What’s Happening: May 2012

Land Day

East Winders celebrated May and the 38^th anniversary of purchasing our land on the 1^st of this month.  Our Land Day celebration was complete with a maypole, bonfire, mud pit, drumming, and musical talent on our stage and around the fire.  Nature smiled on us by giving us a beautiful sunny day for our celebration, and a good time was had by all.

Garden

Tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and melons are soaking up the sun in our new Mulberry Garden.  Thousands of mulberries ripened on the mulberry tree in the center of our garden, and the first delicious blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries were harvested.  In our upper garden, strawberries were harvested daily during the first few weeks of the month.  Fresh broccoli, snap peas and snow peas, and greens and garden salads were greatly enjoyed in the kitchen, and the first of the summer garlic harvest is beautifully braided and proudly hung in the dining hall.  Caldendula, echinacea, chamomile, bee balm, hyssop, and milk thistles bloomed in our herb gardens, while the enchanting pink flowers of the mimosa trees continue to bloom into June.

  
Elections

May is the time for East Wind’s annual managerial elections.  Members of East Wind are able to run for year-long terms in positions such as Garden Manager, Ranch Manager, Membership Manager, Kitchen Manager, Recreation Manager, Food Processing Manager, etc.  The term ‘manager’ is used very differently at East Wind than in most places.  At East Wind, managers do not have the authority to hire or fire or give commands.  Managers are just East Winders who volunteer to see that a job gets done, and are given access to a budget agreed upon by the community as a whole.  Managers aren’t bosses here; they’re coworkers.  Some managerships are very big jobs and can become overwhelming, and managers often need a lot of help and teamwork to accomplish their goals. There was a lot of community participation this year with over forty members voting in the elections, and new managers take on their positions on the 1^st of June.

What’s Happening: April 2012

First Aid Training

This spring we began offering first aid training for East Winders interested in learning these important skills.  This month East Winders learned CPR, how to move injured or unconscious persons, choking care, as well as how to  react in various medical emergencies such as heart attack, stroke, shock, anaphylaxis, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hypothermia, frostbite, poisoning, and diabetic emergencies.  We plan to continue these workshops and to include wilderness first aid, drowning care, and giving sutures, among other relevant topics. East Wind is located in a very rural setting (an ambulance can take thirty minutes or more to reach our community), so knowing how to properly respond to an emergency situation is of the utmost importance.  By learning this knowledge, we are more able to help ourselves, our loved ones, and anyone in need.

Garden

Garden is in full swing, with the last of the warm season crops being planted out over the next few weeks.  An abundance of delicious ripe strawberries are coming in everyday now, and greens and wheatgrass are readily available.  Blueberries and chokecherries are nearly ripe, while peaches and apples continue to grow larger still.  Our herb gardens are lovely as ever, with chamomile, echinacea, calendula, comfrey, and sage in flower.  We have just begun a small new culinary garden directly next to our main kitchen, which will offer cooks fresh basil, dill, peppermint, spearmint, fennel, cilantro, tarragon, sage, rosemary, marjoram, lemon balm, lemon grass, oregano, thyme, nasturtiums, and chinese chives, among others.

Ranch & Dairy

Baby animals are abound this month.  Our ranch and dairy programs are now caring for adorable baby goats, pigs, cows, ducks, and chickens.  Our dairy program has begun milking our first dairy cow, Marmalade.  Raw goat and cow milk are now readily available to community, fresh from the farm.  Our dairy barn is finally nearing completion, with East Winders finishing up on electrical and plumbing in the near future.  A new duck hutch located in our Mulberry Garden has been built, made completely from wood sustainably harvested on our land and milled on our sawmill. The ducks will be raised in the garden and used for pest control, eggs, and meat.  A new coop-on-wheels is also being built for our egg-laying chickens.

What’s Happening: March 2012

Spring!

It’s spring in the Ozarks, and all of us are loving it.  The days have been sunny and warm (warm enough to jump in the creek for many of us), and winter is far behind us. The Ozarks are vibrant and alive with plant and animal life.  Chickweed, toothwort, trout lily, plantain, wood sorrel, dandelion, cress, wild grape, and violet are just a few favorite wild edibles popping up in abundance this time of year.  Many trees and smaller plants have already begun to flower, with our many dogwoods and red buds putting on a brilliant show of spring color.

Garden

Our gardens are looking better every year, and this year’s gardens are definitely a sight to behold.  Our garden beds are planted with garlic, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, rhubarb, cucumbers, strawberries, greens, and more. Tomatoes, melons, peppers, and other warm season plants are still cozy and warm in our greenhouse.  Seedlings of healing herbs such as chamomile, calendula, milk thistle, lemon balm, valerian, and echinacea are being lovingly cared for in our gardens and greenhouse.

Goats

Nine baby goats were born in our goat barn this month.  The births were assisted by dedicated East Winders, and the new babies and playing and running around already.  Our dairy program is able to provide more and more milk, and we hope to stop purchasing milk in the near future.

