My “Fake” Resume

When I think about this past year, and think ahead to success and what that is going to mean, I inevitable arrive at the conclusion that life experience is critical in forming new expertise. Leaders are created, not born. Up to now I have only one regret: in not taking advantage of an opportunity with Trader Joe’s last year, I have given up a few very real losses that I can only hope to some day rectify. Here, then, is my “fake” resume, as it could be.

1. Trader Joe’s, Crew member and Regional supervisor
Trader Joe’s is a wonder to most people who shop there. How, they ask, can TJ’s afford to price higher-quality, better-sourced food at 30% off of a supermarket? The answer to this involves direct supply chains, and store brand (Trader Giotto’s Italian food?) that cut out that crucial middle man. It also involves catering to amazing customers, and moving twice as much per store area as most supermarkets do. I “worked” here from Fall 2007 to early February, 2008 and was a part of this movement as it quadrupled profits and expansion through that time.

2. The Food Project, Summer trainings supervisor
With my experience at Trader Joe’s and a good understanding of sustainable food chains, I put in an application to be Intern at the Food Project (I actually did, barely missed the opportunity). The Food Project is the best regional example of farms creating thoughtful and productive community, especially with young people as full partners in food creation. This was a summer advising position to local area youth, to grow chemical-free food for markets and local food banks. Gave an understanding of a working farm and market flows.

3. Nourish International, Founder
Nourish International is another application I just missed. This position was head of a club to raise funds towards implementing a sustainable development project in a developing country. Together with peers, we raised $10,000 through school lunches, poker tournaments, and the Equal Exchange fundraiser towards a project that I design in Costa Rica Spring ‘09. As a second part of the club, we “travelled” there to actually implement the design and improve the lives of an entire community. As leader and founder, I look forward to next year to implement bigger projects.

This has been a vision of what could have been. It’s painful to see an alternative less than this visionary path, and know that it was within reach. Rather than continue to lament the loss, I had to write this down. Research can somewhat make up for lost opportunity, but I have to question what could have been if there hadn’t been a casually dismissive comment one fall day from a friend I really value…

Talking about end-of-life care

There’s a national movement for bloggers to convey the message of just dying to readers. This is a topic that hits home for me as I’ve seen people dying, but is usually something we don’t talk about. Basically, the question I want you to ask is
“What do you want us to say if you can’t speak for yourself and need care?”

This brings up a couple related issues, namely
1. Could a loved one correctly describe now how you’d like to be treated in the case of a terminal illness?
2. Have you written a living will, appointed healthcare power of attorney, or an advanced directive?
3. Do you know about Hospice possibility for chronically dying or elderly care?

I hope this message finds you able to bring it up at night when there’s a moment.

For more information:
http://engagewithgrace.org
Globe article about the movement:
11/26: ‘Talking turkey about death’
-Eddie

Structure

Social business structure!

I’ve decided to go with a non-loss, non-dividend model for
accomplishing this revolution of mine. The idea started as being a
truck that would drive down a dirt road and pay farmers, and has since
developed substantially to being an empowerment service for farmers to
trade directly with supermarkets in the US. (See my former post if you
are a little rusty on cooperatives and trade:
http://eddiemill.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/idea)Being a social business
let’s me charge for advising, seed, and connection services while
allowing 100% of profit to be re-invested in the mission. It can then
be financed by development grant money or seed capital loans, and be
selfsustaining once established.

*Physical investments*
What will this center physically look like? Thinking Costa Rica to
start, in the fertile Limon provincial region. I actually met someone
in that area with land looking to give away– have some vision for the
terrain of it.

On this land will start a farm: not just as a model and visual, but
can also lead to the necessary processing for coffee, seed bank for
distribution, and best practice techniques to share and spread. I
could even imagine a small lab on the property to provide field
research for BU, Earth studrnts in the scientific benefits of ecologic
agriculture. Hopefully this model farm will be run by Julio, with 8
years experience.

Then there’s an office and conference center building. This will
probably be where I mainly work to start out, on all the
communications, certification paperwork, consulting, credit, and
classes for interested farmers. Potentially press, lobbying, and
market growth research here as well. Hire interns?

