MAGNA GRECIA HOE- A Ground Breaking Tool for the "WORLD MADE BY HAND"
When the world reminds us of our dependence on unknown and unnamed sources for our current ways of living, i.e. gas companies, pipelines, shortages, and delivery trucks, Villagers reminds us to trust our hands and this earth to sustain us. But moments like this go beyond gas for personal vehicles. As delivery and mail service workers have stopped by the store today, the same questions are exchanged...will you continue to deliver, will there be delays, what happens next? Perhaps the question we need to be asking is, with recurring shortages like the one we are witnessing now, is this way of life sustainable? We all know the answer. But the practicalities of how to move forward, after we admit that this is not a sustainable way of life, come a bit slower. They come with more intention, more diligence, and more reliance on our village.
These thoughts tumbled in my mind today as I had the chance to work with our hand tools.
Hand-made, multi-functional, and down-right bad-ass, I held them in my hands and realized, if I buy this sickle, this maul, or this hoe I will never buy another one. They are made to last a lifetime.
Imagine that. Heirloom tools you will pass on to the villagers yet to feel the joy of hearth keeping and homesteading!
What an idea to ponder as I simultaneously think about the ramifications of cyber hacking and fear driven gas shortages. How can we begin to end our dependencies on fossil fuels and gas companies? It doesn't seem immediately feasible for me to stay home all the time. My sweet patch of land is not ready to feed my family full time. What if we started demanding the products we buy be made to last? What if we start by throwing away Throw-Away culture? What if we ease our reliance on fossil fuels by ending our reliance on buying the same items year after year? This doesn't feel like a sacrifice at all, but a step into a more beautiful and intentional way of consumption, of being. For so long we (and I do mean we because I am walking this path, too) have lived in a consumer driven world where delivery trucks come every day. We can, and honestly, we should break this cycle of throw-away consumption. You see where I am going here?
Let me introduce you to the first tool I think you should get to begin your detox from debilitating consumerism. It's the Magna Grecia Italian Digging Hoe.
The Magna Grecia is a 2-pronged combination hoe with long tines for deep soil-working. This tool is so different from most hoes, it is hard to even classify it as one... it's more like a digging fork that you swing! Because of the physics of swinging a tool (rather than thrusting it) into the soil, this tool has some great advantages in terms of deep penetration with relatively minimal effort. The blade on the back is good for breaking up clumps. It is made with a Canadian made Hickory handle and the forged head is made by the Falci company in Italy. Using this tool to break small areas of sod, or for deep aeration of beds, is actually amazingly easy and effective if used properly! All of that to say, you can prep garden beds, aerate the soil, weed, hoe, plow, and trowel with one tool. Imagine that. All of the cheaper plastic tools that keep failing me, whose handles break off and splinter in my hands, are no longer necessary.
Stop by and see us at 7 S. Main Street in Burnsville, NC to get your hands on this incredible tool. You can also read about it online here!
Watch a video!
Be well, be happy, and get your hands in some dirt today!
-Laura