Farm Fresh May 2022: The Farm as an Ecovillage

Farm Fresh News - May 2022

In this issue:

The Farm as an Ecovillage
Sunflower Birthing Circles - Update
Market Day May 21

The Labyrinth on The Farm

Dear Friends,

Spring is such a blessing, reminding us that from the darkness comes light. Life is a cycle of renewal, and we must always remember to keep in perspective the balance of our struggles with the beauty all around us. Use this time to sow the seeds that will be the harvest of tomorrow.

As ecovillages have increased in number around the world, a set of criteria has been developed to measure how a community such as The Farm fulfills the standards embodied by the term. The definition has been kept broad in order to encompass ecovillages of all types, from city centers to those completely off the grid.

The Farm falls somewhere in between, but because of its size and long history, checks off all the boxes, especially when it comes to what it means to be a village. There is much to cover in this regard, so this will be part 1 of a several part series illustrating what makes The Farm an ecovillage.

It has been amazing to watch the Sunflower Birthing Circles project grow and blossom. There are now 5 Birthing Circles of birth workers across Poland, with each reaching out to refugees, pregnant mothers from from Ukraine.

Varvara is a home-birthing mother of three and a birth doula. She has lived in Poland for the last six years and speak Polish, Russian and Ukrainian fluently.

She found a house right in her neighborhood which is now serving as a cozy and safe place for pregnant Ukrainian women.

This is a place to come to rest and be taken care of. The living room can serve to hold our women’s circles, workshops and meetings. There are three rooms and we can accommodate three pregnant women. Young children are welcome.

Varara described the house, "There is a common kitchen, laundry and bathroom. We will be able to cook for ourselves and support one another.

Local doulas will take care of the mamas and the community will gladly share in the material needs of little ones. After the postpartum period, we will work to find a new place."

Sunflower Birthing Circles is raising funds for the lease and utilities. To learn more and to stay abreast with the progress of the project, visit, https://www.sunflowerbirthingcircles.org/

Thank you as always for your interest, your time and attention.

Namaste,
Douglas

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The Farm Community as an Ecovillage

An excerpt from
The Farm Here and Now

The word “ecovillage” implies a bond between people and nature, comprehending the unquestionable link between human settlements and the environment around them, going further to include the many layers of human relations.

If anything, it is the disconnect from the natural world inherent in urban development that perpetuates the illusion that we are separate, isolated, and bear no responsibility to future generations.

If we are to turn this spaceship earth in a new trajectory, the inspiration will come not from corporations or governments or begin on a grand scale, but will be found in the myriad of experiments in community pointing the way.

Ecovillages are like rhinestones, tiny jewels scattered across the wider fabric of society, reflecting back the light, catching our attention, a reminder that answers are often to be found in the smallest of things.

In addition to “ecology,” the “eco” in Ecovillage represents “ecological.” The purpose of an eco-village is to be a model of sustainable living, a way of life that is able to continue into the indefinite future because it fulfills the needs of the people who live there in a way that preserves, protects and even enhances its environment.

In the mid-90s, intentional communities from around the world gathered together for a historic meeting with the objective to build a Global Ecovillage Network. The pattern of excessive consumerism and conflict driving the unbridled exploitation of the earth’s limited resources had to be addressed. For humankind to avoid its own destruction, it needs visible models, positive examples to demonstrate a holistic approach to civilization that would allow it to continue.

If the 60s communes were a search for a better way for people to live together, ecovillages are about showing the way, living examples meant to influence and alter the direction of development. In its transition from commune to intentional community to eco-village, The Farm Community establishes its relevancy in the here and now. Although its roots were formed in 60s counterculture, the branches of its tree are living breathing examples for today reaching out into tomorrow.

Every ecovillage project around the world exhibits aspects where it shines and shortcomings to improve, and The Farm is no exception. The Farm and similar projects like it illustrate that there is single solution to the world’s problems, but that the road to tomorrow enters from all directions. Every community has its gifts to share, wonderful examples of the things they got right, and lessons to teach from the mistakes that were made.