Finally, there will have to be some part ditribution and shipping
center to consolidate and scale deliveries of produce and coffee. What
part this will play is hopefully minor, more during the transition
role. As regional direct distribution systems develop and farmers are
selfsufficient, I want to get out of the way on this step and let them
do their own negotiations. This is possibly the biggest benefit of the
plan, assuming it is possible.

Other things I’m throwing around:
-farm school-type program to train a group of (women) farmers, give
them a plantation split!
-certification agency to run independent social label.
-Eco-tourism or student groups. This place will be beautiful.
-cattle and poultry- maybe some day..

Super excited to be able to vision this so well. Still looking for
others who are interested: if you can see it too, Leave me one!

-Eddie Miller
permalink: http://eddiemill.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/structure

The Crisis in Darfur

What is happening, and what can we do about it?

Just went to an incredible talk from a Darfur refugee- that means he was a Muslim in Western Sudan when government backed militias destroyed 50 villages in his valley and killed 21 members of his family. That was in 1983. From there, what do you do?

1. He fled to Egypt and organized. Wrote for 6 years to Arab and Muslim leaders, press, all to condone the killing. Nothing.
2. Contacted embassies in Egypt: large-scale internet distribution to amazing world response. Awareness hit international community.
3. Mentioned in US and UN circles, but no International backed action.
4. Now travelling around speaking, crying out for peacekeepers who would be welcomed by the darfuri people. But still no action has been taken.

The story ends on a sombering note: 15 years of genocide and murder and rape, until his people can no longer leave their villages for firewood. International complacency (follow the money…). African Union inefficiency and corruption.

But WHAT to do?

People have been trying to get our government to act. Maybe Obama will. The letters are all in…

International action would be best. UN declares genocide= moral obligation to act. Target=Ban Ki Moon secretary general.

International causes have to be stopped. Clog the vein that feeds government war. Locate and destry multinational streams of revenue. Lawsuit or…

Direct action from the people.
Set fire to the oil reserves they want. Shut down the gold mines and release international press. You clearly aren’t benefitting from the revenue, better without. If the trade becomes too dangerous, people will divest and the money will leave. The crisis burns itself out.

My thoughts on how to solve crisis: Any resistance effort has to be led by the affected, charged by a will to survive. Donations could flow much more efficiently through the internet into organizer’s hands than through government or international aid channels.

Any largescale peace effort would instantly give itself away: white people, white vans, white weapons drive the war underground. Instead it needs to be escalated vs. Silent millions.

*SO…*
This is where I must leave you, dear reader. I am not going to be the one to organize for the solution to Darfur. I do know that more visibility is a waste of effort, and untargeted begging is unclassy. What can one person who really cares DO?

Organize! The internet gives us unlimited power of knowledge. Find out what’s going on, look at solutions and then make a better one. People are dying, but every crisis has a best plan of attack. Go, click, thrive.

Amnesty International
BU coalition to save darfur

A New Hope for Darfur (in Water) speaker tomorrow:
Thursday, November 20th
7:00 PM
COM 101 (640 Commonwealth Avenue)

Hope and change must dominate our thoughts, or else we will be lost.
http://eddiemill.wordpress.com

-Eddie Miller
BU ‘10
eddiemill@gmail.com

Enough of what’s wrong.

We all know the problems. The only way out now is to implement constructive solutions. That’s why today I’m making the pledge to only write positive on this blog: that’s right you will not find complaints, issues, or negativity here.

I hope that my ideas and experiences can be a light for those who haven’t awakened to the power of thought yet, and be utilized as you see fit. As always, if something makes you think be sure to leave a comment. Disputes are welcome (ex: the world really is a sad place) same format or facebook.

-Eddie Miller
eddiemill.wordpress.com

The “Next Big Thing”: Bioregional Organic for international community and development

As you may know, food has been the main focus of my life now for some time. Improving the inefficiencies that exist has been a priority since my journey to Costa Rica one year ago. Tonight I had a moment unlike many others, a vision of what’s next and my role in it: a transitional role to a new market optimal.

