Another week on Facebook, moving toward the end of January.
And Acorn and Southern Exposure were posting once again about what Ira was up to.
Once upon a time on Commune Life, just mentioning Ira guaranteed a high viewing share. That doesn’t seem true anymore. This post got just four likes and a disappointing sixty-three views.
At East Wind, it was all about the cows.
This did pretty well with four likes, three loves, and a hundred and fourteen views.
Twin Oaks was talking about getting a new account on Bluesky. So I asked what seemed to me to be the obvious question.
This got thirteen likes, two loves, four comments (two of which were “Yes” and “yes !”), and an impressive two hundred and twelve views. I’m hoping that we will have a Bluesky account soon.
The deportations are happening, and they are happening to a lot of good folks. Serenity Solidarity wrote about one.
Unfortunately, this didn’t do very well on Facebook with just two likes and sixty-eight views.
Finally, East Wind posted about their chefs, cheffing it up.
This did pretty well with five likes, two loves, and a hundred and thirty-four views.
Living Without Fossil Fuels on Agrarian Futures Podcast with Alexis Zeigler A new podcast is out about Living Energy Farm. Here is the promotional text from Agrarian Futures: “It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of climate change. But where can we find models for living in harmony with the planet—before it’s too late? Alexis and the community at Living Energy Farm are doing just that: building a self-sustaining, non-extractive way of life that is energy independent and sharing their knowledge with others.” “Alexis brings a unique blend of practical, technical expertise and a deep philosophical vision for restoring our spiritual connection to nature—and to one another. These themes are at the heart of this show. If you’re seeking grounded hope and a climate-resilient model for living, we think you’ll find this conversation inspiring.” Living Without Fossil Fuels on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Direct Drive DC Microgrids in the Caribbean Debbie and John are preparing to return to Puerto Rico in the second half of January, where they will be doing two new installations, checking up on installations from previous years, and doing a few events and workshops. In March, John and Lucy (our solar installer friend who has been distributing small solar kits from LEF in flood ravaged areas of North Carolina) will be traveling to Trinidad to install DC equipment at Wa Samaki permaculture center. Debbie is currently in communication with the Wa Samaki team to design their DC Microgrid and can get equipment to Trinidad in time for John and Lucy’s trip. On the Trinidad end, the work is being coordinated by Rodjé Malcom, a friend of ours from Jamaica who has helped with work there as well. The Wa Samaki projects will probably be a low voltage system for a tiny home, and a solar water pump to supply the permaculture center with water for irrigation and fire suppression.
Biogas For 13 years, firewood was the fallback fuel for cooking at LEF. Starting a rocket stove every cold winter morning, or burning lots of wood in an inefficient indoor wood stove, is not fun. We do what we can with Insulated Solar Electric Cookers (ISECs), but the ISECs can’t cook breakfast, and they can’t cook in heavily cloudy weather. We cook three meals a day for 8 – 12 people, year round. We have been upgrading our biogas for years. We have never made it all the way through winter on biogas. This year, we are going to make it. We have had heavy clouds for much of December, and temperatures at night as low as 10 F, with many days in the 40s F. That’s challenging for houses and biogas digesters heated with solar heat. But we have not lit a fire to warm our house. The digester needs to stay about 85 F ideally, though 80 F is tolerable. We are past the winter solstice, and the lowest tank temperature we have seen is about 78 F. The modern focus on solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity is a monumental mistake. Solar hot water collectors are four times more efficient per square foot than PV panels. We could not keep our house, or our biogas system, warm with PV panels. But with thermal panels, we can. We have had some trouble with fibrous material clogging up our input pump (a homemade invention of ours), but we have that worked out now. Otto is very diligent in taking care of Seymour (that’s the digester), and now as we head toward New Years, we are actually gaining gas in our storage. Hooray!!!! Nothing in our 14 years of working on LEF has felt like such a positive change as being able to cook whatever we want whenever we want on biogas. We are continuing to work on the biogas tractor, though no big developments there recently. Thank you Otto, thank you Seymour!
