Common Ground Ecovillage

Governance to thrive by…

Sociocracy may not be everyone’s idea of a hot topic, but a dozen members came to the Chapel Hill Public Library on a muggy Saturday morning to learn more about how our governance approach keeps the community cauldron simmering.  Hope led the 3-hour training, covering the basics of how our circle structure works and the processes we use to get things done.  The group was lively and engaged, contributing lots of excellent questions and ideas.  The main suggestion for improvement?  More time!  The interest and enthusiasm bodes well for effective functioning, wouldn’t you say?

Covering the bases from building to gardening to sharing food together…

Sunday’s workday (7/25/16) was already muggy at 7:30 am when Ginny and Anthony got started organizing trail work and Joe set off to expand his photo trove. By 9:15 or so Carol was working the garden and Randy the bees; Ed and Abigail arrived for a tour with Hope; later Ruthie and Kenny arrived to help set up the first section of MicroWalden; Amy, Randy, Steve, and others unrolled the new water tubing 350 feet from tank to garden (fitting and pump coming soon) … we gathered for an early lunch at the Pavilion and mostly managed to avoid the extremes of the heat (though Anthony kept working through much of the afternoon). All in all a good day with varied activities buzzing on the land. Thanks to all who made it!

Randy checks the hive

Bees are thriving, the garden is growing, and our woodlands are getting some attention from a forest management specialist.  We invited Jake Pressley from Grateful Trees and Bees to come walk the trails with us on Monday, July 11.  Anthony, Jeffry, Paul, and Hope spent several hours on this sultry morning walking the entire trail network through forest and fields.  Jake was very taken with the enticing trail design, so beautifully mapped by Anthony and sculpted by so many members and friends over these past 2-3 years.

With our Forest Stewardship Management plan in hand (supported by the Eno River Association in early 2013), we examined every area noticing what we need to keep an eye on for later and what needs attention  soon.  Marvelous mushrooms  in orange and blue hues teased us off the path here and there, along with Indian Pipe flowers in ghostly white and blushing Pinesap clusters.  Jake noted the many Christmas ferns bespeaking rich soil, and he enjoyed the variety of tree and plant life abundant all around.  We even picked our way to the other side of the lush and simmering wetland, but further trail blazing will need to wait for another time.

We’re awaiting his report, but it’s clear that the ever-invasive Tree of Heaven definitely needs to be corralled if not eliminated…somehow.  And then there’s the dam which needs to be cleared again of shrubby growth before the roots get too large and well established.   But overall, it looks like a time to wait-and-watch as the forest reveals to us what’s needed next for vitality and health a few years hence.

We’re glad to have had a chance to walk in the woods with someone like Jake who is as attuned as we are to the beauties and gifts of this land.

Jeffry stalks the wild mushrooms

Coming Together for Racial Equity—June 25-26, Durham

REI Organizer-Trainers

Resilience requires diversity in all forms–including human communities.  To this end, five members attended a weekend workshop offered by the Racial Equity Institute in Durham.  It was an extraordinary immersion in the historical, cultural, structural, and institutional forces that have  produced and sustained unjust and inequitable outcomes in our world based on skin color.  This felt like an important step for Hart’s Mill to develop a common understanding of the systemic, root causes of racism.  We met some wonderful people and feel moved to deepen our commitment—and actions—towards becoming a more inclusive and resilient community.

Activities on the Land—June 25^th Work Day

Trail-ho crew

Anthony was out mowing early, Randy came mid-morning for bee work, and then a fine group assembled at the Cedar Pavilion for a leisurely and fruity lunch, followed by an afternoon of trail work with a watermelon break along the way. We upgraded the Dam Loop and Creek Access Trails by removing stumps, trimming branches, grass-whacking, and other general maintenance. Margret and Donna continued their wildflower inventory and checked in on the Tree of Heaven project as well (some treated trees are showing fissures!). Thanks to Margret, Donna, Debbie, Randy, Anika, Mir, Maria Teresa, John, Leslie, and Anthony!  (Photos by Leslie and John)

Designing a Life Together—June 18^th Architecture Design Meeting

Architects Frank, Paul, & Suzy

The two sessions with our design partners, Frank Harmon Architects, opened up new territory for Hart’s Mill.  The June 4^th meeting is described in an earlier post (“What’s It Going to Look Like?”).  On June 18^th, we met in the common house at Pacifica Cohousing Community in Carrboro.

Walking the Pacifica paths

On a tour of this colorful community led by Stephen and Andrea Treimel, we learned a lot about sustainability features and compact layouts.  Then we took a deep dive into what we imagine life   will be like at Hart’s Mill.  What activities and interactions with each other and the land do we anticipate?  But perhaps best of all, we talked about what will mean the most to us when all is said and done.

