This is the first in a series of Acres of Peace teaching stories to explore the many possibilities inherent when moving into a more sustainable set of living conditions. Details in this fictional story allow us to imagine what could be possible, helping us better understand the issues that may come up in a shared living situation. Community building is both an art and a craft. The introduction explains issues involved in setting up a Peace Hamlet. The three year retrospective lets us know how things turned out for the folks bringing this lifestyle to life.
Introduction: Starting up - The intention
Happy Farm Peace Glade was founded by the Earthwise family. Sam and Joan Earthwise donated their family farm to the local Restoration Land Bank for the purpose of initiating an Acres of Peace Hamlet. Joan had grown up on this land. Their home was a lanky old farm house, in need of some repair, and expensive to heat and cool. There was a big barn and various outbuildings including a cute little chicken coop. Sam and Joan were ready to retire and wanted to be able to do some traveling and keep the family farm. Over the years they had tried various ways to make or keep the farm profitable, as it once had been. The farm had become more of a money pit than an income source. Both Sam and Joan had ‘day jobs’ away from home and as they approached retirement wanted to manage their time and resources in ways that meant more to them. Longtime ecologists, sometime activists, they wanted to make a life changing difference and grow nutritious food, lots of it. They wanted to explore more of the earth-friendly lifestyles they saw emerging. They had attended various workshops and gatherings, like the one called Earth Skills in Florida in February. They had both taken the permaculture design course. In fact, they had already drawn up a permaculture plan for their homestead.
By placing their land into the county Restoration Land Bank they knew it would not only be protected from the encroaching urban sprawl, it would be lovingly revitalized by compassionate care. They wanted the opportunity to stay at home as they grow into their elder years and be relieved of much of the time and money required to ‘keep it all going’. By selecting to offer an E.C.O. Elder Care Option on site, Sam and Joan are assured of receiving compassionate care without leaving home for the rest of their lives. This Peace Haven collectively pays the taxes, utilities and arranges for building and repairs. Mr. and Mrs. Earthwise can continue to live on their property without needing to pay all of the bills. It increases their financial freedom to travel and peace of mind knowing things will be cared for when they are gone.
It was easy for Sam and Joan to use the Acres of Peace template and menu. They could literally choose what kind of community they wanted, starting with selecting a name for their beloved homestead, Happy Farm Peace Glade.
They could select their hamlets' desired intentions and attributes from the menu of suggestions. Here’s what they wanted:
Family friendly,
Open to the public,
Meat okay, vegetarian encouraged and accommodated,
For-profit (not non-profit),
No guns, drinking or drugs,
Smoking ok, but not in public places,
No waste goal,
Composting toilets are encouraged,
Off-grid except what is already there in the farmhouse/barn public area,
Yes to farm animals,
Cars park on perimeter,
Natural dwellings preferred,
Minimal access roads into compound
The Earthwise farm is in a rural setting not on any bus line, not many neighbors.
They thought about which productive goods and services would be best developed at this location. Land restoration and stewardship are primary concerns at every Peace Hamlet. Nurturing the ecosystems and restoring habitat enhances the quality of life for all living things and guides decision making. Their county had embraced Acres of Peace and started Peace Hamlets 3 years ago. There were 27 Acres of Peace Hamlets already established, most on the other side of the county. This Peace Glade wanted to fit into the existing and growing network of Acres of Peace Hamlets.
Sam and Joan could select from a menu of Main Attractions, meaning possible activities that could be productive by generating money collectively for their Peace Hamlet. They selected some of the more popular Main Attractions.
The E.C.O., elder care option and foster care would form their largest, steady income. Each of the 4 homesteads would look after 4 elderly residents. This assured each homestead with a steady income from the rental of the units. As a general rule of thumb usually either foster care or a day care operation is selected with the elder care option. Not required, yet it helps things go smoothly. They went with foster care.
The bakery/pizza parlor/cafe/country store would be a small operation run out of the farm house to start. Joan’s friend Gene was coming to be the baker.
For a tourist attraction, Joan wanted the family friendly petting farm. The idea of a petting farm reminded Joan of how it used to be. Her family had various farm animals when she was a child. Somewhere along the way it had become expensive and a lot of work to keep animals. She would like having farm animals around again, especially with other people to share the care and cost of feed. Some animal feed could be produced on site.
The market garden option was NOT selected. They planned to grow lots of food, mostly for their own tables, with excess produce going to barter or sold at their own country cafe/store. They wanted an edible food forest hiking trail as another tourist attraction. It wouldn’t be a big money maker. It would produce lots of food, help restore the ecosystem and delight the people of peace who pass this way. They didn’t want to use a lot of their real estate for a market garden operation. Each homestead would have extensive family gardens. Along with the food forest they could grow enough food for themselves and for sharing.
Joan enjoys making pottery and dabbles in creating colorful glass jewelry. She keeps a kiln and potter's wheel on-site in the barn. She wanted to bring new life into her studio in the barn and liked the prospect of being able to sell her bowls and earrings in the proposed country store.
Sam is a builder and has a lot of great tools. He wanted the opportunity to build using natural and recycled/repurposed materials. His dream is to build earthships. He already has a detailed plan for an earthship they want to build themselves. He had collected a large amount of potential building materials in the barn and was ready to get started making his dream earthship a reality.
It was decided to have only 4 mentor member homesteads. They would be placed a short distance from the central area. Joan and Sam Earthwise would form one homestead with 2 other couples. Instead of one big house, Sam wanted to build three earthships clustered in a compound with a large pavilion. Joan’s best friend for life is an accomplished baker. He and his partner wanted to help build and move into one of the earthships. The third earthship would come sometime later.
Elder residences would be placed between the farm house and mentor homesteads. No more than 16 total, 4 for each homestead. Construction of this housing would be a shared effort of the mentor homesteads and many others. The permanent buildings, including the Elder residences belong to the Peace Glade. Funding for the building and maintenance is the responsibility of the Glade collectively. After building costs are paid off, the rental income goes to the sponsoring homestead.
They decided the existing farmhouse would serve as the community center. It would house guests rather than permanent residents. It would become a shared space, available to rent for events. Sam and Joan would continue to live in the ‘big house’ until their earthship was ready, shifting their home from being their personal space to being a shared public place. They offered the extra bedrooms so people could stay over while things got rolling.
