Straw Bale Truth Window at Earthaven

Here's another straw bale "truth window" that was just too cool to not photograph!

Earthaven Ecovillage

We just spent two incredible days at Earthaven Ecovillage, which is located in the lush mountains less than an hour east of Asheville, North Carolina.

In short, our visit to Earthaven Ecovillage was mind-blowing. Earthaven is a veritable model for sustainable living which was founded in 1994, and we could see from the outset of our visit that this is a community that truly walks it’s talk.

Combining earth-friendly, sustainable building techniques and a village design including small clustered neighborhoods, Earthaven demonstrates that people of good will and intention can live close to the land, create systems and buildings that have the lowest possible environmental impact on the earth, and provide a safe haven for those who wish to live out of the mainstream, but nestled in the heart of a thriving community on 320 acres of Blue Ridge mountain forest.

The folks at Earthaven seem to promote and foster earthy and intelligent ingenuity, and a number of cottage industries have achieved relative economic success, including the harvesting of local timber, an organic nursery, and an apprentice program.

This geographic area enjoys four distinct seasons, each of which generally conforms to the equinoxes and solstices, as compared to New England where the winters seem to last for four or five months and the summers are unnaturally brief.  There is generally adequate sun and rainfall, with only a small amount of snow that rarely remains on the ground for more than a few days.

The buildings at Earthaven are built using many sustainable and energy-efficient technologies, including cob construction and straw bale, and every building sports an array of solar panels to harness the sun. There is also one Earthship at Earthaven, a home constructed out of old tires that are filled with dirt and stacked one on top of the other. The spaces in between the tires are then filled with glass bottles and other recycled materials, all of which is then covered with a thick coating of natural stucco. Earthships are very energy efficient due to their thick walls, requiring little in the way of heating during colder weather.

The community has its own “stream-powered” hydro plant that converts the energy of a rushing stream into usable power that is stored in a bank of batteries, further supplemented by a nearby group of solar panels. The energy harnessed from the stream can provide power to several shared buildings, including the trading post/office and a nearby residence where a number of members live.

Relying largely on solar panels and passive solar, the sun plays an important part in Earthaven’s energy needs, although generators are used in extreme circumstances. Only one home at Earthaven has a flush toilet, whereas all of the others rely on composting toilets. On-demand hot water heaters, ultra-efficient washing machines and other state-of-the-art technology further add to Earthaven’s endeavor to have the lowest possible environmental impact.

 

The community grows a great deal of its own food, and several members raise chickens, goats and dairy cows. Grass-fed milk, medicinal plants, honey, eggs and biodynamic vegetables are available, and several root cellars assist in long-term food storage.

Our host, Arjuna, carries a wealth of knowledge about both the community itself and its environmental and building practices, and our two-hour private tour was thorough, thoughtful, personal, and very informative. We were consistently blown away by what we saw and heard, returning to our rig to digest it all over a cup of tea and a snack.

Earthaven considers itself “a living laboratory for the sustainable future”, serving as a model ecovillage, a center for education vis-à-vis communication, economy and ecology, a spiritual sanctuary, and a place to foster what they call a “regenerative culture”. The residents of Earthaven use a local currency, barter for goods and services when possible, and continue to build skills in governance, group process, and healing.

Towards the beginning of our tour, we realized that a beautiful (but small) apartment/condo is currently for sale for less than $25,000 in a gorgeous building near the center of the community, and it is very tempting to consider building a life here at Earthaven. If we were indeed interested, there is an understandably involved and lengthy application process for prospective members. We were also happy to learn that our application for membership could indeed include Tina since there is no quota for the number of dogs in the community, thus she would simply be a part of our family application for residence at Earthaven.

For anyone interested in community, sustainable building, ecological living, or models of living outside of the mainstream, a visit to Earthaven is something not to be missed. We know that there are other ecovillages out there, but Earthaven is the first one into whose orbit we have floated, and we definitely leave feeling entranced. 

 

The Straw Bale "Truth Window"

Straw bale homes, which are built with super-thick walls filled with straw, are eco-friendly and energy efficient, and we were blessed to spend the night in just such a home at the Common Ground intentional community near Lexington, Virginia.

In her infinite wisdom, Mary decided to do a photo essay in order to capture a unique tradition in many straw-bale homes--- the "Truth Window". The Truth Window is a way in which the inner workings of straw bale construction are revealed, allowing visitors to see just what's inside those enormously thick walls. So here is a revealing series of photos by Mary of the "truth window" of the straw bale home where we recently spent the night.

