The group of women in the Appalachian area who barter tend to have full food pantry's nearly all the time. Bartering is thought of as trading something for something else needed, usually commodies. Bartering can be life sustaining for rural poor or poverty stricken areas. Maybe it is this condition of poverty that has lead this community to revive the bartering business. Successful bartering takes well thought out plans. Women will question what they really need and what they can trade to their neighbor. To be fair, the women ask themselves will what they trade really be what their neighbor needs. This is a trustworthy community spirit of livelihood necessities. This business adventure was an eye opener when results were seen. The women need to take inventory of their food supplies every month or when they schedule to do shopping. During this inventory process they take into account if visitors will be coming and also the weather conditions in winter months.
Usually there will be one driver and this is talked about between and among all of them. All pitch in to help pay gas or barter some food. The car that gets the best gas mileage will be the one taken. This town shopping is talked about for awhile before actual group shopping begins. As a woman picks her food she may be buying for a neighbor only to barter this item for something the neighbor has that she needs but can't afford. This same woman may not have enough money to buy the item she actually wants or needs but knows the bartering system will relieve this need. Usually every woman will check their staples like flour, meal, butter, and milk, before checking other items. The staples can go a long way for life sustaining measures when needed. Foods like beans, rice, and can greens are on the list.
These food items contain protein and minerals that are needed. The remaining items are then checked and replaced. Some will barter for meat. One month beef might be the meat protein of choice. The next month it might be pork or chicken. It's not unthinkable that there have been times that families could eat off the same slab of meat if large enough. Meals can be cooked in like manner. For example, one family might be having vegetables and ham for supper. Another family might be having vegetable soup from the week leftovers. The families can interchange food during these meals so both families can have vegetables, ham and soup.
There are community or family gardens planted in the spring with produce that lasts late into the fall of the year. Should someone in the community not be able to garden they will barter fresh vegetables for maybe a piece of meat. Usually the thought of accepting charity may not be highly regarded. The idea of "I got to trade for it," is usually the thought of the community mentality.
Truly this financial business bartering idea keeps the family fed and the costs down. Even though gas prices are inflated these women keep those prices down by doing a well thought out shopping plan and car pool on these visits. There have been times when visiting in the Appalachians these women would give us food to take home. One woman said she lived on nearly six hundred dollars a month and said she had never had it so good. This same woman give us food to take home with us. Not taking the food would have offend her. This community of women continues to have a hearty pantry full of food. With current economic talks of a possible recession, one might question the community spirit of bartering to better their own economic status.
Geri F. Brewster
Geri F. Brewster is a registered nurse and an adjunct instructor at Ivy Tech College. Geri also spends some of her time in the summer working in the Appalachians in health ministry. She is also a Parish Nurse.
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