Farm Fresh News - November 2015
Hi Friends,
It was a fantastic October Farm Experience! As I have said in the past, the amount of social activities here on The Farm for a typical weekend can almost be overwhelming.

On Saturday morning after our community tour, we stopped by the Market under the Dome. After lunch we went to a hands-on natural building workshop at the Ecovillage Training Center, breaking in the afternoon for a concert by a band here that plays all Grateful Dead tunes. After the band's first set, everyone gathered for an All-Farm potluck, with barbecue tofu provided for entire crowd. The band played another set into the evening, followed by a bonfire and drum circle into the wee hours.

Sunday morning after the group meditation, those here for the Experience Weekend who could stay longer went on to a Harvest Celebration in the Huichol tradition.

The Huichol are a Native American Tribe in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Northern Mexico. They hid in the mountains and were never defeated by the conquistadors and thus able to preserve their language, traditions and spiritual beliefs. My neighbor and duplex housemate Susan Skinner has been training with the Huichol for over 10 years and last year she was initiated as a Weather Worker. She leads the ceremony and offerings to the four directions. It is always a moving experience.

My weekend wasn't over! That afternoon I went on to participate in a Home Schoolers Festival on the neighboring farm owned by some homesteader friends. The kids ran races, participated in games of skill, and put on a play.
It was a perfect fall weekend!

Check out the new, redesigned web site for GreenLife Retreats. My 2016 calendar is up, with the next Farm Experience taking place in March.

NEW This Year: I have added a second Organic Gardening Intensive, this one in early May, the primary time for planting. I am having is so much fun sharing how to grow food and the intricacies of a permaculture lifestyle!
 
I gives thanks for another fruitful and bountiful year. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Peace,
Douglas
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The 2016 GreenLife Retreats Calendar
March 25-27 Farm Experience Weekend 
The Joys of Spring: One of the of the most beautiful times of year to visit The Farm. Looking forward to endless potential and possibilities.
April 15-17 Experience the Land
In addition to our regular Farm Experience Weekend activities and tours, on Saturday afternoon we'll hike to a waterfall in the 1475 acre Big Swan Headwaters Preserve. The Saturday night dinner and entertainment will be a fundraiser for Swan Conservation Trust.
May 4-8 The Organic Gardening Intensive
5 Days of hands-on gardening and immersion in permaculture, as well as garden tours on and off-The Farm to visit permaculture homesteads, a bamboo nursery, the nearby Amish community, and more.
May 27-29 The Conference on Community and Sustainability
Co-sponsored by the Fellowship of Intentional Communities (FIC), this weekend is an immersion in all things community and achieving a lifestyle in line with the values of sustainability. One of our most popular events that promises to be even greater this year!
June 15-19 The Organic Gardening Intensive 
A different segment in the gardening season. 5 Days of hands-on gardening and immersion in permaculture, as well as garden tours on and off-The Farm to visit permaculture homesteads, a bamboo nursery, the nearby Amish community, and more. 

July13-16 The Summer Retreat 
Like a Farm Experience but with more time to go swimming, hiking, plus kid activities, workshops and always GREAT FOOD! Fun for the entire family. Watch the video.
August: Taking a break
September 16-18 Farm Experience Weekend
Celebrate the Equinox: The best overview of life in community, exploring green building and solar technology, organic gardening, midwifery, alternative education, starting a small business, and so much more. 
Watch the video. / Farm Experience in Photos
Oct 16-18 Farm Experience Weekend
Fall Colors and a Fire Circle: Always a jam packed weekend. A time of reflection and introspection.
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Permaculture Fundamentals: Zone 1 - The Kitchen Garden
Permaculture is about creating systems that allows us to live in harmony with nature, creating systems that can sustain us. Central to this is the ability to feed ourselves in a way that does not require shipping food across the country or from all parts of the world. The Permaculture model divides the sustainable homestead into zones, with Zone 1 representing the kitchen garden. My friends Randy and Dakota have created this lovely example with these raised beds next to their home.

