Snow Becomes Sun: A Hart’s Mill Celebration

We’d been closely following the weather all week.  The forecast warned of a snowstorm and wintry temperatures on Sunday, the very day of our big party.  But this Celebration had been months in the planning and years in the making.  We were not about to let a little snow stop us—and fortunately it ceased by mid-morning.  As the day brightened and warmed, we threw open the doors to receive dozens of guests on a gorgeous late-winter day at RambleRill Farm. 

Our gracious hosts, Jane and Darin, offered their beautiful barn (and a few kerosene heaters) to us for this event.  Many of our members came early to add flowers, candles, and other touches of beauty and comfort to the room.  Finally, all was ready to receive our visitors.

   

We had ample space for visiting and meeting many new people….

     …sampling delicious food from Sweetie’s Catering, including a whole salmon with cucumber scales and a festive cake decorated with our brand new logo, designed by Margret Mueller

 

 …dancing to uplifting Gypsy jazz music from the Onyx Club Boys

  

…presenting and displaying our new architecture schematic design developed by Frank Harmon Associates

  

…putting on a program, including a brand new video, made by Randy Dodd

  

…marveling at an appearance by our namesake,Thomas Hart, in the flesh, talking about life in the 18th-century when he owned this land

    

…rambling around the farm, taking in the chickens, shitake logs, the garden produce, and the winding Wendell Berry trail.

We encouraged guests to get involved in this visionary and important enterprise.  Now, more than ever, the world needs sustainable communities based on living in justice and harmony and with each other and the land.  Please contact us if you would like to participate in making Hart’s Mill a reality.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who participated in this event: hosts, members, purveyors of food and music, program contributors, and our architectural collaborators.  It was a grand Celebration!

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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New Harts Mill video…..

by Randy Dodd

A couple months ago, I was perusing the Carrboro ArtsCenter winter/spring course offerings.  One caught my eye, “Make a Documentary in Seven Weeks”. It promised to teach me “Final Cut Pro X”, and also offered access to computers, video making stuff, and knowledgeable people for a year as part of the tuition.  “Sign me up”, I said.

I pondered the many possibilities for the documentary I might make, and decided it needed to be about Harts Mill.  Beyond that, it was a big mystery.  So I took a rather meandering path over the course of January and February into both the world of the content for the video and the very technical world of video making.

The first roadblock was when I got all the necessary steps aligned to have sit down studio interviews with Paul, Hope, and Joe, did those, and then experienced the technology glitch of the itty bitty card holding those interviews getting mysteriously “corrupted”.  Whomever came up with that term could have done better.  But I digress…..

Soooo, I came up with Plan B, which involved using the  little narration I had cobbled together (thank you Hope for being the narrator) and then, somewhat Ken Burns style, attempting to hang some photos and perhaps video on the storyline.  I ran with that, and the Universe in its ongoing karmic balancing act matched the bad luck with the interviews with the extreme good fortune of Paul getting his friend Barry to join him on the land with his drone.  Low and behold this time the technology and Cloud worked splendidly and I shifted into the mode of cobbling all sorts of additional photos, graphics, and bird calls together and learning how to use Final Cut Pro and its own little language and world view of “libraries, assets, compression, and rendering”.  Jason (teacher) and Carter and Carson (Peoples Channel staff) were most helpful in holding my hand as I bumbled along.

The “good enough for now, safe enough to try” version of the video can be found by clicking here.

Respectfully submitted by Randy

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Opening day at Hart’s Mill: a March 5th workday report

 by Anthony Weston

After a full-court press by the Land Stewardship Functional Circle and the energetic support of many other members, I am very pleased to announce that the Frazier Road entrance is now the official gateway to Hart’s Mill Ecovillage!  Though for the moment it is still a gravel, dirt, and meadow road, this route tracks fairly closely our eventual main access to the community, and Land Stewardship made it our first 2017 priority to bring it into usable condition.

