Cuatro Caminos Collective

I. Meaningful Work

Meaningful work is one of the most important things we can impart to children. Meaningful work is
work that is autonomous. Work that is complex, that occupies your mind. And work where there is a
relationship between effort and reward — for everything you put in, you get something out… If you are
convinced that the work you are doing is meaningful, then curiosity, there’s no cost to it. If you think
there’s always got to be a connection between what you put in and what you get out, then of course
you’ll run off with a great excitement after an idea that catches your idea.
Malcolm Gladwell
It is our belief that people can create the communities that they envision and that everyone has
something of value to contribute to this end. We strive to transform places and relationships through
meaningful work. We need more than just green jobs – we need work that is fulfilling and educational,
that nourishes community health and renews community spaces. We can provide these meaningful
opportunities and empower change, locally, through our work in creating local food systems.

II. Wholesome Local Food

Medicine and food are of the same sauce.
The Yellow Emperor's
Classic of Internal Medicine

Our nation is in the midst of a health and healthcare crisis. Obesity and heart disease are epidemic, and
it is apparent that one of the root causes of these problems lies in the food that we eat and how we
prepare it. At the same time, we face a farming crisis: there are less and less farmers and fewer and
fewer farms; input costs are spiraling out of control; our soils are washing away; and our waters are
polluted with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Most people have lost their connection to the land and
the nurturing, traditional acts of growing and preparing food, as our food travels from further away and
often arrives as a processed, packaged commodity.
Cuatro Caminos envisions the creation of a new, wholesome food culture in the United States that will
sustain our bodies, our environment, and our communities. We are committed to helping communities
grow and consume their own traditional foods. This one action can help reduce obesity and heart
disease by providing healthy food choices to communities while also promoting more cardiovascular
activity among sedentary groups of people, especially our youth. At the same time, by growing locally
and sustainably, Cuatro Caminos will offer a chance for urban communities to reconnect with their
food system and culture, as we contribute to keeping our air, water, soil, and bodies clean and healthy.
III. Appropriate Technology
Ever bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever
greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are a denial of wisdom.
Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology towards the organic, the gentle, the non-
violent, the elegant and beautiful.

E.F. Schumacher
Cuatro Caminos will use growing methods that are minimally invasive and work with nature to help
meet community needs. We will strive to use and promote a variety of low-impact techniques such as
open-pollinated seeds, water conservation, polyculture planting, sheet mulching, simple hand tools and
small machinery whenever possible.
Furthermore, we seek to function as a community clearinghouse for simple technology that can be
applied to minimize unnecessary work, conserve precious resources, and give more people the
opportunity for meaningful work. Examples include: simple photo voltaic setups to run limited
appliances, bio-diesel, vermiculture, aquaponics, and bicycle powered produce delivery.

IV. Inter-generational/Cross-cultural Dialogue and Cooperation

If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of
human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift
will find a fitting place.

Margaret Mead

The San Gabriel Valley is made up of a racially and ethnically diverse population. Too often,
communities remain separate, and miss the opportunity to connect. In addition, there is a good deal of
age segregation in our society, and we are losing some of the secrets and stories of the older
generations. Cuatro Caminos recognizes the wealth of experience and gifts across cultures and age
groups, and envisions a connected social fabric that honors all cultures and life stages. To this end, we
endeavor to make eating, growing, and preparing food a participatory community act that unites not
only farmer, cook, and consumer, but also our unique ethnic communities, as well as youth, elders, and
everyone in between. Through promoting true community food systems, we will find opportunities for
connection at community meals, community gardens, work exchange parties, workshops, and through
modern day apprenticeships and mentorships.
To build healthy communities, we cannot simply provide seeds or gardening spaces. We must search in
our collective memory for recipes and culturally appropriate modes of preparation. We can celebrate
food in feasts, family events, and community dinners.