Summertime, and the livin's...

well, not really easy per se, but such is the life on a farm. Summer is the season to grow, develop, bring to fruition what we have planted the seeds for early on in the year. The challenge is to find the delicate balance between growing, preserving, and storing as much food and medicine as we need for the coming year and indulging in the deep breaths, stretches, and summer afternoon naps in the hammock that are so necessary to our own growth and wellbeing.

As we near the end of August, the days are finally hot, the unusual summer rains seem to have subsided, and from the back porch at dinner, we can see the leaves of the maples already turning their lovely shades of scarlet while the sun sinks behind Edith's farmhouse. Though it feels too early for summer to be drawing to a close, the nights are becoming cool and the harvest season is nearing its peak. Ripe red tomatoes are coming into the house, along with pink, striped green, yellow, and orange heirloom varieties. We’re eating zucchini and have nibbled the first ripe green beans and apple drops, and, while we bring in an abundant blueberry harvest, we are waiting for the peaches to reach perfection.

D Acres’ Annual Farm Day was a smashing success this year. On August 16th, we welcomed over 250 members of the community-at-large to the farm to join in our pig roast, local veggie, potluck dessert, raffle, tour, and music extravaganza! We extend a special thanks to the Crunchy Western Boys for providing the entertainment into the evening and to neighbor Ken Gould for the peanut butter cheesecake...great food, music, lots of dancing, and a good time had by all. The night was complete in the wee hours of the morning after a bonfire with the D Acres Family Band (goddess bless whomever invented the tamborine) and our favorite fire spinners.

During Farm Day, Bill (my co-farm manager) and I announced that we will be leaving D Acres come November. We feel incredibly blessed by the relationships we have developed with the people, plants, animals, earth, and water here in Dorchester, both at D Acres and in the broader community. I know we have learned many things through a lot of delightful and challenging opportunities here, and I hope that we can leave a sense of the peaceful passion for the earth and all our relations that we have in our hearts with the people and the land at D Acres when we move on.

But before it's time for that...there is still much to come! The D Acres Cultivating Wellness Conference will happen on September 13th and 14th, 2008. This two-day event will welcome healers of all types and forms to the land and community with the hopes that we can bring natural, traditional healing one step deeper into the New England community. Michael Phillips, author of The Apple Grower, will join us to discuss the medicinal properties of fruits and garlic (in two seperate workshops), while Ross Conrad, author of Natural Beekeeping, will share the tradition of apitherapy. Other workshops include:
Herbs for Dental Care, Sandra Lory
Essentials of Aromatherapy, Joann Vollmer
The Garden of Your Soul, Preparation, Planting, and Pruning, Lynn Durham
Nutritional Botany, Barbara McCahan, PhD
The Herbal Kitchen, Maria Noel Groves
Homesteading for Health and Happiness, Bob St. Peter
Mycological Landscaping with your Garden, Dave Wichland
Hands-On Soapmaking, Karen Lacharite
Transformation, Quantum Physics, & Ourselves, Jahnay Pickett
Herbal Remedies & Your Animals, Carol Lizotte
Craniosacral Therapy, Kathy MacKay
Break-Through! Ceremony, Karen Lacharite
Mushroom Food, Mushroom Medicine, Terry-Anya Hayes
The Art of Fermentation, Louise Turner
Knowing Your Intuitive Self, Corey Calaio and Susan Lucas

It is such a gift to be able to convene all of these wonderful teachers at the farm for a weekend of festivities...my deep thanks to all of them, and a sincere invitation to you to join us for this event! We are currently taking registrationsplease visit http://www.dacres.org/ to download a registration brochure, or call the farm at (603) 786-2366 to sign up. And, (it just gets better!), thanks to a grant from the Robin Colson Memorial Fund, we are happy to offer scholarships to the conference for folks in need! Contact us to learn more...we hope to see you in September!

Summer Blessings,

Lauren

ART INSPIRES SUSTAINABILITY

An effective sustainability dynamic means that all processes function together as a whole, each one complementary to the other. When we modify one, we affect all the other as well.

What about ART and CREATIVITY into the farming dynamic?

As long as I’ve been at D acres, it seems to me that the principles of sustainability involve art and creativity. I truly believe that art plays an essential role here. Creative decisions allow us to extract our living from the land as the interest, while preserving the community and the land as well.

The month of July was certainly a creative month. I can see that all the project going on have a positive impact on the farm and local community. It also includes the quality of life of those who work and live on the farm, including good communication, trust, and mutual support.

