Laird Schaub is one of the leading experts in group facilitation, whether its in helping groups deal with internal conflict and breakdowns in communication, or in helping them achieve better agreement and move forward through utilization of the consensus decision making process.

His work in group process is rooted in 28 years of intentional community living--all with a group that makes decisions by consensus.

In addition, he has been actively involved with consensus-based network organizations for 23 years, offering those skills as an outside facilitator and consensus trainer for the past 15 years, specializing in up-tempo, inclusive meetings.

"One angle I can bring to the work is deep experience in community structure and agreements. At this point I know which issues groups must wrestle with (sooner or later) and the variety of ways that others have already worked out solutions."

This workshop will include a range of teaching strategies, including:

• training
• demonstration
• coaching

Join us for an intense, information filled weekend, where we tackle the most important dynamics in human relations. If you work with groups any size or organizational structure, you will benefit from the lessons to be learned, built from decades of experience, that Laird has to share.

Learn More / Click here to register online

Excerpt from Out to Save the World: New Voices

The vision of a sustainable future, with people living in cooperation with one another, is being expressed by a new set of voices that represent what The Farm is today who are drawn to make The New Farm their home.

Bico Casini was born in Ireland. His parents met and married on The Farm, and then left Tennessee to start a satellite community in Europe in the late 70s. They returned when he was three and he grew up on The Farm, but left when he reached his early 20s. “When I graduated high school, I joined the construction crew and worked full-time. As soon as I had enough money, I bounced out and went to South Africa. I had learned about natural building and permaculture at the Eco-Village Training Center, and I went to South Africa to further that knowledge. I also traveled to India, and Sri Lanka and participated in a large conference about the development of eco-villages.”

“Upon returning, I came to truly realize how precious it is to have this land and how precious it is to have community. I better understand how fortunate we are to have the knowledge and technology that is here.”

“When you think about it, you have this whole piece of land that was the vision of the founding generation, and then you have an entire generation that was born on the land and grew up in that. The question becomes, “What do those people feel about that land? What are their ideas? What is their vision?” I would say we are trying to continue the vision of The Farm forward and honor the roots of our parent’s values, but we also want to go beyond that and to use the new knowledge and wisdom that’s available to us now. I feel like nurturing the roots is so important in this day and age and it is so easy to always be looking for the greener pastures. I feel a certain sense of responsibility, you know, I have been given so much, I mean even how many parents fed me and took care of me. I want to give back. I have a lot of faith in the next generation, the young kids that are growing up on The Farm now. They are getting the best of everything the previous two generations have learned.”

Alayne Chauncey and her husband Jason Deptula were attracted to The Farm for many reasons, not the least of which was Alayne’s desire to live in a place that supported natural childbirth. “The allopathic model of the hospital did not resonate with me,” Alayne explains. “We came to meet with the midwives and liked the energy of the women here, and the men too! It really surprised me that the men of the community were just a supportive and excited about the impending birth as we were. We were looking around and wanted to live in a close knit community. We liked The Farm because it was child centered, it was family oriented."

"The emphasis on sustainability and outreach as expressed by things like the Ecovillage Training Center were also a draw for us.” Jason added, “It was just what we were looking for.”

Tierra McMahon was born on The Farm but left when her parents moved away around the time of The Changeover. She returned at the age of 14 when her mother moved back, spending her teenage years and transition to adulthood as part of The New Farm. “Being part of the next generation is exciting and a privilege and has afforded so many opportunities,” Tierra stated. “But it also involves responsibilities that I think many of us are just beginning to realize. There is a great need for more of the next generation to really be a part of this community. In doing that, we need to really pinpoint who we are and have a strong sense of identity and a sense of purpose about what we want to create here. I think that is our biggest challenge.”

Mark Hubbard was born on The Farm and now lives with his wife and child in the home that was once previously occupied by his parents. “I view The Farm as a large, extended family and a soul tribe, a group of people that have chosen on a conscious, spiritual level to come together and be a tribal people, an indigenous type of culture for our day and age.”

“I notice when I travel out in greater society that it is driven so much by production and consumption. Everything and everyone is focused on consuming, consuming, consuming, and what product are they going to purchase next to feel good about themselves or buy in order to make their reality a little bit better. In contrast, our life here on The Farm is centered around community. What time can we spend together? How can we enrich each other’s lives? There is an interconnection that holds it all together.”

Thank you for your time and attention!

Douglas@thefarmcommunity.com