What’s Happening: April 2013

Spring

Onions, carrots, lettuces, collards, cabbages, broccoli, and potatoes were planted out during the first week of April.  Each year, we do our best to grow more of our own food and reduce our reliance on store bought goods. Last year, we successfully grew, harvested, and stored enough potatoes to last our entire community for about four months (potatoes are a major staple food at East Wind).  We’ve planted even more this year, and hope to supply community with homegrown potatoes for over six months.

Parsley, dill, oregano, fennel, elecampane, calendula, valerian, marjoram, spilanthes, marsh mallow, hollyhock, hyssop, and hibiscus, among others, were transplanted from our greenhouse into our herb gardens this month.  Chamomile, cilantro, and oatstraw were direct seeded and have begun to sprout and grow. Comfrey, lemon balm, valerian, feverfew, rose, and marsh mallow, among others, have broken dormancy and sprouted fresh green growth.  The season’s first harvests of yarrow, violet, chickweed, cleavers, tarragon, and thyme have already been brought in and dried.  Our new Mulberry Garden has expanded in all directions, and this promises to be its best year yet.

Peach trees were among the first to flower and have been pruned.  Apple trees flowered later this April.  In the woods, carolina buckthorn, elms, and ashes were among the first trees to leaf out, and by the end of April few trees remained bare.  Dogwoods bloomed during the last week of April, dotting the understory with enchanting white blossoms. The forest is green and vibrant and unabashedly full of life.  The rains have been frequent and plentiful.  Many days have been warm and sunny, though the nights are still often cold and wet.  A few late frosts have done some damage to our spring crops and fruit trees, and another cold snap is expected during the first week of May.  Because of this, we will be holding off on planting some of our warm season crops like tomatoes and cucumbers until later this May.  Even so, spring is undeniably here at last.

Largest Black Gum Tree in Missouri

The largest registered blackgum tree in the state of Missouri lives at East Wind.  The tree was nominated recently, after the previous state champion of 30 years fell to strong winds in August 2012.  The Missouri Department of Conservation came out and took measurements of the tree, and have verified that it is the largest known blackgum in the state.  The tree stands 92 ft tall and has a circumference of 129 inches and a crown spread of 46 ft.  East Wind is home to a number of very large and beautiful sycamores, oaks, elms, cedars, and pines.  The champion blackgum resides on our New Land, a 700 acre wooded plot set aside by East Wind as a wildlife reserve and nature sanctuary.  We practice sustainable forestry on the land as well.

FEC Conference

Delegates from the five communities that make up the Federation of Egalitarian Communities met at East Wind this April to hold an annual conference.  Delegates from Twin Oaks, Acorn, Sandhill, The Midden (a community-in-dialogue), and Emma GoldmanFinishing School participated in the week-long conference.  East Wind welcomed the delegates from our sister communities, and many individuals were happy to make new friends and hear about life in other communities.  Many of us who live communally believe that a strong network of communities is fundamental, and are happy to have the chance to strengthen our relationships with like-minded individuals and groups of people. A strong network of communities presenting viable alternatives to the mainstream culture can help to change people’s lives and make the world a better place.

LEXers from Twin Oaks and Acorn

Ten individuals from Twin Oaks and Acorn spent a week at East Wind in late April.  Communities in the Federation of Egalitarian Communities participate in a labor exchange program that allows members of each community to spend time working at other FEC communities.  East Winders were happy to host guests from our sister communities, and many of us were glad to spend time with old friends and to make new friends.  LEXers were ready and willing to help out around community, and their hard work in our garden and our businesses, among other things, is much appreciated.  The LEXers were a lovely bunch of folks, and we hope that they enjoyed being here as much as we enjoyed having them here.

Although there is occasionally a sense of sibling rivalry between the communities, we love our sister communities and appreciate the relationship we have with them and the fact that they exist.  Folks from other communities are always welcome to come spend some time at ours (just let us know that you’re coming first).  Thank you to everyone who lives communally with the intention of creating a better way of life!

Natural Building

The land we call home offers abundant resources to East Winders willing to use their resourcefulness and ingenuity.  Materials for our current natural building project (a stone/cob table and benches in our new gazebo in our new garden space, the Mulberry Garden) are being sustainably harvested from our own land.  Clay, stone, sand, and straw are the essential ingredients for our table and benches, and are all readily available in abundance.  Our gazebo roof has been completed, along with a beautiful stone floor and steps.  The gazebo will soon be surrounded by a lovely nervine herb garden (herbs for the mind, such as valerian, chamomile, holy basil, rose, lemongrass, borage, lemon balm, hops, passionflower, etc).  As soon as the danger of a frost has passed, we will begin mixing cob and constructing the table.  There has been a lot of interest in helping out with this project in community, and we hope that this will inspire future natural building projects.

