Who We Are

Our Mission

Unite Pennsylvania’s rural and urban communities to build just, regenerative, and resilient regional economies that are
self-reliant in basic needs, in order to
increase community wealth and equity,
reduce and sequester carbons,
and prepare for climate change.

Our goals are to:

Connect

Connect urban and rural communities, farmers with entrepreneurs, investors with borrowers, producers with consumers, and engage them in a collaborative effort to build just, resilient, self-reliant regional economies throughout Pennsylvania.

Catalyze

Catalyze local supply chains producing basic needs for our region, while decreasing carbons and waste, restoring eco-systems, and increasing inclusion and economic justice. Catalyze social enterprises needed to complete supply chains and empower marginalized rural and urban communities.

Educate

Provide educational programming for the public, business owners, investors and legislators about the benefits of building self-reliant regional economies and increase the demand for local products. Model the values needed to transition to a Caring Economy, in which we value well-being over money.

Celebrate

Hold events that build our movement, celebrate local culture and express the joy of community.

We envision a Caring Economy where:

Independent, locally-owned businesses and farms comprise a network of prosperous regional economies throughout Pennsylvania.
Business ownership is spread broadly and reflects the demographics of the community. Living wage jobs employ our population in meaningful work where there is opportunity for everyone to contribute their skills and talents.
Resilient regional economies sustainably produce basic needs such as food, fuel and fiber, while exporting excess, and trading products, art and culture that are unique to our region for what is unique to other regions.
Our homes, businesses and transportation systems run on electricity produced by renewable energy. The use of fossil fuels - natural gas, coal and oil - has been eliminated and our poisoned and degraded lands and waters have been restored.
Regenerative agriculture practices, including robust compost systems, produce healthy food, build nutrient-rich soil and sequester carbon. Animal factories have been eliminated, replaced by pasture-based systems that work in harmony with nature and provide for the well-being of farm animals. Consumption of meat and animal products has been greatly reduced and replaced by plant-based proteins.
Locally grown and processed plant medicine have reduced the need for imported pharmaceutical products.
Industrial hemp provides the fiber for much of our clothing. Plastic has been replaced by biodegradable hemp products. Hemp milk, oil, flour and seeds are staples in our diet. Locally produced hempcrete is a common building material.
Waste has been largely eliminated by reducing packaging, using biodegradable and reusable products, and by creating local businesses that make use of recycled materials, as well as linking waste outputs of some businesses to the inputs of others.
Our young people find meaningful jobs and opportunities to start businesses that are needed by their communities.
Independent business ownership and local culture give unique character to urban and rural communities, supporting a robust tourism industry.
We are part of a global economy comprised of a network of regional economies connected by fair trade relationships.
Our eco-systems and wildlife habitats have been restored and we are proud to leave a vibrant and thriving natural environment to sustain future Pennsylvanians.

What We Value in a Caring Economy

Cooperation and Generosity

Sharing our knowledge and resources with others is essential to addressing the challenge of climate change and advancing human evolution to a higher consciousness. By ending fear of not having enough for ourselves, we can move from a worldview of domination and violence to one of partnership and peace, from competition to collaboration, from individualism to community, from hoarding to sharing, and from fear to love.

Local Business Ownership

Decentralized business ownership spreads wealth and power broadly, creates local character, culture and identity, and builds local resilience and self-reliance. We value independent ownership, as well as cooperative ownership – consumer, worker and producer cooperatives – and public ownership of the commons, including wild lands and utilities such as water.

Regional Self-Reliance

Local production of basic needs increases community wealth, builds local resiliency, and decreases dependency on long-distance supply chains easily disrupted by increasingly chaotic weather, pandemics, cyber warfare, and social upheaval.

Small-to-Small and Fair Trade

Supplementing local production with small-batch, artisan products made in other regions increases variety, provides cultural exchange and builds a network of cooperative regional economies. What’s not available regionally, such as coffee, chocolate and tropical fruits, is imported through fair trade relationships that benefit the communities where products originate.

Economic Justice

Providing business opportunities and meaningful living wage jobs for economically marginalized populations, such as small farmers, entrepreneurs of color, women, former fossil fuel workers, the underemployed, veterans and returning citizens, builds stronger economies and more resilient, healthier and happier communities.

Healthy Eco-Systems

Our lives and the lives of future generations depend on protecting and regenerating our natural environment, including topsoil, air, rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and aquifers, woods and forests, wildlife and other species. Our local economic systems must work in harmony with our eco-systems.