When I was studying disaster management, one of the lecturers would always ask “does anyone know how to make bread”? This was, he said, the essence of disaster management – self-sufficient survival skills using local, sustainable supply chains. Only one person in the class knew how to make bread. It wasn’t me, but over the years I’ve occasionally dipped into some traditional crafts – which The Heritage Craft Association defines as:
Practices which employ skilled use of hand tools and an understanding of material and have their roots in traditional functional design
Most recently, I’ve taken a pottery class, a wooden spoon carving class at Birch with JoJo Wood, and previously I took knife-making and axe-making classes at Bushfire Forge with Owen Bush. The knives really need handles and sheaths, so I guess some sort of leather work class is next.
Oh, and I did a couple of bread-making classes at Bread Ahead, but I still don’t think I’d say I really know how to make bread.