The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

Kimmerer posits the possible expansion of smaller, organic gift economies. She begins with gift economies that operate “everywhere” between individuals, often friends and families (53). These smaller gift economies can also include communities that exchange gifts and share resources for the benefit of all. Kimmerer uses Little Free Libraries as an example—small boxes placed in public spaces, in which people can take or leave books. No price is paid for these books; they are shared for the benefit of the community. These Little Free Libraries, Kimmerer suggests, are examples of individual gift economies in action. Larger public libraries (as well as other public services) are examples of community-wide gift economies that can “coexist with market economies” (55).

Such gift economies are not without perils, Kimmerer notes, drawing on an example from her own life. Her daughter once operated a produce stand for a farm that allowed people to operate a small gift economy: People could take vegetables freely, as well as leave vegetables for others. One season, however, the entire stand was taken. Nothing was left, thus the communal resource was ruined for everyone. Kimmerer cites Garrett Hardin, whose essay Tragedy of the Commons describes the way in which some people take advantage of community resources.