Mother’s Trading Circle

Below is an email that I received from Mother Media on a topic that I have been wondering about lately. Remember local currencies? The seemed to pop up everywhere back in the 90’s. Since the economic dive lately I had been thinking of those currencies and when they might begin popping up again. Well, here is one beginning now and it seems like a great spin on the old paper system. It seems like a great use for those online social networks too.

Lets see what happens . . . will I see you there?

For some time now I have pondered ways to end the subversion of humanity and Earth by the International Banking Syndicate and its bloody “Federal Reserve Notes.” I started out by studying alternative currencies like Ithaca’s Hours (Santa Fe once had them too) and Western Massachusetts’ Berkshares. Although these experiments are largely functional and excellent demonstrations of local sovereignty – a critical political concept for our times – there are several barriers to uptake with local currencies.

The first one, which is universally applicable, is the difficulty encountered when any individual must change allegiances. Certainly many people resent the requirement to use Federal Reserve Notes for basic commercial interchange, but just as many or more will find it difficult or inconvenient to work with the vagaries of an untested version of the same paper system.

I’m a believer in fiat currency, where the only underpinning is “the full faith and credit of the people,” although I would happily peg any currency to a basket of easily produced commodities / services with ethical limitations on hoarding. The best quote I’ve heard on fiat currency goes like this: “If your government mismanages your fiat currency, get a new government.”

But I’m not tied to the recreation of a fiat currency system as the only possible expression of sovereignty. There are many other ways, one being the reintroduction of barter and the trading circle.

I went to visit an intentional community in Tijeras recently. One of the members told me of the time when he organized an eight-way trade. He had a printing press, he needed a septic system. By connecting those who needed with those who had, needs were served without a single “note” changing hands.

I like that. It emphasizes products and services rather than means of exchange. It gets people thinking about the needs of their community, rather than numeric pathways between receivable and payables.

I’d like to see the development of trading circles. They need not be strictly local, but can be based loosely around any organization or interest group. The main feature of a trading circle is an information network including the needs and wants in specific of those in the circle.

I like to use baseball cards as the metaphor, perhaps because I have more experience trading baseball cards than I do anything else, even though I quit twenty-five years ago. On the trading circle card you have a picture, then on the back you have the stats, namely the needs and wants of the individual, family or community pictured on the front. Cool no?

It would be the perfect internet social networking application.

I confess that I developed the trading circle idea because I need it. I’m not inspired to accumulate Federal Reserve Notes. What I do love to do is serve the community. I do this with the Green Palace Tea Room and the Sun News in my hometown Santa Fe and with my international writing and activism. Although I don’t expect that my landlords will join the trading circle immediately, in other words I don’t expect the trading circle to eliminate my need for Federal Reserve Notes, I do plan to use it for community commercial interactions.

So without further ado, let me introduce Mother’s Trading Circle and its founding member, Leland Lehrman. Below please find the two basic lists there will be for each member, What I’ve Got and What I Need. A third list, What I Want (Dreams, Goals) also makes sense.

• ** What I Have (For You)

Organic Food, Tea, Herbs, Knowledge of the Aforementioned, A Place for your Event in Downtown Santa Fe, Gift Certificates – all at the Green Palace Teahouse, Santa Fe, NM. 209 E. Palace Ave, (505) 983-2239

The Sun News, a 24-32 page full color newspaper, 10,000 copies every two weeks from Albuquerque to Taos, NM and worldwide on the internet at http://thesun-news. Advertising space and/or column inches are available for trade or part-trade based on the rate sheet at http://thesun-news/rates.htm and in person negotiation.

Writing, editing, activism and computer skills. Web site development and issue-based organizing for quality ecological, political or agricultural causes.

Vegetable and Flower Seed: Parsnip, Parsley and Spinach available now, calendula, cosmos and carrot coming soon.
Capable farmer-gardener assistance.

• ** What I Need

Help with Housework and Family (occasional care for various children ages 7 months to 7 years.) A houseful of kids can get daunting at times. Sometimes I feel like I just need someone to help me organize, put away, clean and so on.

Raw Food Cuisine. Organic (Especially Local) Food. Big family, big community, want the best for all.

Help With Green Palace (promotion, clean-up, maintenance). The Green Palace is in a phase where it needs to get better publicity and more buzz. People love the ambiance, the integrity, the peace, the tea and the food, but we need to compete better in the advertising realm to remind people of where we are, what we have and what we’re about.

Help with the Sun News, various trade positions available for delivery, website help, and especially ad sales, cash commissions also possible.

So there you have it. Anyone else want to join the circle? Have suggestions about how to do it? I believe there is already something like this going on online at freecycle.org and of course Craig’s List, although I’m more interested in actually having a physical place and time where Members of the Circle can come together to discuss needs, haves and whatever else is going on. In fact, let’s set a date for the first event. I really enjoyed the Generosity Sunday event put on by the Network of Spiritual Progressives.
What say, this Saturday afternoon. That should be a good time, after the farmer’s market, after lunch.
So here’s the Event Info:
Saturday August 9th, from 2pm on at The Green Palace, 209 E. Palace, 2 blocks from the Santa Fe Plaza across the street from Cathedral Park. (505) 983-2239. See you there. Leave messages for me at (505) 982-3609