The gift that keeps on giving (announcing a book sale that comes with heirloom seeds from my garden!)
This post provides the details of a limited time offer I have going for my book, Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table.
Give a person a basket full of fresh veggies and mushrooms and they can eat for a day, give a person a copy of Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table and a handful of heirloom seeds and they can not only feed themselves for a lifetime, but also send out ripple effects of abundance, resilience and hope into their local community.
It took 5 years of intentional research, experimentation and distillation of knowledge to create this book, and I will tell you that the feedback I have received has been that Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table is an excellent gift as it is in essence a fractal seed that aligns with the inherent regenerative capacity and wealth of the living gift economy of the Earth. When planted within a fertile mind, that seed can unlock a great many gifts which are accessible throughout one’s entire lifetime.
Thus, in the spirit of the holiday season I am offering a limited time 40% discount on the digital (ebook) version of Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table and a 20% discount on physical copies of my book (from now until January 29th).
The limited time offer discount code for both is:
the gift that keeps on giving
I will also be throwing in some bonus Goji berry seeds and Hopi Red Amaranth Seeds with each physical copy of my book that is purchased from now until the end of January.
As I explored in my recent post on seed saving, Goji Seeds have Immense potential within them to produce nutrient dense food and medicine for many years.
Each seed contains within it the potential to produce hundreds of pounds of Goji Berries in the vine’s lifetime. If some of those berries are used to save seed and those seeds are shared, the abundance that becomes accessible in one’s local community within only a few short years is exponential.
Here is a note that offers a testament to the amazing abundance that a single one of these seeds can provide each year once it becomes an adult vine:
Here are a couple notes exploring the amazing abundance Amaranth provides:
Here are a few reviews so you can see what people are saying about the my first book (Recipes For Reciprocity) so far:
“I highly recommend Recipes For Reciprocity, as perhaps one of the greatest recipe books I’ve ever seen. It not only covers ancient recipes from many different cultures, providing very helpful pictures and guides, but also it provides inspiring wisdom and philosophy regarding food, nutrition and unifying worldwide concepts for the betterment of humanity. As an author myself, I greatly respect the pursuit of Gavin to make a book like this, because it’s unique, very encompassing and it intrigues everyone I show it to. I feature it in my family living room for all to see because of how it opens peoples’ perspectives, not only to unique superfoods for example, but also to little known concepts like Voluntaryism. I made this review because it’s the “reciprocity” we need in this world, to come together, share our gifts and support each other during hard times. Being inspired to cook and learn new things, finding purpose and meaning, this is a great addition to your journey of health! A more reciprocal and caring world is possible!”
- Cory Endrulat
(You can watch an interview I did with Cory recently here.)
“This book is an alchemical manual. A dedication to Mother Earth in all of her beauty astounding intelligence and nourishment. Gavin has given us a clear and simple map of how to be in Tao with our personal connection to the sacred elements we call Food. This book is a must have on your alter of garden to table.”
- Chances R Good (He has been recording music since 2000. He is a son, brother, husband and father. He makes music when he feels clear and grateful. He lives in Colorado with his family at 8000ft).
Earlier this year I did a gift exchange with Chances R Good.
I asked him if he would want to trade a copy of my book “Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table” and a bunch of heirloom seeds saved from our garden for some of his albums and he said yes! Trading written word and the seeds with potential for abundance for spoken poetry and healing sounds! This was one of my favorite barters of all time.
He recently wrote me back to say he read my book and shared the review above.
You can listen to his music and support his work via the bandcamp link below:
Check out this other song by him too, its one of my favs!
“𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐄𝐥𝐨𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 ‘𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨’ 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 – 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭, 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 – 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧 – 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲.”
- Abigail Hardy
Abi is very thoughtful, open minded, perspicacious and gumptious person I met through CR. She hails from the land of some of my ancient ancestors, Albion, aka “England”.
