Toiora weekend Hui:
Hi All
I feel disturbed about last nights conversation about the use of the vegetable garden area. I noticed that Donald felt very hurt, not being acknowledged about his efforts of transforming a heap of hard dirt into a usable vegetable garden, and that he has informed us that he will not be working on the vegetable garden any further until it is sorted who can use it.
Especially upsetting I found Alex’s comment that it is possible for the bodycorp to ‘lease garden plots to people interested’. If we would want to do this we may as well charge for on-site parking, levy wash house users, ‘lease’ land for the sauna area (at least 2 garden plots worth), lease the workshop area to those who store their personal tools there (currently there are no common tools), charge for bike storage space. And should those who opt out of wanting to use the guest accommodation get a credit? etc.
This would of cause have implications, as people who use the sauna will not only pay $3 to the bodycorp for electricity, but I would charge $15 per person to recoup cost of lease and the $1100 I invested for fence, deck, bench etc. I would need to charge for use of space and tools in the workshop, charge the body if it’s for common use.
We may as well change our name, as ‘cohousing’ seems inappropriate. It was a very stupid comment Alex, and I already regret your long and winding reply to this email.
Overlooked in this gardening question is that growing your own vegetables is usually much more expensive than buying them, not to mention the ongoing hard work to succeed. Overlooked also is that we have not sorted how we will pay for the common cooked meals? I know that some fear it will be expensive. At Earth song the group who prepares the meal pays for it.
Clear to me is that while there is a designated vegetable garden, the vegetables grown are not automatically free to anyone who wants then, just like our workshop doesn’t mean anyone can use any tool in sight.
Jeffrey suggested a Toiora weekend hui, which I agree is badly needed. But the question is not: ...what do we want from our community'? ( Jeffrey). The question to ask is what do I want to give to our community?
Regards Rainer
Please call me if you need an urgent reply.
Rainer Beneke +64 21 144 7700