Supporting Refugees Through Spoon Carving

Supporting Refugees Through Spoon Carving A nonprofit on a Greek Island aims to help displaced people earn a living and rebuild a sense of home. “We began approximately five years ago with a straightforward aim: to assist refugees arriving in Lesvos, Greece,” says founder and CEO Randall Graber. “Most of these individuals have fled war and poverty. They’re seeking a fresh start.” In 2018, Randall and his wife, Althea, moved to Lesvos to help manage a vegetable farm that supported refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Eritrea. While the men speak many languages, English and Greek are used on the farm to help them acclimate. “We began with a 3-acre market garden program, providing much-needed jobs, language training and vocational skills to help our employees integrate into Greek culture and society,” Graber says. The island specializes in olive oil, so it’s home to millions of olive trees that require plenty of pruning. A worker suggested they put the scrap wood to use. “We recognized the need for more consistent employment due to the seasonality of agricultural work and expanded our initiative. Lesvos Woodcraft was born.” The spoon-making process begins with raw olive wood logs. Using a band saw, the men cut the logs into slabs, then use templates and a pencil to trace the design of the spoon. With a band saw, they cut out the rough shape, creating what’s called a “spoon blank.” The bowl of the spoon is carved with chisels and hook knives, and the handle is fine-tuned with knives and a spokeshave. Once the shape is perfected, each spoon is sanded to a fine, smooth finish, and the carver uses a wood burner to write his initial on the underside of the handle. A protective layer of linseed oil and beeswax is the final step. “Lesvos Woodcraft continues its core mission of helping refugees build new lives, offering practical support and a pathway to self-sufficiency,” Graber says. “Currently, spoon making and farm work are 50/50. The men typically start the day working on the farm and then finish the day in the workshop, making spoons. But as we expand,  we foresee having some men working full-time crafting spoons.” One of the biggest challenges is the training time required for each new artisan to learn the skills to craft spoons. “We use some traditional techniques that take time to learn well. It takes more than 1.5 hours to make each spoon, varying somewhat by design,” explains Graber. Most of the carvers had minimal business experience in their previous lives, so part of the mission is teaching them how business works at a more detailed level than standard employer-to-employee relationships. The goal is to provide them with better tools for acclimating to Greek culture and eventually reunite with their families there. For corporate gifting, the utensil sets consistently rank as top sellers. The standout utensil is a 12-in. multi-purpose cooking spoon, priced at $35. It features a blunt scraping edge and deep bowl, making it versatile for cooking, serving and scraping pans clean. There’s a web page dedicated to corporate gifting for employees or clients. Businesses can add their logos to the spoons for an additional fee, and larger orders receive a discount. Lesvos Woodcraft is seeking connections with suitable stores that are willing to carry the spoons. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lesvos Woodcraft, Lesvos, Greece (ph 765-391-0015; lesvoswoodcraft@gmail.com; www.lesvoswoodcraft.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.