I had another opportunity to barter a copy of my book with exceptional human being (by the name of Ken aka Ken Bear) last year. He reached out to me via email and inquire if I wanted to trade a copy of my book for some of his homemade organic Nova Scotian Oat Cakes.
He said he would pay in “non-edible currency” if I preferred that but I said no way! I want edible currency please!
Ken later wrote me an email stating:
“In a world where the moral compass seems to have gone missing, it’s refreshing – almost shocking – to discover an author with such a well-rooted sense of direction.
I show my copy of Recipes for Reciprocity to friends and strangers alike.
Response highlights:
“A frigging amazing how to…”
“This should be core curriculum in all schools”
“This is such a good book, I want a copy”
No doubt about — Gavin inspires what must be the most important SOC (Self Organizing Community) on the planet today!”
Ken has helped me connect with dozens of people interested in starting their own Regenerative Gardens and Food Forests in Mi’kma’ki (aka Nova Scotia).
After receiving some of the superb oat cakes he promised I discovered that he and his partner taken the time to print various inspiring, subversive, hopeful, mind opening and wise messages on the backside of the label in each oat cake bag.
Check it out:
They are not only creating delicious oat cakes using locally sourced organic ingredients, they also print empowering, evocative, mind opening, informative, heartening and humorous messages on the otherside of their oat cake wrappers, making them what I would describe as experts in “Guerrilla Marketing”.
When I ordered another box of their delicious organic oat cakes after that initial transaction and I opened the package and I was honored to discover that an excerpt from my conversation with Edward Slavsquat was printed on a select number of their packages. Check it out!
Ken’s gift of sharing my writing in his packaging resulted in dozens of people subscribing to my blog and several people buying a copy of my book. This is a beautiful example of how gifts can multiple each time they exchange hands in the gift economy model.
Someone that was gifted a copy of my book by her sister in the UK recently wrote me to share this review:
“When I was a kid I lay on the grass and swore blind that I could feel the earth ‘breathing’. This book is the first thing I have ever come across that describes that experience; a magical connection we have to the Earth. I am now in awe of my soil packed fingernails which to me is my badge of honour, and proof of the inspiration this book has given me. Apart from stacks of massively important information regarding how we can improve not only our physical but our spiritual wellbeing in connecting with Natural Law, there are amazing recipes and pointers. ‘Recipes For Reciprocity’ will cause you to have a revelation; a sudden bolt of lightening in realising that we are all connected; from a mountain to a molehill, from a fly to a forest. No other book describes this so beautifully and with such charm.”
- Yaja Kindermann (UK)
Sheila from Tennessee wrote me to say :
“In it’s pages, you will discover not only luscious and nutritionally wonderful recipes for natural food preparation from your gardens, but also recipes and ideas for stewarding, preparing, and nurturing your soil, your environment, your gardens (big or small) AND your community!! These recipes gently nudge the reader into actions that are not only attainable, but inspiring and therapeutic for you as a Sower, Reaper, and Consumer – full of a heart of gratitude and reciprocating back on so many layers.
There are a great many other qualities to add to this review, but rather than feed them to you, I encourage you to order a copy for yourself and seriously consider additional copies for gifts that will go on giving, encouraging, and calling into action those on your gift list – your little community. I promise you, this gift will not just sit on a shelf. It will become dog-eared, used, and especially grow into a guide and resource for plans that will inspire additional layers of depth into your community, your perspective, and your growing!”
“I love my copy! Healthy bodies can only come from healthy food. Healthy food can only come from healthy soil. This book covers it all! And the quality is second to none. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to create this work of educational art. It is the best cookbook using permaculture principles that is on the market!”
My new friend Angell Deer (that, though we only connected recently in this life, feels like a brother from another lifetime) recently received a copy of my book in the mail and shared this:
The image below shows Andrew Barker in his garden in Strathalbyn, Austrailia with his copy of the book. Here is what Andrew had to say about the book:
“He has created this book as a way to invite people to fall back in love with our Mother Earth and to help themselves at the same time. If you’re into health, then consider this book The Bible. I’ve been so inspired by Gavin’s knowledge when it comes to everything food and health, and adamantly feel this is the future of medicine. He’s got chapters on permaculture, seed saving, companion planting, HEAPS of recipes, boosting your immune system, super foods, even regenerative poetry.”