Deb standing next to our biogas storage bag. It’s solstice and we still have lots of biogas. We are very happy about that!
Otto has taken diligent care of Seymour, our biogas digester, with good results. The green device in the foreground is a silage chopper we brought in from China. It is very helpful in preparing organic materials for Seymour.
Easy Reapers and DC Microgrids in Ghana? We mentioned in our last newsletter that our Easy Reaper went to the Borlaug Dialog at the World Food Prize in Iowa. (That’s our simplified combine harvester for harvesting small grains.) We talked to a lot of folks there, including a lot of African business people. There are lots of people who think the project is a good idea. We did not find anyone in particular who owns a production facility who wants to make them in the U.S. We had hoped an American company would make them and we could make a fair return on the process. That is not going to happen at this time. There are several very small African companies, primarily in Ethiopia and Ghana, who are interested in producing them. Those will be produced under license with LEF, but not at any substantialprofit to us. As far as our DC Microgrid is concerned, it is clear that people who do not have ready access to grid power and propane/ natural gas like our renewable energy systems more so than wealthier consumers. If we could facilitate the spread of the DC Microgrid, we could make coal, nuclear, natural gas, and industrial “renewable” energy obsolete. Tropical regions — where thermal demands are reduced — would seem to be the “low hanging fruit.” Add all that up, and Sub Saharan Africa would be the largest region on Earth for which circumstances are favorable for the spread of DC Microgrids. It appears that the first Easy Reaper built outside of LEF is going to be built in Ghana. We are currently trying to figure out if we can plant a solar energy project there, something like what we have accomplished in Puerto Rico. It would certainly be convenient to work on both projects in the same locale. But Ghana is far away. Would DC Microgrids serve unmet needs in Ghana for communities that do not have good access to energy? Could our conservationist model spread there, and to other parts of Africa? Everyone we talk to, Americans and Africans alike, has told us that it would be favorable environment. But we don’t really know how quickly the technology might spread, and how much we are able to to put into a project in Africa at this point. If we do pursue that project, the first step would be a mission to talk to solar companies in the area. That could be a combined trip in which we also consult with the folks wanting to build Easy Reapers. Kerry Clark (who has been supporting the Easy Reaper project from the University of Missouri) has been quite successful working with African businesses to enhance their ability to produce threshers and other farm equipment. Another person who has done that kind of thing is Katerine Putz, a German woman who has built an organization around helping small African businesses set up distribution for biogas systems (and not just give them away, which only undercuts local businesses). We would like to do the same thing with the DC Microgrid — set up local solar companies to distribute the technology and the equipment. Currently we are trying to figure out a realistic game plan for the coming months. We continue to consult with folks in Baltimore, as well as organizations local to where we live, about building Energy Independent Cooperative Housing. (Modestly priced housing built using LEF’s technologies, see prior newsletters.) We continue to work on our various technology development projects (a direct drive washing machine, the Easy Reaper, and other direct drive appliances). We live at somewhere around 2% as much energy as the average American. We have a powerful set of technologies that could have global impacts. How we get more people to notice and support what we are doing, and help our technologies to spread, is not entirely clear. The total donations we get is usually around $20,000 per year. That pays for materials mostly. Thank you very much to the folks who support us. If you have any thoughts, resources, friends, or a willingness to work in Ghana or West Africa, let us know. We would love to see LEF grow to a larger organization with higher levels of funding. If you have any connections or means to help us make that happen, let us know. Please support us if you can.
From left to right, Jefferey and Theo from Sayetech, a small Ghanaian company that makes small farm equipment, and Kerry, from the University of Missouri. They came to LEF to study the Easy Reaper.