Art is everywhere. Creative project can be as simple as cooking food, make a huge bouquet of flower or tell a story. I’ve seen people singing and playing music, make sculptural bonfire, drawing, painting, «circusing», make necklaces, silk screening, spinning fire, woodworking, reading poetry, blacksmithing…and much more.

Finally, consider that all these creative works are part of the whole sustainable system and truly affect and modify the positive dynamic of the land and community, and I in the first one.

Thank to everyone who make life a piece of art.

Merci à tous. Xx

Ev

Ramblings of Reflection Summer 08

I found D-Acres thinking that it would further enable me as a member of the Co-Op in which I live at school: that I would understand more about how viably sustainable communities work, within each other and without the grid, the grocery store and most of the things we tend to brush as “given” in our daily lives—I know I did. And within days of coming to DAcres my expectations of my organic farm experience had been far exceeded. People power; it’s so simple. People so different, all wonderful and crazy (aren’t we all in our own right), choosing to come together—to live together and cook together, weed garden beds and go to the swimming hole together—all with visions of change in the world, held together by a common goal and the friendship and solidarity growing amongst them, these people do much; get much done.

Turning compost for the first time (at school turning the compost meant rotating the metal barrel in which our compost lived), I found myself in the middle of the pile and the peak of my dramatic feelings of insurmountable exhaustion, and Eve passes with laughter and some words: “Yeah! Solidarity!” And the last time I turned compost, that feeling of solidarity, freedom, empowerment, all of it just running and flowing through my body with rhythm I had finally developed with the swing of the pitchfork.

Growing up and going to high school, there was always someone telling me that I could be whoever I wanted to be, do anything I wanted to do. But, at prep school no one is too excited about your dreams of being part of a commune or living in a tree house, those freedoms, that life didn’t seem to be included in their plans. So I can only begin to express the immense feeling of freedom and joy in using your body everyday to enact what you’ve been thinking about, to be the change you want to see; the beautiful feeling of walking around and watching things grow day by day. It’s magical really. And now I find myself driving around the suburbs running errands, and scanning the fields on the side of the road for plants I know. I’m so happy to find something familiar, thistle everywhere that I just want to root up or flowers to harvest for tea.

Being home it’s been really interesting talking to people about my experience and my plans to follow. Some of them seem to think it just sounds so dirty (and aren’t I relieved to be back with real or clean toilets and showers...and no); and others still find it hilarious that I’m waiting to build my own treehouse; but I was surprised how many have said, yes I think I’d like doing that, or I’ve always dreamed about that, or only in paradise. I’m infinitely joyful and whole to be in that dream, living and sharing and working hard with people who care for one another and those ideas we hold in common, those buzz words given life, community & solidarity and sustainability.

I have to thank everyone at D Acres for all of the experiences this summer, I’ve never learned so much and I’ve never been so anxious to do anything as I am to continue gardening and building and growing. Keep truckin’. I’ll always remember those moments when I realized and saw that everything we’d talked about with friends could and will be done, and tree house became much more than a word or a dream.
All the freaky people make the beauty in the world…

submitted July 31 '08 by Hooookah Annie Tague

Sugar it up!!!!!!

Life…let me tell you about life here on D Acres farm, because as of recently, I’ve been rather non-existent in the fragments of words called “blogs”. I’m serious, look thoroughly. I came here March 1st. A new beginning for a person who was living the depressing lifestyle of the many New Jersey warehouse workers. Garden State my ass. A state that once was booming with agriculture, is now a barren wasteland of warehouses (thanks to the NJ Turnpike) and developments that only the insanely rich could dream of owning. What is it all for, I keep on asking? It all seems too surreal. So, in order to clear my mind of the million distractions that life had afforded me I decided to break it down to a more simplistic form of living. I was first turned on to the idea of it all just by a days visit. It made me want to heat up my friend and mines townhouse in Somerset, NJ only by means of firewood. I found myself walking down the street rather than driving, for a bottle of Brandy. I laid my sleeping bag down before the fire, only to wake up freezing cold because the fire had died out, but it was a test, and I passed. For the first time in my life did I realize I could live with just the bare necessities of life. Screw your I Pods, cell phones, TV’s, CNN, and every other distraction you throw in front of yourselves, I felt free.
The winter I had arrived at D Acres was the harshest the state of NH had seen in almost 100 years and I have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. Watching this place thaw out was the amazing part. To finally see what this place had to offer was the eye opening experience. From maple sugaring to beer brewing to delivering three healthy piglets, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything like this in my life. D Acres has taught me and guided me and still is guiding me through a way of living that is self-sustaining, at it’s most bare minimum. Take only what you need and leave the rest. This is concept that seems so distant from normal American. I feel as if we’ve distanced ourselves from the root of it all. D Acres takes nothing for granted, no piece of land, no ounce of food, nobodies opinion is not important enough. The seed of civilization lies in what our community and many others like it have to offer.
I can’t thank D Acres enough. For all that this place has shown me and offered me. To have a place to live and be happy and express myself the way that I want to without being judged is like a dream come true. I don’t even get paid to be here and I’m happier than a pig in sh_t. Well you know what I mean. Thanks for all the great times….JT, LD, L Train, Billy Coyote, DJ, K-Wall and Sara all of those who have passed through during my stay here, I love ya all!

