In Chelsea MI, we stayed for four nights with our friend, the fantastic Scott Knies, aka. Brother Red Squirrel. He’s a musician, nomadic soul, resting for a period, connected with kinfolk in Michigan and now learning the venue side of things.
Scott lives in an small intentional community, in a big ol house, on a large property with a pond, in the middle of no where. He invited us to perform for a few days at Back to the Roots, a venue and sushi restaurant. Which we were happy about but even more delighted to be invited into and connect with his community.
We pulled down the long driveway, anticipating our next few days. We were welcomed by 5 of the most beautiful little souls you could ever meet. The boys ranged from 3-9yrs old and they were full of energy and questions. They were enthusiastic and wanted to know everything about our bus and who we were and where we’d been. They shared all sorts of stories about their pond and dog and knowledge of the reptiles.
We slowly found our way into the house and meet Susei and the rest of the crew. They welcomed us and we joined them for a meal. The weekend was filled with encouraging and spirit filled words, song and story.
We also learned that “Back to the Roots” was more than a venue/restaurant. It’s one communities way of using commerce to help those in poverty and need. They are our global/local neighbor and use their profits and resources to rescue and restore the vulnerable. These are the voiceless children, sex trafficking victims, and other poverty-stricken and enslaved people around the world. They are a multi-faceted fair trade company and use many avenues to sell fair trade products as well as raise awareness and funds for social justice issues.support a number of non-profit, groups and organizations.
Check out their mission at http://backtotheroots.org
Tillers & Travelers 