Sam and Joan went with the standard ownership model, meaning the Restorative Land Bank has ownership of the land and public dwellings. That means the farmhouse, outbuildings, elder care residences are all held as property by the Restoration Land Bank. Members who construct homes will retain equity in their investment, so they would get some return of investment should they move out before long. It is a simplified way of organizing collective vs personal property investment management recommended by Acres of Peace to manage real estate collectively.
Once the Earthwise family set their intention, things moved ahead smoothly. They had an open house where interested applicants and curious neighbors could check it all out, see if they fit. The county Acres of Peace network had over 150 applicants interested in residency.
Members come in 3 types:
Mentor members operate a homestead and participate in the cooperative economic activities; collectively they become the ‘small family’ that operates the ‘small farm’.
Residents or live-in members, interns/visitors, campers, etc. provide income to the Hamlet. They may stay for short or long terms. Elders are considered permanent resident members.
Community members live outside the Hamlet and visit to volunteer, hang out, eat pizza, buy products and services.
It was nice to have a large pool of applicants. After the open house, it was easy to see who was most interested and likely to be a good fit. The following three families were chosen to be their new neighbors.
Danny and Sherrie Bordeaux, a couple in their 40’s, already doing foster care were an obvious choice. They wanted to oversee the E.C.O./foster care operation. They have two teenage children and a 7 year old. Sherrie’s parents are planning to join them once things get going. They love to garden and have many homesteading ‘earth’ skills and tools. They wanted to continue living in their city home while they built their homestead dwelling. They want to build using a variety of materials, yet it is likely they will predominantly use hempcrete. A nearby Peace Hamlet is producing hempcrete, making it an affordable and convenient option.
Juan and Maria Alvarez would form another homestead. They were young, in their early twenties, just starting out. No children yet, maybe someday. Maria’s mother Estelle and her younger sister Angel would join them, along with Juan’s cousin, Jorge. They wanted to run the Peace Cafe, starting small out of the farmhouse, it could grow as they go. Planning to glam camp for starters and pull in two tiny homes before long, anything to let them stop paying rent and be on site to spin up the grow and cook.
The last homestead would be filled by neighbors. The two families had been friends for many years, their kids had played together when they were younger. Jed, age 35 now, had lost his wife recently to cancer and was raising their 10 year old son, Nathan. He wanted a good place for his son to grow up and his heart longed for the opportunity to live in a more sustainable way. Uncle Pete wasn’t really Jed’s uncle, he was a long time friend of the family everyone called Uncle Pete. Jed’s mother-in-law Nancy, was coming to join them. Collectively, they would oversee the petting farm and be in charge of the farm animals and pastures. Jed wanted to build a log cabin about twice the size of the one Abraham Lincoln was born in. He planned to put up a yurt they could stay in while building the more permanent homestead.
Peace Hamlets in general are a volunteer run enterprise, all willing workers. Certain people are in charge of any specific activity or enterprise. People help with chores when needed. Work effort is tracked and payment distributed by the activity. Any resident who contributes to an economic activity may receive a portion of the $ earned. Many members (mentor, resident and community) are needed and expected to pitch in to help things run smoothly. Even though it is entirely volunteer, there is pay out for effort when activities prove profitable.
The four mentor households decided to keep their self-governance to a minimum. They planned to meet once a month to iron out any issues and foster good communication. Meetings could be called more often when necessary. No one wanted to spend a lot of time in meetings.
It was also decided to have each homestead manage their own money and businesses, keeping general Peace Hamlet business separate. Even so, often work efforts overlapped from personal to community business. The Happy Farm itself became like a fifth homestead, with a list of proposed projects. Most notable, the grow operations were planned for every available space; basically the whole place would become an edible food forest.
Three year retrospective: how things turned out
They were able to have their Seeds in the Ground ceremony that first spring, early May. The areas for the four mentor homesteads were laid out and growing beds were getting set up that first spring. Paths were created between the farm house, and the mentor homesteads. Two yurts on platforms were constructed that first spring on the Earthwise homesite, another yurt on a platform was constructed on Jed’s homesite. The yurts would give them comfortable, practical shelter while building the more permanent structures.
Happy Farm Peace Glade set up some regular events that continue to this day, three years later. Thursday night potluck, welcoming community members is called Peasant Soup night. People take turns preparing a pot of soup and the bakery donates some loaves of crusty bread. Friday evening is pizza night, with the bakery preparing the dough and the cafe setting up the fixings. They fire up the cob oven and when it’s ready the pizza’s bake real fast. People can make their own if they want. Friday night pizza, Saturday night Mexican food and Sunday morning a big brunch is served. About 20-30 people come to the regular meals. Over time, these regular meals served have generated a sizable income to the crew of people who work to make it happen. At the regular meals people pay for food and beverage, like in a restaurant, generating income for the food and bakery crew. Thursday night potluck is not about money, it’s a potluck. Sometimes folks leave small donations.
A magical thing that can happen for a Peace Hamlet is attracting wonderful volunteers that may operate like an apprentice or intern. Happy Farm Peace Glade was able to attract willing workers who want to learn by doing. We mostly call them visitors. Some stay for a few days or weeks, some stay longer. They offer helpful hands to get things done and depending on various factors they may pay for room and board, or not. What happened for the Happy Farm Peace Glade was they had a lot of applicants, interested people who wanted to visit. Grandma Nancy from Jed’s homestead took on the responsibility to communicate with the applicants and coordinate their visit and accommodations. People were attracted to the look and feel of an old fashioned style small farm set up. Quaint it was and is. They had a steady stream of visitors, especially during the warmer months, spring through fall. There would often be at least 5-10 extra people on hand to help with gardens, meal preparations, natural building or whatever. Most often visitors paid something for room and board.
Notably that first summer were three young people from Denmark, Noah, Clara and Abbie. They wanted to spend a year in the USA, visit some interesting places while learning more from the Acres of Peace Hamlet. They would pay $100/month each for their bed. They were responsible for their food and could harvest freely from the garden beds. At first they paid for meals, before long their efforts at various chores paid back to them in the co-operative share. Most of those transactions happen simply with credits and debits issued in Grace Notes, the internal method of exchange.