 

 

 

Common Ground, Part II

So, dear Readers, today we bid a fond (and sadly wistful) adieu to the good folks of Common Ground, an intentional community where we were incredibly well-received, cared for, and generously hosted for three days.

Common Ground, as mentioned in a recent post, is a community which has been in existence since 1980, and the families and individuals who live there have created a sanctuary for those who wish to live close to the land and in close proximity with like-minded people of good heart and intention.

Using passive solar, solar panels, composting toilets, and alternative construction techniques like straw bale and double envelope homes, the community also offers many acres of beautiful wooded land, a pond for swimming and a stocked trout pond for fishing. There is also a schoolhouse originally used as a center for local home-schoolers, and a pavilion and outdoor kitchen for summer adventure camps for children and teenagers. There are plans to improve and expand the schoolhouse for further development of educational programs and activities, and Common Ground is excited to welcome new families with children to join the community.

We felt wonderfully at home while visiting Common Ground, and our hosts, Tony and Kari, went out of their way to welcome us for meals with them and their beautiful children. We even had a movie night, watching the film "Commune" about Black Bear Ranch, one of the original hippie communes in the 1970s. We played games with the kids, had time alone in our rig, and were generously offered the use of one of the community's lovely straw bale homes while two kind residents were on a meditation retreat. With hot baths, clean laundry, a woodstove and an expansive home to stretch out in, we were seriously happy campers!

On day two at Common Ground, we were blessed with almost four inches of snow, which challenged us to feel safe being in such a cold environment with our poorly insulated and non-winterized rig. Luckily, with the furnace running round the clock and only one night of temperatures in the 20s, we experienced no ill effects from the cold. The snow was resplendent, and we actually enjoyed trekking up and down the hill between our rig and the other homes.

Our final night at Common Ground was marked by a memorable meal with the community's founders, Peggy and Glen Leasure. Glen is a shoemaker who is about to leave for the West African country of Sierra Leone on a project geared towards teaching the women of Sierra Leone the craft of shoemaking. The women will be given micro-loans to enable them to start their own shoemaking businesses and teach others to do the same. Meanwhile, community members will also be taught how to build and use composting toilets, a green technology that will vastly improve sanitation and hygiene while also providing a means of economic and business development. Glen is fired up about the project and is pleased to accept donations from anyone moved to send him a check, and we were quick to buy raffle tickets to support this worthwhile and exciting venture! Even local churches are holding gatherings, potlucks, concerts and other events to raise money for the project.

When leaving Common Ground today, we made it not more than a mile down the road before coming across a downed tree partially blocking the road. Keith had to scramble up a tree with his handy saw in order to take down branches that could have sheared off the air conditioner or solar panels, and Mary deftly maneuvered the rig under the low-lying limbs.

 Following that adventure, we made our longest drive in a day---299 miles---since leaving Western Massachusetts, arriving in Old Fort, North Carolina just after sunset. Ensconced in a cozy campground next to a rushing stream (and with awesomely fast Wifi!), we are poised for a visit to Earthaven Ecovillage tomorrow, which will be followed by visits to several other Asheville-area communities in the coming week.

We are grateful to our new friends at Common Ground for such a wonderful visit, and we want them to know that we felt so taken care of and welcome while staying in their midst. Common Ground wins an A+ for hospitality, kindness, warmth---and natural beauty---and we truly hope to visit again (perhaps when there's no snow and the pond is open for swimming!)

Meanwhile, stay tuned for more updates, some personal entries from both Mary and Keith, and maybe even an update from Tina the Dog! Thanks for reading, and please keep those comments and emails coming!

With love from Mary and Keith. 

Sunday Sunrise in Virginia, Common Ground Community

Here's a photo essay by Mary---a Virginia sunrise.

Welcome to Tennessee!

So, what was the first thing we saw as we crossed the border from Virginia to Tennessee, on our way to North Carolina? A giant guitar, of course! What else could we see in the land of Dollywood? (Except, perhaps, for Elvis!)

Bucolic Southern Virginia

Dinette Still Life

Common Ground!

Hello, dear Readers! We are currently visiting the Common Ground Community near Lexington, Virginia, where we received a very warm and gracious welcome yesterday afternoon, which included a delicious dinner and a relaxed evening with kind people and beautiful children!

Common Ground is an intentional community and incorporated homeowner's association that is currently thriving and growing. Seeking new members---including those with children of any age---Common Ground has room for expansion, with several beautiful sites where new members could build modest homes with road access, electricity and natural spring water. Each home uses composting toilets and some solar power, and residents share meetings, meals, gardening, and other common activities.

