[NAFEX] Getting the word out WAS Re: NNGA membership declines

road's end farm organic101 at linkny.com
Tue Jul 3 10:43:03 EDT 2007


On Jul 3, 2007, at 6:56 AM, loneroc wrote:

> If we at NAFEX want to arrest a declining membership and combat a lack 
> of
> general societal interest in fruit growing, we must seek out people 
> who have
> nothing to contribute (other than their ears/eyes) initially.  We must 
> hook
> people who have marginal initial interest in fruit and help to create 
> the
> new experts who will take up the torch of the dead and dying
> old-timers!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very good point.

And how is anyone to know that they're interested in something that 
they've never been exposed to? None of us were born knowing any of 
this. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wound up a fruit (and, actually 
primarily right now, vegetable) grower due to almost accidental 
exposure.

As others have posted, there's a huge amount of information available 
in the heads of older people; as well as in the genes of their 
plantings. Also as others have posted, there's a difficulty in getting 
this information transmitted, and the future care of the plants 
ensured. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that (with many 
exceptions) some of the people who have the information, and some of 
the people who could benefit from it and who are essential to prevent 
it from being lost, are currently using different means of 
communication.

What is needed here is translators; and I note that several volunteers 
for this have posted on this also. What is not useful is for people, in 
either group. to put down and/or try to ignore the existence of those 
who prefer different communication methods than they themselves like to 
use. Why shouldn't we try to make it easy for everybody to join, and as 
easy as possible for everybody to communicate?

Claude, thanks for apology. I'm sure we've all hit "send" without 
thinking of the possible impact of a particular line (and I was pretty 
groggy when I answered you, and hope I didn't come off as snarly.) And 
I do think subscription, as well as other communications, should be 
possible through as many means as is practical.

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly
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