The Beginning

Sustainable Berea's Urban Farm Project

               The Breaking Clean Tour is officially underway. On Wednesday May 21^st, we were able to begin with our community learning portion of the tour in our own hometown of Berea as we attended a ceremony hosted by Sustainable Berea. Sustainable Berea, in conjunction with Berea College’s Agriculture and Natural Resources department and the city of Berea, broke ground on a new project called the Urban Farm Project. The Urban Farm will be 1.4 acres of land near the center of Berea meant to benefit the local food pantry and local restaurants.  Also in attendence to honor the delivery of the Livable Communites Award were officials from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Kentucky’s Governor’s office.

              

        Friday May 23 was the official launch of our trip, starting from Union Church where a tribute was being held for Jean Ritchie, author of “The Singing Family of the Cumberlands” and known for her amazing contributions to both the preservation of Appalachian music and the environment. To honor Jean artists including Kathy Mattea and John McCutcheon performed. Some of the proceeds from the concert were being donated to Appalachian Voices in their efforts to protect the Appalachian Mountains Ritchie loves so much.  

Unfortunately, due to our itinerary, we were unable to attend the actual concert, but we did get to talk to John McCutcheon and Kathy Mattea prior to leaving as well as lend to the standing ovation as Jean Ritchie was brought in.

Heartwood's table at the Forest Council in Ozark, Ill.

After five hours on the road, we arrived at Camp Ondessonk in Ozark, Illinois and the Heartwood Forest Council. Heartwood, “a cooperative network of grassroots groups, individuals, and activists united to protect public forests,” hosts the annual council to bring organization from different environmental struggles together under this year’s them “National Forests and the Climate of Extraction.”  As shared by speaker Ernie Reed, scientist Dominique Desalla stated that forests contribute to climate stabilization through carbon sequestration. When old growth trees are cut, they become sources of carbon. A forest that has been cut down remains an emitter of carbon for fifteen years, and young trees planted to replace those trees take at least fifteen years to begin making a difference in the carbon being emitted by the cut forest. Heartwood does not just focus on the forests alone. 

Heartwood members are fighting against the natural gas hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. fracking), strip mining especially in Illinois, deforestation, and biomass burning plants as well as several other health endangering issues. One such strategy is the Forest Climate and Carbon Campaign which focuses on changing people’s views of the forest from just a bunch of trees to a resilient and necessary part of the ecological system.

Beehive Collective's newest work Mesoamerica Resiste

 Like many of the organizations I have seen and had the honor of spending time with —Heartwood is one huge family. We have made several great connections with several of these wonderful people. Other organizations we made connections with are Eco Justice Collaborative from Chicago, Illinois, Justice for Rocky Branch from southern Illinois, the Beehive Collective from Maine, Shawnee Hills and Hollers from Cloverdale, Illinois, and Indiana Forest Alliance.

Overall, this has been a great first stop in our tour.