“Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer
November is Indigenous Education Month, and it is a crucial time for Canadians and folks all around the world to learn and acknowledge Indigenous histories, teachings, and cultures. Farmers by the nature of our work have an inherent relationships with and responsibility to the lands they cultivate and steward.
Our November Regen Reads recommendation is “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance” by the incredible Robin Wall Kimmerer who provides a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.
“As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.”
Get your copy here!
Regen Reads is COG’s monthly regenerative agriculture reading list. 📖