Everyone has a different reason for moving to Dancing Rabbit. My partner Arjen and I moved here to get away from the mass consumer culture. I began to twitch at the sight of SUVs and Hummers; cell phones drove me completely crazy. I have always been fine with less flashy displays of technology: phones, digital cameras, etc., but something about the way the world was turning did not suit me any longer. Politics were also moving in a direction that was uncomfortable, especially as the politicians started to try to control the nation's and the world's food supply. When the USDA tried to say that toxic sludge was a viable fertilizer under the banner of the organic label, I knew it was time for a change. I wanted to feel more of a connection to the resources that fueled my life and the lives going on around me. Big agribusiness has killed off the small farmer, and with cross-pollination I began to feel that food was not safe from GMOs. I wanted to grow my own food along with people who felt the same about the world, or had a similar mind frame. My fear was how I would become an asset in a world where I did not know how to do much along the lines of building or gardening or being a communal person after living in a world of individuals. (I do not infer here that we at DR are not individuals, but we take each other into account much more than people not living together intentionally.)
Q: we all want to know - what's buzzing in Stefanie's garden? A: a giant metal wasp
Back in the city I lived for the farmer's market. Tuesday was my favorite day. I would rise early and rush to the market to see what new varieties were in season. I bought flats of berries and bags of vegetables, often making a few trips. The berries would go in the freezer for future smoothies and the vegetables would lovingly be put away or on display. When it was time for a meal, I would take the easy path, munch on the fruit, eat the tomatoes and peppers like apples, but I would forget about the delicacy purchased with a special dish in mind last Tuesday. Monday was the day of reckoning. Opening the fridge to take stock, I would find rotting vegetables ready for the compost. It never tainted my Tuesday joy. I continued to buy like I always had and continued my wasteful cycle.
Well, that cycle has ended. There is no waste from the garden anymore. I am basing my meals around what is ready for harvest and if something gets forgotten, it gets plucked and thrown into the compost pile, which will get put on the garden this winter or thrown in the garden path as mulch. I am growing a lot of food, more than two people need for fresh consumption, but there is preserving for the winter and I have a little extra to share with folks.
I have always been a hands-on learner. School was a disaster for me
and the permaculture class I took was taught by intellectuals, not earthy
gardeners. For the past ten years I have worked on other people's gardens
trying to figure it all out, but having my own garden has been the real
lesson. I had read up on succession planting, rotational crops, no-dig
gardening and other forms of organic cultivation of the earth. I copied
down a lot of information, but I just found those papers after all this
time and realized that it had sunk in and I didn't need to rely on notes
for gardening techniques. I thought maybe I had found something that came
naturally to me and learning would be a joy, not a headache. The gardeners
here at DR are into sharing information and giving a helpful hand or word
of advice. We are all doing our gardens differently, but are supporting
each other in those differences and learning from one another. I often
walk around the village looking to see each garden's progress. I love
that it is all right to freely roam through these creative spaces that
others have designed and worked hard to bring together.
I found my niche: I am an enthusiastic and (so far as it seems) successful gardener. I began the garden late, had some help from a friend while I was away, and came back to a jungle of weeds. It was overwhelming and I didn't know where to start, so I just picked a spot and four weeks later the garden was cleared and planted. I was very focused, often needing to be reminded that it was time for dinner. I enjoyed the opportunity to be so directed. I have not often found an activity that has so inspired me as gardening does.
The garden has become like a child to me. I nurture it and in return I feel nurtured by the food I harvest and the great delight in the whole process. I have learned a lot about life through the garden. I see clearly the life cycle for plants, animals and humans. I have to pay close attention and not be selfish about my time because the garden is needy and it can only tell me what it needs if I am watching very closely. Each day I walk through the garden and pay attention to each plant. I notice if it looks different, is being attacked by a pest, or needs water or fertilizer. It is a connection that has become very strong and one that I look forward to each day. I feel very blessed for being able to be at Dancing Rabbit. I have made the choice to live intentionally: sometimes it is hard and frustrating, but it is always rewarding. I now feel connected to the food I eat, the land that I dwell upon, and the people I live near. In this world that judges people by what they do instead of who they are I feel thankful to be where I no longer feel the need to be something that I am not. I will call myself a gardener; that is enough for me.
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