click photo to enlarge...
nobody likes you
6 years ago
1.31.2009
1.28.2009
the learning contract
Sorry for the bombardment of text-heavy posts today - pictures will come soon, I promise.
For the Ridge to Reef (R2R) program, we each have to write a learning contract. Because the program doesn't use a grading system, we need another way to be accountable for what we do and don't accomplish during the term. The way VISFI keeps us accountable is through these learning contracts. The great thing about them is that we write them. I come up with my own goals. I decide how far I want to push myself and how much I want to learn. Midway through, and at the end of the term, we will go back through the contract with our adviser and see how well we are sticking to it. Tomorrow, my contract will be signed by my adviser, Dan Glenn, and myself.
My Learning Contract:
During my time studying at VISFI, I will reach the following goals. Also, where applicable, I will continue to aim for these goals after leaving the farm:
I will pursue knowledge to the fullest of my ability. I will seek out those who can teach me, and I will ask questions and do outside reading to obtain it. This pursuit will give me a fuller understanding of my focus area of study as well as any other area of study or farm activity. I will not turn down an opportunity to learn something new.
I will communicate with those around me. I will make sure that my fellow students know some of the things I am learning about, and I will be interested in their focus area endeavors. I will be a part of this community and take part in farm activities whenever possible. I will also communicate with family and friends off the farm using a blog that will give insight to my life on the farm and detail my study and creation of solar energy systems.
I will take advantage of my mornings. I will stretch, focus, meditate and pray to awaken myself in a way that positively prepares me for the day.
I will aim for high-quality work. I will use appropriate technology and supplies for the project at-hand. I will know that whatever I build, plant, and install will last as long as possible and will fulfill its purpose even after I leave the farm.
I will design, build, and install a working solar system for long-term use on the VISFI campus with my partner, Patrick. We will observe the specified site and the needs and wishes of our client, and create a system that meets those needs.
I will attend 100% of scheduled classes.
I will continue to use knowledge gained here after I leave. I will continue to seek out knowledge during my life off the farm and use it in ways that are beneficial - whether it be to feed my family or to feed thousands in Africa. I will take advantage of my knowledge and give it to others.
signed _____Benjamin Rucker____1/29/08_____
For the Ridge to Reef (R2R) program, we each have to write a learning contract. Because the program doesn't use a grading system, we need another way to be accountable for what we do and don't accomplish during the term. The way VISFI keeps us accountable is through these learning contracts. The great thing about them is that we write them. I come up with my own goals. I decide how far I want to push myself and how much I want to learn. Midway through, and at the end of the term, we will go back through the contract with our adviser and see how well we are sticking to it. Tomorrow, my contract will be signed by my adviser, Dan Glenn, and myself.
My Learning Contract:
During my time studying at VISFI, I will reach the following goals. Also, where applicable, I will continue to aim for these goals after leaving the farm:
I will pursue knowledge to the fullest of my ability. I will seek out those who can teach me, and I will ask questions and do outside reading to obtain it. This pursuit will give me a fuller understanding of my focus area of study as well as any other area of study or farm activity. I will not turn down an opportunity to learn something new.
- trapping & skinning mongoose-demI will understand what I learn. I will learn the jargon and other technical terms that correspond to my areas of interest. To gain this understanding, I will ask questions and do any necessary outside reading. I will learn to teach to learn.
- helping with meals
- greeting visitors
- building a fire using a bow drill
- etc.
I will communicate with those around me. I will make sure that my fellow students know some of the things I am learning about, and I will be interested in their focus area endeavors. I will be a part of this community and take part in farm activities whenever possible. I will also communicate with family and friends off the farm using a blog that will give insight to my life on the farm and detail my study and creation of solar energy systems.
I will take advantage of my mornings. I will stretch, focus, meditate and pray to awaken myself in a way that positively prepares me for the day.
I will aim for high-quality work. I will use appropriate technology and supplies for the project at-hand. I will know that whatever I build, plant, and install will last as long as possible and will fulfill its purpose even after I leave the farm.
I will design, build, and install a working solar system for long-term use on the VISFI campus with my partner, Patrick. We will observe the specified site and the needs and wishes of our client, and create a system that meets those needs.
I will attend 100% of scheduled classes.
