Journey For A New Economy

This Friday, I am beginning a trip across the US to meet, interview, and share the stories of the changemakers who are on the forefront of the effort to create large-scale ecosystem regeneration projects –– people who are working in partnership with nature to meet human needs while regenerating ecosystems. 

Groups that I gain inspiration from include: Indigenous peoples, hard-working farmers and ranchers, weavers & craftspeople, permaculture practitioners, The Business Alliance for Local Living Economy (BALLE) Chapters and Transition town Groups. I am looking for communities that are creating economic models to support the regeneration of place, through next economy industries, heirloom food production, climate-beneficial farming practices, and re-weaving the fabric of community which makes us human.

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There are an assortment of places I plan to visit on my travels. Please leave a comment here if you have additional suggestions of places I should visit or can offer a place to say or hot meal to me! I will post regular blogs, pictures, and notes from the field!

Here is a preliminary list of potential destinations: 

• Ashevillage, Asheville, NC [Confirmed]
  
  
• Blue Ridge Biofuels, NC
  
  
• Growing Warriors - Fibershed Hemp Project in Kentucky
  
  
• Salamander Springs Farm
  
  
• Ithaca Ecovillage [Confirmed]
  
  
• The Good Life Farm, Interlaken, NY 
  
  
• Judy Wicks, Philadelphia, PA [Confirmed]
  
  
• Buffalo First, Buffalo, NY
  
  
• Evergreen Cooperatives, Cleveland OH
  
  
• Zingerman’s Family of Businesses
  
  
• New Era Windows, Chicago IL
  
  
• Chicago’s Andersonville Buy Local
  
  
• Darren Doherty Workshop at the MA Center in Chicago [Confirmed]
  
  
• VersaLand, Iowa City
  
  
• New Forest Farm (Mark Shepard’s Farm), Viola, WI
  
  
• The Land Institute [Confirmed] 
  
  
• San Luis Valley, CO
  
  
• Mile High Biz Alliance, Denver CO
  
  
• Black Mesa Indigenous Support, Flagstaff, AZ
  
  

This research will inform my work at LIFT Economy with clients including Toby Hemenway, Erik Ohlsen and The Permaculture Skills Center, Daily Acts, Christopher Reamer Permaculture Design-Build, and The Fibershed Project to create a model of social enterprises working together to cultivate a regional economic model that sources a majority of food, water, shelter, clothing, energy, and culture locally within Sonoma County.

I hope you will join me on this journey to create an economy that works for the benefit of all life!

This trip is fully boot-strapped by "Yours Truly" (me). Deepest gratitude to my current clients, without whose trust and and belief in me, I could not be taking this journey.