Monday, August 02, 2010

Summer table



I almost never remember to post these before the season is over, but this is what things look like over here. There's actually not a lot of nature on this table. The little yellow flowers are from our mustard greens in the garden. The rocks are ones we collected when we went swimming in the river with friends. We carried them back through the forest to their old farmhouse and spent hours polishing them by hand. And the tiny blue eggshells the kids discovered somewhere around here.



The kids helped me pick this lovely bouquet from the little Blumen field down the street. We have many self-serve flower gardens here. They come equipped with knives and/or scissors, a price list, and a metal box for paying. It warms my heart that people here still rely (and CAN rely) on the honor system. We often buy our produce from local farmers by the honor system as well.

Of course this would never go down well in the States. First of all, and sadly, someone would take advantage. Second, knives and scissors... just sitting out there on a table in the middle of a field? Our laws wouldn't permit it. Such a liability!! I wonder if Switzerland is able to do it this way because of the mandated health insurance? They have forest kindergartens, and in grade school kids often have field trips to the forest where they are allowed to bring pocket knives for cutting branches. Imagine the uproar in the states if we had that!?!

Why are things so different here? And does the honor system still exist in the States? The only time I ever encountered it was at a tiny pottery and salve shop in Utah-- they had the loveliest wood-fired pottery. I remember hearing that they also sold hand salve to the Dalai Lama. :) I bet they have some interesting karmic tales to tell.

8 comments:

  1. perfect!!!! I love your festivity stand, too:)
    very inspirational, as always:)

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  2. Very pretty and summery! I actually just changed our table a bit for August, the girls helped.

    I would love to have a flower farm like that to visit!

    Guess what... we get our hay for the horses on "honor system". If no one is there we just leave the money with a little note and how many bales we took. Isn't that nice...

    Sara, would you like to email me? I can't find your address and I am never able to reply to your comments. It would be nice to get to chat a bit more. (My email address is somewhere on my blog, or profile...)

    Hope you are having a wonderful day in that beautiful country you get to call home for now!
    Renee :)

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  3. I adore the nature table...it made me so happy! Beautiful!! And the festivity stand is lovely...wish it was mine!

    You gave me something to think about: the honour system...hmmm, never thought that it could be any different from the one you describe from Switzerland...hmmm...I live in a suberian area and some people sell whatever vegetables/fruits/flowers they have left in front of their houses. No one would ever steal the money..well, maybe a kid would(who would love to buy some sweets)..but kids are kids...

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  4. So the honor system is alive and well in Denmark (oh, it sounds idyllic there!), and Colorado when you buy hay. :) And now I'm remembering a bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, England... something like the 50 pence shop. I love the honor-system.

    And thanks for the lovely comment on our table, everyone. Aputsiaq, they sell the festivity stand in Europe at livipur.de --We've only had it for two seasons now, and I'm still in love with it.

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  5. There is a small Biodynamic farm in north San Diego county that does the honor system. It's the only one I've ever seen and isn't it ironic that it's run by Waldorf people! :)
    Beautiful flowers!!

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  6. Anonymous7:21 PM

    We've seen roadside veggie stands (obviously grown in someone's backyard, the stands are that small) both in DE and in IN that work on the honor system. In fact, there's a house fairly close to where we live (btwn New Unionville and Unionville, I think) where you can cut/buy peonies on the honor system.

    I don't know about kindergarteners, but the boys just recently got involved in a nature program (Tanya O's son has been doing it for 3 yrs now) that has the kids bring pocket knives and learn to cut and whittle things for outdoor survival. I was more worried about it than the nice folks who lead this program are. LOL!

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  7. Honor system produce stands are quite common in the states actually.

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  8. The honour system would probably not work in most cities but would it not in the country still? I am in Australia and a lot of our local farmers have vegies out the front of their homes with a box to leave money in. I think its lovely. I live in a semi rural area so there is still a lot of people that would more than likely help themselves but there are also a lot of honest folks out there too.

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