Living Energy Farm is a project to build a demonstration farm, community, and education center in Louisa County that uses no fossil fuels. For more information see our website http://www.livingenergyfarm.org, or contact us at livingenergyfarm@gmail.com or Living Energy Farm, 1022 Bibb Store Rd, Louisa VA, 23093. Donations to the Living Energy Farm Institute are tax deductible. Click here to make a tax deductible donation. Make sure to designate your donation for Living Energy Institute.
Podcasts about LEF: Living Without Fossil Fuels on Agrarian Futures Podcast with Alexis Zeigler “Alexis brings a unique blend of practical, technical expertise and a deep philosophical vision for restoring our spiritual connection to nature—and to one another. These themes are at the heart of this show. If you’re seeking grounded hope and a climate-resilient model for living, we think you’ll find this conversation inspiring.” On Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Socialist News and Views Special Interview: Integrated Activism And New Simple Harvester In this special we speak with Alexis Zeigler, a Founder of Living Energy Farm and Writer who published the book Integrated Activism – Applying the Hidden Connections Between Ecology, Economics, Politics, and Social Progress. Zeigler says he is a firm believer in individual and community self-sufficiency and self-determination.
Direct Solar Power: Off-Grid Without Batteries. A lengthy, well-researched article by Low-Tech Magazine, based in France. The article talks a lot about optimal utilization, AKA “community is the magic bullet that makes renewable energy work.”
YouTube videos about LEF: Cooking and Heating With Direct Solar Power (No Batteries) Lithium batteries can be the most expensive and extractive part of a solar system — costing $8,000 ormore. What if we could cook, heat, and refrigerate food, without them? This video by @sambutlerUS shows how we can start making transitions in our communities today.
Sky Blue is a former Twin Oaker and a long time community activist. Here they talk about how economics interfaces with communities and what kind of economic models are possible for communities–including income sharing.
As people living in close-knit communities or as those who aspire to create and sustain communal living environments, it is evident (to me, anyway) that the necessity of mutual support/mutual aid is not just a moral imperative but a fundamental aspect of thriving together. The scope of this support cannot, and must not, be confined solely to the people within our immediate circle or community. True communal solidarity requires us to expand our reach, extend a helping hand beyond the boundaries of our familiar networks, and create a broader system of interconnectedness that nurtures and strengthens all individuals. Only through such expansive support can we build resilient, compassionate societies that uplift everyone. Only through this support can we truly call ourselves allies and activists.
As we step into 2025, the struggle for justice and equity for marginalized communities demands our urgent and relentless attention. We are going to have to fight, and fight hard. Marginalized people continue to face systemic barriers that threaten their survival and dignity. The path to a more just world is neither inevitable nor easy. It will require fierce, unwavering advocacy and action to dismantle the inequities that persist and deepen suffering. If we are to honor our shared humanity, we must recognize that this fight is not optional; it is a moral imperative that will define our future. We are going to have to step up in ways that may be hard and uncomfortable. The return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency is not just a political setback; it is an existential threat to the very fabric of our society. For those of us who live on the fringes— undocumented people, Black and Brown people, immigrants, trans people, incarcerated people, poor people —the next four years will demand more than just resistance. They will require a deep commitment to each other, solidarity, creativity, and our collective action.
There’s a reality that cannot be ignored: if we are to win this fight, the people who have long benefitted from systems of privilege—those with wealth, property, and power—must step up in ways they never have before.
Appalachian-based Pansy Collective, a queer mutual aid group that helped with relief efforts after Hurricane Helene.
For too long, people with privilege have distanced themselves from the suffering of marginalized communities. Many claim to be anti-racist, in solidarity with peace and justice movements, or deeply connected to spirituality. Many have quietly watched as policies that harm marginalized people have flourished, whether through the criminalization of undocumented immigrants or the systemic violence that plagues Black and Indigenous people. Sure, many give up a few hours in a day to March for Palestine or for Indigenous rights, and that is important- but would they take an undocumented single mother into their home or give up some of their beloved money, and -gasp- risk possible instability in their own lives, to make sure someone has food to eat or a roof over their head?