I will continue to use knowledge gained here after I leave. I will continue to seek out knowledge during my life off the farm and use it in ways that are beneficial - whether it be to feed my family or to feed thousands in Africa. I will take advantage of my knowledge and give it to others.
signed _____Benjamin Rucker____1/29/08_____
Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me
The curriculum for the Ridge to Reef program here at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI) is split into 8 different study areas: Farm-based Education, Permaculture, Sustainable Building, Agroecology, Animal Husbandry, Renewable Energy, Slow Food Cooking, and Agrotourism. As a class, the nine of us will spend a week on each study area (minus animal husbandry because not as much interest was expressed toward that area) and one week at the end will be spent on holistic synthesis, where we will bring everything together into a cohesive whole.
Individually, each of us has chosen one area to focus on more fully. We will spend two days a week working with an adviser in that focus area, while completing a final project that will benefit the farm in some way, and giving us a way to turn our ideas into reality. We will also show our project to the class at the end of the term in a final presentation.
It took some hard thinking to decide which area I wanted to focus on. It was a relatively difficult process - as decisions often are. Permaculture has been very interesting, as I will highlight in a future post. And sustainable building is something I have been interested in for a while. I really wish I could spend months studying each one of those areas and putting that knowledge to practical use. Someday, I want to build my own home - an efficient, energy-saving place where I can raise a family and grow old. And I want to use the land around me to grow food and create a fertile environment for natural cycles to take place. Still, I knew the place I wanted to start my quest for knowledge was with renewable energy.
As I focus on renewable energy, I will be working with Dan Glenn, the farm's operations manager, to create a sustainable system of solar power for a specified site. First, though, Dan will have to teach me (and Patrick, the other student who chose renewable energy as his focus) the basics of electricity. We spent a few hours last week looking into the system where he lives on the farm. There really is a lot to take into consideration when deciding how to set up your own solar system.
So far, all I have done is read through a few packets of information on electricity, wiring, circuitry, and solar power. For instance, did you know that enough sunlight travels to the earth each day to provide enough energy to last us 5 years at our current rate of consumption? That's pretty crazy.
Soon we will be hiking up to Kyle's place, checking out the site, and working with him to design a system that meets his needs. Kyle is a staffer here on the farm, who is currently teaching us all about permaculture. He is almost finished building his own cabana up in the hills above the moringa swales. He wants a solar system to provide his power, so Patrick and I will work with him as our client to design, build, and install a system before the term is over.
I chose renewable energy as my focus area because I felt like it was the area I could benefit from most during my time here. Though I do really want to learn a lot more about other areas as well (permaculture, sustainable building, agroecology, etc.), I know that I can always find ways to learn about these things in other places - whether it be through a class or through an apprenticeship or just simply asking lots of questions at farmer's markets. I don't know a whole lot of places where I will get a chance to design, build, and install a solar system with no previous knowledge or experience. It is just something I can't pass up.
Individually, each of us has chosen one area to focus on more fully. We will spend two days a week working with an adviser in that focus area, while completing a final project that will benefit the farm in some way, and giving us a way to turn our ideas into reality. We will also show our project to the class at the end of the term in a final presentation.
It took some hard thinking to decide which area I wanted to focus on. It was a relatively difficult process - as decisions often are. Permaculture has been very interesting, as I will highlight in a future post. And sustainable building is something I have been interested in for a while. I really wish I could spend months studying each one of those areas and putting that knowledge to practical use. Someday, I want to build my own home - an efficient, energy-saving place where I can raise a family and grow old. And I want to use the land around me to grow food and create a fertile environment for natural cycles to take place. Still, I knew the place I wanted to start my quest for knowledge was with renewable energy.
As I focus on renewable energy, I will be working with Dan Glenn, the farm's operations manager, to create a sustainable system of solar power for a specified site. First, though, Dan will have to teach me (and Patrick, the other student who chose renewable energy as his focus) the basics of electricity. We spent a few hours last week looking into the system where he lives on the farm. There really is a lot to take into consideration when deciding how to set up your own solar system.
So far, all I have done is read through a few packets of information on electricity, wiring, circuitry, and solar power. For instance, did you know that enough sunlight travels to the earth each day to provide enough energy to last us 5 years at our current rate of consumption? That's pretty crazy.
Soon we will be hiking up to Kyle's place, checking out the site, and working with him to design a system that meets his needs. Kyle is a staffer here on the farm, who is currently teaching us all about permaculture. He is almost finished building his own cabana up in the hills above the moringa swales. He wants a solar system to provide his power, so Patrick and I will work with him as our client to design, build, and install a system before the term is over.