Noah and Clara are brother and sister and Abbie is their dear friend. The three of them had grown up together and this adventure to America was a dream come true. They liked to camp and that let them go exploring on short trips and a few longer ones. Being able to ‘rent’ one of the Peace Glade’s vehicles made the prospect of being a tourist affordable to them. They could stay in the farmhouse and often did, they also liked to camp even while at home on the Glade, especially in the warmer months. As it turned out Sam and Joan Earthwise were away that first winter and their newly built earthship was available for the Danish ‘crew’ to use, so they had choices about their preferred accommodations. After the year was up one of them decided to stay on at the Glade, bidding a fond farewell to the other two who did return to Denmark. More on that later.
People sometimes say that a situation is like Peyton Place when they mean that a group of people have many secrets and complicated emotional relationships. Well, in a small community like our Happy Farm Peace Glade, there are no secrets and complicated or charged emotional baggage gets unpacked with compassion using loving attention to personal considerations. There are group tools that operate like games to help work through issues big and small. Living in a shared community gives folks a lot to talk about. No romance goes unnoticed.
Danny and Sherri Bordeaux and family
Danny, Sherri, Trevor, Stan, Scarlett, Sylvester and Michelle
Danny and Sherri Bordeaux came with three foster children that first summer, two teen boys and a younger girl: Trevor, age 15.5, Stan age 14, and Scarlett age 7. That first summer they set up a rather large glam camp to use while building the homestead and setting up the gardens. They kept their home in town, about 7 miles away, while spending a lot of time on the land, setting up their gardening areas and building the primary dwelling that first summer. Their homestead was the first one to be finished and ready to move into that Fall. They are planning on building an addition next summer.
The Bordeaux family had been saving for years with the intention of buying a homestead of their own. After Peace Hamlets started to be allowed in their county, Danny and Sherri simply waited for the right one for them. They used their savings combined with a short term loan from the county Restoration Land Bank to get started on their dream home right away. They used hempcrete primarily, combined with stonework, timber framing and some cordwood construction. They have a partial earth berm on the north side. In general, natural buildings can cost less than mainstream housing, especially when we consider the cost to the earth. Being able to do the work ourselves also serves to lower the cost of housing.
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| The northern orientation minimizes the need for heating in winter. |
As it turned out the Bouleaux family had a knack for pulling off fun-raising events that generated lots of donations and volunteer help. They were able to build a beautiful apx. 1000 sq ft home with modern sustainable conveniences for 75% less money than comparable housing in their area.
One of the first fun-raising events happened that first summer, on the same weekend in early May when they had their Seeds in the Ground Ceremony. They opened the Peace Hamlet for camping and had 17 families join them (generating donations for camping). They had a learning event for building the cob oven. A cob oven is one of the easiest projects to use for teaching about building with Cob. There was a teacher and students and even after paying the teacher there was money left to go into the general fun-d. There was a lot of food served that first weekend and that generated income for the food crew. Most importantly a great time was had by all, new friendships and alliances were forged and lots of work got done by people enjoying spending the day together.
After the success of that first weekend the whole Peace Glade got energized by the power of people playing together productively. It became infectious to find ways to work together. Danny and Sheri just seemed to have a knack for organizing the events that followed. It may be that the Bouleaux family has a lot of extended family, like cousins in 3 counties. Just sending the word out to their immediate family might generate a fairly large gathering with people to volunteer. Whatever the reason, they could really draw people in from all walks of life.
To get their home built that first summer they set up a six week hemp building class. The nearby hempcrete Peace Hamlet offered a teacher and crew of three to lead the efforts. Students who wanted to learn about building with hemp could come and stay for the whole six weeks or any portion of that time. Over a hundred people contributed significant money/supplies and time. Their home turned out to be an artistic masterpiece, built with loving hands. They put in rainwater collection and gray waste water processing. They used a novel method of small holes and wind to offer cooling in the summer, along with managing passive heat from the sun with the flooring and roof angles. (blocking the sun in the summer and letting it in the winter) They built a masonry stove in the back wall and a rocket stove near the front greenhouse area, more than enough heat to keep them snug in the winter. There was hot water for the kitchen, shower and bath from a solar hot water heater, one of the easier, more affordable solar projects. They installed a cold storage root cellar, and decided not to use a traditional stove or refrigerator because it is all entirely unsustainable, expensive to purchase and maintain.
Sherris' parents, Sylvester and Michelle also kept their townhome until the following summer when they carefully crafted another natural shelter. Using what they learned while building the first hempcrete home and the four clustered E.C.O. units helped make this one even better. The build team got better with lots of practice. This home would be smaller than Dan and Sherris main homestead, placed nearby and look similar. More fun-raiser events, workshops and retreats were hosted. Income from the classes and retreats along with donations helped offset the cost of building. Many people from near and far were happy to have this amazing Peace Hamlet and would donate to specific projects or give generally to the Glade. Even though this Happy Farm Peace Glade is officially a for-profit organization, generally people think of them all as charitable and offer donations.
The Boudreaux homestead was the first to get their Elder Care residence built and elders moved in. The county has a list of elders who are looking for housing. Many applied to the Happy Farm once they announced their intention of providing 16 spots for elder care. 8 residences were built the first year, another 4 were built the second year and the last four were built the third year. Largely funded by elders who want to live there, the county Restoration Land Bank offers a clever way to ‘hold’ investment money so it would be available to pay for the person’s care in the coming years. These E.C.O. residences belong to the Peace Glade. Happy Farm pays for them to be built, then uses a portion of the rent to pay them off over time. When the elders need personal care they pay the family or person directly who is providing for their care.
As it happened for the Bordeaux family, two of the people who wanted to live in their Elder Care Option, sold their homes to the Restorative Land Bank, investing some of that money in the Land Bank for their future use. Whatever the elders needed they would have a loving competent family to interact with and arrange things that might be as simple as some help with house cleaning and food prep. Peace Hamlets can offer excellent care at significantly less cost than other housing options for old people and the food is way better. They have easy access to affordable fresh food, prepared with love and tastier than packaged and prepared foods. The biggest reason elders like to live in Peace Hamlets is because it is deeply satisfying. It’s stimulating to be a member of a dynamic community where other people are doing interesting things. When elder’s find their wisdom and experience is respected, utilized, even cultivated, it makes the life experience of growing older more satisfying. They enjoy the relaxed pace and the deeper connection to the natural world and our natural place within the cycles of ecosystems.
