Journal of Co-operative Studies 58(1), 70-72
Five peelers, 5,000 potatoes: How collaborative cooking and eating in the Woodcraft Folk is building co-operation from the ground up
| Editorial reviewed/ Short paper | Published online: June 2025 |
Five peelers, 5,000 potatoes: How collaborative cooking and eating in the Woodcraft Folk is building co-operation from the ground up
Anna Blewett
Vol 58(1), pp. 70-72
How to cite this article: Blewett, A. (2025). Five peelers, 5,000 potatoes: How collaborative cooking and eating in the Woodcraft Folk is building co-operation from the ground up. Journal of Co-operative Studies, 58(1), 70-72. https://doi.org/10.61869/HGAM9273
Abstract
This short article explores the potential of ‘clans’ — mixed-aged working parties responsible for preparing, serving and clearing up after meals — to embed multi-generational co-operation at Woodcraft Folk camps. These residential events, where children and young people greatly outnumber responsible adults, are shaped by the need for sustenance, shelter, purpose, and a sense of belonging; this amounts to a huge amount of physical and emotional labour. Amid (perhaps because of) these conditions, the Woodcraft Folk model of clans creates significant displays of creative collaboration, joint problem solving, and peer-to-peer support. The experiences of Wivenhoe Woodcraft Folk in Essex suggests the perennial obstacles to and opportunities of co-operation play out most positively in tiny ad‑hoc field kitchens, embedding a habit of collaborative thinking and acting in our young people.
Blewett (2025) - PDF →