With Trump’s return to power, we stand at a crossroads. His administration has made it clear that the lives of undocumented people, trans people, and Black and Brown communities will be under attack. On day one of his presidency. From deportation raids and separating undocumented families, to emboldened racial profiling by police, to attacks on trans people’s lives, and the destruction of key civil rights protections, such as those that safeguard voting rights and fight discrimination in education and housing, will all worsen under Trump.
Jewish Voice for Peace risking their freedom to protest the genocide in Palestine.
Trump is expected to prioritize fossil fuel industry interests over climate action, undoing important environmental regulations and pulling out of international climate agreements. Under Trump, the U.S. will not take action to address the growing climate crisis, which disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, including Indigenous communities and people in low-income areas. I expect climate activists to be even more harshly pursued and prosecuted , and for there to be severe penalties for those trying to stop cop cities and the genocide in Gaza.
This is where we—those of us who are fighting for justice—need those with land, wealth, and privilege to understand that they are not exempt from this fight. Historically, it is the marginalized, the oppressed, who have been called upon to resist. And yet, time and again, our struggles have been disregarded by those in positions of power and privilege. As an Afro-Indigenous activist committed to supporting people who cannot support themselves, and to building and supporting community land projects where BIPOC are centered, I know that land is not just a commodity; it is a life source. It is the space where we grow our food, where we house our families, where we reclaim our histories. This is why the fight for land, and the right to self-determination, is central to everything we do. But it is also why we need others to see how this fight is bigger than any one community—it is a fight for the survival of all.
There are many intentional communities, churches, and regular people who have lots and lots of land, extra space in their houses and buildings, and money saved for a ‘rainy day’. Well while they are trying not to get wet, we are drowning. They may not think of it as extra, but it is more than they need. For too long as a society we have acquired more than we need at the terrible expense and suffering of others. We consume resources far beyond what is necessary for our own well-being, frequently at the expense of poorer nations and communities. We acquire huge pieces of land just so that we have private woods to walk in. From excessive energy usage, which contributes to climate change, to the insatiable demand for cheap goods that exploit workers in developing countries. We rely on global supply chains that extract resources—whether raw materials, labor, or land—at unsustainable rates, leaving local populations in poverty while enriching multinational corporations. This imbalance is fueled by policies and systems that Trump and his cabinet will uphold and expand. Systems that prioritize profit over people, leading to environmental degradation, economic inequality, and the displacement of vulnerable people. The resulting exploitation perpetuates cycles of poverty and limits access to resources for those who need them most, while those with privilege continue to live in comfort. You have heard this all before. I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. What is worse? To go without, or to cause others to suffer because you won’t give up your comforts.
For people of wealth, property, and privilege, the protection of marginalized communities is not just an act of charity or solidarity; it is a matter of survival for the soul of this nation. If they AGAIN fail to protect the rights of undocumented people, Indigenous people, and Black and Brown people, they will lose more than the trust and friendship of BIPOC allies; they will lose their humanity. This is not a distant issue or an abstract cause. The policies that will be enacted under Trump’s administration—whether through harsher immigration laws, new barriers to voting, or police state expansions—will target those who already face the harshest realities. But the ripple effects will be felt by everyone, including those who benefit from the current system.
We cannot afford to wait for others to step up. Marginalized people have always had to build from the ground up, carving out spaces of resistance and resilience in a world that seeks to erase our presence. Yet, while we continue to fight and build, we need those who control vast resources to recognize the urgency of this moment.
In a world where compassion and humanity should know no borders, opening our homes or sharing part of our land with marginalized people is a powerful act of solidarity. These individuals are simply striving for a better life—just as we would if we were in their shoes. By offering them shelter or land, we not only provide a safe space but also affirm their dignity and humanity. Remember that our wealth is not measured solely by possessions but by the kindness and generosity we extend to those in need. We can create a world where no one is left behind, where every person can feel valued and supported and have their needs met, regardless of their immigration status, gender, or color.
