I hear such great stories all the time!  I am so lucky to be in a place where people come because they are all excited about the possibilities of living naturally, sustainably.  And here are some of their stories...starting now, although I wish I had started sharing them years ago, they are so inspiring!   deanne

Organic Urban Oasis:   12/08

Jill H writes: Been thinking about gardening every time we eat the fresh local which I've been seeking out here as a lot is in season. Was talking to my Dad all about my interest in growing local organic & sustainable. Next day he found a story in the paper just about that in Clearwater where they live in winter. A woman exactly my age and her hubby bought a 3.5 acre nursery -- turned it all into organic urban agriculture. Like an oasis in this hugely dense population Mecca. I think it's really going to be the wave. I am planning to get more grounded in the co-creative energy.

Chicken Cooperatives    2/09

I have now heard of two folks I know well that are going to start having chickens ... in collaboration with other families!

1) Casey and Jean are starting a 5 family cooperative.  the chicken will be on their property, but other folks will be helping with it (so they will not be prisoners to taking car of the chickens, and so it will be more fun...etc.)  a family with kids will be raising the chicks from eggs, and then giving them to Casey and Jean to raise. A perfect fit!

2) Stephany and Jim are going in with two other families on their chicken raising.  This year they will start with a simple "A frame" coop on their property that they can move around (closer to the house in winter).  The other families will help with the costs, and care of the chickens when needed. Stephany also invisions a tunnel of bent poles covered by a "heritage" seed "perrenial red runner beans".  She will be planting a "3 sisters" garden (beans, squash and corn) in her newly sheet mulched garden to the south of the garage.  And their other garden plot will grow herbs and vegies.  They will exchange eggs for produce that the other families are growing!  Yahoo!

We can buy old varieities of seeds that know how to reproduce themselves ! instead of seeds that are good producers, but don't know how to reproduce (heavily hybidized or genetically modified).  I think it makes sense to have "natural" seeds that can be collected and replanted instead of depending on a "product of science" which needs to be purchased each year. 

"Earth Oven" construction for Detroit Youth.  2/09

Several folks from gardens and schools have contacted me, wanting to connect youth with hands-on natural building projects such as an Earth Oven which can cook bread, etc.  Violet, an "older woman with a young spirit" as she described herself, called the other day all "on fire" with the idea of teaching youth in detroit Highschools how to build earth ovens!  We will collaborate!