The Wilder Way is an inquiry process guiding our decision making through our adventures. A return to “wilder ways” means embracing the emerging regenerative partnership paradigm as we disallow the degenerative conflict paradigm of recent centuries. This inquiry process guides us in choosing who, what, when, where and how we want to commit with our focus, money and influence. Rather than a black and white inquiry, The Wilder Way is a pragmatic & rhythmic approach infused with magical realism.

Philosophy: Shifting from Domination to Partnership

Partnership: Prosperity for All / Pleasure / Permaculture / Possibility / Presence

Domination: Destruction (Win/Lose) / Depression / Dictatorship / Delusional / Disassociation

The WILDER Way

W.I.S.E.
Indie
Localist
Diverse
Egalitarian
Right Relations

The first question we must ask: Is it WISE?

To consider the vibrancy of a particular offering, we assess the very basics while looking to folk practices, indigenous knowledge and our own deep knowing to inform our perspective. W.I.S.E. stands for:

• Wholeness Is this natural, minimally processed & supportive of wellness? Will it fill a void? Does it integrate well with our other offerings?
• Intuition Is the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, with the right people? Appreciation for place, seasonality, rhythm and readiness are reflected here. Discerning intuitive knowing against our culturally conditioned thinking around “should,” stereotypes and tradition is part of this process.
• Sustain-ability What are the risks? How safe is this? What are the environmental impacts? Is there a balance of profit and purpose here? What does the lifecycle look like? What support is in place to fund, create and share this? How much effort or resources will this take?
• Energetic Is there kindness, love and integrity here? How can it enhance collective joy? Is it the right thing to do? How can beauty or healing happen through this practice? Does this elicit enthusiasm?

Integrity

Dedicated to conscious consumption decisions, usually entailing a reduction in artificial, over-processed, factory & mass-produced. A shift away from the industrialized machine and back to the beauty of human-made. A rejection of cold conformity and an embrace of warm authenticity. A strong eye for inclusive practices, fairness, respect, and dignity for all is woven throughout.

Localist

A commitment to deepening our procurement from people and for products that share our ethos for social, environmental and economic justice in their community. With a deep commitment to placemaking, local is more than just miles traveled, it’s a consciousness.

Diverse

We don’t believe in putting all our eggs in one basket. We mix scalable projects with boutique offerings. We consider the synergy of a project with our other offerings but also appreciate the delightfully different.

Egalitarian

Does this serve the principles of fairness, parity & sovereignty? The governance of an enterprise along with the personal degree of connection shared with the grower, artisan or entrepreneur are valued. Family, indie, co-op, union, benefit, fair trade & direct trade models that lean towards a people-powered economy are preferred.

Right Relations

And finally, it’s not just what you do, it is how you do it. It matters how we treat one another through the process of engagement. The ends never justify the means. We do not support exploitative practices, cultural appropriation or objectification and do our best to continually educate ourselves and make appropriate decisions regarding this. We commit to anti-bullying, anti-racist, anti-sexist and pro-intersectional equality path.