Waiting List Continues to Grow

The waiting list continues to grow with no end in sight.  Some potential members have now been waiting for over six months for rooms to open up.  Even so, six more individuals are scheduled to participate in the May visitor period.  Individuals on the waiting list are welcome to camp out during the warmer months, but will be asked to leave during the winter until more space opens up.  We’ve heard that many of our sister communities are experiencing similar situations.  Hopefully this demand for communal living will inspire the creation of more intentional communities and other alternative ways of life.  There are many forming communities looking for members, as well.  You can find out more information about established and forming intentional communities at ic.org.

What's Happening: March 2013

Spring Equinox

East Winders gladly greeted the spring on March 20^th this year.  We celebrated the equinox with homemade beer, wine, root beer, snacks, and fun.  East Winders appreciated the beauty of the coming spring and the anticipation of the warm sunny days ahead.  At dusk, many of us gathered to watch a “dragon log”, which was undoubtedly a spectacle to behold.

Forsythias, flowering quince, cherry, and peach trees have all put on a beautiful display of flowers this month.  On the ground, toothwort, trout lily, dandelion, chickweed, cress, henbit, dead nettle, and sweet violet are beginning to flower.  Elderberries and dogwoods have begun to bud and leaf out, though most hardwoods will continue to remain dormant for just a little while longer.  This winter’s spinach and kale are still producing in our gardens, while spring wild edibles appear in abundance along trails and throughout the woods.  Some favorite wild salad greens this time of year include toothwort, trout lily, chickweed, chives, violet, cress, dandelion, chicory, and yarrow.

Population Capacity

East Wind is still at population capacity, with 73 members currently residing in the community.  There are still 6 individuals on the waiting list for available rooms (some are currently staying in the visitors’ quarters while others are waiting for space to open to return).  There will be another visitor period this April, but any visitors wishing to stay after three weeks will be asked to camp.  Turnover has been low this year, and some individuals have been on the waiting list for rooms for over six months and are still waiting.  Due to the prioritized acceptance of women (to balance our gender ratio), men especially are undergoing long waits for space.

Though we may have a waiting list into the forseeable future, interested individuals are still welcome to visit and apply for membership.  Individuals on the waiting list will be allowed to camp in community during the warmer months, but will be asked to leave until a room opens up during the winter.  People on the waiting list do not receive all the benefits of membership, but are welcome to live and work with us while they wait.  Just remember: good things come to those who wait.

Our growing waiting list suggests that more and more people are becoming interested in communal living.  People are becoming more disillusioned with the mainstream consumer culture, and are seeking alternatives and better ways of living in harmony with our planet.  We hope that this awakening will inspire momentum in the communities movement, and that more communities will arise and flourish.  You can learn more about intentional communities at ic.org and thefec.org. 

Garden Season

Garden season is upon us, with onions, garlic, potatoes, and lettuce already enjoying the spring sun and rain.  Healthy young leeks, tomatoes, peppers, greens, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and some lettuces are still cozy and warm in our greenhouse, getting bigger every day.  Chamomile has already been seeded in our herb garden, while other medicinal and culinary herbs like elecampane, dill, fennel, oregano, parsley, marsh mallow, holly hock, passionflower, hibiscus, echinacea, valerian, and rosemary gain strength in our greenhouse.  In our gardens, herbs like peppermint, spearmint, comfrey, tarragon, feverfew, rose, lemon balm, and yarrow have begun to sprout fresh green growth.

Our garden space has continued to grow steadily for the past three years, and this year it is looking bigger and better than ever.  Perennial plants like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and rhubarb have recently become established, while newly planted trees like chestnuts, persimmons, cherries, and figs are still small.  What was a cow pasture just three years ago is now a thriving vegetable, berry, and herb garden and orchard.  Established perennial herbs in our new Mulberry Garden include lemon balm, peppermint, spearmint, yarrow, oregano, thyme, sage, catnip, tarragon, echinacea, marsh mallow, chives, elecampane, pennyroyal, comfrey, and more.  This year’s garden promises to be even better than the last.

East Wind Nutbutters Free of GMOs

East Wind nutbutters, including peanut, cashew, almond, and tahini are officially non-GMO.  East Winders believe in healthy quality food for ourselves and our customers, and are proud to announce that all of our nutbutter products are non-GMO.  We recently obtained this information from our suppliers, and plan to seek non-GMO certification and to declare this important information on our labels.  Whole Foods, a major distributor of East Wind Nutbutter, has now made it mandatory for its food suppliers to properly label GMOs.  We hope that this will set an example for other food retailers, and encourage the public to demand the production of more non-GMO foods and require proper labeling of GMOs.  Though this is only one small step in the right direction, it is hopefully an indicator of the public’s increasing awareness regarding this issue.

