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The Fire We’re Losing: Why Gathering Around the Flame Still Matters

Fire invites us to slow down. It requires patience. You cannot rush a wood fire. You must feed it, watch it, and tend it.
The Fire We’re Losing: Why Gathering Around the Flame Still Matters
The Canadian Press/Fred Thornhill
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Commentary

As the weather cools and people begin stacking firewood for winter, I have been thinking about how rare it is to gather around a real fire. Fewer homes are heated by woodstoves. Most outdoor recreation now happens under the glow of LED lanterns and propane burners. Even in new homes, fireplaces are often just electric screens with orange light that flickers on command.

Mollie Engelhart
Mollie Engelhart
Author
Mollie Engelhart, regenerative farmer and rancher at Sovereignty Ranch, is committed to food sovereignty, soil regeneration, and educating on homesteading and self-sufficiency. She is the author of “Debunked by Nature”: Debunk Everything You Thought You Knew About Food, Farming, and Freedom—a raw, riveting account of her journey from vegan chef and LA restaurateur to hands-in-the-dirt farmer, and how nature shattered her cultural programming.