Revolution from the Roots
The Chicory Center Looks for a New Home
By Caryl Sortwell
For the past year, The Chicory Center in Bridgman, Michigan has been home to a radical, anti-capitalist, “fully non-bourgeois” retreat center and On-the-Fly Farms, an organic farm including a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Project. Last summer On-the-Fly Farm’s CSA sent fresh organic produce to 15 subscribers for 15 weeks. Much of that went to low-income people in Little Village centered around the liberation-oriented Amor de Dios church. On-the-Fly deliveries included information on political actions for subscribers to possibly participate in, including letter-writing campaigns in support of political prisoners such as Jalil Muntaqim and detained Kurdish immigrant Ibrahim Parlak (see related story in this issue). The CSA for this summer will be about double in size.
One of the primary goals of the Chicory Center is to make space available to those who might never have an opportunity to venture from the city, to those without the money or privileges needed to get out in the fields and valleys that can replenish us in trying times.
Various groups engaged in radical activism around Chicago have utilized the Chicory Center space for planning and retreats, ranging from day laborers from the Latino Union to the Stone Soup Co-op. A high point was a weekend retreat for over a dozen students in the Earth Science class at Pedro Albizu Campos High School and many of their parents, which featured a guided tour of the nearby Warren Dunes and a late night dance party.
Current projects also include supporting the creation of a justice-oriented community food project with activists Benton Harbory.
Unfortunately the current location of the Chicory Center, on a leased farm, is up in the air. As planting gets into full swing, new land is desperately needed to continue the Chicory Center and On-the-Fly Farms. Information on land available within 100 miles or so of Chicago would be greatly appreciated in helping this project to continue.
For more info cotact the Chiory Cenater at
chicorycenter@yahoo.com