Neil (a.k.a. Coolio)

Reflections on a D Acres Internship

As my internship at D Acres comes to a close, I can count the weeks that have passed by the size the plants in the gardens have grown. The peas in the mandala garden, which had barely begun to reach their curly tendrils off the ground when I first got here, have now surpassed me in height and are bursting with juicy, plump pods. I knew I couldn't leave without first sampling their crunchy fruits, and luckily those peas made it just in time, though it took some coaxing and cussing as I passed them each day on the way to and from my treehouse ("Come on, peas. You can do it--just grow a little faster!" or the more urgent request: "Damn it, grow.").


It is amazing all the other changes the farm has undergone since I arrived here a mere month-and-a-half ago: so many people (interns and hostel guests alike) have come and gone, seeds big and small have awoken from their long sleep and sprouted into plants of all different shapes, sizes and colors, dandelion and daisy pastures have been tamed and reclaimed into lush garden beds, three piglets were born, the chickens have seen two new homes, the rooster has gotten meaner, the bonfires have gotten bigger and more elaborate, and each new day only brings more laughter and joy (and bug bites, too) to the D Acres residents.
It is no surprise that laughter and high spirits abound in such a place--after a hard day's work in the gardens, the kitchen, or the blacksmith shop, it is hard to keep from doing various types of international dance (or often something more similar to the funky chicken) or crooning endless renditions of "What do you do with a drunken farmer" (you put him in the compost and let him rot).

And with so much care and compassion for the surrounding community of people, plants, and animals, D Acres is buzzing with life. Here at the farm, almost everything has a name (or two) and a familiar face, from the treehouses to the medicinal plants to the individual interns (including one aptly nicknamed "Maddog"). And almost everything and everyone has a specific function within the community that only that individual, be it person, plant, or conch shell, can bring.

What I especially love about D Acres is the way of life here--the means and accommodations are simple but rich, the community bonds strong but just loose enough for independence, and there is ample freedom to make mistakes, try new things, and get dirty. Living at D Acres is so inspiring because it is a proactive choice--the people here have chosen to be here and to live their lives a certain way and they have made the changes necessary to do so. It is refreshing to be reminded that we really aren't completely stuck in the current societal system--as Ghandi once said, "I believe it to be perfectly possible for an individual to adopt the way of life of the future. . .without having to wait for others to do so." Indeed, D Acres is a place of positive change and proactive decision-making--its residents seem to be striving not just to make their vision into a reality, but reality into a vision of a better, more sustainable world. And from the sight of the place, it seems to be working (and if you haven't been there yet, I highly suggest you go).

All in all, my time at D Acres has been so much more than just an internship--though I have come away with many useful skills for the present and future (and black fly battlescars to prove it)--I have learned about permaculture practices, cooking with whole, seasonal foods for large groups of people, how to build a stone wall, how to castrate a pig, how to change a bike tire, how to (almost) do a handstand, how to live and work with a diverse (and largely crazy) group of people, and so much more--in the end it was the journey itself, the experience of interning at D Acres, which is most dear to my heart. No words could ever really describe the reality of what it is like to live there--nor could any photograph depict the beauty of the surrounding environment or the thriving community (I have heard, though, that there's a pretty good D Acres video in the works). Certainly, no peas could have ever tasted as good as those I ate on my last day at D Acres--nor could they have been eaten in better company.


With much love and thanks to those that have made D Acres possible and keep it going strong,
REL (speedwagon)

Middle Earth Solstice Party at the Farm!

