Farm Fresh, December 2025
This month's highlights:
This month's highlights:
- Ecovillage Indonesia
- Plenty sends supplies to Jamaica and the Pine Ridge Rez in SD
- Sanctuary Summit April 16 - 19, 2026
- Peace Dance Weekend, April 31 - May 3, 2026
- E-Bikes - Fun on wheels!
In the land of Buddhas
Dear friends,
Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) training camp in Thailand
This newsletter is going out a bit later than usual because Deborah and I have just returned from five weeks of travel in Southeast Asia.
Our trip began with several days in Taipei, Taiwan, where we explored the night markets, toured the countryside, and joined a group for Dances Of Universal Peace.
Next we visited midwife Ibu Robin Lim at the Bumi Sehat Birth Center in Bali, Indonesia. Deborah taught a class in neonatal resuscitation, which included taking a break in the middle to deliver a baby!
From there we flew to Jakarta, then drove 2 hours up into the mountains to visit an Ecovillage. We gave a talk about The Farm Community, followed by a second talk in Jakarta to permaculture activists. More on this below.
From there we flew to Jakarta, then drove 2 hours up into the mountains to visit an Ecovillage. We gave a talk about The Farm Community, followed by a second talk in Jakarta to permaculture activists. More on this below.
Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) training camp in Thailand
On to Bangkok, Thailand, where met up with 25 old and new friends from around the world. Together we explored Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village monastery, spent two nights in a Vipassana Buddhist monastery, and visited both ancient and modern Buddhist temples. The primary intention was to participate in a DUP dance leader training camp with 250 young people from all across Southeast Asia. Truly inspiring and uplifting! I’ll share some other highlights from our trip in the next newsletter.
We are excited to announce the return of Sanctuary Summit, followed by a Dances of Universal Peace Weekend coming in April 2026!
Read below to learn about recent efforts by Plenty International to support hurricane victims in Jamaica and a delivery of winter coats and blankets to our brothers and sisters at the Lakota Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
Have you considered buying an e-bike? Read out our e-bike experience.
I hope your holiday season is memorable, joyous and immersed in the love of family and friends.
Peace,
Douglas
Douglas
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More than a festival, it is a working prayer for a future built upon a foundation of connection, creativity, and deep care.
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Kampoeng Kasih Ecovillage, Indonesia
An Ecovillage on five hectors (12.4 acres) in the mountains of Bogor, two hours outside of Jakarta, Indonesia.
About fifteen years ago, the founder and co-investors of Kampoeng Kasih Ecovillage purchased the land as an overgrown bamboo forest. Today it is a retreat center with multiple buildings for meeting space and overnight accommodations.
The wisdom of its founder was to begin by constructing a food production facility that provides the primary financial support for the community, its staff and infrastructure development.
Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) flavored to taste like chicken, wrapped around stems of lemongrass.
The “factory” produces 500 kg per day of food products made from soy-based texturized vegetable protein (TVP), combined with shiitake mushroom stems and various spices. Their customer base is a religious offshoot of Taoism that has a large population in Jakarta and throughout the island of Java, in which all members adhere to a vegetarian diet. I have to say their products were pretty tasty!
The factory employs 45 people from the local area, and many of them reside on-site in dorm rooms provided by the ecovillage. Monthly meetings including refreshments and games help build a sense of community among the workers, and help instill the Kampoeng Kasih’s ideals of respect for the environment and permaculture principles through social osmosis.
There’s a sense of respect and empowerment, even a sense of pride generated by the pleasant working environment.
The Ecovillage is on a steep hillside, so terraced raised beds are a necessity.
One of the primary goals of the community’s gardens and food production is to produce the herbs used in the factory. There is also widespread planting of papayas, plus garden plants like eggplant, asparagus, and more.
The man overseeing the food production shows me his detailed organization and planning.
In addition to the workers at the factory, the community employs local people from the area in the construction of buildings and infrastructure, as cooks for the community kitchen during retreats, plus maid/hospitality services for the guest accommodations.
Deborah and I had the honor of presenting a PowerPoint slideshow about The Farm for the factory staff and community members at their monthly meeting. Deborah received spontaneous applause for her role as a midwife, and still more applause when we talked about the process of conflict resolution, the role of forgiveness and the importance of saying you’re sorry.
Although we have experienced a taste of Muslim culture during our visits to Turkey, this took us deeper into the rural countryside, where we were able to get a closer look at daily life. We felt safe, welcomed, and were fascinated by this opportunity to see Muslim villages off the beaten path.
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Left, barrels of supplies delivered to hurricane victims in Jamaica.
Right, Plenty executive director Dan Bright (right) at Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
Right, Plenty executive director Dan Bright (right) at Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
The cooperative effort between Plenty International and Grassroots Aid Partnership - GAP sent 20 barrels of supplies to assist victims of Hurricane Melissa.
Dan Bright, executive director of Plenty International, recently did a supply run to the Lakota reservation at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, delivering blankets, warm coats, and other items.
"All the supplies we brought with have been distributed but the needs are great. Additional requests surfaced that we have been assisting with in the context of food security and winterization of homes before the single digits move in.
We have been distributing grocery gift cards and directly supplying groceries, supplies to seal up windows and doors, and heaters over the past several days."
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E-Bikes - Fun on Wheels!
Pausing to savor the view in Maine's Acadia National Park.
Riding an electric bike adds a whole new level of fun and freedom to exploring the outdoors, especially for us seniors who have fond memories of riding our bikes, but are no longer up for the strenuous effort of pedaling up hills. Since Deborah and I purchased our e-bikes a few years ago, we’ve enjoyed cruising a rail trail in Massachusetts, pedaling through the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota, along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, and the rapid downhill descent of the Virginia Creeper in Abingdon, Virginia.
Rail trails are where railroad tracks no longer in use have been converted to bike trails and they can be found all over the country. They are perfect for e-bikes because their gradual inclines make for smooth, easy riding. The quiet power of an electric motor lets you enjoy the scenery without worrying about exhausting climbs, while still getting a satisfying amount of exercise.
When buying an e-bike, it’s important to know that many bike shops will not service electric bikes purchased online. I chose Magnum e-bikes because they are a brand that many local bike shops will service, which gives peace of mind for maintenance and repairs. That said, I’ve discovered that repairs so far have been manageable on my own. I’ve replaced a display and even swapped out a magnet sensor, which sends a pulse to trigger the electric motor built into the hub of the back wheel.
Pedal-assist bikes, which have the motor in the pedal sprocket rather than the rear wheel hub, are often required on certain public trails that restrict the more common models that include a throttle, which gives you the ability to apply power without pedaling. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right bike for the places you want to ride.
Electric bikes come in a wide price range, from budget-friendly models of around $1,000 to premium bikes that can cost $5,000 or more. Fat tires offer extra stability and cushioning, making them great for gravel, sand, or snow, but they add weight and are slower, and can reduce battery range compared to standard tires.
For those curious about e-bikes, renting one at an established bike trail is a great way to get a feel for the ride before committing to a purchase. Whether you rent or buy, e-bikes open up countless opportunities for adventure. We absolutely love ours!
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Thank you for your time and attention! Come visit us!
Douglas Stevenson
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
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Douglas