There is more work to be done, for sure, but after a great deal of clearing, grading, gravel-spreading, remounting the gate, and planting of special new flowering shrubs and other specially-chosen plants – again with the contributions of many people – the long road in is now quite passable and indeed lovely. Watch for the new directions for the Frazier entrance to go up on the website.  On workdays and other major meeting days we will fly a special banner at Frazier Road so that people unused to that entrance can find us.

Today work groups, including several new members, also did a complete rehab of the Fire Circle, built more shelves in the storage unit, planted blackberries, took turns holding and touring around two babies – we also had a 4-year-old and 14-year-old join us, and taking full part in the work too – and this account could not be complete without mentioning that Paul got to spend most of the afternoon pulling out ailanthus stumps with Randy’s rented excavator – only the coming of night could stop him. 

The afternoon started out with a community lunch in the warm sun though the air was nippy. Thanks to all – another great day on the land!

 

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Cob Project Early March Update

Things are happening behind the scenes with the cob project.  After January’s scavanging of “urbanite” for the foundation, Greg came up with a first cut of a floor plan that manages to weave together a bench system, rocket stove, and little sink. Randy and Greg worked on more procurement activities with success at the local reuse places and little hidey holes in finding more urbanite along with windows and doors.  A little nook in the woods with quite a panorama over the tobacco field was cleared.   

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Next up was digging the foundation, root cellar, and drainage trench.  A mini excavator was rented from First Source in Mebane, and Greg and Randy spent a day playing with this toy.  We were graced by an audience of what appears to be an Eastern Fence Lizard, shown below sunning itself on the urbanite.  

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At the end, we declared that the day’s effort was good enough to allow us to proceed to the next step of a bit more digging by hand and then putting in the drainage system and building the foundation by dry stacking the urbanite.   This activity is currently planned to coincide with Randy’s birthday-what a great way to celebrate a trip around the sun.

A series of workdays are planned in April (4/8, 4/9, 4/22, 4/23, 4/29, 4/30) to raise the walls of the new tiny cob building. Cobbers are being sought to help, no experience/special skills necessary, just a willingness dive in and work with clay, sand, straw, water, and a few other hearty souls.  Greg Allen from Mud Dauber School is a local expert on natural building, and will be sharing what he’s learned over the past decade at the workdays. To sign up for one or more workdays or learn more, contact Randy at dodd.randy@gmail.com.

 

 

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A LOGO for Hart’s Mill!

Hart’s Mill is blessed with many talented people who bring so much to our community.  Fine Artist, Margret Mueller, felt moved to create a new logo for Hart’s Mill Ecovillage, a recognizable symbol to use in a variety of ways to spread our image and identity far and wide. 

Margret began the process by seeking input from members.  She asked for concrete words that “evoke Hart’s Mill.”  After receiving many entries, she drafted a few versions and brought them to the General Circle for comments.  We made a few suggestions and received this beautiful offerings in return. 

We are so grateful to Margret for bringing such beauty and inspiration to Hart’s Mill Ecovillage!

 

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Calling all members!

February 11 was busy for Hart’s Millers, with several of us beginning our day with a rally and the 11th annual Forward Together and Moral March in Raleigh to reaffirm our commitment to fight social injustice at the state and national levels.  We all then found our way to Eno Commons in Durham Co-housing Community for an afternoon Membership Retreat. 

About 16 members ranging from seasoned to brand-new came together in the interests of cultivating and growing  our membership in a variety of ways.  Amy and Joe put together a terrific program with a lot of variety.  One goal of our retreat was to develop our collaborative skills further, and so we bookended our other activities by practicing reflective listening and working through a five-step process for discussing a conflict.  Our other goals were to brainstorm ways to best support our members and to recruit members who match well with Hart’s Mill.  In addition to building skills and ideas, a towering contribution was made by Anthony and his young friend.

It was wonderful to meet at this spacious common house and we extend our appreciation and gratitude to Eno Commons for being willing to provide the space for us to continue to build our own community.  And many thanks to everyone who came indoors on a Saturday afternoon to attend to this vital work (and play!). 