I chose renewable energy as my focus area because I felt like it was the area I could benefit from most during my time here. Though I do really want to learn a lot more about other areas as well (permaculture, sustainable building, agroecology, etc.), I know that I can always find ways to learn about these things in other places - whether it be through a class or through an apprenticeship or just simply asking lots of questions at farmer's markets. I don't know a whole lot of places where I will get a chance to design, build, and install a solar system with no previous knowledge or experience. It is just something I can't pass up.
mongoose: it's what's for dinner.
Today, a mongoose wandered into the trap with our newly fashioned trigger mechanism (baited with peanut butter, the magical stuff) and found himself in quite a predicament.
Marshall and I went back to square one with our trigger system yesterday. The previous system was not sensitive enough - the bait was taken, the door was still up.
Our first attempt with the new system worked quite well. Yesterday, we checked the trap after lunch and it had been triggered. Did the wind trip it? Or was it a mongoose?!? Well... there's no mongoose... Unfortunate. BUT WAIT! Is that hair? Sure enough, one of the wires had been bent inward and a large ball of mongoose hair was stuck to the end. We had trapped one, but it escaped.
After our close encounter, we were determined more than ever to catch one for good. We could already see the difference that morning had made as we found egg after egg in the chicken tractor, untouched and beautiful. The mongoose-dem were scared at least. We reinforced the section of the cage where it had escaped and reset it immediately.
After having the wind blow the trigger shut a few times yesterday afternoon, we reset it once again this morning. This time it was perfect. It was strong enough to hold against the wind, but sensitive enough for a mongoose to trip. After lunch, Marshall checked the trap. The door was shut. Wind again, for sure... Wait! There is a long, hairy tail sticking through the cage wall! We got one! (Sorry this is cheesy, but this is literally how we felt).
We were in the middle of an exercise for class, so Ben, the farm founder and executive director, ran out of the community center, unsheathed his knife, and headed for the trap. He pinned the mongoose to the back side of the cage with a horse shoe nail and reached around with his knife, stabbing it a few times until it was lifeless. I'm actually glad I didn't witness this part, because it sounded pretty gruesome from Ben's description of the encounter.
After class, Marshall and I took the mongoose carcass to the supply container/workshed and skinned it. Marshall showed me the process and all the intricate cuts that must be made in order to leave a clean hide and good meat. I held its back legs apart while the most gruesome cuts were made - guts spilled out and rectal cavities were dismembered. It was appetizing.
We left a pretty nice hide for Wren to work with (I don't know what she wants to do with it. She skinned a cat last week, too. You would never guess it by looking at her because she has the presence of an angel, but she knows how to get her hands dirty). We also left Keith (the chef) a decent amount of meat (for a big rat) to work with as well. Mulligan stew will be on the menu in the coming weeks if I have anything to do with it.
We'll bait the trap and reset it tomorrow morning. We're gonna need at least 10 more to make a nice stew.
Marshall and I went back to square one with our trigger system yesterday. The previous system was not sensitive enough - the bait was taken, the door was still up.
Our first attempt with the new system worked quite well. Yesterday, we checked the trap after lunch and it had been triggered. Did the wind trip it? Or was it a mongoose?!? Well... there's no mongoose... Unfortunate. BUT WAIT! Is that hair? Sure enough, one of the wires had been bent inward and a large ball of mongoose hair was stuck to the end. We had trapped one, but it escaped.
After our close encounter, we were determined more than ever to catch one for good. We could already see the difference that morning had made as we found egg after egg in the chicken tractor, untouched and beautiful. The mongoose-dem were scared at least. We reinforced the section of the cage where it had escaped and reset it immediately.
After having the wind blow the trigger shut a few times yesterday afternoon, we reset it once again this morning. This time it was perfect. It was strong enough to hold against the wind, but sensitive enough for a mongoose to trip. After lunch, Marshall checked the trap. The door was shut. Wind again, for sure... Wait! There is a long, hairy tail sticking through the cage wall! We got one! (Sorry this is cheesy, but this is literally how we felt).
