The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance

This is maybe an aside to the point of the essay, but I've never quite understood why the serviceberry hasn't been domesticated as a crop. Varieties get bred as ornamentals, and those often produce volumes of berries, but you don't see them being sold as food.

I've always had this sense that there could be a lot more food diversity today than there is. This might have some ecological advantages, to the extent some of those plants might be better adapted to certain niche conditions that might be difficult to breed other plants for.

Somewhat depending on your perspective on the source of our wealth, this article reinforces the idea that what we produce out of the earth is a gift - not solely a result of our labor - and as such, should not be hoarded or exclusively sold. Call it what you like - sharing, gifting, tithing, relationship-building, valuing people over things - it's a practice that's much in need today.