Facing Life Head-On: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Facing Life Head-On: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Graham and I have tried to implement as many permaculture concepts in Cob’s vegetable garden this year as time has allowed. One concept that really caught my fancy was to plant perennial flowers and certain veggies in amongst the veggie beds to attract pollinator insects (e.g., cosmos, nasturtiums, zinnias, daisies, borage, and dandelions) and to discourage pest insects (e.g., onion, garlic, leeks, basil, radishes, and marigolds). Liz here, in awe of the beauty of a permaculture garden in the fullness of summer. The summer bounty is beginning to come in at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. It’s been a dry summer and…read more >
Forgetting and Re-Creating: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Forgetting and Re-Creating: A Dancing Rabbit Update

This past week of fireworks and waving flags has been an opportunity for me to reflect on what makes this country such a special place, regardless of the opinions and perspectives that often seem to divide more than unite. Cob here, with some thoughts about the value of forgetting and the opportunities inherent in finding one’s way anew. My past week at Dancing Rabbit has been one of much forgetfulness. I might blame it on my days simply being over-full or semi-joke that it's just a part of getting older that we all have to deal with, but if I'm…read more >
A Typical/Atypical Day: A Dancing Rabbit Update

A Typical/Atypical Day: A Dancing Rabbit Update

My favorite part of the visitor program is the Q&A, which usually happens on the first Friday night of the two-week session. It’s a chance for visitors to ask questions of a large group, especially questions that they think might get varying answers. My favorite questions are the ones that I can’t answer right away—the ones that make me think. Questions like “What are some ways that you are working to be more eco?” or “What was the hardest part of transitioning to life at DR?” or “What do you wish that you knew now about moving to Dancing Rabbit?”…read more >
Shine Light on the World: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Shine Light on the World: A Dancing Rabbit Update

I've been fascinated lately reading about forest baths. Doctors in Japan prescribe walking in forests for their patients to combat anxiety and depression. When I moved to Dancing Rabbit, I was struck by how good I felt, kind of like after going on a camping trip or a hike, but 24/7. There is more oxygen in the air when we are surrounded by greenery, but it goes beyond that. There is something that feeds the human spirit when we are surrounded by rustling leaves, changing, growing landscapes, flowers of different shapes and colors, birdsong, and bees humming. Liz here, with…read more >
Human Scale: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Human Scale: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Howdy y'all. Ben here, with an account of this week's happenings at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Northeast Missouri. It's hot here; the sort of heat that boils the motivation out of my blood. Somehow, the air is extremely humid, but the soil is dry to the point of forming fissures. At this point, if you've been reading updates from me, you may have noted that I have a major fixation on complaining about the weather. The life we are creating here leaves little space for hiding from it. When extreme temperatures hit, there are a lot of lives at stake, both…read more >
Embracing Change: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Embracing Change: A Dancing Rabbit Update

Some folks embrace change, some avoid it at all costs. I’m somewhere in the middle. Liz here, with the latest from last week at Dancing Rabbit. I’m fully in the flow this spring and summer cooking for the visitor sessions, two so far, and cooking breakfast for workshops at the Mercantile, six so far this year, and inn guests. I’m able to meet visitors, chat, and remember their faces and most of their names. By fall, Dancing Rabbit village will have hosted close to 300 people: housing them, feeding them, spending an hour or two showing them around the village,…read more >
A Day Late and a Dollar Short: A Dancing Rabbit Update

A Day Late and a Dollar Short: A Dancing Rabbit Update

As the title of this particular Dancing Rabbit update might suggest, I sometimes struggle  with falling behind the curve of work and expectations. This has been such a week (month?) and consequently I'm finding I need to let go of some of the smaller things and reset my target threshold for what is good enough to call done, and move on to the next task. Cob here with an abbreviated retelling of the past week, as I am literally a day late in passing this along to our long-suffering and forbearing editorial staff. I'm letting go of putting these tidbits…read more >

Worthwhile Work: A Dancing Rabbit Update

At Dancing Rabbit, there are always approximately 114 things that I could be doing at any moment during the day. Should I go to the group meditation in the Casa or should I take advantage of the cool morning to plant the tomato starts? Should I go hang out at the Mercantile and talk about the lack of rain or should I take the kids for a swim in the pond to cool off or should I take a long walk out on the Prairie? Should I do some of the income work that I do online or should I…read more >