Here are some of the comments that members  shared:

• Living with others in an intentional community with shared values in a beautiful setting
• Having a really vibrant, agrarian farm-based community
• Being around people—getting together and doing things
• Human and more-than-human community under an open sky
• Being part of a grand adventure where we are living and growing and inspiring and encouraging others to create alternative ways of living together
• Knowing that we have a sacred duty to protect and steward this in perpetuity
• A lot of screen porches!

We inspired and informed each other and can’t wait to see what happens next when we meet the architects on the land on July 30^th.  Stay tuned.

What could go where, I wonder…

The Hart’s Mill Architecture Design Process kick-off began at Arcadia Common House.  Nineteen Hart’s Mill members and four architects gathered for an orientation and preparation to engage in this process.

Joe Cole set the tone as facilitator by reviewing the ground rules, agenda and leading an introduction based on Group Works cards.  Katy Ansardi took us through the major milestones of the past four years that have prepared us for this stage in our development.    She reviewed our zoning  framework and discussed issues relating to financing.

Anthony Weston walked us through the extensive discussions that members have had in the past about architectural styles and elements.

After a lively Q&A, our architecture consulting partners took the stage.  Frank Harmon, Suzy Cash, and Paul Drake talked about the schematic design process and the approach they use with clients.

Giles Blunden, the visionary designer and architect of Arcadia and Pacifica, two early co-housing developments in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, gave an overview of design elements, values, and community guidelines for home design.  He led us on a wonderful tour of Arcadia.  It was a beautiful, sunny day to admire this established community—definitely an inspiration for all of us.

We broke for a potluck lunch and then a smaller group made our way to Solterra, a nearby community development in Durham.  Two residents, Buck and Judith, were kind enough to talk with us and show us their community.  We cooled off in the community garden, enjoying shade on a hot afternoon.

First of all, campers/builders have now closed up shop — partly because Tropical Depression Bonnie finally promised too much rain, but mostly because, under the meteorological gun, we actually completed our main project, which was  to finish framing and roofing the tractor shed. Already last night we celebrated by driving the tractor (“Fergie”? “35”?) into her new home, as you can see in the first photo. (There’s even a video of this!)  Kudos to Anthony, Steve, Randy, Ruthie, Paul, Rita, Amy, Donna, Carol, and Hope for their tireless work!  (Randy posted some wonderful photos on a Google site, so check them out.)

Overnight it rained, too, so this morning we also already had water in the new water tank — enough to pull off 3-4 gallons to mix the cement on one last 4×4, with lots to spare. Then this morning Rita and Ruthie and I finished the last sections of roofing in only occasional light rain and then decided to just go for it and put on the back wall too, so you can see below that Fergie is now snug as a bug in there. Eventually we will build some doors for the tractor bay on the front as well, move the other attachments under the lower roof, etc. But the basic goals are met!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Oh and PS, two-third of the wood  (all the rafters and most of the purloins) was recycled, either from Habitat Restore or from Paul’s and my scavenging adventure in CH. And there’s a lot left…

Meantime it was great to have so many people camping together on the land — it felt like the proto-community already, with a common area and house and shared cooking and meals, political discussions, walks, etc. as well as a long day or more of hard work, some of it in the very hot sun… and such productive work too!  Many thanks to Carol and Randy who set up the camp kitchen and dish-washing station among other significant contributions to the food and meal preparations.

Despite my slave-driving style, some of you were also able to walk the land, work in the garden, tend the bees, and the like, as well as prepare great a dinner last night, so it all worked out. May we do much more of this! This is community in action! And I don’t just mean the physical construction.

Many, many thanks to all who took part, then, whether for all or part of the time, and apologies to those who’d hoped to come today or tomorrow morning — we’ll plan another time soon. Enjoy the rest of the weekend… check for ticks (Randy and I ave both found (3-4)… stay dry… enjoy the curious way that this Summer is a’ comin’ in…

It was a beautiful Mother’s day at Hart’s Mill!  In the morning we were joined by about a dozen young adults from Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute and Elon University as well as many individuals and families who were seeing the land for the first time.  After an introduction to Hart’s Mill, we took a tour on the recently completed loop trail by McGowen Creek and beyond.

After a potluck lunch at the pavilion, other members arrived and we got to work in the garden setting up tomato cages, bean poles, and laying down straw mulch.  The new (old) tractor is up and running and has been a fantastic addition to Hart’s Mill, enabling us to keep our walkways and meadows mowed.  Two of the architects from our design partner, Frank Harmon Architects, pitched in with the construction of a shelter for the tractor.  We very much appreciated their presence and participation in this wonderful day.  Finally,a few of us attended to the stands of Jacks-in-the-pulpit that were being smothered by a fallen tree.  How wonderful to see such progress being made!  Thanks to everyone who showed up and participated.