The raised beds serve several purposes. The bottom of each bed is covered with hardware cloth, which prevents moles and voles from burrowing through the ground and devouring the plant, especially problematic for roots crops like potatoes and carrots.
 The beds have been built extra deep so that the gardeners don't have to stoop over to work the soil or for harvesting. Raising them off the ground also seems to make it easier to control the weeds. The beds have been filled with compost, peat moss, and other sources of humus, so that the soil is loose and easy to work. 
 
The evidence is clear! Randy and Dakota are growing a lot of food all year round in a small amount of space.



Come explore and learn more about these raised beds at the 2016 Organic Gardening Retreats!
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Huichol Yarn Painting

Offerings to the Four Directions

From the East, the gift of Air, Brother Wind, clarity of vision, inspiration, the new day, new beginnings, establishment of purpose and intention, and springtime.
From the South, Fire. The tools, strength, perseverance and energy to follow through and manifest. The gifts of humor and passion, innocence and trust.
From the West, the setting sun, water, emotions, the fall season, self-evaluation toward completion, peace, rest and healing.
And the North, winter, midnight, the time to slow down, go within and be still to receive guidance for what comes next. Completion, all that you have accomplished and learned. Wisdom.

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I hope you'll join me for a first hand look at The Farm during one of my GreenLife Retreat Weekends, and that you will find the inspiration you need to pursue your dreams and your chosen path!

Thanks again for your time and attention.
Douglas
 Spread the word. Spread the dream! 
Out to Change the World and The Farm Then and Now

Out to Change the World
The Farm Then and Now

Order both and save!

Farm Experience / GreenLife Retreats and Workshops  2016 Calendar

 

March 25-27 Farm Experience Weekend 
The Joys of Spring: One of the of the most beautiful times of year to visit The Farm. Looking forward to endless potential and possibilities.
April 15-17 Experience the Land
In addition to our regular Farm Experience Weekend activities and tours, on Saturday afternoon we'll hike to a waterfall in the 1475 acre Big Swan Headwaters Preserve. The Saturday night dinner and entertainment will be a fundraiser for Swan Conservation Trust.
May 4-8 The Organic Gardening Intensive
5 Days of hands-on gardening and immersion in permaculture, as well as garden tours on and off-The Farm to visit permaculture homesteads, a bamboo nursery, the nearby Amish community, and more.
May 27-29 The Conference on Community and Sustainability
Co-sponsored by the Fellowship of Intentional Communities (FIC), this weekend is an immersion in all things community and achieving a lifestyle in line with the values of sustainability. One of our most popular events that promises to be even greater this year!
June 15-19 The Organic Gardening Intensive 
A different segment in the gardening season. 5 Days of hands-on gardening and immersion in permaculture, as well as garden tours on and off-The Farm to visit permaculture homesteads, a bamboo nursery, the nearby Amish community, and more.
 


July13-16 The Summer Retreat 
Like a Farm Experience but with more time to go swimming, hiking, plus kid activities, workshops and always GREAT FOOD! Fun for the entire family. Watch the video.

August: Taking a break

September 16-18 Farm Experience Weekend
Celebrate the Equinox: The best overview of life in community, exploring green building and solar technology, organic gardening, midwifery, alternative education, starting a small business, and so much more. Watch the video. / Farm Experience in Photos
Oct 16-18 Farm Experience Weekend
Fall Colors and a Fire Circle: Always a jam packed weekend. A time of reflection and introspection.

Now it's up to you. Register today! 

Midwifery Workshops: www.midwiferyworkshops.org/

Swan Trust Activities & Hikes   Contact: foreverwild@swantrust.org

Permaculture Apprenticeships: Learn straw, cob, earthbag, turf roofs, bamboo, thatch, clay plaster, adobe, alis, and food self-reliance at the Farm community.

Spiral Ridge Permaculture - Workshops and Classes

 Meet your host: Douglas Stevenson

Green Life Retreats
A division of Village Media Services
PO Box 259Summertown, TN 38483
931-964-2590 - office 931-626-4035 cell
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.villagemedia.com
www.greenliferetreats.com
www.douglasstevenson.com 
Douglas@thefarmcommunity.com

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