Farm Fresh, September 2026
This month's highlights:
This month's highlights:
- Our Newest Midwife
- Rattlesnakes on the move!
- Farm Market Day: Saturday, October 10, 2026 Last chance this year!
- Dances of Universal Peace November 5-8
I apologize for the delay in getting out this month‘s newsletter.
My wife and I just returned from five weeks of travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world.
We started out with a week at the Unicorn Camp in Southern England, immersed in the Dances of Universal Peace. It was a fantastic experience with our new friends who share this special path of the heart.
It’s made me look forward even more to our Dance weekend here in November. It’s a great way to visit The Farm. I hope you will consider joining us for this uplifting experience, coming at a time when we need a balance to the chaos and uncertainty.
Read below to learn the story of the community's newest Certified Professional Farm Midwife, and the thrill of watching rattlesnakes and their seasonal travels.
One more thing.
I recently had the good fortune to attend a rally in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee and hear Democratic candidate for Governor Jerri Green.
It was a welcome breath of fresh air to listen to someone speak with common sense, with realistic strategies for real changes that can directly benefit the people of our state.
Recent polls indicate she is closing in on Republican Martha Blackburn, who has been a rubber stamp for Trump’s policies in the Senate the last several years. Our state has elected a Democrat for governor in the not too distant past and it could happen again.
There were about 100 people from several counties attending the hastily organized event. Watching them line up for yard signs and to volunteer offered some measure of hope.
Lawrenceburg was Jerri Green’s 187th rally, compared to zero by Blackburn, who is counting on the Trump base to carry her votes.
But the high gas prices and the cost of food are two reasons people are becoming disillusioned with MAGA.
One message from the rally was if every registered Democrat actually turned out to vote, she could win.
We are counting down days until the vote.
I don’t typically care to use this forum for politics, but this election hits close to home. Enough is enough.
Many of you in this group are not from Tennessee, but it is very likely you will have some very important elections coming up in your own state. By voting in November, together we can be a sail in the winds of change
A few years ago I spoke out about Trump, and I admit I was surprised with some of the negative comments I received.
It’s time you know who we are. We stand for nonviolence.
We say no to violence against our Earth, our water, our air, our forests, our deserts, our rivers and oceans.
We say no more violence against working people, poor people, against women, against all children.
We say waging wars on other countries hurts us all.
We are the true conservatives!
Namaste y'all!
Douglas
Douglas
Harvest of the Heart, Fall Dance Weekend November 5-8, 2026
In these challenging times, our dances are embodied prayers. Reap the Harvest of the Heart!
In these challenging times, our dances are embodied prayers. Reap the Harvest of the Heart!
- Chanting and singing together. Simple and easy to learn, with everyone in a circle.
- All meals included
- Check out my music on YouTube to get a preview.
News from Community Birth & Wellness
Community Birth & Wellness is overjoyed to introduce The Farm’s newest midwife and one of the founding members of our practice, Laura Holzapfel.
“Growing up on The Farm, home birth was simply a normal part of life. Birth was never something to fear. It was something to celebrate. Looking back, I realize not everyone grows up watching birth videos for fun or playing games where they pretend to catch babies, but that was my childhood. Even as a little girl, I was drawn to pregnancy, birth, and babies.
In my early twenties, while pursuing a degree in nutrition, I realized the classes I looked forward to most were those focused on pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding. That was the moment I knew I wanted to become a midwife.
Laura Holzapfel, RN, CPM
After the birth of my second child, I had the opportunity to begin apprenticing in midwifery, and I quickly fell in love with every aspect of the work. From prenatal clinic days and home visits to births and late-night phone calls, I discovered that what I value most is the privilege of walking alongside families through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives. Building relationships from the first prenatal visit through birth, postpartum, and beyond is one of the greatest joys of this calling.
As my children were growing up, I stepped away from midwifery for a season and became a Registered Nurse, allowing for a more predictable schedule while continuing to strengthen my clinical skills. For the past ten years, I have worked in both medical-surgical and postpartum/perinatal nursing. During that time, I also completed training as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and volunteered with a local organization serving area hospitals. That experience deepened my commitment to trauma-informed care, something I believe is essential to supporting women and families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey.
In 2021, I was grateful to return to the path that had always been my calling. Along the way, I have had the privilege of attending births with many of The Farm Midwives, as well as learning alongside several other experienced midwives. Each mentor has helped shape my knowledge, confidence, and approach to providing compassionate, evidence-informed, family-centered care.
I am the mother of three children, two of whom I welcomed with the support of midwives. Those experiences profoundly shaped me, not only as a mother, but as the midwife I am today. They continually remind me of the strength, wisdom, and resilience every family brings to the birth journey.
Laura and her mom!
It is always an incredible honor to be invited into one of life’s most intimate moments as a family welcomes a new child. My goal is to provide care that is compassionate, respectful, individualized, and grounded in both clinical excellence and the belief that, when supported well, birth is a normal, healthy, and profoundly transformative life event. I look forward to partnering with families as they welcome their babies into the world.”
Welcome, Laura. We are honored to have your heart, wisdom, and experience as part of Community Birth & Wellness as we continue serving families and carrying forward the rich midwifery tradition of The Farm.
Rattlesnakes in abundance!
Crossing the road - Coiled in the leaves.
The hot days at the end of August are sometimes called the Dog Days of Summer. I learned as a teenager that this was the time when snakes were on the move, and that has certainly been the case this year with rattlesnakes on The Farm. I was out for a bike ride and saw one crossing the road. Then over the next several weeks there were as many as 20 sightings! Some were probably the same snake moving from place to place, but certainly not all, as the snake alerts were very widespread all around the community.
Rattlesnakes are typically not very aggressive. Even if you accidentally step on one, there’s no guarantee that it will bite and or it can even bite but not inject venom. Their venom is very precious, and they want to save it for when absolutely necessary. The younger ones are actually a little more dangerous, as they have not learned how to bite and control their venom.
Copperheads on the other hand are much more aggressive, and if you step on one of those... well, you’re probably on your way to the doctor. Fortunately, I haven’t seen one in several years.
If a poisonous snake is seen in someone's yard where they might step on it, or if there are any children around, someone from the community will come with a snake stick to catch it and then take the serpent off to the "Back 40." But if a rattlesnake is just crossing the road and headed down into a wooded valley, we leave them be and wish them well.
Thank you for your time and attention! Come visit us!
A big thanks to everyone who has become a patron of Farm Fresh!
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Douglas Stevenson
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
My books:
- 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