The Restorative Land Bank was able to offer the entire amount needed to build these 4 E.C.O. residence as a no interest 10 year loan to the Peace Haven. That loan would be paid off easily over the first ten years. As it turns out they only needed to borrow less than 50K and were able to pay it back before 10 years. After that the Elder Care Option starts to really pay off. Enough money and time was generated that first summer to install 8 units for elder residence. It was decided to put them with the Boudeuoxs and Alvarez families. The other two homesteads were willing to wait.
They started up and operate an after school and summer program for neighborhood kids. That works out well, it gives the kids a safe place to be, with lots to keep them busy. The Bordeaux family enjoys having the kids around and looking out for their interests. This kid care program isn’t about making big money although it certainly provides a steady income stream. They do it because they enjoy having all the activity and providing a wholesome experience for our young folks. The team of people who contribute to this after school program and share the dividends are called the Home Team.
The after school program also provides stimulus and activity for the Elders when they want to hang out with the young ones. It’s natural for bonds to form between the kids and the old folks. People can choose to join the Home Team or simply volunteer, without tracking their time.
The after school kids have many activities available. They can have their own garden space if they want, they can adopt any of the barn animals and become knowledgeable about their care. The teen boys love messing around with the pigs, especially when they get bigger. Sometimes they would even walk around with the pigs for fun. It feels kind of macho while being mostly empathic, meaning a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual, in this case the pig. The kids can literally take these hogs for a walk. Imagine a really big pig, hundreds of pounds, and kids can guide them with a small stick, their voice, or by simply using animal communication. They had to practice a long time inside the pig pens before they were ready to take them out for walk-about. More on the pork raising operations when we get to Jed’s homestead.
Treveor and Stan instigated the building of a treehouse that second summer, they call a yurp-pee because it kind of looks like a hybrid of a yurt and a teepee. There is an open mic time twice a month that is popular with kids of all ages. Camp outs and theatrical productions are popular. The kids love to put on a play. The after school program encourages young people to do crafts, and offer services that can sometimes even generate income for the young person.
That first summer college students came around making videos about the eco-friendly life-style. The after school program got inspired, purchased some equipment and learned how to make our own videos to use for fun, promotion and education. No one at our Peace Glade wanted to be on national TV like the Rough and Ready show, but we wanted to teach and inspire in our own way.
One of the first and a very public Acres of Peace Haven called Rough and Ready became a popular internet reality show, spinning off a virtual reality environment, a social network game and a massively multiplayer online game based on eco-friendly farm management simulation. Some residents of that Rough and Ready Peace Hamlet were celebrities and their families, some better known than others. All of the members of the Rough and Ready Peace Haven, production crew, resident members, community friends and guests quickly found themselves in the spotlight of international show business with all the new tech wrappings. They were off grid, getting down and dirty with earth friendly solutions that offered a lot of entertainment: comedy, romance, mystery and intrique.
Danny Bordeaux continues to run his business doing landscape maintenance with two big differences. He is more focused on eco-friendly solutions to land management and he is letting other people take over responsibilities so he can spend more time on his own homestead. One big advantage to keeping this business running is that it naturally provides plants that can be grown in their nursery. They had started a native and natural plants nursery in their backyard years before. After moving into the Peace Glade they could expand their native and natural plants nursery providing great plants, seeds, education and another valuable income stream. That team calls themselves the Hairy Potters, growing magic and money.
After 3 years of living in this Peace Glade the Bordeaux family is generating more than enough money that Danny doesn’t ‘have to’ work outside the homestead.
Juan and Maria Alvarez
Juan, Maria, cousin Jorge, Estelle, Angel, Aldolpho, Basil and Sage
Juan and Maria are a young couple, in love with each other and with life. Juan, as a child, had been able to spend some time with his family in Mexico. He learned other cultural situations in the small rural village where his grandparents' community was growing and producing food cooperatively. Maria’s family is in the restaurant business. Her extended family owns 5 restaurants. Maria’s family had owned one of those restaurants, it had been her home away from home while she grew up. After Maria’s dad passed away their restaurant had been sold. The opportunity for Maria and her family to set up and run the Peace Cafe here at the Happy Farm was amazing. When they were accepted to homestead in the Happy Farm Peace Glade, they were so happy, it felt like winning the lottery.
They are both hard workers, especially so that first year while also working full time in town. After laying out and clearing the spaces where the buildings would go they installed extensive growing areas around their own homestead, plenty of herbs, annuals, fruit trees, berry bushes and animals; chickens and goats. Both Maria and Juan have lots of family and friends who live in the area. These folks were often dropping by, hangin out, staying for dinner and helping with all kinds of projects. Some of the projects could even put volunteer people on cooperative enterprise teams where they would receive a portion of the payout profit. The Peace Cafe team was the first to have profit credits to share with their team.
After they stopped paying rent in town, their building fund grew rapidly. They also collected and prepared recycled and found materials in preparation of building their own cozy home. First Maria then Juan dropped to part time in the spring and were both able to comfortably leave their jobs during that second summer. Arrangements were made for the young couple to stay in the farmhouse throughout that first winter. It made sense for them to be near the kitchen.
That first summer they set up an extensive glam camp so they could live on site before their home would be built. They used the farmhouse for showers and obviously they used the kitchen a lot. Her Mom, Estelle and sister Angel had a beautiful home made from a converted shipping container delivered and set up that first spring. Estelle had money from the sale of the restaurant. The people who produce the converted shipping containers are local and take care of all the details. She wanted a walk-in closet and two bedrooms.
In September a tiny home was donated to the Peace Glade and everyone agreed to install it on the Alvarez homestead. Eventually, after their homestead was completed the tiny home could be rented out or used by visitors. That September there was another purpose for the tiny home. There were two foster children, brothers, ages 17 and 15 who needed a special kind of home. They were used to taking care of themselves and didn’t want to be separated. They had grown up in an alternate kind of social situation, their family circumstances largely dictated by poverty and always on the move had resulted in them not matriculating well to mainstream society. That meant it was hard to place them into households that were available in the local foster system, especially since there were two of them. It was Sherri Bordeaux who suggested the Peace Glade take them. She was instrumental in getting the tiny home donated by making it a big media splash, including a ‘fun raising’ fundraiser. These two young men, Basil and Sage could stay in the tiny home, placed on the Alvarez homestead. Estelle would officially be their foster parent person.
