JarSquad is a way to organise the various things you need to be able to preserve, process, trade and redistribute a glut.
+++++
Although it is possible to complete all of the steps involved in making a JarSquad solo, it is so much easier when you find at least one other person to start with!
Ingredients:
- Interested People
- Glass Jars
- Surplus Fruit & Veg
- Sugar, Spice & Other Ingredients
- Skills & Know-How
- Equipment
- Time
- Space
- Care
What kinds of things do you need to get started?
The first steps towards setting up your own JarSquad are to do with gathering – gathering interested people, glass jars, surplus fruit & veg, sugar, spice & other ingredients, skills & know-how, equipment, time & space.
You can collect & gather the things you need in any order – so long as your find ways to store them! We’ve tried to make the process as simple as possible by breaking it down into small chunks.
The second step is about organising all of these different resources, so that you can access them at the right time to be able to preserve, process, trade and redistribute a glut. We use the JarSquad Exchange Rate to make things easier.
Finding interested people…
We’ve found that by starting to ask other people for help with gathering things like glass jars and surplus fruit & veg that interested people are attracted to being part of our JarSquad too. People are a very important part of making all of this work!!!
Method:
Start gathering glass jars
This is one of the easiest steps – you can probably start today!
Start gathering surplus fruit & veg
Here’s our top tips about how to find surplus fruit & veg where you are…
Start gathering sugar & other ingredients
This one might be more tricky, and where we start to think about things outside of our circular system…
Start gathering skills & know-how
This is another one you can start today – right here online…
Start gathering equipment
Most of the equipment you’ll need for preserving fruit & vegetables is pretty easy to find – you might even have everything you need in your kitchen already!
Time & space
Depending on your own circumstances, you may or may not have access to the time & space you need to get started…
Looking after your JarSquad
Care is a key ingredient of establishing, growing and maintaining your JarSquad.
Taking care of the people, the food, and the ecosystem that your JarSquad is part of are very important to its success!
This includes things like:
- the pleasures and the responsibilities harvesting with care (not take all the apples, berries or nuts when out foraging, making sure you don’t damage natural habitats, and returning energy to the earth through processes like composting etc)
- the importance of creating caring environments (with space & time for rest, helping new social relationships to develop, creating your own JarSquad radio!)
- and thinking about what YOUR particular JarSquad needs to feel cared for (this might include things like accessible spaces, low barriers to entry, and making events child-friendly for those with caring responsibilities)