students and children to learn from his depth and width of knowledge as it relates to goats and soap. 

We’re fortunate to have Elliston as a neighbor in Shelburne, and to be able to enjoy his contributions to the community, the local agriculture economy, and his stories and knowledge so directly and easily. It’s a guarantee that wherever you cross paths with Elliston, there will be plenty of space for connection and learning. We hope that you’ll take some time to connect with him as you find him in our community or online, and we also look forward to learning how we can continue to support small businesses such as his, that are extending these traditions forward for future generations to learn from.

Elliston can be reached by email about his goat milk soap, produce, or goats.

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