We were in the middle of an exercise for class, so Ben, the farm founder and executive director, ran out of the community center, unsheathed his knife, and headed for the trap. He pinned the mongoose to the back side of the cage with a horse shoe nail and reached around with his knife, stabbing it a few times until it was lifeless. I'm actually glad I didn't witness this part, because it sounded pretty gruesome from Ben's description of the encounter.
After class, Marshall and I took the mongoose carcass to the supply container/workshed and skinned it. Marshall showed me the process and all the intricate cuts that must be made in order to leave a clean hide and good meat. I held its back legs apart while the most gruesome cuts were made - guts spilled out and rectal cavities were dismembered. It was appetizing.
We left a pretty nice hide for Wren to work with (I don't know what she wants to do with it. She skinned a cat last week, too. You would never guess it by looking at her because she has the presence of an angel, but she knows how to get her hands dirty). We also left Keith (the chef) a decent amount of meat (for a big rat) to work with as well. Mulligan stew will be on the menu in the coming weeks if I have anything to do with it.
We'll bait the trap and reset it tomorrow morning. We're gonna need at least 10 more to make a nice stew.
1.26.2009
This picture was taken by Tim Olive. Nate, our program director, is Tim's son. I can't think of a better image than this to show the beauty of this place.
The community center for the farm is the building near the middle of the photo. The Hawk's Nest (up on the hill) belongs to Ben Jones, the farm founder and executive director. My cabana is just past the field on the right side of the picture.
The community center for the farm is the building near the middle of the photo. The Hawk's Nest (up on the hill) belongs to Ben Jones, the farm founder and executive director. My cabana is just past the field on the right side of the picture.
1.24.2009
menilek makes fire
Our class has been working on constructing our own bow drill kits. Mine still needs some work, but my knife is broken, so I haven't really been able to finish it yet.
Our farm neighbors are a large Cruzan family with 10 kids. Fourteen-year-old Menilek came over the other night to show me his bow drill kit. I asked him to make a fire with it, and within 45 seconds, he had a beautiful glowing coal laying in a coconut husk. With a couple of patient blows, he had a flame.
I also had fun playing with his younger sister and brother, Zola and Ekundayo.
Our farm neighbors are a large Cruzan family with 10 kids. Fourteen-year-old Menilek came over the other night to show me his bow drill kit. I asked him to make a fire with it, and within 45 seconds, he had a beautiful glowing coal laying in a coconut husk. With a couple of patient blows, he had a flame.
I also had fun playing with his younger sister and brother, Zola and Ekundayo.
1.22.2009
1.21.2009
goodbye chi
This is Robert Chiarizia - better known on Creque Dam Farm as Chi.
Chi left island early this morning to travel to Washington state. It was a sad occasion for all of us because we have all grown relatively close to him during our first week. He is hoping to come back in early March, which would be great. I sure hope I get to see him again.
He is an expert in primitive living and permaculture, among lots and lots of other things. He is the first person I have ever seen start a fire using only wood, string and prayers (I have now seen this achieved several times, but Chi was the first). He also lived here on the farm in a wikiup, or wigwam.
The grass hut took him almost a month to build, although, he said if he had worked on it full-time, he could have finished it in 5 days. I wish so much that these pictures could convey the spectacular environment inside Chi's hut. It really was a sight to see.
I say "was" because it burned down two nights ago. It was easily the saddest, yet most comforting thing that has happened since I have been here. It kinda hurt my heart to see Chi's home go up in flames, but it was amazing to see the entire farm gather in a matter of minutes around the blaze, keeping it from spreading, and eventually putting it out. Our community definitely stepped up to the plate and took care of something that could have easily gotten out of control.
Before the fire took it up, the hut was one of the coziest places I've been in a while. It really spoke to Chi's personality as well. Shaped like a teepee, but framed with bamboo and thatched with guinea grass, the wikiup sat large enough to fit five or six people inside with a fire burning, and with Chi's belongings scattered around the inside edges.
On Sunday, Chi invited Ryan and I to his hut for a Native American Indian tobacco ceremony. He taught us how the Indians used to structure their ceremonies, and what each segment of the ceremony meant, both practically and symbolically. He also showed us all of his primitive tools.
He had a huge stack of throwing sticks like the ones the Druids used to use to hunt for food. Chi had carved into one of the throwing sticks "for dem mongoose". He also had his bow drill, that he sometimes uses to start fires. He showed us the fire pit he had dug out, where we baked potatoes and onions in tin foil over a fire fueled with dried termite mounds. He had baskets weaved from palm leaves that were full of different roots and flowers and fruit rinds, that he uses to make tea and other food. He had several tin cans full of wood ash and dirt that he uses to make camouflage. He also had tons of little jars and dishes made from clay that he dug from our property that were drying on his cooking stone near the fire. And everything had a story.