It is understood that the definition of what constitutes an ecovillage has been kept broad in order to include the efforts by many different types of endeavors, whether they be urban centers or rural enclaves. But if one considers the standard and accepted definition as established by leading spokespersons in the worldwide Green movement, The Farm indeed fits all of the criteria of an ecovillage and then some, with many of its Green attributes not immediately apparent, but embedded into the web of the community. The Farm’s aim from the very beginning was to be a model of sustainability that could be emulated and adapted to serve the needs of people wherever they are, in the hope that more communities of this type would spread, flourish and multiply.

This Season's People, Farm 2016

1. Should be human scale.

A village should be relatively small, a size that lets everyone know each other and interact on a daily basis. The network of connections becomes like an ecosystem in itself, sustaining the community.

The Farm's has a 40+ year history placing a high priority on the importance of family relationships. The community’s population size allows members to develop multiple circles of friends and connections on many different levels. Residents live, work, play and explore unlimited ways to cooperate with each other.

2. A full featured settlement

The Farm has many of the aspects of a small town, numerous neighborhoods, a town center, a clinic, its own water system, over 5 miles of road, a dozen public buildings, a swimming hole and sandy beach, a community center, kid parks, multiple businesses and much, much more.

Young and old alike enjoy the beauty and cool waters of The Farm's swimming hole.
We are hopeful Covid numbers remain low, and that our Kids To The Country Program can resume normal operations this summer.
Click here to learn more!

Farm Midwives deliver the community’s newest residents.

The Farm’s cemetery has over 80 permanent residents. Life on The Farm goes full circle.

With its own store supplying staples and a wide assortment of items, a good number of people may stay inside the community for days, even weeks on end, with no reason to make a trip into town or ever leave.

The Farm School has always been an important institution in the community. Its survival past the economic change of 1983 has allowed it to continue as a focal point for community relations, bringing together young and old and from across and outside the community. People pay for student tuitions, participate as teachers, pull off fundraisers, help organize celebrations and other activities.

Back when I taught music at The Farm School. How quick they grow up!

The School also serves as way to attract like-minded families with young children, new members bringing fresh energy to the community. Frequently families will also move to the local area near The Farm specifically so their child or children can attend The Farm School. In that way, The School extends the sense of community well beyond The Farm’s borders.

The annual Salsa Contest at the August Market Day

One of the most important ways The Farm Community benefits its members and residents is as the hub for social activities and events. The combination of a rural lifestyle and an active social environment can fulfill the need for person to person interaction, something that can be missing for those living on isolated rural homesteads.

The community center is a focal point for many activities, including community dinners.
We are just getting them started again as Covid numbers decline.

Even someone committed to city life may find The Farm offers greater opportunities for personal connection, builds deeper friendships and has a wider range of networking opportunities, while avoiding the downsides like endless traffic, a higher cost of living, and other demands that eat away at personal time.

If anything, The Farm’s bountiful social calendar can be almost overwhelming, with seemingly endless choices ranging from the practical, through participation on committees and governing bodies, to the ever frequent parties, potlucks and festivities. Of course the social dynamic can be also limited, especially for young, single people who want the action of a city, and the chance to meet new people.

There are several large solar arrays spread throughout the community.

Ideally an Ecovillage is energy independent, generating its own clean, renewable energy. There are several very large and small photovoltaic arrays producing electricity throughout The Farm, but they generate only a percentage of the power consumed by the entire community. Virtually all homes and businesses on The Farm are connected to the grid and standard electrical power. Equipment and installation costs for solar electric systems remain prohibitively high, and cannot be economically justified by the majority of families and businesses who face the same financial struggles as people do anywhere.

The solar arrays on The Farm producing electricity utilize what is known as a “grid-tie” system in which the power they produce is fed directly back into the electrical service or grid of the power company. This eliminates the need for batteries which need maintenance, have a limited life span and in most cases are made of lead or lithium. There are tradeoffs even in green energy production that must be factored in. It could be said The Farm still holds clean and independent energy production as a goal and ideal, something that will be achieved when it becomes truly affordable.

More critieria of an ecovillage continued next month.

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A big thanks to everyone who has become a patron of Farm Fresh!
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Peace,

Douglas

Douglas@thefarmcommunity.com