First a brief overview, then the idea.
How conventional food systems work (I’ll use coffee for the example) is that farmers produce the crop, sell to a local intermediary who then arranges for it to be picked up, processed, and sold through various [anonymous] supply chains. Essentially, before the coffee is brought to a supermarket it is combined into some “least-common-denominator-quality” brown grind and then set into cans that can compete on lowest price (think big Maxwell House tin). The farmer gets almost nothing for his crop (while in exchange not much is expected of him) and is subject to the price variability of the free market, not to mention the mercy of nature on his plot. Unorganized producers selling to intermediaries is the worst, and has resulted in many small farmers going out of business to larger plantations. It’s simply too inefficient.

Fair Trade can be seen as a direct response to that. Its goals are to a) ensure a more constant price for farmers b) raise awareness through consumers about the product they buy, and c) encourage cooperative selling and investment among small farmers. On these scales it performs very well in providing a more just cup of coffee. Unfortunately it requires that farmers already be organized, which excludes most smallholders.

Organic production is another step up. It is certified for its a) gains to farm and crop biodiversity, b) soil health and sustainability, and c) minimized reliance on external inputs which are energy-intensive, unessential, and harm the environment. If a farmer is fair trade and organic, he gets a better price. In the US, an organic farmer is likely a happier one that sells locally. It’s also a beloved industry that has been growing 12-20% per year for its [perceived] benefits to food quality, freshness, health, and safety. Take a minute to look at these goals, until you see a farm system that is advantageous to the abomination of factory farming.

…if it’s feasible..

A couple highlights

edit: pretty technical post, read at your own risk!

The last 72 hours have been a masterpiece. If opportunity were a horse, I’d have just spurred to a gallop.
Socially Responsible Investing, Guest Lectures, Special Events, Research…

Some highlights/thoughts/questions:
-Development challenge: If people will buy organic food with higher price and now nearly unlimited demand, what is the best way for small farmers to produce it to scale?
*AND does the organic/local movement have to give up any of its ideals to be able to do so?

-Organic Farming “could feed Africa”: UN Environment Programme just surveyed 114 projects in 24 African countries. They found that yields more than doubled with the techniques of irrigation, crop rotation, and input access. Contrary to Harvard keynoter Thursday Robert Paalberg’s recommendations, the survey suggests that money for development is best spent in education of farmers rather than developing Genetically Modified seeds and selling chemicals. Full link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/organic-farming-could-feed-africa-968641.html

-The food crisis- why?
The causes are many, but mainly, systemically, it has to stem from global overproduction-> trade liberalization-> smaller farmers without education can’t produce any more -> food dependence and FAMINE. Famine is one of the worst human conditions. As Eleanor Roosevelt put it: “The hunger of our world demands our sympathy.”

-Alberto Gomez-Flores, Frances Moore Lappe: The two keynote speakers at the Grassroots International 25th Anniversary celebration, these two serve as some of my prime influences in their work. Gomez Flores is chair of the North America La Via Campesina, the largest organization of small farmer’s rights in the world. He talked through a translator in succinct, clear Spanish about the work for his organizers to translate campesino knowledge into institutions and goals: “Our challenge and our daily work”. “Frankie” Moore Lappe is one of my idols, author of “Diet for a Small Planet,” “Hope’s Edge,” and creator of Food First, one of the best sustainable ag. think tanks in the country. Now she’s working on inspiring hope, conquering fear in a world where “the lens is cracking”. I got to talk with her for 15 minutes afterward about our planet, vision, and hope. Really an incredible experience.

-Costa Rica: I picked up an interesting book in the Boston Public Library about a new historical hypothesis for Costa Rica, which disputes the claim of the pre-coffee “rural democracy” that has permeated Costa Rican culture and even inspired social revolution. A rural society never existed, he claims, but rather a distinction plantation/underdevelopment and simple separated landholders. If true, this changes everything.

-Life: Feels good! Finally asked a girlfriend, Libby Glen of BU ‘11: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1236840042&ref=ts Here’s to that!

Coming up: culture, life, the vision for this country, and Costa Rica.

Stay tuned.

