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Dear friends,
I am trying out a new email format to make the newsletter more mobile/smartphone friendly. Please let me know how it appears to you, if the text is more readable, what background color you see, and any other comments you may have. Thanks!
Douglas
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While my wife Deborah and I have resumed our travels, there is a lot going on back home on The Farm.
Probably one of the most important changes is the recent vote bringing in 10 new members! These include new, young people (30's to under 50) who joined us during the Pandemic years, along with some returning former members from back in the day. All of this is to say that we are still growing!
The barn roof raising I mentioned in the May issue took place, with lots of volunteers helping to make it happen.
 The Swan Trust night hike was eye (an ear) opening! Listening to the different creatures of the night and then using a flashlight to find them!
I hope you can come to Market Day, July 8th! It is a great way to get to know us!
Peace,
Douglas
40 Years on The Farm
Most of the video and TV crews that come through The Farm stay a few hours, sometimes a couple of days. The producers of 40 Years on The Farm were from Nashville, and so after I agreed to show them around and set them up with some interviews, they started coming down every week or two through the summer of 2011.
We became friends, enough to give them video and inrterviews I had been recording, which gave them access to material beyond what they could capture through occasional visits. We would watch and review their production throughout the editing process, and I could offer suggestions and corrections. Ultimately they listed me as an associate producer.
Although the program is over 10 years old now, it still holds up (IMHO) as one of the best and most complete telling of our story to date.
Click here to watch it for free on Vimeo.
Sunseed , The Journey - A movie of Western Spiritual Awakenings
The 1960s and 70s were a time of spiritual awakening. Sunseed, The Journey is a movie that captures the spirit of those times, and the wave of teachers from the East who brought their knowledge and wisdom to a generation hungry for insights and greater meaning. It has been re-edited from its original release, going back to interview and capture the refelctions of key figures like Ram Dass and narrator Peter Coyote, a founder of the Diggers commune.
The movie is dedicated to Murshid Sam Lewis, known then as Sufi Sam, founder of the Dances of Universal Peace, which has become my path of spiritual expression.
However, he is but one of the teachers featured in this film. The movie offers a beautiful overview of what was hapening then and how it changed the world we live in today.
In 1973 my wife and I (we were 18 and 19) found ourselves in Phoenix, AZ for a couple of months, living at an ashram which trained teachers in Yogi Bashan's kundalini yoga.
Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now, the book that ignited our spiritual awakening, visited for a week while we were there and did darshan (daily talks, with questions and answers). Yogi B got wind of this and arrived right after Ram Dass left to “reclaim” his flock. By that time we had moved out into a nearby apartment. It wasn’t for us.
I could really relate more to Ram Dass, but he was a western version of a wandering Sadhu and there wasn’t any way to do something with him.
Some months later we visited and then joined The Farm Community and have been members now for 50 years.
Founder and "abbot of the monastery" Stephen Gaskin had his faults, like any human being, but he provided a unique spiritual path that was more universal and did not require you to adopt the practices of one specific culture. He can be seen a couple of times in the film and is credited in the film for the founding of The Farm.
Click here to watch the trailer and to purchase the movie as a stream.
My Calendar
June 21` - June 26 Salmon Wild River Camp
Location: Salmon Idaho 609 West 4th Street, Salmon, ID Hosted by Zareen Connie Delaney and Wayne Talmage.
Friday, July 7 Eugene, OR
Location: The event is at 7:30 pm at the Eugene Friend's Meeting House, 2274 Onyx St, Eugene, OR
Saturday, July 8, Salem, OR
Location: This event is being held at a private residence in rural area of Salem, Oregon. Please email SalemDUP@gmail.com for more information.
Schedule: 3:00-4:00 PM Arrival, Visiting and Optional Blueberry picking (1.50/lb, option of making payment to certain charities. Bring your own containers or gallon freezer bags and cooler with blue ice for storage) Don't forget checkbook or cash to pay for your berries.
4-4:30 Slideshow Presentation about The Farm Intentional Community
5-6:00 Optional potluck (Beverages, paper plates, cups, and recyclable utensils provided) Bring a potluck dish if you can, but not required.
6:15-8:00 Dance
What to bring: Chairs, Sunhat, sunscreen, water bottle, practical shoes for dancing on grass.
Sunday July 9, Bandon, OR 7 PM
Location: Bandon Library Sprague Room, 1204 11th St SW, Bandon, OR 97411
A presentation about The Farm Intentional Community and then we Dance!
August 14-18 Parliament of World Religions
Location: Chicago, at McCormick Place Lakeside Center.
There will be Dances as part of the program as well as "pop-up" Dances throughout the week. Many, many workshops, by people from all across the spiritual spectrum, including several by members of the Dances of Universal Peace community.
A reminder DUPNA is offering NextGen dancers and Dance Leaders (age 18-40's) scholarships with pre-paid registration ($250), plus lodging, and travel, up to $560. Contact hayatdupna@gmail.com to learn more. Click here to apply.
The Farm Market Day is Saturday July 8 and is a great way to visit and get to know The Farm! Food from local Farmers and Artisans - Food Trucks (Grab lunch!) - Live Music - Arts and Crafts - Yard Sale items
• If you're interested in vending, playing music, teaching a workshop, or volunteering, contact us at thefarmmarketday@gmail.com
Thank you for your time and attention!
My books:
 
Out to Change the World and The Farm Then and Now
Out to Change the World! $12 plus shipping
The Farm Then and Now $19.95 plus shipping
Order both for just $33 including shipping!
Watch my TEDx Talk: Out to Change the World - Living the Hippie Dream
A big thanks to everyone who has become a patron of Farm Fresh! When you become a subscriber, your contribution helps spread the word about community-based alternatives and the spiritual path.
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Check out my newsletter archive, going back to 2012!
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