Definition of Gossamer

• The Butterfly Effect and On Gossamer Wings.
That tiny changes in input can quickly create an overwhelmingly different output; a tipping point.

• The thin gauzy sheer, usually imperceptible veil between the worlds
linking ordinary human existence with the infinite network of all life.

• A fine film of cobwebs (metaphor for the infinite network).

“All of creation is sacred and alive, each part connected to each other part, each communicating in a creative cooperative commerce in which the smallest and the largest are equally involved.”
— Codicils by Jane Roberts

 “Every time you wink the stars move.” — Emerson

The Gossamer Foundation Mission Statement

The mission of Gossamer Foundation is to promote sustainability. This mission is based on the fact that our planet Earth is comprised of living ecosystems that have specific criteria and interrelated life-sytems that allow local flora and fauna life to thrive. Preservation is not enough; we must also strive for restoration.

Our vision is to help provide training, skills and information that will help achieve ecological balance and sustainable development for current, and succeeding generations such that individuals, communities, and institutions gain the capability to be ecologically and economically self-sustainable.

Gossamer Foundation supports projects and activities that primarily focus on enabling local agriculture; this is our first priority. Such activities will promote local and regional sustainable food production systems grown by small acreage family farms and gardeners. These projects are intended to help revitalize urban agriculture as part of the solution to many of the problems our society faces today, including the health care crisis, nutritional poverty, top soil degradation, loss of biodiversity and other environmental problems.

Local foods can help decrease carbon footprints and the oil input requirements of large-scale, long-distance monoculture commercial foods. This will help decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, while at the same time improve the quality of our nutrition, health, environment, emergency preparedness and national security.

There is a back to the land movement happing all across American; and it's happening in backyards. The call to Occupy Backyards fits in with reclaiming stainability and self-security for individuals, families, communities and our country. The Pay it Forward practice is a strong component of Gossamer Foundation projects. This not only leverages the projects goals, but expands and fosters the reality that by helping others, we also help ourselves.

The Gossamer's top priority projects are:

1. The Chickens and You Training Series. This multi-level training provides intensive hands-on experience and information about not only how to raise and keep chickens, but even more importantly how to employ them in diversified small-scale food production systems. These food production systems can be used to employ poultry power in kitchen gardens, community gardens, congregational flocks, group homes, family farms, schools, correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers and other service oriented organizations.

2. The Coop Crops. The Coop Corps (CC) is a local network of volunteers who help organize, select and build appropriate chicken housing for qualified families or groups. The CC facilitates providing birds and local support for those who might not otherwise be able to have chickens. It's objective is to get folks involved with keeping a family flock and starting growing some of their food. Coop Corps Volunteers help coordinate the Chicken Stimulus Package Coop Corps members help establish and run local Poultry and Garden Clubs for ongoing educational and networking meetings.

3. The Chicken Stimulus Package (CSP) establishes and provides networks to help make available heritage birds. Just as there are species of livestock threatened with extinction, so to there are breeds of heritage poultry that are in danger of becoming extinct. The CSP networks help create access, awareness and markets for heritage poultry. Participants include major hatcheries as well as Breed-specific poultry clubs and individual breeders. These individuals and companies make available:
• Fertile eggs for incubation—including for school projects
• Baby chicks
• Pullets (young female chickens)
• Non-commercial Cornish Cross meat birds

Another goal of the Chicken Stimulus Package is to assist first-time chicken owners with their family flock. The goal is to help jump-start first-time chicken keepers with knowledge and experience about chickens, and have support group to give advice on how to humanely and properly keep and employ their flock. CSP recipients are expected to then "Pay it Forward" by help others get started with a family flock and perhaps help with gardening. Many CSP recipients join, or help start, local Poultry and Garden Clubs.

4. Poultry and Garden Clubs. Something special happens when you get poultry people with gardeners. Club members feel a synergy and experience the cutting-edge of discovery. Every meeting has something educational about poultry and/or gardening.

Before long, the poultry people are putting in raised beds, small orchards. They are helping get the garden group their first coops and chickens.

Simultaneously, the garden group is seed-swapping and sharing cuttings with the poultry people, who are experiencing growing edibles for the first time; green thumbs and eggs abound for all.

 

We also offer consulting & custom programs in the areas of:
• Chickens Toward Zero Waste
• Chickens in School Programs
• Chickens in Community Gardens
• Getting Chickens Legal in Your City, Town or Homeowner's Association
• Animal Control and Police Chicken Handling Workshop
• Chickens and YOU Trainer Training