Upon arriving yesterday, our rig did indeed get into a very tight spot, and we were able to extricate it from a tangle of branches (with the guidance of Tony our host and a hand saw), and we suffered only one "battle scar" on the right side of the rig near the door.

As I write this blog post, I am---believe it or not---in the library of the Virginia Military Institute, making use of their computers since we have no internet access or cell service up on the mountain at Common Ground.

The countryside here is spectacularly beautiful, and while the weather is chilly (lower 30s at night and 50s during the day), we are enjoying our stay, the company of our kind and generous hosts, and our camping spot near a rushing stream and bucolic pond.

For those of you trying to contact us by phone, we will retrieve messages when we are able. And for those sending us emails, we will also retrieve those in good time. We appreciate people reaching out, and welcome contact any time!

Stay tuned for photos from Common Ground, and further reports as we head south towards the Asheville, North Carolina area next week.

---Keith

On the Pond

Geese in the Mist

Long Live Woody!

For those of you who have known us for a while, you will remember our dear friend Woody, who was shot and killed by the police in Brattleboro, Vermont on December 2nd, 2001 as he sought political asylum in a Unitarian church. We will not go into the details here, but for those who want to learn more, please visit Justice for Woody for the full story.

Today, eight years after his death, we remember Woody's gifts---his laugh, his ability to engage almost anyone in conversation, his creativity, his warmth, his gentle way with children, elders and people with disabilities, and his basic sense of the absurd.

Woody was like an uncle, a brother, a mentor and a best friend to our son Rene, and we recognize how Rene was so blessed to have Woody in his life for the years that he did.

Woody was also a close friend and confidante to both of us, and although he was not a parent, he was our ersatz parenting advisor, and he would often mediate between us and Rene regarding various issues that arose over time.

We loved Woody, and he loved us, and while his exit from this world was violent and shocking, I am personally certain that he is now peacefully ensconced in a new world where he can still be of service to those in need. He was a kind soul who brought joy to many---including us---and we remember him today with love, affection and deep gratitude.

Woody, we miss you and love you!

---Keith

Acorn Community

Following our visit to Twin Oaks, we were lucky enough to also have a personal tour of Acorn Community, a small "sister/daughter" off-shoot of Twin Oaks that is now completely self-sustaining.

Within half an hour of arriving, it was easy to see that Acorn is indeed thriving, with new hay bale construction and other projects underway. The savvy people at Acorn have parlayed their heirloom seed production into a globally recognized seed distribution business, and this has allowed them to expand their membership from 7 members to 20 in less than a year, and they count themselves among the handful of communities in the United States that practice complete income-sharing (like their sister, Twin Oaks). In fact, Acorn and Twin Oaks are both members of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities.

 

Acorn is a wonderful community in the throes of exciting growth and expansion, and we are grateful to our host Jason for his kindness and time. We hope to come visit again and see how things are developing.

Twin Oaks

Today we had the pleasure of visiting Twin Oaks Intentional Community, which has been in existence for just over 40 years. For those of you who may have read "A Walden Two Experiment" by Kathleen Kinkade back in the day, that particular book chronicled the early years of Twin Oaks, and piqued Keith's interest in intentional community as a teenager.

Books notwithstanding, our visit to Twin Oaks was wonderful and informative, and we were lucky to have a personal tour of several of homes, common spaces and cottage industries (which include their famous hammocks and tofu production).

Twin Oaks is one of only a handful of communities that practice complete income-sharing, a lifestyle that is certainly not for everyone. We felt quite at home at Twin Oaks, and would actually be open to a three-week trial visit at some point in the future, although Tina would unfortunately not be welcome. So, an extended stay at Twin Oaks may be something we undertake some time in a post-Tina future.

We are very grateful for the tour and visit, and came away feeling very good about this village of like-minded and industrious communitarians.

Community visit update from Louisa, Virginia

It was helpful to have been in Yogaville during our first night and day south of our familiar environments and people. Being in the warmth, nourishment and safety of an intentional community--which is also a spiritual ashram--was indeed a blessing as the reality sank in more deeply of moving further away from our beloved family and friends. As one friend put it, after Woodburn Hill Farm, we're setting out "into the wild" where our now month-long quest continues. Even though we enjoyed our brief stay that ended with a really wonderful Laughter Yoga class, we are clear that ashram living is not for us, but here are a few pics to give you an idea of this special place.

