Harvest Loom: Weaving Community Collaboration & Seasonal Intention

Like the changing season, the Harvest Loom began as something small and grew in ways we couldn’t predict. A spark of inspiration, some branches, and a shared vision—what started as a nature craft idea for children transformed into a large-scale, living art installation that wove together memory, intention, and collective care.

Installed at Gateway Farm Hub in Plymouth, MI, USA, during the shift from Summer into Autumn, the Harvest Loom evolved week by week—mirroring the season’s own transition. It became a ritual, a gathering point, a collaborative tapestry of everything we were learning, letting go of, and leaning into. A beautiful focal point holding our attention amongst the rapid cycling of Michigan seasons.

From Idea to Installation

In its earliest form, the loom was imagined as a child’s craft—simple and personal—inspired by an idea in Make Art with Nature by Pippa Pixley. But as we built it, the scale shifted, and so did the meaning. Rather than using twigs for a handheld loom, we used branches from a crew member’s backyard—once part of an “Eeyore house” structure built during imaginative play. From these humble, whimsical beginnings, the loom grew in scale, stretched between two strong Maples, inviting in individual and collective weavings of materials and stories.

Woven Materials & Woven Meaning

In addition to plant materials from the farm like cattails, hydrangeas, sunflowers, and marigold garlands, we asked around the creative farm crew for colorful natural fabric scraps.

Each material carried a story—dried flowers from farm beds, fabric scraps from various projects, outgrown pajamas patterned with moons. Their beauty hadn’t faded, just changed. Even the act of offering these items felt sacred: a gentle practice of release, of honouring what once was, and transforming it into something new. Many of the materials were compostable or recyclable, reminding us that beauty and meaning are rarely permanent.

On the farm, in life in general, and in the work of this loom, things come together—sometimes with our skillful help—and then they fall apart and/or are dismantled, thereby they are sent back out to the wider world. And then later they may be woven together again. In this way, the work of hands and hearts mirrors the natural rhythm of weaving, unraveling, and reweaving: creation emerges, disperses, and returns, carrying patterns, understandings and beauty into future cycles. 

Community Interaction & Celestial Markers

A trio of full moons shone on the Harvest Loom: September's Corn Moon, October's Harvest Moon, and November's Beaver Moon (the largest supermoon of the year). Together they marked transitions in our seasonal cycle, from a time to look outward, perhaps taking advantage of amplified energy, embracing change and celebrating abundance and gratitude into a time for inner reflecting, resting and preparing for new beginnings.

We welcomed visitors to the farm to share in building up the loom art installation during the Harvest Festival, Permaculture weekend events (Permaculture Workshop and Community Showcase), an Autumn Equinox event (with yoga and a sound bath), and the Garden Juju Collective Ecopsychology weekend events (Ecopsychology Workshop and the 2nd Annual Ecopsychology Convergence in collaboration with Reset Brain + Body). It remained an impressive stunning-woven rainbow of color and texture under the changing Maple golden-orange-red leaves, Autumn rain, and temperature drops, through to the withering flowers and the decomposition that Winter brings.

We suggested participants write seasonal intentions, wishes or commitments to projects on the fabric before weaving it into the piece. The Harvest Loom became a living tapestry of community, adding meaning, intention, beauty, and a shared sense of purpose to farm events.

The loom project became something no one could have made alone. Guests brought not just materials, but stories—scraps of their lives, hopes, and transitions, contributing to something larger than any one of us. 

Celebrate the Ephemeral

Just as the loom invited slow creation, the painting of our Elder Trees offered a moment of vibrant, impermanent joy. Using natural, biodegradable paints made from fruits and vegetables, participants adorned the trees that held the loom—echoing the themes of rootedness and release. The colors faded with time and rain, but their memory lingers, much like the intentions tied to the loom. In nature, nothing lasts forever—but everything leaves a mark. May each visitor's hopes and reflections continue to grow, guide them, and take shape, carrying them into the next season.

Winter Release

With the onset of an early deep Winter, the woven loom began to disintegrate and become unsightly. It was time to let it all go; to send all these intentions out to the great intelligent, powerful ecopsychological universe, like the prayer it always was. We made a fire and with sensitive and conscious intention burnt the materials. Like a cremation, the spirit of the loom became embodied in everything around. Especially the Elder Trees.

Reflections

Participants have asked if they could use the Harvest Loom idea with other communities—please try it, adapt it, and let us know what emerges. We imagine it taking many forms for different seasons and purposes: lasting or compostable fabrics, centerpieces, rituals, and shared beauty through collective process.

Kids especially loved unwinding large balls of yarn (and Ghost cat too), and knotting many small fabric scraps together before weaving in these long rainbow pieces. 

Inspired by local poet Jacqueline Suskin’s prompts for tapping into creative energies at different seasons in her book A Year in Practice, one crew member wove a seasonal intention into the loom:

“Use this season to collect/gather/harvest the resources I need for our family, my self care, homeschool, awesome adulting…to be set up for success with the slower, reflecting, cuddle up and stay cozy time of Winter hibernating. I also want to slow down and enjoy Autumn as my favorite season.”

The Dark Side of the Loom

This loom story has gone from a humble craft proposal to something that became increasingly magical; growing as more strands of material and story were woven together. Its unravelling, decay and release are, in a way, the same story told backwards, being the natural rhythm of things.

But there's another meaning for the word 'loom'. The background for this sacred weaving ceremony is the looming, ever encroaching spectre of deeper and unnatural systems break-down, the looming presence of industrial exploitative uses of landscapes, living systems, farmland, communities, workers and loss of skills and the intimate touch of living life. And coming closer are times when some of these may never be re-woven again.

It is our hope that communal works such as this Harvest Loom will continue to combat these looming destructive forces. Though the craft itself is impermanent, the memories, stories, skills shared, and intentions will be held close. May the spark of this artwork light fires of many more gatherings that can help empower us all to weave together as a collective of good, care, and hope for the future.

An Invitation

Whether you are moving through a seasonal shift, the closing of a project, or a personal turning point, we invite you to imagine what your own harvest might look like.

• What are you gathering?
• What can be released?
• What threads might you carry forward into the next season?

The Harvest Loom reminds us that transformation can be communal and creative; that beauty can be fleeting and still matter; and that weaving is ultimately about connection, care, and the courage to let things change. 

By Emelia Stark & the Garden Juju Collective team.