People with privilege also need to use their economic power to support grassroots initiatives and community land projects that serve to protect and uplift undocumented communities, Black and Brown people, and Indigenous nations. Money is a tool that can either be used to reinforce systems of oppression, or dismantle them. By investing in land reparations, supporting sanctuary cities, and funding legal services for those under threat of deportation or incarceration, they can directly contribute to collective liberation.
It is time for those with influence to stand alongside us in protest, in policy change, in direct action, and in advocacy. You must use your platforms to speak truth to power, to challenge the white supremacy that fuels Trump’s policies, and to demand accountability from all levels of government.
We must understand that this fight is not only about protecting the most vulnerable. It is about a collective vision for a better and more equitable future. When Trump comes into office once again, his agenda will continue to benefit the wealthy and oppress the poor. But wealth does not guarantee safety. Look at the United Healthcare executive. True safety and security can only come when we build a world where justice is not a privilege but a right for all.
In this fight, there will be no neutral ground. We either stand up for the lives of the most marginalized or we allow the systems of hate, fear, and division to deepen. We need solidarity, not pity. We need action, not book clubs and discussion groups. We need to come together to protect the most vulnerable, to fight for land, for safety, and for dignity for all people. This is the work ahead. And if those with wealth and privilege don’t step up, we will remember who stayed silent and who chose to fight. We will hold the line, but we need you to at least stand beside us, if not in front of us.
This is a call to action, a call to remember our shared humanity, and a call to make sure that when history looks back at 2025, it remembers that we did not give up. We did not give in. We fought for the people who needed us most—and we won.
If you would like to be paired with a marginalized person, family, or group that you can support directly, please reach out to Serenity Solidarity at Serenitycmty@gmail.com or please find your own people to support. They are everywhere.
We’re still looking a couple of months back on Facebook and this week we have everything from pumpkins and brownies to a provocative question about the kibbutzim.
But let’s start off with Living Energy Farm. They’ve had their place for fourteen years.
This post did okay, just sliding in with six likes and a hundred views.
Twin Oaks was happy to get a bit of local publicity.
Unfortunately, this did do very well on Facebook, with three likes, a love, and a mere fifty-seven views.
SESE wrote about pumpkins.
I thought it was interesting but apparently not many folks did. It got no likes or loves and only thirty-nine views. This was our worst performer of the week.
And East Wind Nutbutters posted a recipe.
Okay, lots of pictures and a recipe for a sweet treat. Yes, it did well, although not as well as I would have expected, with only three likes and a respectible hundred and fourteen views.
Finally, I thought it was time for another Facebook question and I wanted something controversial and having mixed thoughts about the Kibbutzim (plural of the Kibbutz) these days, I decided to put out a provocative question.
I wanted comments but I only got a couple. (Some good thoughts, though.)
While I was hoping a controversial, provocative question would attract a lot of views, I had also been warned that Facebook was limiting the views of “political” stuff. And that seemed to be true, at least at first. There were only two comments and only two likes and after the first day there were less than a hundred views, and so I thought that was that. But something happened that I had never seen before. I’m not sure why (it didn’t seem to have gotten any shares) but it started gathering more views over the next couple of days and while a hundred and eighty-six views is not much for a controversial question, it’s a lot more that I thought we were going to get. I’m not sure what happened but this post did well after all.
Why are all long-term, established income-sharing intentional communities on the East Coast? That’s not an easy question to answer, but the fact is, virtually all that have started west of Missouri haven’t lasted. But a group of us in the Puget Sound area are looking to change that.
Rather than forming a group to start a single project, we’re forming an umbrella group with the goal of catalyzing multiple income-sharing ICs in northwestern Washington state. We’ll host meet-ups, research and present on topics of interest, and help people find each other who can move a project forward.