It worked out well, Sage, the 15 year old rode the bus to school. His older brother rode the same bus into town and got a job at an auto repair shop. Oftentimes they both rode the school bus back home, but sometimes they stayed later. Sage enjoyed sports and would stay for after school activities, or he would wait for his brother to be done at work and both get a ride home from someone in town or call the Peace Glade for a ride. Basil was saving to buy a vehicle.
As it turned out, the boys stayed in the Glade less than 2 years. They helped build the amazing, infamous Yurp-ee treehouse that second summer. They both enjoyed doing all kinds of what would normally be considered work, but when they could do what they wanted when they wanted it felt more like play or rather their own business. They were interested in everything, once they realized people would leave them be, meaning let them be themselves. They helped with and learned about growing, building, cooking, serving, repairing, whatever was going on they were interested. It wasn’t long before they were earning credits, some Grace Notes made it all even more fun.
From his earnings at the gas station Basil was able to buy a nice van and get it rigged up for travel. With the van, the young men could move around easily to find just the right place to settle. Happy Farm Peace Glade had provided them with a much needed oasis after their mom had died unexpectedly. They have returned once already to visit. They say the Peace Glade family feels like home to them.
By that second summer the cafe was really swinging and it provided everyone on the crew with noticeable income, enough to make it fun. Estelle manages the books for the Peace Cafe and she calculates and distributes the profits. She keeps track of expenses, primarily food and some supplies and hours worked by each team member. The gardeners are issued credits when food from the garden is used in the Cafe.
They use a time bank approach to calculate each persons ‘payout’, meaning people keep track of hours worked at the Cafe and the profit, after expenses, is split based on hours. Some of the first months were not big on profit, but they always came out ahead, even in the beginning. Over time the Cafe would bring in more rewarding profits, the winter months were somewhat slower than the other warmer months. Other mentor members are considered customers at the Peace Cafe and often pay with our local credit system in a currency we call Grace Notes.
Juan’s cousin Jorge has become a valuable member of the Peace Glade. He’s handy with fixing all kinds of things, especially likes to tinker with cars and anything with a motor. He lived out of his van for the first summer, went south for the first winter, then built a cozy little cottage over that second summer and is living happily ever after in the Glade. His heavenly hovel is located on the edge of the Alvarez homestead in a secluded spot. We find him in the garden or kitchen most of the time. He likes to fix things and teach other people how to do it yourself.
Juan has a specialty of making rocket stoves. He can make them any size or shape, even add a third wall for extra insulation. He can produce custom made rocket stoves for every size space. A rocket stove can heat a space, boil water, even fry eggs, running on minimal fuel. It literally runs on twigs. A rocket mass heater may reduce fuel consumption by 80–90% compared to "conventional" stoves. They are usually smaller, not as big as traditional wood stoves. Juan’s stoves are each a work of art that will last a long time. Naturally, Juan’s rocket stoves are employed in a variety of places in the Peace Glade. Other homesteads have two or three set up. They have been placed in various shared spaces around Happy Farm. The rocket stoves are built with recycled material.
Most surprising, well perhaps not surprising at all, Estelle connected with a gentleman friend named Adolfo. One visit to the Peace Cafe and it was love was on the menu for Adolfo and Estelle. This all happened the first summer and he was invited to move into their homestead in late August, just before the foster boys arrived with their tiny home. He had another shipping container home delivered and set up. It was smaller than Estelle’s, one bedroom instead of two. No walk-in closet. The two container homes, made to match by the same builder, looked like a matched sofa and loveseat.
Adolfo was interested in everything about sustainable lifestyle, especially food sovereignty.
“Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.”
Adolfo had been instrumental in setting up the local food gathering charity called Gleaners. They operate in over three counties, collecting surplus food and distributing it to local charities. Peace Hamlets have become another stop for both pick up and delivery. Some Peace Hamlets are officially charities and many are involved in charitable works. All Peace Hamlets are intimately involved in the local food distribution system.
After moving into the Peace Glade that summer, Adolfo started a system to allow local farmers to pick up food scraps from restaurants, schools and hospitals. This waste can be used to feed livestock: pigs, poultry and goats, or go to compost. To get started all it needed was a lot of containers that the farmers cleaned before returning, and a way to schedule people to pick up the scraps from the places that produce food waste. It was worth the trouble to implement and maintain this specialized recycling of food waste because farmers can reduce the expense of animal feed and the food waste makes great compost, improving the soil. Happy Farm was one of the first to take advantage of this bounty of discarded food and it has been a useful addition to the grow operation, especially food for the pork. Pigs eating a biodiverse diet of luscious food scraps make delicious bacon.
Four tiny homes as residence for their Elder Care Option were set in place that first summer. They had immediate occupancy. During the first five years most of the rent goes to pay off the loan for the tiny homes. Some money from the rent always goes back to the Peace Glade. Rent does provide a small income stream for the Alvarez homestead during the first five years. After the tiny homes are paid off, the rent from the E.C.O. units will provide a larger income directly to their homestead.
The elders pay for food and any care they might need or want. Many enjoy working in the gardens or other enterprises, like the Cafe. Some may enjoy working with teams and ‘earning’ income credits. Many enjoy volunteering or just hanging out in the happening places. Elders may own a vehicle, if they want. Most don’t want to own their own car, happy to avoid that large expense. The Glade has 4-5 vehicles available for shared use and people available if needed to drive someone or a group to appointments, visiting or shopping. Being able to share vehicles can save people money and more importantly, save the environment from pollutants associated with automobile manufacture and travel.
After three years of living in this Happy Farm Peace Glade, all members of the Alvarez homestead are doing well financially and able to grow a lot of food. They have preserved and stored at least two years worth of food reserves. The Peace Cafe has grown into a beloved hang-out for many new friends and old. In the summer colorful tarps can be installed over a dining area near the cobb oven. An outdoor commercial kitchen was set up and could also go ‘on the road’. There are discussions about constructing another special building for the Peace Cafe. Something to think about for the future.