He showed me a pillow that he received from a shopkeeper in Morocco while traveling with some Canadians he met in Portugal. He showed me his patches and other badges from his time in the Air Force and in the Persian Gulf War.
Chi was/is definitely a coyote. He was always on the edges, right where you couldn't see him. He wasn't a teacher, but I learned so many things from him. Through the stories he told, and through the many many questions of ours that he tried to answer, I was learning without even realizing it. I especially learned from him as his home was burning down. I ran over after seeing a huge blaze from my cabana. The fire he had started inside jumped up really high all of a sudden and lit the grass walls on fire. The hut was gone in a matter of minutes. Chi, and the three others that were in the hut when the blaze started, were able to pull out most of his stuff before the whole thing caved in, but he definitely lost some things.
Although I could tell that he was deeply bummed out, Chi was easily able to brush off the emotion of the situation, laugh with the rest of the farmers and praise that everyone was okay.
I will miss Chi.
Chi left island early this morning to travel to Washington state. It was a sad occasion for all of us because we have all grown relatively close to him during our first week. He is hoping to come back in early March, which would be great. I sure hope I get to see him again.
He is an expert in primitive living and permaculture, among lots and lots of other things. He is the first person I have ever seen start a fire using only wood, string and prayers (I have now seen this achieved several times, but Chi was the first). He also lived here on the farm in a wikiup, or wigwam.
The grass hut took him almost a month to build, although, he said if he had worked on it full-time, he could have finished it in 5 days. I wish so much that these pictures could convey the spectacular environment inside Chi's hut. It really was a sight to see.
I say "was" because it burned down two nights ago. It was easily the saddest, yet most comforting thing that has happened since I have been here. It kinda hurt my heart to see Chi's home go up in flames, but it was amazing to see the entire farm gather in a matter of minutes around the blaze, keeping it from spreading, and eventually putting it out. Our community definitely stepped up to the plate and took care of something that could have easily gotten out of control.Before the fire took it up, the hut was one of the coziest places I've been in a while. It really spoke to Chi's personality as well. Shaped like a teepee, but framed with bamboo and thatched with guinea grass, the wikiup sat large enough to fit five or six people inside with a fire burning, and with Chi's belongings scattered around the inside edges.
On Sunday, Chi invited Ryan and I to his hut for a Native American Indian tobacco ceremony. He taught us how the Indians used to structure their ceremonies, and what each segment of the ceremony meant, both practically and symbolically. He also showed us all of his primitive tools.
He had a huge stack of throwing sticks like the ones the Druids used to use to hunt for food. Chi had carved into one of the throwing sticks "for dem mongoose". He also had his bow drill, that he sometimes uses to start fires. He showed us the fire pit he had dug out, where we baked potatoes and onions in tin foil over a fire fueled with dried termite mounds. He had baskets weaved from palm leaves that were full of different roots and flowers and fruit rinds, that he uses to make tea and other food. He had several tin cans full of wood ash and dirt that he uses to make camouflage. He also had tons of little jars and dishes made from clay that he dug from our property that were drying on his cooking stone near the fire. And everything had a story.
He showed me a pillow that he received from a shopkeeper in Morocco while traveling with some Canadians he met in Portugal. He showed me his patches and other badges from his time in the Air Force and in the Persian Gulf War.
Chi was/is definitely a coyote. He was always on the edges, right where you couldn't see him. He wasn't a teacher, but I learned so many things from him. Through the stories he told, and through the many many questions of ours that he tried to answer, I was learning without even realizing it. I especially learned from him as his home was burning down. I ran over after seeing a huge blaze from my cabana. The fire he had started inside jumped up really high all of a sudden and lit the grass walls on fire. The hut was gone in a matter of minutes. Chi, and the three others that were in the hut when the blaze started, were able to pull out most of his stuff before the whole thing caved in, but he definitely lost some things.
Although I could tell that he was deeply bummed out, Chi was easily able to brush off the emotion of the situation, laugh with the rest of the farmers and praise that everyone was okay.