Why are we focused on income-sharing? We believe that income-sharing maximizes the benefits of intentional community, which at its core is all about sharing. We also believe that income-sharing is the best way for an IC to undermine capitalism and the culture of hyper-individualism endemic in the US, and spreading around the world. And we believe that’s core to effecting fundamental systems and culture change in the world, which we believe is the core purpose of intentional community.
Sound interesting? Please read this one-pager describing the project, and fill out the linked form if you’re interested. There’s also a doc with additional information and resources about our view on intentional community and why we think income-sharing and systems change are key. You can also reach out to Sky Blue peacewithinchaos@gmail.com if you have questions.
It’s a brand new year. The FEC is all but gone and the coming US administration may be as anti-sharing as you can get, but I believe that this is a time when sharing and community are needed more than ever.
Commune Life is a blog dedicated, first of all, to egalitarian income-sharing communities, and beyond this to communities in general (and how to start them) as well as exploring ways of radical sharing. I also want to explore mutual aid, clusters of communities, interdependence, and the networking of communities–with perhaps various types of cooperatives and other alternative institutions. I’m expanding the focus of Commune Life to areas that I see are connected to communal living (like relational work, the importance of infrastructure, and the need for more experimental communities). I will still limit the focus on general intentional community stuff since much of that is covered by the Foundation for Intentional Community and its allies.
It’s going to be a challenging year. I’m hoping the stuff published here will help at least some people realize the need for more sharing and community, not less. I intend to keep publishing pieces from income-sharing communities (communes) and other interesting communities and alternatives to show that all this can work and even be fun. Hopefully it will inspire more people (maybe even you) to find ways of doing more sharing and more community building in the coming year. Beyond that, I guess that we will just have to see what this “interesting” year ahead will bring.
Maybe through communities, we can build some of the bridges we need
I imagine that most Commune Life readers are not happy with the election of our former president. (If you are, I wonder what you expect.)
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Trump has been elected. In January of 2017, the Atlantic magazine published an article entitled “Seeking an Escape from Trump’s America”. It featured a bunch of folks who talked about joining or being in an intentional community as a way of being protected from the chaos of the new administration. One of the communities profiled was Living Energy Farm.
Picture from the Atlantic article
When Trump was elected in 2016 I was living in the Ganas community in New York City. It’s not an income-sharing community per se (although the core group shares not only income, but assets) and it is not an egalitarian community (and they will tell you that) but it could be a very caring community and the morning after the election (when few folks had expected Trump and the Republican party to be swept into office) we had a regularly scheduled planning meeting. We threw out the agenda and we were just there for each other. I wondered how people outside of community were able to deal with this. I was so glad to be a part of a community where we could support each other when something like this happened.
This time around I’m living in a very small income sharing community and, honestly, we have barely talked about the election. Of course it wasn’t the surprise that his first election was. But the community that I’m in focuses on interdependence and mutual aid, and I think that those are some of the most important things that we will need during the trying times ahead.
Community, as I pointed out above, means you don’t have to be alone with the trying times ahead. Communities like Living Energy Farm (and ecovillages like Dancing Rabbit and Earthaven, not income-sharing but committed to ecological living) are developing the tools that we will need to live in the age of climate change, even as the Trump administration will probably slash most of the “Clean Energy” development funds. Small communities like the Possibility Alliance, the Baltimore Free Farm, and Cambia are showing that living simply is not just possible but can be fun. As MAGA Republicans attack immigrants, queer folks, trans folks, and folks of color, communities such as Serenity Solidarity and the Tennessee queer communities offer places of refuge for those affected. And larger communities, such as Twin Oaks, East Wind, and Acorn are often looking for members. The Foundation for Intentional Communities maintains a directory of intentional communities of all kinds.