Lorna from BC recently received her copy of my book, sent me this very original picture (which, being a Kale fanatic, I absolutely love
and wrote me to say:
“It’s so beautiful and interesting/inspiring to read. Truly a gift of love and sharing. This needs to be in peoples hands and hearts and spread into and throughout the education system.
It’s energizing and soulful.
I’m so glad I ordered this.
Thanks again. Now get spreading its seed.”
Charles from Maryland (in the United States) sent me a picture and described the book by saying:
“Recipes for Reciprocity ” is much more than a cook book. Gavin lays the foundation for holistic living, then provides road maps from seed, to exquisite meals, and back to seed. The reader gains not only the “how’s” of soul nourishing food, but also the “why’s”. From novice to expert, everyone benefits from reading this book.” – Charles Tatch
“An indispensable guide to the empowerment, nourishment, and self-reliance that comes from knowing how to grow food in harmony with nature. Recipes for Reciprocity is one of those rare books that shares a wealth of practical information and methods in clear and accessible language. This book goes well beyond the garden-variety garden book that tells you what to plant where and when. Rather, the author shows you how to create an at-home oasis of nutrient rich foods, beauty, peace, and security.” – Kristen Krash
Kristen is the co-founder and director of the Sueño de Vida regenerative agroforestry project in Ecuador (now “Choco Estates”). You can learn more about her important work in regenerating the rainforest and purchase regeneratively grown Cacao from her food forest farm here:
Matt Powers in Texas recently received his book and sent me this pic
Matt described the book by saying :
“Gavin has created a very thorough and holistic cookbook that I suspect will be the model moving forward – excellent work!”
“This book is a magnificent achievement. It can help you learn practical ways to grow and cook mouthwatering food-as-medicine, and build deeper and stronger community, but it is so much more than that. Gavin has written a love letter to humanity and the living world and a manifesto for workable hope, all with an unflinching honesty about the crises we face. Gavin uses the nuts and bolts skills in the garden and kitchen as a launchpad to reimagine our place in the world, and the result is a solid foundation in the chaos. His hope and love are infectious, and the applied knowledge shared in his book is encyclopedic. I highly recommend it to you.” – Jason Padvorac
And in another expression of Gift Economics, I gifted a physical copy of my book Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table to James Corbett (with the help of JEP and Cassie of Media Monarchy) as I quoted him in the book and thought he might enjoy having a physical copy of a book in which he was quoted on his shelf. I did not do so expecting anything in return, but James, being the thoughtful and generous guy that he his, invited me to participate in a Solutions Watch Episode on Regenerative Agriculture. Full interview can be viewed below:
In the conversation James shared some powerful insights and observations that pertain to gift economics such as how “the current system of industrial agriculture is based on fighting against and trying to tame nature” (which chemicals, monocultures and machines) as opposed to regenerative gardening and regenerative agriculture with recognizes the already inherent abundance in a functioning ecosystem and aligning with it.
And not only that, James was kind enough to offer the following generous review of my book
“Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way from Seed to Table explores regenerative practices, permaculture, stacking functions, and other very specific and practical information. As the title suggests, it includes plenty of recipes for things that can be made in the kitchen from the things that you’re growing in the garden. But it also contains very specific and practical tips for people who are serious about actually weaning themselves off of the industrial food supply, the system feeding us processed chemical gunk that so many of us are stuck on. Its pages suggests processes and practices that help shape your garden into something that’s productive and regenerative. It is holistic in every way.”
For those not familiar with his work, James Corbett is an award-winning investigative journalist. James Corbett founded The Corbett Report website in 2007 as an outlet for independent political and societal analysis).