What’s Happening: February 2012

An Early Spring

A very mild winter transitioned into a very early spring as daffodils bloomed all over East Wind starting in the second week of February.  Later this February, elms and elderberries began to leaf out as an abundance of wild dandelions, chickweed, toothwort, and trout lilies began to flower along path sides and out from beneath the dead leaves that still carpet the forest floor.  We are just beginning to see the first sunburns and barefeet of the year, along with the first wild-harvested greens in our salads. 

Our greenhouse is up and running, filled with warm earthy smells and trays upon trays of veggies and herbs.  In our herb gardens, peppermint, tarragon, and other perennials are beginning to arise under the soft spring light.  We will soon be planting our spring potatoes, carrots, and onions in our vegetable gardens. The first signs of the spring and the start of the garden season have many East Winders in high spirits.

The Schwag Play RB

Locally renowned Grateful Dead coverband, The Schwag, played a free show at East Wind this February.  The Schwag are good friends of East Wind, and their visits are always welcomed with enthusiasm.  Many East Winders have attended Schwagstock, a local music festival run by The Schwag, to enjoy the music and good times, to vend our sandals, nutbutters, and crafts, or to help The Schwag by working the gate, stage, trash, or other odd jobs.  The Schwag played a great set in RB, our main kitchen/dining/hang-out area, and welcomed a few of our own to play and sing with them.  Many East Winders gathered to enjoy the good music and good vibes.

Validation Day

On February14th, East Winders celebrated Validation Day by sharing songs and poetry at a coffeehouse held in RB.  During the weeks beforehand, East Winders had fun making and decorating cards for each member and then writing positive, validating notes to each other to fill the cards.  East Wind celebrates Validation Day annually, and the holiday gives East Winders an extra opportunity to share their warm fuzzy feelings with those who they share their home.

Communal Art

Some East Winders have been spending their evenings working on beautiful collective murals to decorate our common spaces. The artists have already completed two beautiful works of art and begun a third even larger mural. Many East Winders enjoy creating and admiring art, and these newest communal works have brought beauty to their creators and to our community as a whole.

What’s Happening: January 2012

Winter Festivities

East Winders celebrated the winter solstice on December 21^st, many of us enjoying the shortest day of the year but eagerly awaiting longer days and warmer weather.  Solstices and equinoxes never go without celebration at East Wind, as the change of the seasons profoundly affects our lives on this land. Over a dozen East Winders participated in this year’s Artmas celebration by exchanging homemade gifts, songs, and works of art. East Winders greeted the New Year with another party, this time with a homemade bonfire-heated hot tub.

Generosity Shown in Response to Showerhouse Fire

East Wind is extremely thankful for the generosity shown to us by our friends and local community this winter. During the first few days after our Showerhouse burned down in December, East Winders graciously offered their own clothes and personal items to those who had less, and our community ensured that no one went without. Within weeks, clothes and other thoughtful gifts from past East Winders, friends of East Wind, and our local community filled over a dozen large boxes and bags and were piled high on our couches, our foosball, air hockey, and pool tables, and the floors of our Hammocks shop.  A crew of dedicated East Winders have been working hard to organize and sort through our new Commie Clothes, and their efforts are greatly appreciated. East Winders are also very appreciative of all of the kindness demonstrated by our larger human family— thank you all!

What's New: December 2011

Showerhouse Fire

In the early morning hours on Friday, December 16, a fire broke out in our shower, laundry, and community clothes building. We are extremely happy and lucky to be able to report that no one was injured. One of our members, Yellow Sun, had been living in the building, recuperating from a serious fall while doing some forestry work. He was able to detect smoke and yell for help, and three of our own worked to get him out through the window of his room.

While the building isn't a total loss, the damage was severe. The northern side of the building, where we kept our clothes, medical supplies, towels, bedding, and sewing room, was destroyed. The southern side of the building, where our laundry and shower facilities are, is intact but currently unusable. We don't know at this point if the building is structurally sound, and if we will be able to rebuild using any of what remains.

Over the last few days we have been able to pull together to find enough clothes and bedding to get everyone by, and a team of East Winders have worked hard and fast to revamp our old showerhouse and make it usable again. We are not currently accepting any cash donations, but we are accepting donations of clothes, bedding, towels and medical supplies. We want to sincerely thank everyone for all the generous donations we have already received.

Solar Panels

Over the last few months we have been discussing and planning a project to reduce our ecological footprint and take a step towards sustainability by installing a solar array on the top of our nut butter facility. We completed installation the last week in November. The array will provide 35% of the electricity needed to run our industrial operations. Craig Wiles of Preferred Energy in Mountain Grove, Missouri has been an enormous help in the planning of the project and selection of components. Craig oversaw the installation of the array, which was done by community members. By doing the installation ourselves, East Wind saved close to $20,000 off the cost of the 22 panel system. 

Dairy Barn

Six months ago we began building the exterior of a brand new dairy barn. The decision to reintroduce a dairy operation to East Wind was made in the Fall of 2009, after the purchase and breeding of dairy cattle. The foundation was poured before the first frost of 2010. We were stalled by a spring of heavy rains and flooding, but with the receding waters came a surge of work. The exterior will be completed by the first of 2012. Plumbing and electrical will take another couple of months. We are expecting to have the facility operational by the spring of 2012. We are already able to provide goat milk and goat cheese, and within 5 years we hope to supply all our dairy needs.