Beyond the general benefits of community living, income-sharing in particular offers collective shelter from the economic winds ahead. In income-sharing communities, we are not only there for each other emotionally but provide a financial buffer for many folks who would otherwise be struggling.
Perhaps people will begin to realize the need for community as the chaos spreads in 2025. Maybe interest in communities and communes will rise. Hopefully we will be able to rise to the occasion and take folks in and create many more communities of all kinds to meet people’s needs.
I think communities and communes are very important anyway, for a number of reasons, but I think that they are especially important now.
Land Day 2024 We’re celebrating our 14th Land Day on November 16, 2024 and you’re invited! Festivities start at 2pm. There will be tours, performances, dinner, a corn pit for the kids, a bonfire (weather permitting) and more. See our website for the full schedule and more details. If you haven’t been to LEF before, be aware that it’s a half mile walk from the parking lot to our house. Come prepared for the weather, and bring a flashlight if you plan to stay until dark.
New Video explains Solar Heating, Cooking and Refrigeration Without Battery Storage More and more, activists and observers are raising concerns about climate mitigation strategies predicated upon utility scale lithium battery storage. Lithium mines, and other extraction projects related to battery production, are already creating devastating human rights and environmental impacts around the world. At LEF, non-electric storage is a critical part of our microgrid. For years we’ve been teaching people that batteries are the most expensive and resource-intensive way to store energy. There are much cheaper, lower impact, and more effective ways to store renewable energy, which include thermal mass, insulation, pressurized water, and biogas. Sam Butler is an organizer and media-maker from the DC area who has been helping us adapt our message to the broader climate movement. He produced this video, which is being released today. It’s about using non-electric storage for heating, cooking, refrigeration, and other loads. It includes footage from the DC Microgrids at LEF and Magnolia Collective. Check it out! Please share it with yournetworks, and watch it through till the end. Watching the video till the end will help it trend on YouTube, which means the video will reach more people.
Feel free to get in touch if you’d be interested in getting involved with media projects or using these appliances/systems. You can contact us at info@livingenergylights, or contact Sam at homes@sambutler.us and (202) 738-1041 for both LEF and media related work.
The Easy Reaper at the World Food Prize Conference in Iowa As we go to press, the Easy Reaper is on display at the Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines Iowa, an event organized by the World Food Prize. This gathering includes heads of state, CEO’s, academics, and other leaders in agriculture, international development, and resource management. The University of Missouri’s Soybean Innovation Lab is sponsoring our presence at the conference, which aims to “integrate past wisdom, current innovations and the pressing needs of tomorrow, by leveraging agricultural technology to address contemporary challenges.” It’s a perfect venue for making connections with organizations and government programs that have the resources needed to get the Easy Reaper produced at scale.
Alexis and Kerry Clarke from the Soybean Innovation Lab with the Easy Reaper at the Borlaug Dialog.
Comings and Goings at LEF We’re excited to have a family- Chrissy, Jenny and Harvey- joining us as new members of Living Energy Farm. They’re from east Texas, where Chrissy has been homesteading off-the-grid on her family’s land. After visiting us last summer, she decided that community was a better fit for her family than homesteading on their own. We’re grateful for the new infusion of energy, enthusiasm, and dinosaur knowledge that they bring to LEF.
Jenny, Chrissy and Harvey. Nika is SO excited to have kids to play with!
We’re a little sad but also excited that John Milner, who has lived with us for three years, is transitioning to the Bay Branch. The Bay Branch is a forming community in Louisa, co-founded by Carrie (Debbie’s sister and ex-LEFer). Their goal is to be off-the-grid with a DC Microgrid, and with John as a co-founder, it’s probably going to happen! We’re looking forward to helping this exciting new project come to fruition in the coming years. Thankfully, John is going to stay involved with Living Energy Lights by continuing to help us with technology development, educational programs, and installations in the Caribbean.
