"Why FOOGS Again?"

[Ty Mellon]

People ask me what FOOGS.org is about, what we do and why we exist, The reason that I started FOOGS originally was for my kids to see where their food comes from, get them gardening and help them establish a connection to their food source. I extended it with my personal life mission which is the following:

"To help people increase their quality of life by showing them how to work with the Earth to provide for themselves and their families."

Well, I'm proud to say that this little idea of mine has taken off! I have to give HUGE thanks to my business partners, without whom it would NOT be where it is today and where it is heading for the future. So as we grow, the question comes up: "Why FOOGS.org again?"

Let's look at what is happening in our culture. People are CRAVING connection. Take Facebook, which is arguably one of the most relevant social phenomina of our time. People can talk about anything with just a click, from their computers or phones, at home or at work. We leverage Facebook at FOOGS.org and with very little effort, we have gained approximately 3500 members or "friends" or "likers" or whatever term the kids use these days :).

However, this type of virtual connection, while important for reestablishing previous relationships or growing networks or immediate viral promotion and advertising, does not necessarily serve our need for physical, tactile, MEANINGFUL contact with each other as humans. I believe that FOOGS does, and our members and enthusiasts validate my belief everyday . By putting people in contact with one another, we are helping serve that meaningful need for contact. By putting people in contact with one another to help each other work with the Earth to provide for ourselves, our families, friends and communities we are serving that need as well as reaching and accommodating a more primal need that many of us typically take for granted: A healthy, plentiful food source.

There are few more rewarding endeavors than using our hands to create or sustain life. especially when we can do it with our kids, our family, our friends, our communities and teach them sustainable life skills. To put our hands in the Earth and plant seeds, turn soil, water plants and grow our own food or raise our own animals in ANY amount or ANY environment is simply one of the most primally reqarding things we as increasingly "virtual" creatures can do. And the great thing is, it doesn't matter whether we occupy a large plot of land serving as a farm, or a suburban tract home on a small 1/10 or 1/25 acre lot (The most common sizes) or an urban condo or apartment. It can be done anywhere at anytime and it is intensely and simultaneously satisfying, frustrating, liberating and freeing.

One of the unforeseen things that is really gaining momentum with us is OUR OWN sense of connection. In doing this, we have really gathered solid partnerships with like-minded, albeit structurally different organizations such as various "food bank" groups. A few of these types of organizations that come to mind are: Sustainable Food Centers, Whole Kids Adventure (http://wholekidsadventure.org), Hogg Heaven Urban Farm, the Media Diversity Council (http://mediacommunicationscouncil.org), The Austin Growers Guild (http://austingrowersguild.wordpress.com), Organic Gardening Centers such as The Natural Gardener (http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com), Food Renewed (http://www.foodrenewed.com), and many others. By installing garden beds for individuals and groups, we have helped MANY people start on the path to self sustainability and connection to their food source. Although we are based in Austin and have our roots here, our reach is growing nationally and internationally and I look forward to all the meaningful relationships we are cultivating in order to expand our mission and positively impact thousands of lives.


So why FOOGS again? What we at FOOGS.org hope to do is provide a sense of connection and support between people and their communities, whatever form those communities take. We want to help people increase the sense of satisfaction that comes from CREATION and INTERACTION rather than simple, unrewarding consumption of goods and services that turn out to be mere "shiny objects" that serve no higher purpose. And in that, I believe that no higher purpose can be served.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you think that what we are doing makes sense. We need people that like what we are doing and we want to spread the word!

Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support!

Ty Mellon
CEO, Founder
FOOGS.org - For Our Own Goods
[e-mail]

[Kenneth Lander]

Ty,

What you are doing makes real common sense. You are right. We all crave connection. Oh, how we have lost the connection to our fellow neighbor and to the land. Society is becoming much less grounded. We feel like we are in a balloon, and have lost control and are trying to grab a connection back to where and how our grandparents and great-grandparents once lived. You know that I move to Costa Rica to find that reconnection through the production of coffee. We eat almost exclusively what is raised on Finca Flor Mar including our coffee. In your words, "by putting people in contact with one another to help each other work with the Earth to provide for ourselves, our families, friends and communities we are serving that need as well as reaching and accommodating a more primal need that many of us typically take for granted: A healthy, plentiful food source." I am so grateful to be a part of your movement, and for FOOGS to be a part of our sustainable coffee movement as well. Thanks, Ken Lander
San Rafael Sustainable Coffee Initiative www.gourmet-coffee-costa-rica.com