Dear friends,
Common Ground farm (photo by Doug Jones)
October is “Owl Month.” It’s a time when they are very actively and vocally establishing their winter territories. Owls have long been associated with wisdom and they can also see in the dark–capacities very useful for us CGEV members as we continue to manifest our most heartfelt visions, even when the way seems shrouded.
In this season of lengthening shadows, brilliant displays of color, and growing chill, we’ll warm each other with our dreams, stories, and actions. Click here* and be dazzled by the array of life-giving options to learn, grow, work, play, receive and embrace the unfolding mystery of it all–together.
See you at Common Ground.
As sweet September rolls in on the crisp autumnal breeze, I am beginning to reflect on the rich relationships this community has offered to me. I think about my intentions from the beginning of my internship some three and half months ago and so much has changed. My body has begun to cycle with the seasons, waking earlier with the sun, craving sleep as the darkness descends (despite continuing to stay up too late watching the stars). I survived the summer heat with no AC in the loft of the barn with no problem–I’d say I actually came to embrace and enjoy the sunshine as well as the reprieve of the nearby trails and pond. 
In between and in the midst of my farm workdays, trail meanderings, and recent bonfires beautiful threads of relationships have been cultivated. Through my role in the member bios project, I have gotten the privilege of interviewing several community members and gotten to know some of the stories and deeper layers of their lives. (If you haven’t already filled out the bio form, do so 
Integrating myself into an already established (yet forever evolving) community has brought with it ample opportunity for story sharing and importantly story listening. As the seasons begin to change and we are asked to create new rhythms I am encouraged to explore more deeply the history of this land, the stories she holds of this community and the ones before it. I am urged to continue to tend both to the human and more than human relationships that have blossomed here this summer and continue seeking ways of contributing myself to the soil of Common Ground.
Doug Jones, a professional farmer here at CGEV, says that “collaborative farming is the farming of the future, a contrast to the small family farm that necessitates a large financial outlay. This is how farming has been practiced historically, as a tribe.” And this is how it is practiced at intentional agrarian communities. Doug, a resident in intentional communities for many decades, believes this way of life to be central to promoting collaborative farming.
themselves.
As many of you may know, last month Common Ground held its first racial reflection circle in order to both continue and start the conversation around race. Inspired by Juneteenth, we reflected on where the community is in terms of its racial awareness after a year of collective, national, and individual reckonings with the way race impacts our lives. The circle was facilitated by two newer members of the community- Jess Cudney and Lara Struckman as well as long time member Amy Halberstadt. We had a full circle of folks joining which demonstrated how needed and welcome this conversation was to the community. 
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The event was warmly received and there was much rich dialogue during and following the event. Our hope is that this conversation continues both within Common Ground and in all of our lives as we embark maybe for the first or the hundredth time on our lifelong journey of anti-racism work and continually walk towards our mission of living in justice and harmony with each other and the land. If you have interest in helping facilitate more conversation, action, or celebration around racial equity and diversity feel free to reach out to Amy, Jess or Lara. 
e reviewed Six Components of Conflict Resolution from the by Yana Ludwig and Karen Gimnig to help us to handle any disagreements or confusion. Crystal was patient and accepting while making sure we understood that unintentional harm still causes suffering. We were not patronized or coddled. We were informed that it is not fair to ask the person(s) harmed to reassure or comfort the person(s) causing harm. She defined microaggressions, cultural appropriation, subversive judgement of age, youth, disability, mental health, body size, skin color, cultural origins, sex & gender preferences, and I realized that these all exist in me.
Being on this land for the past two weeks, I feel as though I have inhaled for the first time. “Ahh, this is what community is like,” my sweet breath says. These first few weeks of living and working as part of Common Ground Ecovillage have in many ways been a dream. I was met upon arrival with a warm and hearty welcome. Walking into the bustling barn that would become my new residence was intimidating at first but quickly became familiar and communal. Surrounded by a stunning array of green textures and hues, a guardian persimmon tree, and a sprightly pair of Carolina wren who visit me daily, beaks full, on my personal observation perch. I have been finding fulfillment both in simplicity and solitude as well as in the vibrant communal gatherings and passing conversations. I have been welcomed into the Nest for nourishing dinners and throughout the first week I was struck by the generosity of this community through the ways so many checked in on me, made sure I had what I needed, and were willing to chip in what they could to make here feel like home.
loved it. I relished in the way we kept time only by the amount of daylight left and not by watch or clock. I enjoyed using my body in service to that which is meaningful, getting to meet the crops and sing songs of praise and gratitude for their abundance and their thriving. On the more technical side of things, the first pages of my notebook are already filled with rememberings and teachings from Doug, Caleb, Margaret, and Jeffry. I am inspired by the way all of them work so diligently and calmly even amidst the trials and hinderences inherently present in this type of work.
As I embark on the next 6 months here, it feels important to spend some time reflecting on why it is I am here and respond to what many have asked me so far which is what I hope to learn or receive from this experience. I said “yes” to this internship in part because I knew it would push me not only to grow both in my knowledge and experience of farming but also as a whole person. This intention has already been supported by the fact that in just 10 days I already feel in many ways changed. It is as if layers of noise are beginning to peel away to reveal an innate sense of belonging. Belonging to life, to myself, to others, and to land.
It was a chilly, rainy Memorial Day weekend, but our spirits soared as we gathered to work on finishing our magnificent barn. Today’s main project was prepping and applying slip straw insulation to some remaining walls. Some, like Theresa, pitched in to the elbows and got busy. Others went to the far corners of the land to work on clearing some trails and forging others. Still others worked in the garden and helped prep farmer Doug’s weekly CSA. And it all came to a close with a fabulous potluck and a music jam at the fire drum circle…
