Ever since 2008, local pastor Craig Goodwin and his family have been proving that it is possible to live simply and live well using only food that was produced in Eastern Washington and Idaho.
Goodwin's blog, "Year of Plenty", began as a record of his family's experiences as they spent a year trying to move away from consumerism and develop a new way of living. At the beginning of what Goodwin calls their experiment, they outlined a plan that would help them do things such as buying things locally, learning how to produce their own food and other goods and "going green" by using less water and fuel. The Goodwins also agreed to buy products from one foreign country that had a need they could address somehow. They chose Thailand, partly because Goodwin's wife Nancy had done missionary work in the country before and she wanted to learn more about how to help the people there.
Four years later, the Goodwins still do things like using their backyard to grow their own vegetables and raise chickens.
"We continue with a lot of things from that experiment," Craig Goodwin said.
Over the years, the Year of Plenty blog has become a valuable resource for anyone in the Spokane area interested in following in the Goodwins' footsteps and supporting local producers and growers. The Goodwins also do a lot of things to have a positive impact on their community, such as starting the Millwood Farmers' Market.
"Our church started a farmers' market four years ago and we're going into our fifth season," Goodwin said.
Now, "Year of Plenty" is also a book that was released on March 1st. The story of their yearlong experiment has received rave reviews from people who appreciate Goodwin's insights on simple living and spirituality.
Scott Sabin, the executive director of Plant With Purpose, said, "Through engaging narrative he skillfully integrates lessons on faith, life, and God, integrating the spiritual with the material and the local with the global."
On April 28th at 7:00 p.m., Goodwin will be speaking about "Year of Plenty" at The Book Parlor. The Book Parlor is a non-profit book store located in Spokane at 1425 West Broadway.
"It will be a community conversation centered around my book 'Year of Plenty'," Goodwin said. "We will be talking about things such as local food, farmers' markets and community gardening."
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