The big news at the Alvarez homestead was announced just a few months ago. We are all anticipating the arrival of a new baby. Juan and Maria are expecting a boy, after three wonderful and prosperous years of enjoying their home in the Glade.
Jed Walker and family
Jed, Abbie, Nathan, Uncle Pete, Grandma Nancy, Saphira and Violet
Jed Walker was one of the Walker kids whose parents lived about 3 miles from the Earthwise family farm. The two families are long time friends. Jed had grown up playing with the Earthwise kids at this very homestead. Now, Jed wanted a more sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle and had done a lot of preparation for having his own homestead. This opportunity to homestead at the Earthwise place was a dream come true. He was excited to do many of the experimental things he’d thought about or researched. When Acres of Peace started up right here in this county it felt like an answer to his prayers. He was delighted when Sam and Joan told him their plan. They were delighted to have Jed want to form a mentor homestead. He was a perfect fit.
After his wife's extended illness and death, about 2 years before, Jed and their son Nathan had moved in with his folks down the road from the Earthwise place. Jed and Nathan continued to stay with his parents for the first year, especially through the winter. They did get a yurt installed and an amazing glam camp set up that first summer so they could spend a lot of time on site getting things going. Uncle Pete liked the yurt, he stayed in it even through the winter. He could use the money he had been paying for rent and get the yurt paid off.
Grandma Nancy kept her place in town for a while until she was ready to build her dream tiny home. Even though she officially stayed in town, in a home shared with her sister, Nancy spent most of her time that first summer at the Happy Farm. She has a green thumb and loves to grow everything. She also volunteered for the responsibility of communicating with potential interns, apprentices and people who just want to visit. She leads a monthly tour of the Peace Glade.
Grandma Nancy wanted to learn and do many of the building trades skills. She spent time working with the building crew to improve her knowledge and skills before building her own little home. She sketched and planned everything. Every detail down to the toothpicks. It all came together that second autumn. There was a building class and her dream became reality. It was built, trimmed, decked out, decorated, placed and ready for a housewarming party within a week.
Jed is still collecting and getting ready to build the log cabin. It can be done in stages and building the first stage is scheduled to start next summer, (the fourth summer). He’s thinking about using other techniques like timber frame and stones in his design for the main home. Meanwhile, they liked the yurt so much that Jed installed another one. He and Nathan stay there much of the time and they could also bunk down extra folks when there were lots of visitors to the Peace Glade.
A lot of things happened in the Walker homestead that second summer, most notable a marriage. Remember the three young people from Denmark. Noah, Clara and Abbie. They came that first June and stayed for a year. It was not long before Jed and Abbie became inseparable. Wedding bells rang in the Peace Glade that second June. Noah and Clara would return to Denmark without their friend Abbie. They all hoped to visit often.
Acres of Peace in general encourages people not to use RVs and conventional trailers as homes for a variety of reasons. Even so, people often have them already or they are offered for free, an appealing option especially for temporary use while building a more permanent dwelling. As it turned out Jed’s uncle had a 5th wheel camper he would let Jed use until his cabin was built and ready. Then his cousin who lived in a converted school bus was going overseas for a couple years on assignment and wanted to park the Skoolie with Jed at Happy Farm.
The Happy Farm Peace Glade decided it would be a good idea for the Walker homestead to use these two temporary dwellings until the main home was built. It was expected both RVs would be removed after that. It really helped to have this extra living space. Jed, Abbie and Nathan suddenly had lots of living spaces to choose from. With Jed’s parents so close by, Nathan would sometimes spend the night there. Abbie took over the school bus and made it her nest. The 5th wheel camper was shared by all, and could sleep up to 4 people comfortably.
Having the campers there made it possible for them to accept two foster kids. These girls were not biological sisters, rather had been in the system and grown so close that separating them did not seem right. They were both slightly on the special needs, autistic spectrum with some quirky behaviors that oddly made them fit together so well. Hard to describe, you'd have to see them to believe it. They were also hard to place, resulting in them being in the orphanage together for the last 4 years. Both are good natured and able to function in most situations. It was decided a Peace Hamlet willing to take them would be ideal for these girls.
Nathan knew the girls, Saphira and Violet from school and suggested they visit and hang out. They were about his age, only a little older than him. The visit went really well and plans were made for them to move in. Abbie made room for the girls in the School Bus, taking them under her wing. The entire Walker homestead looks out for their welfare, the girls get plenty of great food and they have the freedom to be themselves and be accepted by this big ‘family’ of cooperation and compassion. Saphira and Violet quickly found themselves swept up with the farm activities. They loved the animals and growing plants the most, they loved to sing with them.
The Walker E.C.O. was installed during the second summer. Two earthships were built, each expected to house two people. They offered six building workshops and had a lot of fun getting these dwellings completed. In this case the future tenets were active participants in the experience of building their home. It was like a three month party bringing these two very unique homes into existence, offering the building crew an opportunity to get more practice and add some creative touches. Enough money was generated from classes, workshops and donations to offset about a third of the cost for construction materials.
The Walker homestead is in charge of the animals for the petting farm in the barn and Jed runs a pasture-raised heritage pork operation. They keep some farm animals on their own homestead. The pork operation involves 12 fenced areas that the pigs are allowed to inhabit. The hogs ‘plow’ the field and deposit manure for a few weeks or months, preparing the intended garden bed for planting. Moving them to another pen continues the process. Pigs are really good at digging up the earth, when they are done it is very easy to plant the area. These 12 pig pens are used for growing a variety of crops. Planning to rotate crops is important. Growing large fodder crops like sorghum, legumes or corn helps feed the soil and the animals. The pens are located in zone 5, far from the central area, and crops that don’t require much maintenance are preferred. The harvest from the pensare used as pig food often enough. After the pigs are moved out a layer of mulch is applied and it is usually left to ‘mature’ for at least a few months, or longer. This pork raising operation provided a good return to share out with ‘Team Bacon’, the name for this co-operative enterprise.