 

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New Principles and Intentions about Animals

by Anthony Weston

After a lengthy process with significant time and effort from many members, the General Circle consented to four Principles and Intentions that relate to farm animals, pets, and food choices at Hart’s Mill.  These P&Is offer a point of departure for working out more detailed policies and practices when relevant.  Our deepest appreciation goes to everyone  in the community who participated in this complex and challenging discernment process. 

These four P&Is replace 16, 17, and 19 in the current posted version. They do not address the question of hunting (placeholder #18 in current posted version; we will drop that placeholder for now and add a P&I on hunting later for a net addition of one).

  1. We affirm a variety of ecologically- and communally-sensitive food choices. We recognize that all food choices have costs (to other creatures, to the land, to others and ourselves) that legitimately can be balanced in different ways. Consequently, while remaining committed to keeping food choices open to a degree of discussion and even criticism, we also explicitly affirm the legitimacy of a variety of choices, and do not wish any contention over food choices to become endemic. As a matter of courtesy we expect a maximal degree of consideration to others’ sensibilities around food, and to institute maximally inclusive and sensitive policies for shared meals, kitchens, and eating-places.
  1. We embrace companion animals with appreciation and care. We affirm the value of companion animals such as dogs and cats and welcome them into the community, while recognizing that they can also create a variety of problems, such as noise (eg. barking) and predation (cats of small animals and birds) which imply the necessity of limits, perhaps serious limits in some cases.
  1. We embrace farm animals with appreciation and care. We affirm the value of farm animals such as chickens, bees, goats and sheep for a variety of purposes, including food, wool, pollination and soil improvement, as well as mutual enjoyment. In reciprocity, we commit to caring for farm animals with respect and consideration for the natural health and quality of life of each particular species. At the same time, farm animals must be raised with consideration for the health of the land as a whole, as well as for the everyday human livability of the village and our neighbors.
  1. Any meat production will take careful account of the sensibilities of members who do not eat meat. Members may undertake to raise animals for meat. As a matter of course, any such animals will be given the same appreciation and care afforded other farm animals. Additionally, such animals will be understood to be the primary responsibility of those raising and eating them, with other members able to stand aside both physically and financially as far as practical. We recognize that this can be a troubled issue, and remain open to learning through our experiences both as individuals and as a community.

 

 

 

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Sunny Winter Workday, January 28, 2017

by Anthony Weston

So many people showed up for our 1/28 workday and/or tours that I am worried I will forget someone if I try listing everyone! Suffice it to say that all along the route from Frazier Road down to nearly the central gathering area, Hart’s Mill members and friends were at work for much of a sunny but brisk Saturday afternoon, moving brush piles, sawing branches out of the route, sometimes from ladders, and taking down trees, hauling the cuttings back into the woods, and in general widening and clearing the road that is planned for the main community entrance.

The Land Stewardship Functional Circle is making a major push to prepare it for general use by later Spring (and it is already passable now if you hang to the north edge of the meadow and drive carefully). Soon we will enter the land down the wooded hill and then see the land spread out before us as we emerge from the trees! In the course of the afternoon there were also wildflower plantings, bark strippings, multiple tours by multiple people, reconnections with old friends and returning members, and a circle ceremony in the sun recognizing our purchase of the land and the outstanding contributions of two members.  Paul Voss was honored for his signal efforts in leading the initiative to buy the land, and Jeffry Goodrum received kudos (and a flagon of beer) for his mighty mowing achievements.  

By dusk a bonfire was blazing, beans were cooking for tacos, and some of us even stayed the night ¬– Venus super-bright and the sky in general the clearest it has seemed for a long time!

 

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California Ecovillage Odyssey

by Hope Horton and Paul Voss

The first principle in designing permaculture systems is: Observe and Interact.  It was in this spirit that Paul and I tripped off for a family visit in the California Bay Area, extending our stay to give us enough time to visit some long-standing intentional communities.  Paul did the research and zeroed in on three communities north of San Francisco that have successfully operated with shared ownership models for decades: Monan’s Rill, Santa Rosa Creek Commons, and Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (Sowing Circle).  Additionally, we visited an urban ecovillage called Canticle Farms in Oakland which we will write about at another time.