The Corbett Report is an independent, listener-supported alternative news source. It operates on the principle of open source intelligence and provides podcasts, interviews, articles and videos about breaking news and important issues from 9/11 Truth and false flag terror to the Big Brother police state, eugenics, geopolitics, the central banking fraud and more.
More recently, James invited me to talk with him again and share some information pertaining to Fertility and Reproductive Health Enhancing whole foods and naturally occurring compounds (which is information I will be including in my next book). Full interview can be viewed below:
Sorting, packaging, labelling and saying a prayer to heirloom seeds saved from my garden to send out as a gift to those that purchase a physical copy of my book is one of my favorite parts about being a self-published author (that also handles the shipping for my books).
As I described in a past post, saving seeds results in far more abundance than I could ever use myself in our yard, so all gifting these seeds to other Earth loving people costs me is my time and some packaging. This I am glad to contribute so the people buying my book will not only have a guide to build soil using free widely available resources and recipes that inspire the senses while nourishing the body, but also the physical seeds to grow their own ingredients for the recipes (making the package a holistic fractal regenerative seed that can expand in the abundance it provides for a family with only what is within that package).
I like to gather the seeds for each book intuitively, asking the seeds and Creator to guide me in what seeds I send to each person (if multiple options are available to me at the time). I have heard back from some people that said things like “You know I was just about to order some purple leaved amaranth from a seed website and then your package arrived!” or “snap peas are my daughter’s favorite, how did you know!?”
I have heard back from people living in over 42 countries now (from people in cities, to urban suburbia, to remote off grid living situations) that have planted the seeds I sent them with a copy of my book and they shared stories of their harvests, the family meals and traditions they have started in the garden and in the kitchen, and their plans for scaling up their production and sharing in their community. This warms my heart and makes it all worth while.
Thank you to all of you that have purchased a copy of my book and taken the time to write me and share pics of your garden, harvests and recipes made, it really makes my day!
An invitation to gift paid subscriptions to my newsletter to your loved ones with a description of the many perks that come along with a paid subscription.
Dear Subscribers,
Thank you for being a subscriber to my Newsletter. This holiday season, consider giving the gift of a paid subscription to a friend, family member, or colleague you think might enjoy it.
As a reminder, paid subscribers to my Newsletter get access to:
the knowing you are supporting my efforts to educate, regenerate soil, preserve (and share) heirloom seeds and publish empowering educational material.
the knowing you are supporting my efforts to plant food forests and regenerate endangered forest habitat
the limited time offer of the optional bonus gift 7 varieties of heirloom seeds from my garden which comes with each annual Paid Subscription from now till dec. 24th, 2024.
access to a 75% off discount of digital (ebook) copies my first book (using the discount code which is automatically emailed to each new paid annual sub).
All Annual Paid Subscriptions and Founding Member Paid Subscriptions will include the bonus of one digital copy of my next book Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary at the time of its completion.
Through gifting a subscription to someone else you have the opportunity to simultaneously support my work while nurturing the gift economy and “gift thinking” to set down roots far and wide
A gift subscription is a unique and thoughtful way to share the writing you enjoy, the practical solutions based info I publish, free nutritious recipes (and a synergistic heirloom seed set) with someone close to you. Plus, it helps to support the ongoing work that goes into this publication.
You can use this link to get a paid subscription to my newsletter for 40% off until December 24th, 2025!
Also, if you like the idea of having your gifted subscription arrive in someone’s inbox on dec 25th there is an option for scheduling the gifted subscription to arrive later.
Hi Gavin, I'd like to buy a hard copy of your book. how much will it cost me for you to send it to the UK?
You have my email address as I'm a pd subscriber.
By the way, The red Amaranth seeds and various greens have done really well and I'm saving seeds. Still hoping for a pawpaw seed some time?
Much love for you and all you do.
BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You shall never regret it!!! Go, Gavin, Go!!! xo xo xo