-Eddie Miller
BU ‘10
eddiemill@gmail.com

Reconnect

I offer you this challenge:
Whenever you can, go into the wild. Commune with nature, whether it is for a few hours, a day, or a week.
Breathe deeply. Listen intently. Let the wildness infuse you. Renew you. Sustain you. Go by yourself.
Take some friends. Share your stories with them around a campfire, under the starry sky. Listen intently
to their stories. Be open. Understanding will come. Strength will grow. Energy will multiply.

Whenever you can, go forth and interact with people. Spread joy. Greet strangers
you pass on the street. Smile often. Listen deeply when people speak. Start random
conversations. Or join ones already in progress. Meet new people. Those people
that you love, tell them. Give praise for a job well done. Thank people for being who
they are. Offer sincere compliments to those people that you have difficulty with.
Help people whenever possible. Be open. Treat people with loving kindness. Love
and joy will grow. Your world will get bigger and yet infinitely more intimate. The
impossible will become possible.

Is this a recipe for balance? No, it is a hint of possibilities.
It is glimpse of something beautiful. It is a piece of the puzzle; it is up to you to
finish putting it together as you see it. I hope this has given you a framework from
which to begin sourcing your flame, your greenfire, and keeping it alive.

SEAC Organizing Guide — Page 98

The full guide: Courtesy of SEAC open distribution

Transition times

With the election of a new leader, we have the ability to think about our problems in an entirely new way.

As things stand, we’re on the cusp of Peak Everything. Nearly all of our essential natural resources are reaching their limits: oil, fresh water, soil, sea ice, consumer confidence. I reference you to the current unfolding disaster: economic meltdown, global warming, climate chaos, escalating energy and resource costs, looming shortages, endless war, biodiversity erosion, and deteriorating public health- which have been nicely externalized by a corporate elite and federal government for more than just 8 years. America has been a burden to the world on any of the above issues, a staunch opposition to progress and even scientific reality.

I’m now seeing tipping points. A critical mass of people talking about these truths, who are creating solutions, not mere band-aids and complaining, for our crisis. A strategic window of opportunity has opened to take back control over our institutions: to create millions of urban and rural green jobs; to transform our international agenda; and to make a smooth transition from fossil fuels, climate chaos, and resource wars to a renewable, peaceful, solar-based agriculture and economy. The mechanized, carbon-intense, wasteful, outdated economics of the first globalization is over. Time to prove that a new one can also be productive.

As organizers, it is absolutely our responsibility to encourage this transition. A new leader can bring peace and stability to this country. But without ideas and citizen pressure, the status quo will maintain apathetic in Washington. We can work with the government to suggest a new era for America. When America is on top of the important issues, the world benefits. These last few days have given me the audacity to hope that change might just come. What does that mean?

It’s been long overdue.

A couple bright ideas that will power our future:
America Needs a New Growth Strategy. It’s Getting Hot In Here, 11/11.
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/11/11/america-needs-a-new-growth-strategy/

Organic Transitions: Beyond the Gloom & Doom of Economic Depression, Climate Change, & Peak Oil. Organic Transitions Campaign.:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15140.cfm

Organic Consumer’s Association: Organic Transitions campaign. http://www.organicconsumers.org/transitions.cfm

http://www.organicconsumers.org/transitions.cfm

My reactions to change, the election, and Barack Obama

As a “mongerer of hope” myself, I see a lot of myself in Barack Obama.

In his practicality, vision, and opportunity this amazing campaign.

I hope that Americans understand what this means, this thing that
we’ve all done. The next 4-8 years of our country is in the hands of
Barack Obama and the democrats now– I feel, though, that He may be
the only one who truly knows what that change means. I realized that
this was possible on realizing that all eras must end.

The only doubt is that everyone might not be ready for this. It just
takes one racial bigot with a gun to cause a national tragedy, a
possibility that seems all too real to me.

Dark thoughts aside, its been great to be a part of our democracy.
From here out, anything is possible. we did our part!

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes, into
Your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

For Obama’s acceptance speech:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/5/0510/83437/390/653543

Good morning.
-Eddie