MONAN’S RILL

On Monday, January 2, we headed up to Monan’s Rill on the outskirts of Santa Rosa.  It was a cold day and rain followed us as we wound our way up a long rise towards the village nestled in the hills.  Founded in 1974 by a small group of Quaker friends, Monan’s Rill currently has 12 homes on 440 beautiful wooded acres with 16 adult members, 6 non-member residents, and 6 children.  (for excellent views and descriptions, visit  monansrill.org)

We were given a very warm welcome by Rick and Sue who have lived at Monan’s Rill almost since the beginning.  They had done their homework on Hart’s Mill by thoroughly reading the web site, and Rick presented us with three marvelous pages of comments that he thought would be useful to us.  After a lengthy discussion and a delicious lunch, we took a tour of the community and also visited the home of another long-term resident named Ken, a talented wood sculptor.  We took in a lot of very useful particulars, but here are some highlights of what we learned:

  • Ownership: partnership (essentially a co-op); share price is determined on a sliding scale by age to encourage younger members to join; a low rate of return on investment encourages long-term commitment to the community rather than short-term financial gain; it’s important not to low-ball numbers you need to make a go of it financially
  • Membership process: new people live in the community for 18 months before applying to become a member; presently there are several non-member residents who rent available homes (with the hope that they may stay if there’s a good fit)
  • Community maintenance: members are responsible for everything; there is no work requirement but there are work days every month; they consider skills and ability to do work when recruiting members
  • Governance: originally founded by Quakers, they use a consensus model but have needed to make values and details clearer over time as founders moved on; they stress the importance that all members fully understand and embrace the chosen governance and decision-making system
  • Structures: individual homes; recommended standard homes with simple features because “building new stuff is exciting but maintenance is boring and goes on forever”; ensure enough storage and decide how it will be allocated across members
  • House exchanging: people are able to switch houses as needs change
  • Pets: numbers are restricted both by number and degrees of freedom (e.g., there are just a few outdoor cats allowed; dogs must be on leash)
  • Community glue: have regular events (happy hours, potlucks, games) and celebrations; give special places on the property evocative names
  • Biggest challenges:
    • Divorce: decide how you are going to handle it when a couple splits up
    • Aging: build in ADA features from the beginning; decide the level care the community can reasonably provide for an aging member before the member needs to hire help or move on; consider making one of our shared homes into an assisted living place as the need arises; continually recruit young people and children because one thing is certain: people will get older
  • Key attitudes:
    • Generosity: give of your time and energy freely to support others; don’t keep score, as everyone’s needs and capacities change over time; focus on paying it forward; foster love and kindness
    • Patience: it’s okay if it takes time to make important decisions because people are in it for the long haul
    • Long-term commitment: to each other, to the land, to community well-being and viability
  • Most pithy comment: “Building things is exciting, but the excitement doesn’t last long;  maintaining things is boring and lasts forever.”

We were very touched and moved by the hospitality and wisdom we received during our time at Monan’s Rill and extend our most heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Rick, Sue,Ken and Uta for their hospiality.

   

SANTA ROSA CREEK COMMONS

We headed back to Santa Rosa amid persistent rain and darkening skies towards Santa Rosa Creek Commons (SRCC), a “sister” community to Monan’s Rill.  Our hostess, Scout, invited us into her home and thoughtfully and thoroughly answered all of our questions, ultimately taking us on a tour and introducing us to several other members.  SRCC emerged in 1977 when it became clear that a sub-group of Monan’s Rill founders wanted to live in the city.  Opened in 1982, it currently lies on 1.8 acres adjacent to a creek and offers 27 housing units to about 30 adult residents.  There are two, multi-unit buildings which face a central courtyard, and an additional 2 houses facing the street.  It is a beautiful setting and the buildings are both attractive and practical.  A key organizing principle is long-term affordability.  Many similar values and attitudes to Monan’s Rill are also present at SRCC and I won’t repeat them.  Here is some of what we learned at SRCC:

