Working with John Jeavons was an important piece of the puzzle of where she would end up. A Multicultural Studies major in college she now found herself part of the Ecology Action crew managing teaching gardens and learning about intentional communities. Despite having deep roots in agriculture, it wasn’t until later in life that she found her way back to it.

To her, she sees the bigger picture in these fields.īartholomew grew up the daughter of a wheat farmer in the Intermountain West. Despite the drag of the summer heat and the endless lists of things to be done, she is unfazed. Her eyes smile as she looks over the rows of crops planted with gentle intent to feed and nourish her community. Nestled in a valley in Northern California since 1968, the property is very diverse – from open farm land, fruit and nut orchards, riparian areas, ancient redwoods, oak woodlands, and forested hillsides. On most days she can be found tending the garden at Christ’s Church of the Golden Rule. So whenever you find yourself in a seemingly ‘or’ situation, take a step back and look for an ‘and.Ellen Bartholomew (second from right) and her crew at Golden Rule GardenĮllen Bartholomew is always up to something. The more you can accommodate the preferences of the most people involved, the better. Replace ‘or’ with ‘and.’ When our preferences differ from others, it’s essential to look for a solution that works for everyone involved.Some questions that might be helpful to ask those around you include: How do you prefer to communicate - email or Slack? Is now still a good time for us to connect? In what format do you need the information about this project? The best way to really find out how someone else would like to be treated is to simply ask. When you find yourself making assumptions about another person, ask: Where are these beliefs coming from? What information am I missing? All it takes to put this new mindset into practice is understanding, curiosity, and compromise. It’s time to adopt a “New Golden Rule:” Treat others as they would like to be treated. But in our modern workplace, treating others as you would like to be treated isn’t always the best option. “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” We’ve all heard the phrase.

Golden rule farm