I will miss Chi.
for dem mongoose
I really want to be able to eat eggs for breakfast. One problem, though - we have mongooses (mongeese?) The locals say "mongoose-dem" for the plural.
So, these mongoose-dem keep heisting our eggs from the chicken tractors and I can't have an omelet. To remedy the situation, Marshall, Ryan and I constructed a trap. We used bamboo, two rocks, and some wiring we found in the tool container.
It took a couple of hours to build the trap, and then after dinner we spent a while trying to come up with the perfect trigger mechanism. Nothing seemed to be working quite the way we wanted, even with the help of several of the other farmers.
We finally decided to stick to our instinct and use the first idea we had. We hold the door open with a stick. There is a string tied from the stick to the back of the cage. The bait (two goat livers and two dove hearts) is skewered to a sharpened stick that is attached to the back end of the string. When Mr. Mongoose eats our little snack, the stick pulls out from under the door and shuts him inside. We camouflaged the trap near the chicken tractor and hoped for the best.
It has been a day and we have zero mongoose-dem. Sorry chickens...
So, these mongoose-dem keep heisting our eggs from the chicken tractors and I can't have an omelet. To remedy the situation, Marshall, Ryan and I constructed a trap. We used bamboo, two rocks, and some wiring we found in the tool container.
It took a couple of hours to build the trap, and then after dinner we spent a while trying to come up with the perfect trigger mechanism. Nothing seemed to be working quite the way we wanted, even with the help of several of the other farmers.
We finally decided to stick to our instinct and use the first idea we had. We hold the door open with a stick. There is a string tied from the stick to the back of the cage. The bait (two goat livers and two dove hearts) is skewered to a sharpened stick that is attached to the back end of the string. When Mr. Mongoose eats our little snack, the stick pulls out from under the door and shuts him inside. We camouflaged the trap near the chicken tractor and hoped for the best.
It has been a day and we have zero mongoose-dem. Sorry chickens...
1.19.2009
Week One: In the Rainforest
I have been on the island of St. Croix for one week now. In all seriousness, it has been all that I expected and more. As hard as it was to leave everyone I know behind for a couple of months, I know now that this place and these people are easing the transition beautifully. I wish everyone reading this could come here and see this place and meet these people and really understand how life works on the island, and more specifically, here on this farm. It really is an amazing thing. I only hope my words and pictures give it justice.
I am living in the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute on Creque Dam Farm in the Caledonia watershed (the red x on the map). My first two days on-island were spent in Christiansted (the blue x). There are about 15 staff, apprentices and interns on the farm - at the moment, as some workers will come and go. My friend Chi is leaving in a couple of days to go to Washington state, but he is hoping to be back in March. More on Chi later - he will get his own post. Then there are the nine students in the Ridge to Reef course, including myself.
The greatest part so far has been the friendships that have already formed within our group. I'm not really sure what it is exactly, but I think it is a combination of all of our shared interests, the tight living quarters, the beauty radiating from the farm, and a real desire to be close to each other. There are just good vibes all over the place.
On top of that, I am in a beautiful rain forest in the Virgin Islands where I get to eat amazing fresh food in a communal setting at every meal, and I get to learn about things that I really feel like I will really use to seed more abundance, creativity and joy.
We spent the first couple of days last week getting oriented with the farm and each other. Our first activity was to harvest some bean pods in the Gaia garden. We pulled the dried pods off of the trellis and pulled out all the beans. Most were sent to the kitchen, but some we replanted as we learned about the germination of seeds.
Over the weekend, the class took a hike down the gut to the ocean. Nate, Wren, and Chi were able to tell us what almost every plant and seed was along the way. It is a blessing to really be able to understand your surroundings like they do, and I am soaking in as much of that knowledge as possible.
The next day, myself and four of the other students (Ryan, Mandy, Meredith, and Marshall) got a ride down to Cane Bay. After a long day at the beach, we ended up getting a ride with the bartender's boyfriend into Christiansted to eat dinner and see a concert. Then, somehow, we were able to find a ride back to the farm without having to ride a taxi the whole way. Dems islanders for ya, mon.
Right now, I am laying in my cabana, listening to the warm buzz of the rain forest. Life is all around me. If I were to crawl out from under my roof and look up into the sky, I would see thousands of stars. It makes me miss Max Patch, NC.
