A closer look at our first year:
We are very proud of our first year interns and the program that we
created for them. From weathering intense thunderstorms at 11,000 ft.
to indulging in apricot cobbler with homemade ice cream, our days were
filled the fruits of the simple life lived well. Below is an incomplete
list of the sustainable living activities we crammed into our month
together, along with photos.
Day 1: Getting here, getting settle, getting acquainted. Eric,
Allie, Dev, Jack, Mel and Artec.
Day 2: Setting up and
understanding the workings of a composting toilet.
Building a
solar heated shower.
Day 3: All day visit with Eric Darby, inventor, story teller, artist,
purveyor of the self-made lifestyle. (Afternoon berry picking and
swimming).
Day 4: Sprouting and food drying workshop, how to use solar ovens, tour
of a photovoltaic system.
Day 5: Harvesting vegetables for market with the Sikoras, a local
family who make their living from a small garden plot and greenhouse.
Afternoon of picking apricots and tending our community garden.
Day 6: A day with Lance Swigart,
master gardener extraordinaire: Lance grows 95% of what he eats ("I
only buy olive oil and chocolate," he jokes) on a relatively small
garden farm in our valley. After a tour of his lush gardens, which
create the impression of some English country estate, we learn to make
compost, thresh and winnow wheat, and are treated some of his fantastic
bread.
Day 7: The Lamborn Valley Farm Community: We start the day by
helping the staff at the Lamborn Ladle cook a seven-course lunch made
with local, organic ingredients. Later we buck hay, learn to drive a 50
year-old tractor, and, of course, go swimming (and eats lots of
non-local mango sorbet, thanks to Greg and Taia!)
Artec shucks corn for the Lamborn Ladle, the community's restaurant.
Days 8 - 12: Backpacking in the
West Elk Wilderness (photos and descriptions to come)
Day 13: Rest and Laundry.
Day 14: Radio Show at KVNF
Day 15: Canning and preserving
fruits. Here we are making yummy apricot jam:
Day 16: Building a large scale
solar oven:
Days 19 - 28: Building a straw
bale house:
