Clothes, plants, books, rugs, silverware, furniture and even giant spatulas: This list highlights only a few of the free items available at the Mother Earth Free Market event held at Fort Collins City Park Feb. 28.

The event was completely free and created a space for Fort Collins community members to give away items they no longer need or want and, in turn, receive items from others.

Now in its sixth year, the market has been an annual event but, more recently, its two co-organizers, Dana Guber and Esmé Holden, have been hosting it monthly due to its growing popularity. The market was co-hosted by the Rubble Art Collective and Clothe the People. 

This February, the event drew over 100 attendees, but although it is well-known now, Guber explained that the market’s origins were simple.

“I got this idea from this book that I was reading called ‘There’s Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart: Mending the World as Jewish Anarchists,’ … and it’s a book of essays, … and one of them was talking about an event that they hosted like this,” Guber said. “I liked (the idea), and I started doing it with my friends.”

While the event continues to grow, Guber and Holden agreed that one of its primary purposes is to demonstrate that there are alternative routes to getting what people need beyond traditional, money-based systems.

“It gets people out of the scarcity mindset that capitalism elevates and into more of a mindset that there is abundance in our community, and …  we can provide for each other, meet each other’s needs and build relationships in the process,” Guber said. “We don’t have to rely on just our nine-to-five jobs.”

By removing money’s presence from exchanges, the market creates a judgment-free environment by shifting the focus away from cost and toward mutual support.

“This kind of thing is especially important right now,” Holden said. “It’s a way to show each other that we can provide for one another outside of existing systems.”

Joseph Gruber, who said he has attended the market for about a year and is known for bringing handmade food to encourage attendance, said the absence of currency encourages people to interact more openly with one another.

“(The market) gives people an opportunity to experience exchanges that are not mediated by money or the threat thereof, and that opens up people’s minds and possibilities,” Gruber said.

Financial concerns often shape how people approach buying and selling, but when interactions hinge on money, opportunities for connection can be limited.

Two-time attendee Sydney Jones said the market’s money-free structure removed a barrier to connection when giving and receiving items.

“When you take the capitalism space away, it feels nice giving to your community and receiving,” Jones said. “It just feels more intimate.”

Community swaps have long existed across the United States, and both organizers said that fostering acquaintance and mutual support are central goals of the event.

“You get to actually interact with the people that are helping you meet your needs, and you’re helping them meet theirs,” Gruber said.

To the community, this event feels different to the heart and soul than going to a mall or shopping center because of the direct conversations you have with people who are giving away their own belongings.

“People are really nice; they’re willing to tell you a story about where things came from, which is also something you don’t get in a store,” said Stephanie Jones, second-time attendee.

At the end of their events, Mother Earth Free Market ensures that any remaining items are properly allocated to those who need them through various organizations.

“We work with a bunch of different mutual aid groups, so like, Clothe The People will redistribute a bunch of survival gear, clothing, supplies and stuff and redistribute that at Distro’s alongside Food Not Bombs to a lot of the local homeless community and community at large,” Holden said. “It’s just a way to provide resources for initiatives that have little to zero money.”

To new Fort Collins resident and first-time attendee Stephanie Ortega, the system of trading and giving items offers a better alternative to throwing them away or taking them to thrift stores.

“It’s just a better way to recycle and be more mindful about how we use our stuff and this Earth and not just waste it,” Ortega said.

Unique events like this turn individual acts of generosity into a collective benefit for the community and give people’s belongings a new purpose.

“When we share, it’s about putting meaning into our stuff and giving them to other humans,” Ortega said.

Reach Aubrey Francis at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.