Ah, the summer! The Summer Solstice begins the official season of summer, the time of the year when, though the days are often warm and sunny and nights are far from freezing, here in north America the days begin to recede, and we have a little less light each evening as we progress toward the dark sleep of winter. Though it feels like summer just started here in New England, and we have many more weeks of lengthy daylight (as we certainnly need for the farming season!), this is the time of year during which we begin the journey toward a winter 's rest.

This year, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, the farm was host to a one-of-a-kind Middle Earth Party! Our neighborhood band, Big Love Monster out of Plymouth, provided the evening entertainment for a lively bunch of wizards, hobbits, elves, ents, and the like...

The festivities began in the afternoon, with construction of the ceremonial bonfire that would celebrate the longest day of the year and honor the beginning of summer while conveniently representing the depths of Mordor as well.
















Here, JT and hostel guest/volunteer extraordinaire Chris, complete the recently welded out of scrap metal Eye of Sauron, filling its center with newspaper and waste veggie oil for maximum burnability.















As the evening progressed, JoEl the astrological wizard, DJ Vachon the psychedellic dwarf, and R.E.L. speedwagon, also a dwarf, certainly got into character quite well.















The ladies of the farm were ready for battle, or perhaps dancing, in Middle Earth: Ariel, Eve, myself (Lauren), Annie, and Fay, all current residents of D Acres, are joined by special guest star Lea in this shot (absent from this pic are farm ladies Erin "Mad Dog" Matson and Sarah Hall).




















Joe Vachon...Sean Jean...Psychedellic Dwarf. Good times. What more can I say.
















Attending the party as The Lady of the Wood, an elven queen, it was only appropriate that I was joined by the amazing tree people here! Tyler (in largely hemlock attire), Chris, and Eve (both in birch) made for spectacular Ents.



















Later in the evening...
I think Bill said it best, "Ya'll are a bunch of yahoos yahoodling!" Here, I'm joined by none other than Skintz Jimmy (Louie was on vacation this weekend), Lea, and "that guy," the mysterious Middle Earth tiki god...



















And finally, a shot of JT running, or more likely dancing, out of the explosive depths of Mordor...I mean, come on, who else has a party in Mordor? Did I say one of a kind, or what?

A huge thank you and lots of love to all who attended and made this event a great success...great costumes, stellar music, lots of dancing, and a good time was had by all.

until the Circus Sideshow...

Lauren

Planting Time

Last weekend Lauren and I taught a day-long "homescale organic gardening" workshop. We focused on how to grow food in this climate utilizing whatever space is available. Participants had gardens ranging from a few potted tomatoes on a back deck to several acres under stewardship. The D Acres gardens provide examples of these varying degrees of scale that are applicable to home gardeners and market growers alike. We discussed composting, planted hops and elderberry, and created this garden bed..



Last year, this was a compost pile on the edge of our orchard. We have since used the compost and were left with a nice base of organic material, under which the grass had decomposed. We just gave it a quick forking and laid cardboard covered with woodchips around the perimeter to prevent any weeds from creeping in. The wooden box is a simple cold frame.


We then made some compost mounds and planted winter squash, surrounded by lettuces and direct seeded radishes. The radishes should be ready to harvest by the timethe winter squash is big enough to occupy that area, and the lettuce will probably be going to seed by then. Extra winter squash seeds were planted with the squash transplants to ensure that if our plants did not acclimate well, there would be another crop behind it. With such a short season and limited growing space, we need to maximize our garden beds and think at the square-foot level. Notice the damage on the squash plant caused by striped cucumber beetles. Good thing we planted extra seeds!

This is the plant that was covered by the cold frame, which provides shelter from intense sun, fierce winds, heavy rain drops, and most importantly, the voracious appetite of striped cucumber beetles. These insects are particularly abundant this year due to our mild winter, which was not cold enough to significantly reduce their overwintering populations. This season has been great so far though. The rains have come when we needed them, the sun has been shining, and the temperatures above average. All in all, the plants (and weeds) are growing strong and we have been working hard to take care of them.

There is an abundance of fresh vegetables, flowers, and herbs that we can all grow in our yards with some effort and intention, creating biodiverse ecosystems that are not only healthy for humans, but also for bees, hummingbirds, worms, and native wildlife. Hopefully some of these age old practices will take root in people's yards and communities, inspiring neighbors and friends to grow food instead of lawn on their piece of Earth.

-be