 

 We are currently at a wooded and sparsely populated campground nestled next to either a large pond in Louisa, Virginia.  Now that we are finally within short driving distance of Twin Oaks, one of the oldest and most established intentional communities in the United States, we will have lunch and a tour tomorrow, thanks to being hosted by a kind soul there. There are several other communities in the area, and we will spend the next few days following up contacts with them for visits.
Today is a cloudy, rainy day here in Louisa and, thanks to Escapees.com, we are grateful to have a discounted campsite ($17.50 per night!) with electric, sewer and water hookups included. It is such a treat to simply flush the toilet, run the water, plug in electrical devices, and have no worries about our tank levels, batteries, solar panels, etc. We spend a fair amount of time managing and keeping track of these details, so being in a campground where we're fully hooked up is a luxury we don't take for granted. Keith is the one who deals with most of those details, and although Mary does her best to pull her weight, she really appreciates all of his judiciousness. Thank you, Keith!

As for life on the road, we are beginning to get into the groove of it, now that we are on our own. One thing for sure is that---like most any life---it necessitates connection, and we look forward to making many new friends along the way. Still, nothing is as special as hearing from loved ones and readers which can really lift our spirits. Please feel free to leave comments or send an email from time to time. We'll be sure to respond.

Sending our best to you from Louisa, Virginia!

Yogaville

After saying goodbye to the good folks at Woodburn Hill Farm, we set sail to Fredericksburg, Virginia for a goodbye brunch with Mary's aunt Peg and Uncle Mike, and we were graciously joined by Mary's brother Jim, his wife Maggie, and our niece and nephew Raquel and Patrick, who made the trip down from Alexandria just to see us one more time. We are grateful for them coming so far for brunch!

Now, after a long drive through the beautiful Virginia countryside, we have arrived for an overnight stay at Yogaville, an ashram founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda on 600 acres of lush forest. Deer graze openly on the grounds, and don't even flinch when we walk by with Tina (however, when they hear the noise of our diesel engine roaring towards them, they high-tail it into the woods in a flash!). 

An interesting note: one of our Laughter Yoga friends back in Western Massachusetts did his Laughter Yoga certification course here at Yogaville (a shout out to Mark Sherry!).

While here at Yogaville, we will take advantage of three vegetarian meals a day, yoga classes, and even a Laughter Yoga session on Sunday at noon. As I write this post, Mary is attending satsang, an evening of chanting and singing.

On Tuesday, we will visit Twin Oaks, one of the most famous intentional communities in North America, and next weekend we will spend several days at Abundant Dawn, with a potential visit to the Acorn Community some time prior to the weekend.

Now that we have left the Washington, DC area firmly behind, it seems that we have also truly left the Northeast United States, entering a new phase of our journey around the country. We will keep you posted as newer pastures and vistas greet us around each bend in the road.

---Keith

Images From Woodburn Hill Farm

 

 

 

Mary on Thanksgiving

On the menu:

• Delicata squash stuffed with sauteed peppers, onions, pine nuts, diced tomatoes, Himalayan salt and thyme
• Aduki beans with spinach and garlic
• Fresh Maryland crab cakes fried in olive oil
• Organic green salad
• Garlic mashed potatoes
• Cabernet Sauvignon
  
• Pumpkin pie with ginger ice cream

A Great Blue Heron

We spied this heron on a walk with Mary's aunt in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We were within ten or twelve feet and the heron simply sat and peacefully contemplated the water.

Happy Thanksgiving From Keith

Dear All,

Happy Thanksgiving! We are contentedly ensconced in front of a warm woodstove here at Woodburn Hill Farm in Mechanicsville, Maryland. Tina is sound asleep in an old upholstered chair, and people here at the farm are readying for various social gatherings and meals in the surrounding area.

For us, it's a day to take stock, relax by the fire, cook a late afternoon meal, and maybe even watch a movie.

I realize today how very much I do indeed have to be grateful for, and returning to Western Massachusetts last weekend was a reminder of the wealth of friends and loved ones with whom we are still very connected despite the miles between us.

Thank you to everyone for their kindnesses big and small over the years---for the hugs, phone calls, emails, love and support. This process of letting go and hitting the open road has not been easy. In fact, I would say that it is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. It is an experiment, a calculated risk, and a grand opportunity for personal renewal and rebirth.

With David's death behind us and the grieving process following its natural course, we will make our way down the coast, and I look forward to those moments when I can hang my head out the window like a dog, smiling into the winds of change.

For today, I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, and send you all our love and compassion and gratitude from our hearts to yours.

---Keith