  • Ownership: Limited equity housing co-op; share price is determined by square footage; share cost is returnable when people leave, but no portion of monthly carrying costs; units range from efficiencies to 3-bedroom units, 560-1150 square feet
  • Membership process: there is an application process which can take up to 18 months, and applicants are encouraged to attend work days/events to get to know residents; there is a waiting list; the group decides each year which skills are most needed and selects residents accordingly
  • Community maintenance: members are responsible for everything; there is an 8-hour/month work requirement, usually done during community work days
  • Governance: Issues are decided by consensus; every adult serves on the Board of Directors and two committees 
  • House exchange: people are able to switch units as needs change; when a unit is vacated, it is updated by the community
  • Pets: Numbers and types of pets are strictly regulated per unit
  • Community glue: work days, potlucks, community and educational events; people live in closer quarters and greet/support each other on a daily basis
  • Biggest challenges:
    • Adult children: how to deal with children who live with parent(s) but who don’t contribute money or work to the community
    • Aging: decide the level care the community can reasonably provide for an aging member before the member needs to hire help or move on; bringing in younger members with appropriate skills and abilities to do work
    • Key attitudes: similar to Monan’s Rill

As we were leaving, we met one of the founders, Calvin (now in his 90s), who filled us in on the original property acquisition process.  Our appreciation and gratitude goes to Scout and others we met during our visit to this vibrant and friendly community.

   

OCCIDENTAL ARTS AND ECOLOGY CENTER and SOWING CIRCLE INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

The next morning, we traveled west to Occidental in the driving rain.  We had an appointment with Dave Henson, executive director of Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) and co-founder of Sowing Circle, LLC.  Dave is well known internationally for his work within sustainable agricultural, environmental and social justice movements, all of which further the cause of regional scale, socially just and ecologically restorative systems of governance and economy. 

Sowing Circle, LLC, is an intentional community with resident members and children who cooperatively own 12 homes and 80 acres of land as well as all buildings.  OAEC is a non-profit 501(c)3 which runs a farm and educational programs, leasing land and buildings from Sowing Circle, LLC.  Sowing Circle, LLC, also maintains an agricultural easement for organic farming, granted at the time of founding in 1994.     

Our time with Dave was limited and we focused solely on ownership models.  We returned with some new and useful perspectives on how we might legally organize Hart’s Mill Ecovillage which we will share with the community in due time.  We are extremely grateful to Dave for sharing his time and expertise with us! 

We drove back to the East Bay in driving rain but full of new ideas, inspiration, and energy for Hart’s Mill Ecovillage.  It feels great to have connections with successful communities on the other coast.  The biggest take-home for us might be a deeper awareness that building cooperative community is a long-term commitment.  What we create, if it succeeds, will outlast us and our individual opinions and preferences.  Serving the long-term values and interests of the community and all its constituents (land, people, creatures, neighbors, etc.) must be uppermost in our minds and hearts. 

We share this journey with scores of wonderful people who are willing and eager to share their perspectives and wisdom—just like us!  Together, we are forging a more beautiful world. 

 

 

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Showing Up for Community Housing, with Chuck Durrett

by Paul Voss

On the evening of January 20, several Hart’s Mill members and friends came together in the Fellowship Hall of the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to hear Chuck Durrett speak on the topic, “Cohousing: A Community Approach to Housing Ourselves.”  Chuck is the award-winning architect who (together with his wife Katy McCamant) introduced the concept of cohousing to the US. 

Several established or forming intentional communities around the Triangle Area staffed information tables, and everyone loved the spirited and entertaining main presentation by Chuck Durrett.  The event was sponsored by Village Hearth Cohousing, a local project addressing the challenges in senior housing for LGBT individuals.  Thanks to Christina and Charles for staffing the Hart’s Mill information table.

It was great to be around so many people choosing to live in community!

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