Distributing DC Lighting and Charging Kits in North Carolina Thanks so much to everyone who donated to our crowdfunder supporting the distribution of DC lighting and charging kits to victims of hurricane Helene. Veronica, who delivered the kits, sent back the following report: I first visited Lucy (friend of LEF who is a solar installer) at Celo, who took 20 kits to distribute. Holding you in my heart as you and Celo work to recover. After, I went up the mountain to my dear friend Jim’s place— he is the founder of Southern Seed Legacy, and lost his barn/seed storage, and I worked the day with him to save what seeds we could- seeds that he’s worked with Cherokee and other mountain folk to collect over the last 40 years, some of which now only exist with Jim. On my out of Burnsville, some leftover debris from road work gave me a flat tire, and I stopped at Fox Country Store, where I met a rescue volunteer–Russ, who is friends with Mel in Celo; Russ’s family is in Buladean (which is particularly hard hit) and he was headed there for emergency relief and was able to take 5 kits for that community.
Lucy receiving our kits at Celo Community.
The next day I headed to a mutual aid hub in Haywood County, near a site of particular devastation near Clyde. The Pigeon Community Center, which is in normal times a Black-led youth center, is a central operating facility that’s getting aid to the very remote and impassable hollers of the area. Chelsea, who is from this area and a social worker and social justice organizer, had reached out to me asking for any ideas or support for the rural folks out this way. I was able to drop 9 kits directly with her. Finally, I took supplies and hot meals from the center out to remote areas that were particularly hit. There was a community of mostly Latinx folks in a trailer park by the river that were being supported by the Clyde Christian Fellowship– their homes were entirely destroyed (some broken apart and still hanging in trees). They were living in tents on the land near where their homes had been. They were in tears with the hope of lights, and conveyed that even in normal times power is not consistent here. They took the remaining 8 kits for the 15 families there, and Chelsea will be following up with them to check in on the kits and their ongoing need/use.
Flood damage at one of the houses that received our kits
Thanks Veronica and everyone else who supported this project. Lucy will be returning to LEF in one week to help with a production run of Roxy Ovens, with the goal to bring cookers and other solar equipment back with her to Western NC. We’re excited to see how our technology can continue to help communities in the mountains who clearly need better options for energy security.
Living Energy Farm is a project to build a demonstration farm, community, and education center in Louisa County that uses no fossil fuels. For more information see our website http://www.livingenergyfarm.org, or contact us at livingenergyfarm@gmail.com or Living Energy Farm, 1022 Bibb Store Rd, Louisa VA, 23093. Donations to the Living Energy Farm Institute are tax deductible. To make tax deductible donations, do not go to the Virginia Organizing website, go here instead: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1388125 Make sure to designate your donation for Living Energy Institute.
This was a week on Facebook, toward the end of September, where we did very well over all, and posted (and reposted) a lot of interesting stuff, although I think one of the most interesting things didn’t do very well at all.
East Wind posted pictures of a member who really likes trees.
This post did okay, with four likes, a love, and a hundred and five views.
Twin Oaks had a guest that decided to make a video of his canoe ride down the river that flows through the community.
I guess some folks did want to go since this post got five likes, three loves, a comment, and a hundred and forty-three views.
Ericka is an activist who I admire very much and really cares about people. I posted this from the Serenity Solidarity website.
I was very touched by this but apparently not very many people were. This post did the worst of the week, with one ‘care’ and only fifty-four views.
East Wind, like a lot of rural communities, raises animals. Here they are showing off their little piggies.
Lots of other folks must have thought they were cute as well because this post got four likes, four loves, a comment, and a hundred and thirty-four views.
Finally, I’ve learned that if I want to pull in viewers, there’s nothing like a good, perhaps controversial question. Here’s what I asked this time.
And, yes, folks had thoughts. Here’s the comments we got.
And, yes, it certainly brought in folks. It got fifteen likes, one love, seven comments (above), and two hundred and twenty-three views. As I said, a good question.
commune life 