Share Your Wealth - One Plant/Animal/Tree At A Time

by Susan Secakuku

It has been one hot summer here at Hopi, once summer finally got here. It has also been one dry summer, with very little rain.  The Katsinam have been doing their part to bring us rain, with many visits to us the Hopi people with their beautiful songs and dancing. But just yesterday, it looks like the Katsinam have decided to revisit us as clouds!  Our sky’s are beautiful, full of big, puffy, cumulus clouds, offering us relief with their shade. But most importantly, they give us hope that the rains are not far behind! And they did not disappoint. As I write this, the first drops of summer rain are falling outside!

Despite the recent hot, dry weather, we continuously work daily to care for trees, animals and plants that will feed us. We do this, not only because we are supposed to, but because we love to.

Today we are reaping the investment of our work---we are harvesting food!! 

Co-op member Tiffany (pictured below left) and her family have agreed to share their harvest of apricots with whomever wanted some. She and her family are gracefully fighting the birds to gather many apricots from this “tried and true tree that was planted before (she) was born.”  Another co-op member Lillian (pictured below in center) announced that she has an “abundance of swiss chard” straight from her own garden to sell. She even shared the nutritional qualities and basic ways to cook swiss chard for those who don’t know what an awesome food swiss chard is. I myself continuously sell my local eggs to those who know that fresh eggs are the best. In fact I trading some eggs for a beautiful bouquet of swiss chard and purchased some apricots, which I plan to make into jam!

What I think most of us like best---is the sharing of our food wealth with our friends and neighbors. And these particular friends and neighbors want to shake the hands of those that (partly) feed them and their families! What better way to support community, with one plant/tree/animal at a time, then sharing the wealth!