Farm Fresh February 2012

Hi Friends,
Thank you once again for your interest in our community. Through outreach such as this newsletter, The Farm is able to fulfill its mission of moving the greater culture toward positive change. By linking with like minded people such as you who share our ideals, we all become stronger in our convictions and in turn influence those around us by example and actions. Together we carry the flame of sanity in a crazy world.

This month marks the beginning of my retreat season with the upcoming vegan cooking retreat. The past two have been very fun and interesting, not to mention filled with good taste. Folks have started registering and there is still room for a few more.

Coming up next in March, my second spiritual retreat. In this issue of Farm Fresh I introduce you to Susan Skinner, a friend and founder of the Sacred Fire Foundation.

With the downturn of the economy, all nonprofit's struggle to survive and a grassroots effort like The Farm School has to employ every means at its disposal to cover their budget. Read on to learn how the power of collectivity works to generate real money, almost from thin air.

Allow me to introduce our newest event on the 2012 Calendar, The Farm School Family Fest, a weekend of camping under the stars while dancing the night away to the rocking tunes of live bands. Not to be missed. More below.

I've been working for the past couple of weeks on some changes to The Farm web site. Primarily the navigation has changed, with far more links and the ability to drill down directly to your key interests, be it sustainable building, midwifery, land trusts, helping those in need, recipes, videos, all of the many different things happening within The Farm. Check it out.

Last, but certainly not least, I have changed the name of my retreats from Sustainable to Green Life Retreats. Living Green is what it's all about and I've dropped 4 syllables for 1 while adopting a moniker that's a bit less serious. I hope you'll join me at a Green Life Retreat this year!

Peace,

Douglas
Douglas@thefarmcommunity.com

For activities and events on The Farm, check out:
The Farm Community Calendar	Green Life Retreat Calendar
Friends of The Farm Community on Facebook	Midwifery Workshops

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Vegan Cooking Retreat: February 24-26, 2012

Behl Puri - A delicious Indian street food recipe

Jump start your life on the road to better health, learning from cooks that really know how to make vegan food taste great!

Cooking Classes include:	Additional Activities:
Soy and Tofu Recipes Raw Foods / Raw Desserts Cheese Alternatives International Cuisine Recipes for Kids! Using Your Dehydrator More to be announced	Farm History Slide show with a special focus on our Diet and Nutrition Evolution Food Sustainability - Growin' Your Own! Yoga and Meditation Saturday Night: Farm Community Dinner Saturday Night: Live Music
Registration	Click here for more information

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The Spiritual Path Retreat - March 16-18, 2012
While not everyone is ready or able to leave their life in the city and move back to the land or to an intentional community, we all share a need to grow and can benefit by turning our focus to greater awareness and spiritual energy.

This will be our second spiritual retreat. The first one in October 2011 was inspiring and all who participated were touched and at times amazed by the shared experience.

From both mindfulness and group meditations, to singing, chanting and drumming, demonstrating our ability to feel and perceive energy, the weekend fulfilled my vision of a nurturing, open and healing space.

One of my recent insights is to recognize that The Farm has an abundant resource of teachers. The breadth of experiences, knowledge and wisdom I find among my friends is a remarkable gift. It is their ability to share...humbly offering their piece of the truth, gained through study and directly from life's lessons, that makes these folks so valuable.

The teachers and participants for each weekend vary, based on who is available. Below, let me introduce you to my good friend, a strong and inspiring woman who will be with us for the upcoming spiritual retreat.

Fire is a sacred spirit in traditional Huichol life.

Susan Skinner - Plant Spirit Medicine and the Huichol Tradition

A member of The Farm Community for nearly 40 years, Susan Skinner is both a leader and a teacher. A practicing Plant Spirit Medicine healer, for the past decade Susan has been traveling to Mexico to receive advanced training in the Huichol and Nahuatl traditions.

The Huichols are a Native American tribe who have preserved their shamanic skills and knowledge. Susan is a founder of the Sacred Fire Foundation, a movement that builds community through monthly gatherings to celebrate the sacred energy of the fire circle.

Saturday afternoon Susan will lead a workshop that introduces you to some of the things she has learned through her years of study in these ancient traditions. Saturday evening we'll gather with her around the community fire circle and be together in this sacred space.

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Support The Farm School - While You Shop

Farm School staff, parents, grandparents and friends who use Kroger Plus cards to do their shopping generate hundreds of dollars in real money that goes to The Farm School. All you do is use your credit card or a check to transfer money to the Kroger card before you check out. When the sum of everyone's purchases reaches a total $5000, Kroger sends the Farm School a check for 4% or $200. Right now the School receives a check every other month, but with just a few more people participating we could up that to a check every month!

Mail a self addressed stamped envelope and $5 to:
Leah at The Farm School, 151 Schoolhouse Road, Summertown, TN 38483
We'll send you a Kroger card with $5 credit and you'll be ready to start shopping!

NEW: The Farm School Family Fest May 12 & 13

I am excited to announce a new addition to our 2012 calendar, the Farm School Family Fest, a weekend of family friendly activities like Farm tours, hikes, games, and workshops, followed by dinner and then a night of music under the stars with three bands, including a set by our fun Grateful Dead cover band, Dead or Alive! Be ready to boogie, a perfect way to blend and bond generations.

Sunday morning we'll begin with a bit of yoga and a good stretch, followed by breakfast, and a few activities to wind up the day. Celebrate Mother's Day and give Mom a family weekend she won't forget!

Only $50 per adult, Students $25, Family Rate (2 adults, 2 or more kids) $125...more

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