In 2023, TLC continued to work on several food solidarity and political education projects.

We took advantage of a cold, snowy winter to bring together a reading group studying mutual aid and dual power. We met every two weeks in a group of nearly 20 people from mutual aid projects across the city for lively discussions informing our future work and relationships. 

As spring arrived, we moved back outside and built 12 garden beds for neighbors and community groups out of lumber salvaged from dismantled pallets. We used funds from our winter fundraiser to purchase soil and compost. Through the growing season, we helped three community garden projects shore up their onsite composting systems. We also connected teams of home gardeners to nearby community food distribution sites and delivered nearly 20 pounds of produce each week.

Throughout 2023, we were able to put much of what we've learned in the past into practice and scale up our projects relationally and sustainably. We reaped many of the benefits of our slow and deliberate building. That said, at times we struggled to respond to all of the community requests we were receiving. As the year comes to a close, we are looking to continue growing our collective so that we have more capacity to respond and perspectives to build from in the years to come. 

We will begin 2024 with another reading group and come together for further political education. We have plans to print and distribute multiple zines about building compost systems and starting seeds. Throughout the growing season, we will put what we learned last year into practice and continue to build upon our bed-building and food distribution projects, hoping to demonstrate the power and potential in autonomous, resilient local food systems.