I will try to keep a good record of my happenings here. In the next week, I hope to be able to give you a virtual tour of Creque Dam Farm and maybe even introduce you to a few people that I have met. I'll also be keeping notes on here that will be used for a presentation that I will be giving as part of my final project. I am excited.
I am living in the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute on Creque Dam Farm in the Caledonia watershed (the red x on the map). My first two days on-island were spent in Christiansted (the blue x). There are about 15 staff, apprentices and interns on the farm - at the moment, as some workers will come and go. My friend Chi is leaving in a couple of days to go to Washington state, but he is hoping to be back in March. More on Chi later - he will get his own post. Then there are the nine students in the Ridge to Reef course, including myself.
The greatest part so far has been the friendships that have already formed within our group. I'm not really sure what it is exactly, but I think it is a combination of all of our shared interests, the tight living quarters, the beauty radiating from the farm, and a real desire to be close to each other. There are just good vibes all over the place.
On top of that, I am in a beautiful rain forest in the Virgin Islands where I get to eat amazing fresh food in a communal setting at every meal, and I get to learn about things that I really feel like I will really use to seed more abundance, creativity and joy.
We spent the first couple of days last week getting oriented with the farm and each other. Our first activity was to harvest some bean pods in the Gaia garden. We pulled the dried pods off of the trellis and pulled out all the beans. Most were sent to the kitchen, but some we replanted as we learned about the germination of seeds.
Over the weekend, the class took a hike down the gut to the ocean. Nate, Wren, and Chi were able to tell us what almost every plant and seed was along the way. It is a blessing to really be able to understand your surroundings like they do, and I am soaking in as much of that knowledge as possible.
The next day, myself and four of the other students (Ryan, Mandy, Meredith, and Marshall) got a ride down to Cane Bay. After a long day at the beach, we ended up getting a ride with the bartender's boyfriend into Christiansted to eat dinner and see a concert. Then, somehow, we were able to find a ride back to the farm without having to ride a taxi the whole way. Dems islanders for ya, mon.
Right now, I am laying in my cabana, listening to the warm buzz of the rain forest. Life is all around me. If I were to crawl out from under my roof and look up into the sky, I would see thousands of stars. It makes me miss Max Patch, NC.
I will try to keep a good record of my happenings here. In the next week, I hope to be able to give you a virtual tour of Creque Dam Farm and maybe even introduce you to a few people that I have met. I'll also be keeping notes on here that will be used for a presentation that I will be giving as part of my final project. I am excited.
1.15.2009
On the farm
Today, I was in the Gaia field picking mature Pride of Venice bean pods and pulling out the seeds. Then, a girl named Tara and I replanted some of the seeds we had picked. While we were planting them, she had to leave to harvest some fresh greens.
Thirty minutes later, I was eating those greens in an amazing salad with fresh mango vinegar salad dressing. Then I walked out near the Mandala garden in the center of the property and pulled off a small twig from a Neem tree and brushed my teeth with the bark (you can actually make toothpaste if you grind the bark into powder).
I also learned how to make fire only using wood, string, and a little tender (coconut) - Castaway style.
And so much more - that will come when I have time to write it all down.
Thirty minutes later, I was eating those greens in an amazing salad with fresh mango vinegar salad dressing. Then I walked out near the Mandala garden in the center of the property and pulled off a small twig from a Neem tree and brushed my teeth with the bark (you can actually make toothpaste if you grind the bark into powder).
I also learned how to make fire only using wood, string, and a little tender (coconut) - Castaway style.
And so much more - that will come when I have time to write it all down.
1.13.2009
no shoes, no shirt, no passport, no problem
This is Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. This spot is where I was just a few minutes ago, digesting a mango banana smoothie and finishing a book.
I am finally here! I arrived via boat last night from St. Thomas (about 45 miles north of St. Croix). Speaking of boats, I apparently get ridiculously sea sick. I threw up about 20 times during the boat ride. It felt like being on an awful roller coaster that just goes up and down for an hour and a half. Ugh.
Once I got to St. Croix, I headed for food. After eating, I headed for the bushes along the street to throw up my food. That actually felt kinda good. After a cold shower and 11 hours of sleep, I felt much better.
Today, I took the afternoon to explore downtown Christiansted.
