Written by Signe Berg, 07/03/2024

During this Independence Day, we’re celebrating interdependence at Greener Way Associates! If you’re having a potluck, you are too. Interdependence is the state of being mutually dependent on one another. It’s how we rely on others for help and they rely on us at the same time. At a potluck, we practice interdependence when everyone brings something to the table. One person might organize the potluck and host it, but they rely on others to coordinate with each other for everyone to bring something different. You need people bringing utensils, food, games, all the essential things, and everyone is relying on one another to share.

On a larger scale, we live in an interdependent world. While we are all individuals, we rely on each other to move through life. Very few adults could survive on their own without other human beings. Humanity cannot survive without Earth and its creatures. Many of Earth’s creatures rely on us, too. At Greener Way Associates we understand that interdependence is part of the foundation for recognizing that all human beings have inherent value and that caring for the life on this planet is essential to humanity’s well being. We see this in gardening. Through our gardening classes we connect people from different backgrounds, learning how to take care of plants together and forming social connections along the way. We focus on urban food production. The trees and plants that we water and care for produce fruit for us as a result. When we care for our environment, we care for ourselves. Caring does take work, it can be difficult, but when we put in the effort to nurture healthy, ecologically beneficial gardens and farms we and the Earth benefit. Building soil using mulch instead of synthetic fertilizers takes time but prevents the soil from becoming degraded by synthetic fertilizers. Not using synthetic pesticides may mean you have years where it seems the aphids just won’t go away, but using natural solutions such as attracting ladybugs or using neem oil will prevent beneficial insects like bees from also dying from synthetic pesticides.

At Greener Way Associates, we want to share our belief in interdependence. We see it as our future. We want to teach and discover the best practices for growing food in cities. Please join us in this journey by sharing your thoughts and questions. All we ask is for your kindness towards us and your fellow readers. Our hope is for this blog to be a discussion in living a greener way.