Jed single handedly created a non-motorized laundry station near the central area. He set up two utility sinks, some clotheslines and a hand wringer secured to a sturdy wooden mount that could hold two clothes baskets. Folks could use an old fashioned glass washboard or a Rapid Laundry Washer Plunger. Of course the laundry soap is homemade. It’s easy to prepare, less expensive, and most importantly no wasteful plastic bottles to throw away.
At first people are skeptical about not using an automatic washer and dryer. After actually doing it, people found it not only viable but also satisfying to put the extra effort into the process and get fresh results. There’s something pleasant about doing laundry outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The Peace Glade has a regular washer and dryer in the farmhouse basement. In fact the Happy Farm bought a new bigger set up in the fall of their second year. Having an outdoor non motorized method for laundry is way cool and gets a lot of use, when the weather is nice.
The petting farm is not a big money maker, it's considered more of a tourist attraction or in this case a shared hobby of the collective homesteads. Overall, Uncle Pete manages the day to day operation of the animals in the barn. It means he makes sure others are doing their chores. Interns and kids are vital to the operation, that means lots of teaching and supervision. There is an organized schedule for when chores need to be done and who will do them. Mentor members take turns with barn chores, teaching and supervising when needed. The animals feel like pets and get adopted by people near and far, they have webcams and a whole adoption offer on the web site. Donations usually cover expenses and occasionally a lot more. When babies are born it is a special reason to visit the petting farm. Here’s a secret everyone knows, Saphira and Violet are not the only ones known to sleep over in the barn, near the animals.
Sam and Joan Earthwise
Sam, Joan, Gene, Dan, Zorro
Three years later, Mr. and Mrs. Earthwise have no regrets about choosing the Acres of Peace opportunity for their farm to experience land restoration and preservation. Their land will never be bulldozed and paved into development. They can share the effort needed to run this small farm, happy the entire burden is no longer entirely on their shoulders. They have received so much gratitude, acceptance and support since offering to share the land with other like-minded folks.. Living in a community based on compassion and peace is refreshing in so many ways. Being included in what has become a large family gives Joan and Sam a sense of comfort and peace of mind. The food forest trail and the guilds of plants growing naturally offer food for the body and soul. Joan loves to wake up and take a stroll in the early morning, sometimes taking a nibble here and there, or adding some goodies to the gathering basket for breakfast.
Sam and Joan had been active in getting Acres of Peace started in their county, yet had waited to donate their own land, not wanting to be among the first ones to take the leap. Sam was instrumental in convincing county officials that natural building makes sense. It is durable, practical, significantly less costly, especially to the earth. It's eco-friendly to harvest resources responsibly. Homes built by hand with love bring heart and soul to our hearth and health to our hearts.
The first Acres of Peace Hamlet built 12 experimental buildings that were called the dirty dozen. That Peace Hamlet, called Nanny's Nook, was designed to have many small buildings. This allowed builders to experiment in a small way and have county officials thoroughly discuss all the issues with various building styles to assure their conformity to the local and state building codes. Issues like how strong does the roof have to be so it doesn’t collapse under heavy snow conditions, or blow away in a tornado or hurricane. Tiny homes can literally be tied down with a stainless steel hurricane strap anchored into the ground. All of these experimental projects provided Nanny’s Nook with a lot of small buildings. These provide examples of building styles that are approved for use in this county. Nanny’s Nook has continued to build bigger and better structures. They attract media attention and visitors who want to see the amazing possibilities for natural building.
A county wide guild of builders grew out of these initial efforts. This group of folks formed liaisons with other builders and county officials. They meet regularly and often work together on projects. Some work crews have formed that specialize in certain kinds of building. Most notably, there is an Acres of Peace Hamlet nearby called Hemp Haven. They have a hemp building team that can construct a small building in a matter of days. They grow and process hemp into many products including the special cement-like product. No heavy equipment is required to use hemp for building, and a small team can do the work.
Sam is on the Earthship building team. After three years and completing 6 earthships he is becoming more knowledgeable about all things earthship. He and the team often find themselves involved in planning, and supervising the build. They work together with a variety of other people, some novice, all volunteer, on a variety of projects. Getting together for a day or longer to complete a certain building task is nice. The Amish call it a “frolic” when they gather to build, it is a social opportunity, food is served. Someone started calling it “Hammer Time”, don’t ask how that got started. What is refreshing about our Hammer Time is that gender roles dance around, sometimes reversing or going into a complete pirouette. For example, Zot is a master electrician in a large male body who dresses and behaves as a woman. We may see her on a ladder, using tools or preparing and serving food with other men and women equally sharing what used to be gender specific tasks. Dancing might happen spontaneously at any time during the day. Most certainly later on, after work and supper, there will be a bonfire, storytelling, music and dancing.
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| EARTHSHIP DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Earthships are defined by six basic design principles, all of which take advantage of the existing natural phenomena of the earth
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One of the reasons Joan and Sam waited before donating their family land to the Restoration Land Bank was partly nostalgia, but more so they wanted to check with everyone else who might want to buy it. All three of their children had moved far away and had no interest in taking on the old bones of the family farm. The grandchildren were all still so young. Sam and Joan hoped one or more of their grandkids would be interested in living here someday. They wanted to leave some room in their homestead, hoping it might be filled one day by their own kids.
By June that first summer, they had two 20 foot yurts on platforms, looking very inviting. They could move right in. The other yurt was put up by Gene the baker and his partner Dan. Joan had met Gene in college and they stayed in touch over the years. Gene loved to bake. He had even spent three years studying with a French pastry chef in Paris. When Joan talked about their place becoming a Peace Hamlet, Gene saw the opportunity to basically have his own bakery. Joan was thrilled to have her friends want to come and make their home near her and Sam. They could build their earthships together.
The first earthship was ready for a partial move in late July of the first summer. It was completely finished, trimmed and ready for a hearth-warming gathering by mid September. Sam wanted to take his time, from careful planning and more planning to tracking details and making notes. They liked living in the yurt and were planning to be away in their RV all winter, so the Earthship was available and offered to the three young people from Denmark, Noah, Clara and Abbie for the winter.
