We have lost the innate knowledge and traditional crafts essential to countless functions for our daily survival, with the end result being a disconnection from our communities and our natural world. So complete is this detachment that we are unaware of the ecological and social damage created by mass production for our daily needs. Screened from the production process, we buy chicken breasts without considering the workers in poultry factories who must breathe toxic fumes, or the loss of topsoil form irresponsible grain production. We purchase our detergents and cleaners without considering the ingredients that might be poisoning our families and our water supply. We buy inexpensive clothing, never considering who must produce fiber, weave the cloth and sew the garments for paltry wages, or what country must have its rivers polluted with dyes. No matter where we live, we expect fresh tomatoes in December and iceberg lettuce in January, regardless of the fact that it took more calories to grow and ship them than they deliver when we eat them…. As we realize the impact of each choice we make, we discover ways to simplify our demands and rebuild our domestic culture.
Shannon Hayes
Radical Homemakers
