Land Commons
What is a land commons?
A land commons is one of the oldest forms of a commons. We use commons today like Wikipedia, parks, CSAs, or libraries. Commons typically incorporate some form of shared risk for a shared benefit. Land, like anything we rely on for life, can be cared for and tended by many people for the benefit of many. With the land we acquire, under the growing model of a farm commons, we plan to have many activities that will incorporate some form of shared risk for a shared benefit, such as space to grow and share food, incubate farm enterprises, and delight in nature. The first space we will create, of course, is a conservation cemetery.
Communal Farm
The second space will be a communal farm. The primary activities at The Farm will be hands on nutrition education for youth (nature- and farm-based education), and communal agriculture (communally producing and sharing food with anyone in the community who is hungry). Land owned communally can increase land access for those who have historically been deprived of it. The land will also be a space to experiment with and learn about regenerative agricultural practices such as agroforestry and perennial farming.
A Retreat Space
The third space will be The Retreat Space. A space of rest, worship, prayer, and wonder in creation. A space to recognize and embrace our limits, both our own, and the land on which we depend. With simplicity and nature as our guiding framework, our retreat space will be a place to take a step back from life’s busyness and re-discover our roots. It will be a place to mark all of life’s many milestones, from baptisms and weddings to yearly gatherings and celebrations of life. We hope this space will encourage wonder and delight in the simple act of being.
Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