Gene and Dan were happy enough in the yurt. They went south to stay with friends in Florida for the winter, Jan thru March. Their earthship was built that second summer. Both Gene and Dan are avid gardeners and like to pitch in with the build team. Dan offered to head up hospitality and security for the Peace Glade. Security was not a big job at the Happy Farm Peace Glade. There is little crime out in the country. Security is more about greeting new comers and escorting them to where they want to go or helping them find what they have come to do. Someone to greet the delivery truck is necessary sometimes. Dan quickly found a bigger job in hospitality. He puts up adorable signs and maps, he makes notes and lists and instructions for using items in the public spaces. He contributes to posts for social media. Personally, he enjoys being in the farmhouse, central to all that is going on. He likes to be the welcome host for the Peace Cafe and Bakery.
People decided to have 10 camp spots arranged near the Earthwise homestead area. It was close to the road so campers could park along the road and walk in. Five of the spots were closer to the road. A young man nicknamed Zorro took over maintaining the sites. He had been a foster child of Danny and Sherri Bordeaux for over 10 years. He was 20 that first summer and hadn’t had good luck at keeping a job or place to live. His somewhat noticeable emotional impairments, like anxiety, especially social anxiety, and a thin disfiguring scar on his left cheek that ran in a curve from under his eye almost to the ear, caused him to be shy and awkward around most people. His early childhood traumas still affect how he behaves socially in unfamiliar circumstances.
Zorro was the absolute first person to stay in the camp ground. He showed up that first spring, actually before the Seeds in the Ground ceremony, and no one wanted to chase him away. He simply set up camp in what was then an out of the way spot. Zorro is a hard worker and joined in doing all kinds of helpful things. He ate meals at the Farmhouse. If he didn’t have cash, the Bordeaux family paid for his meals.
That first summer the credit pay-off to the team members was not in full swing. It was closer to fall before it amounted to much. Even so, Zorro managed to get involved and pay for his own meals before long. He often made food at his camp or ate with the Bordeaux family. He was offered a spot in the Earthwise yurt for the winter. Zorro liked to play the drums and video games. He could play video games in the farmhouse den, and they started a full moon drumming circle. Being the DJ for the Friday night dance jams or setting up the karaoke was something he enjoyed. The second spring he built a crude Adirondack type shelter at a more remote location. Some mosquito netting, a hammock and he was happy there for the summer.
By midsummer of the third year, Zorro and the team built a small cabin not far from the campground. He has become a permanent member of the Earthwise homestead and the campsites are always clean and ready for the next campers, thanks to Zorro. He is able to work with any of the teams, and prefers the build team when they have work.
Sam and Joan enjoy traveling with their souped up teacup trailer. They go to warmer places for the winter, often visiting other communities, especially ones with interesting Earthships. They went to Taos, NM to see the home of earthships and the wide variety of designs that had been built there. They even got to meet Michael Reynolds, the person who invented earthships.
They visited their children and grandchildren. Next winter they’re planning a trip to the west coast.
Conclusion
This three year retrospective offers an overview of a process that is rich in detail. Details like how some elders in any community naturally and voluntarily serve as therapists and peacemakers. Sometimes called a council of grandmothers. When this naturally happened at Happy Farm, not wanting to be age or gender specific, the participants of this de facto guidance counselor group wanted to be called the Council of Grandpeople. They offer regular workshops and activities on topics like: group dynamics, recognizing bullying behavior, compasionate and conscious communication, grief support, releasing/expressing anger, sexual fulfillment, creative expresion, shadow work, and gut healing. The more popular workshops draw quite a crowd, some are done as camp over weekends. Some of these activities generate an income stream that requires money management.
The music and dancing events have been popular, drawing a big crowd sometimes. On Friday and Saturday nights there is usually music, whether recorded or live and dance jams, sometimes karaoke. People often come to perform live, not just on open mic night. Income is generated, no admission charge yet people pay for food, drink and other accommodations. Donations are accepted, encouraged and delivered, especially when donations are requested for special projects.
Additional projects are always on the drawing board, like a wish list; Sauna, outdoor heated shower, hot tub. Adding more tiny homes as rental income. A bigger project that holds a lot of interest is the installation of a regenerating power system called a Green Power House. This self perpetuating power plant involves algae, sunlight and waste. It creates biochar to accelerate the regeneration of soil as a byproduct of electricity production. Garbage in, energy out! Seems reminiscent of science fiction claims that we can power ourselves with garbage. In the movie ‘Back to the Future’ a banana peel is thrown into the fuel tank of that futuristic vehicle.
Last year Alphonso, Grandma Nancy and Danny Bordeaux traveled to join Sam and Joan for an opportunity to research the set-up of a Green Power House in Colorado. They all attended a week-long workshop to learn how to build their own. This demonstration Power House supplied power to 3 businesses and 20 residential homes. They met with the inventor, Michael Smith. It takes money and time to set one of these up, even on a smaller scale. Once operational it requires minimal time and money. The Happy Farm is interested in knowing all about it, but not quite ready to actually do it. The Green Power House goes on the list of possible projects for the future.
After three years, the participants in this Acres of Peace Hamlet are prospering. They have multiple steady revenue streams and plenty of food. People enjoy the relaxed pace and peaceful security of having friendly folks nearby.
In closing, making lifestyle changes like the ones described in this short story is possible now and does not require vast amounts of money to move in the direction of Inner Peace, Compassion and Cooperation. It’s important to bring these ideas and issues to the forefront of people's imagination. When enough people want something, things can happen. Contacting our county and city officials to discuss our interest in natural building and eco-friendly lifestyle is imperative. By gathering into groups of concerned citizens, circulating and collecting applications from other people who want to live and work in Peace. We can become the developers of a more satisfying set of living arrangements.
Disclaimer
All of the characters are fictional, any resemblance to actual people is purely coincidental. The references to eco-friendly lifestyle, and natural building are based on real people in real places already doing these eco-friendly activities and natural building. New and ancient technologies are available that allow us to live sustainably, within our means.
Additional links of interest
Natural Building, inspired by nature http://naturalhomes.org/inspired-by-nature.htm
Michael Smith Energy generation, Green Power House https://youtu.be/Tctb-32DCYY https://youtu.be/OFoAQzZ_KQw
Featured in the documentary: Need to Grow
https://www.earthconsciouslife.org/theneedtogrow
https://grow.foodrevolution.org/
