Agraria_Journal_Summer_2022

AGRARIA JOURNAL 2022 23 Fellowship, in 2021. During those 28 weeks, I relived long- gone family experiences and bonded with others striving to share Earth wisdom. At near-70, I have come to recognize when I am “pot bound,”when I need to stretch out and continue growing. Being asked to be Agraria’s first artist-in-residence was indeed that “new pot”! It has been an honor to work along staff who recognize how important story-sharing and storytelling are, that they are the foundational elements of community building. A shared story forms a shared identity; and, through writing workshops and story performance, I get to weave a garment for a non- contiguous community of Earth stewards. I relish having a nearby rural landscape that offers solace for my heart and inspiration for my soul. When asked about church affiliation, I reply that I’m a member of the Church of Dirt; working the soil is a meditative practice for me. The poem with the same name on page 25 was written during my first Dayton summer Residents from Greene, Clark and Montgomery counties shared their stories as part of Story Collection project led by Omopé Carter Daboiku. Their stories were audio recorded and made into a digital anthology. The series was funded by an Ohio Arts Council grant. when I was growing food around the bricks of my apartment patio. I think of the poem now as a prophetic indicator of where my life was headed. Ase'! Omop é Carter Daboiku, a storyteller, writer, and educator is Agraria’s first artist-in-residence and Farm Manager of Edgemont Solar Garden in Dayton, Ohio. BOB HUSTON AMY HARPER DENNIE EAGLESON