Crucial Reading This Week

The nonstick pot wars, a pesticide banned and another cleared for use, the founder of Everlane launches a new brand.

Secondhand Carhartt cotton pants, boots from a swap, an old cotton button down.

This past week, I went viral on Substack. I posted about how I had started a group chat in my area for young-ish folks, and it had led to a beautiful day helping a new friend on the farm alongside other friends. She repaid me with head-sized lilies and a literal bushel of produce. I now have dill oil cubes and garden lettuce pesto and vegetable stock in the freezer, and I’ve eaten more veggies this past week than the whole past month!

This—this work of gathering and helping and asking for help—is how I stay grounded when the news overwhelms. Because is it really “catastrophizing” if the threat of everything falling apart is real? No, but spinning out isn’t helpful either. Neither is hoarding or putting up fences in fear. One therapist’s suggestion: Switch from, “How bad is it????” to: “Given what I understand, what can I do?”

There is so much I’ve been able to do, even if I can’t control the EPA, or far-off wars, or federal funding for national parks. I’ve connected with my neighbors, planted native flowers, taken cooking and hunting classes, and gotten outside into nature whenever I can. Instead of trying to save the world, I’m trying to eat and save all the veggies before they wilt—a small but good triumph. I take a break from my own chores to help others, and become revitalized. I listen to Vermont Public in the app in the morning, which talks about the local representatives wrestling with local budget issues and hometown heroes doing hometown things. Truly, state politics is so much more digestible (as I’ve talked about before).

I even switched from only writing about fashion’s global supply chain (largely outside of my control!) for large publications to writing for this Substack community about things you can do to reduce your exposure. During the week, I work for a local wildlife research nonprofit. Welcoming in new volunteers, going out to help look for butterflies and loons, and getting our research into Vermont policy makers’ hands has given me a sense of purpose that feels so far away from the algorithm and hustle of influencing.

Has this transition from big city reporter to rural community member been hard and frustrating at times? Yes. I’ve been confused and disappointed by the people who don’t show up in the way I expected, and pushed to the point of breaking by my failures. But that is the point! Being a part of my community and learning new skills has given me a sense of resilience. Like, I can do hard things. I can handle a crisis. I can learn new skills. I know who to call for help.

So, what can you do to get your hands dirty with friend and family this month? Can you start a group chat with your neighbors where people can ask to borrow tools? Can you organize a hike, take a sewing or textile dyeing class, plant some native flowers, sign up for a CSA, invite someone over for tea? Yes, you can. And that is a wonderful thing.

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Natural Clothing News

I had a lovely conversation with Kylah Smook of the podcast Did We Just Say That? this week about toxic chemicals in clothing.

The founder of Everlane is launching a new brand. (I didn’t visit his new website though because my computer told me it’s dangerous. You too?)

Some of you said last week that you like Faherty is a quality, natural brand. Well, you can now shop Faherty and Pacsun resale in their IRL stores.