View Larger Map
My hotel is on the boardwalk that looks out on dozens of sailboats anchored in the harbor. I sat on a bench on the boardwalk and watched sea planes take off from the water (more expensive than the ferry, but a MUCH better way to travel). Then I walked into the city and explored the streets and arcades and beautiful architecture. I still had an empty stomach and needed something light that wouldn't end up in the bushes. To my luck, I ran across the Kalima Center for Health and Holistic Living. The center has a juice bar and raw food restaurant inside, and after skimming the menu, I decided on the aforementioned mango banana smoothie.
St. Croix is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to meet the people here and make some new friends. The island is obviously full of history (The above panoramic shot was taken in front of an 18th century Danish fort), and I can't wait to learn more about that as well. Also, I wish I had Adam Brimer's photography skills.
Here are a few more pictures from the past two days:
1.09.2009
frida, beautiful as the sun
At the risk of sounding like an old lady, I'm not going to say that I wish musicians today could sing and perform like they did in the good old days. But I wish musicians today could sing and perform like they did in the good old days.
I've been listening to a lot of Jacques Brel over the past month and his absolute passion definitely translates through speakers - like a nice breeze and maybe a light drizzle. But his passion comes through like a bloody monsoon of heart wrenching bombast (what?) on all these old video recordings of his performances.
Brel's 1967 performance of "Ces Gens-Là":
And his infamous 1964 performance of "Amsterdam" at the Olympia in Paris - Brel never recorded this song for a studio album, yet this live performance has become one of his most enduring works. He received a three minute standing ovation afterward (this video cuts off just as the song ends).
It's almost as if he is eating the words and then spewing them out unabashedly onto his audience. I love it.
I've been listening to a lot of Jacques Brel over the past month and his absolute passion definitely translates through speakers - like a nice breeze and maybe a light drizzle. But his passion comes through like a bloody monsoon of heart wrenching bombast (what?) on all these old video recordings of his performances.
Brel's 1967 performance of "Ces Gens-Là":
And his infamous 1964 performance of "Amsterdam" at the Olympia in Paris - Brel never recorded this song for a studio album, yet this live performance has become one of his most enduring works. He received a three minute standing ovation afterward (this video cuts off just as the song ends).
It's almost as if he is eating the words and then spewing them out unabashedly onto his audience. I love it.
1.08.2009
changes | pretty soon you're gonna get a little older
It's been 2009 for a week now.
Isn't the separation of years funny sometimes? Why January through December? All it really is is the change of a date. The eight changed to a nine. That's it. But it means more, doesn't it?
I imagine people wanting to lose weight in November but waiting for January to formally announce their goal. I imagine slates getting wiped clean and records being thrown out. Records of wrongs, I hope.
Obviously, with all the observation spent on the phenomena of a new year, people will notice change. And like any other 12 month period, a lot has changed for me. One year ago, I was in school, desperately trying to finish everything so I could graduate. I was anxious about trying to figure out what would come after that. I took baths. And I was already completely over the whole election thing.
Now, I am a college graduate, I have moved away from Knoxville for the first time in 5 years. I am leaving for St. Croix in four days, and now I take showers. Oh, and the election is FINALLY over - (you'd think I am an old man from the amount of cynicism I have already built up toward politics and its media coverage).
But on top of all these logistical life changes, I can't help but want to acknowledge a change within me as well. I hope that I have become a better friend, son, and brother. As melodramatic as it sounds, I am serious - I absolutely love my friends and family.
Isn't the separation of years funny sometimes? Why January through December? All it really is is the change of a date. The eight changed to a nine. That's it. But it means more, doesn't it?
I imagine people wanting to lose weight in November but waiting for January to formally announce their goal. I imagine slates getting wiped clean and records being thrown out. Records of wrongs, I hope.
Obviously, with all the observation spent on the phenomena of a new year, people will notice change. And like any other 12 month period, a lot has changed for me. One year ago, I was in school, desperately trying to finish everything so I could graduate. I was anxious about trying to figure out what would come after that. I took baths. And I was already completely over the whole election thing.
Now, I am a college graduate, I have moved away from Knoxville for the first time in 5 years. I am leaving for St. Croix in four days, and now I take showers. Oh, and the election is FINALLY over - (you'd think I am an old man from the amount of cynicism I have already built up toward politics and its media coverage).
But on top of all these logistical life changes, I can't help but want to acknowledge a change within me as well. I hope that I have become a better friend, son, and brother. As melodramatic as it sounds, I am serious - I absolutely love my friends and family.
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