"Crop mob is a group of landless and wannabe farmers who come together to build and empower communities by working side by side. Activities like planting, harvesting, processing, and barn raising often required the collective effort of entire communities. As farming became more mechanized and reliant on petroleum based inputs, it became a more independent and solitary career. Today in the industri
al farming system a few people may manage hundreds or even thousands of acres. While nationwide the number of farms and farmers has dwindled, right now there is a surge of new sustainable small farms. These farms are growing diversified crops on small acreage, using only low levels of mechanization, and without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. This is a much more labor intensive way of farming that brings back the need for community participation. Many crop mobbers are apprentices or interns on these sustainable farms. The need for community participation matches a desire for community among people interested in farming. The crop mob was conceived as a way of building the community necessary to practice this kind of agriculture and to put the power to muster this group in the hands of our future food producers. Any crop mobber can call a crop mob to do the kind of work it takes a community to do. We work together, share a meal, play, talk, and make music. No money is exchanged. This is the stuff that communities are made of."
