Re-creating Local: It’s Now or Never

Our world view is changing and there is a leadership vacuum which means that you and I are actually in charge

We need to understand that our priorities need to shift as we seek to secure our food, shelter, clothing, health, education, energy and the rehabilitation of communities and the environment from the heavy damages caused by “unbridled global consumerism”.

Here at the Wildcraft Forest we make stuff and we teach stuff and now we are dealing with the transitioning of global trade which has now caused us to move into deep brainstorming in order to seek a pathway that leads to a vision of what this new world might look like into the future.

Here’s what we know:

Global trade is lessening because of uncertainties and because it is the end of the “globalization cycle”

Trade will become “localized”, and local will have a very different meaning in the future than it does today; that is that trade agreements will emerge between communities and regions and will be made by ordinary people without involvement from governments.

Retail will transform to become a “General Store” presentation on Main Street, mixed with Farmgates, Weekly Markets and Home Distribution Networks.

Big Box and Chain retail will transform entirely to online or wholesale distribution and there will be far fewer players in those fields because they will have less access to cheap transportation, cheap manufacturing and lesser volumes of plantation-based commodities.

70% of the population will have negative views about Big Box, Online and Chain retail and will vastly reduce their spending into these segments, which will then vastly reduce their presence in the marketplace.

There will continue to be a lack of political and central leadership because systems of government and their institutions will be out of touch with the Commons.

Advanced brain trusts will become evident within local communities and will be driven largely by local needs connected to food, shelter, clothing, health, education, energy and the rehabilitation of communities and the environment from the heavy damages caused by “unbridled global consumerism”.

So knowing all of this we ask ourselves, what choices do small producers make in this new social and economic landscape?

For us we will continue to operate a farmgate in the forest and to continue with our environmental stewardship and education efforts. But we have to adjust our focus into new ways to build success within our own established networks, recognizing that our community functions within local, regional and international circles.

We are all going through an extreme transition and for me what I have always relied on in situations like this is my understanding that history tends to repeat itself. Turmoil that causes the world to reset always brings us back to basics and this means re-connecting with the world around us.

So what are examples of returning to “basics”? I mentioned the General Store which a century ago was tasked with supplying individuals and communities with their local needs and doing it within a very small footprint.

General Stores are retail establishments that sell a wide variety of goods, often in rural areas or small towns, where they may be the only shop available. They typically carry a range of items, including groceries, hardware, clothing, and household goods, but don't specialize in any specific product category. General Stores often serve as community hubs, offering a place for people to gather and socialize.

As onsite Big Box retailing declines, General Stores will fill the void and in cities they will appear in neighborhoods; and in many rural communities they already exist but they will be pressured to expand in their services.

We need to prepare for this transition now and not later.

Another important function of the local supply chain was the door-to-door salesman. A door-to-door salesman, also known as a traveling salesman or a direct sales representative, is someone who sells products or services directly to customers at their homes. This sales method involves going from house to house, or business to business, to engage potential customers in person. While less common now than in the past, it remains a legitimate sales practice.

A century ago door-to-door sales became an important conduit for information within an era where information was often hard to come by. People in rural ares were isolated as were minority groups. Today we are experiencing a similar form of isolation whereby we are questioning whether the information we are exposed to is actually real.

So door-to-door sales and different kinds of home-based distribution networks will be in our future not only because they will provide much needed manufactured products but they will also serve as a conduit for social engagement and community.

“Clustering” will become apparent as we de-urbanize. For years I have been writing and forecasting that at some point we will begin to de-urbanize and that urbanization will reach its peak and we will discover that it is no longer sustainable to create really large cities. I have maintained that the market will move towards smaller cities or rural.

For me it’s always interesting to note, that everyone one of my critics over the years who have scoffed at the idea of de-urbanization now live in rural or remote British Columbia – far from Vancouver or Victoria and by choice.

Over the course of the year we have many visitors from Europe here and they comment that back home there would be two or three hamlets between here and Lumby which is 10 km away. Each hamlet would have a pub and a few other specialty services unique to that hamlet, and there would be a small cluster of houses and farmyards. The distance between them seemed to be governed by walking distance which is a community design model that we will eventually revisit.

We would be wise to revisit this now and not later.

Most of the population will be driving less, but those in health services and retail sales will be driving more, so there will be a natural need to cluster services and distribution – this is nothing new, this was our world a century ago – and it had been working for hundreds of years.

Unfortunately our present models of community design recognize clustering as something you do when you gather together Big Box retailers into shopping districts with acres of parking lots. One of our biggest local challenges in the future will be dealing with the transition of these areas as they become abandoned by their faraway owners.

Locally our reality will be connected to food, shelter, clothing, health, education, energy and the rehabilitation of communities and the environment. If we don’t take charge of all of this nobody else will. We will still have technology, but it’s important for us to know how to build and fix stuff locally. It’s important that we know how to operate and deliver energy, internet and communication systems via a locally owned and operated grid – which are how grids got started, so this is not an outlandish idea.

Again, we should plan and implement solutions and alternative strategies now and not later. Our greatest risk is to not be prepared for future realities which will unfold quickly. If we move into a state of confusion and hopelessness we will be colonized by others and this never ends well.

The Wildcraft Forest Member Distribution Network

At the Wildcraft Forest here’s our next step into a new world of engagement. We are creating a Member Distribution Network.

The Wildcraft Forest specializes in creating unique, handcrafted, and wild-harvested tea blends inspired by old-growth forests. We offer a variety of functional teas and also create other wildcrafted wellness products like massage oils and bath teas. Our products are designed to offer both flavor and potential health benefits. Through our medicinal brand Forest Biotics we have created a line of wellness products that support a number of health modalities such as Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Our efforts are inspired by the spirit of old-growth forests in British Columbia and we believe in the connection between the health of wild places and human well-being that we call spiritual ecology. We support the Wildcraft Forest School and the Heartstone Centre and are driven by tangible actions which develop and expand old growth forests – everywhere.

Now we are offering our community of support to further engage with our efforts. You can become a Wildcraft Forest Member Distributor.

Distributors can Offer:

Physical Products

Forest Biotics: Select medicinal products that we create from nature.

Yasei Shinrin Yoku: Select products and services specific to Forest Therapy and Bodywork

Wildcraft Forest: Craft and decor products made from nature.

Heartstone Centre: Select products and services specific to Mystery School offerings.

Experiential Learning and Rest Programs

Wildcraft Forest School: Online and in-person certification programs, courses, workshops and retreats.

Forest Biotic Seminars: Health related seminars and events.

Heartstone Centre: Online and in-person programs, courses, workshops and retreats.

Mother Tree Hub: Online and in-person programs, courses and workshops linked to land-based stewardship learning and activities.

Visionquests: Outbound excursions and leaning programs with special guests.

As a service provider with a new or established network of clients you can add to your offerings by becoming a distributor of meaningful opportunities while adding to your income stream. You are already using our products and attending our programs and now we have a goal to add at least $1000 per month to your income, plus being able to offer you a free seat to programs and a free supply of your wellness products.

Our initial plan is to recruit 30 members into this initial offering so contact us if you are interested in this great opportunity.

You can email us from Substack or visit the Wildcraft Forest website and send us a message: www.wildcraftforest.com