CSA

As the wedding approaches, (T minus 24 days and counting) we find ourselves preparing the ceremony, trying to figure out how many people are actually coming to the reception and waiting very patiently (and anxiously) for kelsea's wedding attire... not that we procrastinated or anything.

As the planning has moved through its various stages we have been in constant discussion about what and how to share ourselves and our relationship with our friends and family. Through those discussions we've discovered that what we want to share most, besides our love for each other, is our commitment to four main values we share: the importance of community, voluntary simple living, social and environmental justice and our spiritual walks.

Because of those 4 things we have decided to do things a little bit differently than normal. For instance, our announcements, wedding and reception invitations have all been printed on handmade recycled paper (some of it made by us from the trash bins in the office at la puente). Our wedding clothes are made from 100% organic, pesticide free hemp (which is easier on the soil and needs less water than cotton, and is NOT smokeable despite popular opinion), and the clothing is reusable. We both will probably be caught wearing our wedding clothes again simply because they're so nice, why wouldn't we want to?! The food will be potluck on borrowed dishes, our friends are providing the music, photos, guest-signing thing, and we've decided to craft our own ceremony, presided over by our good friend Margy and Kelsea's uncle. All in all we hope to share with everyone what is important to us and focus on what really matters in this whole affair: relationship.

Although, some friends had a very good suggestion that everytime before we sit down to plan we down a beer in order to mellow out... it works.

In other news, we've gone and done something terribly couple-ish. We joined a CSA together. What's that? you might ask. Well, says Kelsea, we'll tell you.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A woman Kelsea met through community choir and her husband run an organic farm just south of Alamosa. But because they are small farmers it is hard to survive and compete with the large agribusiness farms without going into major debt. So, before the farming season even begins, local community members can buy shares of the farm thus giving the farmer enough money to make it through the season. In return, the shareholders receive weekly deliveries of food from the farm depending on how much they paid.

Now, you ask, how on earth do you two afford this? I thought you were poor volunteers?

Yes, yes, it is true, we reply. We trade services. Every Thursday one of us meets Karen at the distribution point and helps the shareholders pick up their food and make a couple home deliveries. That way, we help out the farmers and we get tons of fresh, organic produce and a dozen organic, free range eggs a week! We think we are getting the better end of the deal, but Karen begs to differ.

That's all for now, there will be pictures and a brief synopsis of our recent backpacking adventure to the mountains up soon! In the meantime, we hope you all are well!

love,
muck & kelsea