PEACH TOAST

Representatives from our fellow FEC communities including Twin Oaks, Acorn, Sandhill, Dancing Rabbit (non-FEC), and Emma Goldman Finishing School met at East Wind in early March.  PEACH is a non-profit organization set up by the Federation of Egalitarian Communities and maintained by the communities themselves.  Each community pays into the fund (fees are determined by the number of members and are paid quarterly), and in return is entitled to financial assistance if a member’s medical costs amount to over $5,000 in a given year.  The communities themselves are responsible for other medical costs; the PEACH fund is intended for catastrophic events that could cause serious hardship to a community.

PEACH representatives met to discuss issues face-to-face, and spent long days coming up with solutions that we could all agree on.  Some issues discussed at this year’s TOAST include the coverage of chronic illnesses, standards for exotic or alternative treatments, the participation of non-FEC communities in PEACH (including Dancing Rabbit), and increasing the $5,000 deductible to reflect inflation, among other issues.  The representatives were eventually able to find agreeable solutions for most of the issues discussed.

Emergency Medical Care Preparedness

This month, a small group of East Winders learned and practiced skills that could come in handy in the event of traumatic injuries.  East Winders discussed what to do in case of potential spinal injuries, amputations, dislocations, impaled objects, dental first aid, frostbite, sprained ankles, and broken bones.  We practiced making splints on each other and demonstrated how to clear the spine in the event of a positive mechanism of injury.  In April, we will offer a special first aid course tailored to the treatment of children and babies.  Parents and East Winders who watch the children are especially encouraged to attend this workshop, and will learn about choking, poisoning, shock, anaphylaxis, child CPR, and more.

What’s Happening: February 2013

Natural Building in the Mulberry Garden

Some East Winders are hoping to inspire others to try their hands at natural building by starting a few projects of our own this spring, including a cob table, benches, and maybe a birdbath in our beautiful Mulberry Garden.  This February, we built a gazebo made of cedar poles harvested from our woods, using a combination of timber framing and conventional building techniques.  The gazebo will provide shade and shelter for a stone and cob table, made completely with material from our own land (including clay, sand, straw, stone, and water). 

We’ve been saving broken ceramic and glass from our kitchen for over a year now, which we will use to make a beautiful mosaic celestial table top and four benches themed for the four seasons.  The gazebo will be complete this March, and we intend to start building with cob after danger of the last frost has passed at the end of April. This new outdoor communal spot will bring shade and leisure to our hard-working gardeners this summer, and will overlook our orchards, herb garden, vegetable gardens, berry vines and bushes, ranch and dairy pastures, and the wooded hills beyond.  We hope this will inspire future natural building projects at East Wind and elsewhere.

Mild Winter

It’s been another mild winter in the Ozarks.  Though we’ve seen snow a few times and an ice storm recently, most days have been sunny and warm.  Daffodils, flowering quince, lily in the valley, and asters have already begun to bloom, and we expect another early spring this year.

Starts in the Greenhouse

We’ve begun this year’s garden in our greenhouse this February.  Our greenhouse is warm and full of life already, with onion sprouts galore.  We’ve also started many herbs in the greenhouse this February, including echinacea, calendula, hollyhock, marsh mallow, dill, fennel, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, horehound, and more.

Emergency Medical Care Workshops

This February, we conducted another two emergency medical care workshops.  The first workshop this month included information on symptoms and treatment for a wide range of life-threatening emergencies including choking, diabetic emergencies, anaphylaxis, seizures, asthma attacks, heat stroke, appendicitis, etc.  The second workshop this month focused on wilderness first aid, including snakebite, spider bite, animal attacks, poisonous plants and mushrooms, lightning, burns and cuts, and herbs for first aid.  The next workshop will focus on traumatic injuries.

Baby Goats

It’s that time of year again, and all of our dairy goats have successfully given birth to adorable baby goats.  There are now six baby girl and six baby boy goats running around in our goat barn, growing bigger and stronger every day.  Our dairy program has come a long way in the last few years, and it continues to grow still.

Validation Day

East Winders celebrated Validation Day on February 14^th, a tradition we share with some of our fellow FEC communities.  East Winders took the time to validate each other by decorating and writing messages in cards for each and every member of community.  Members gave each other the warm fuzzies by writing and sharing what they like and appreciate about their fellow communitarians.  We celebrated with a party and open mic, where music and fun was enjoyed by all.  Many East Winders partied and enjoyed each other’s company late into the night.

Budget Cuts

The economic climate combined with a poor crop of organic peanuts last year due to droughts has taken its toll on our nutbutter business.  As a result of decreased profits in our business, we have had to make cuts to many of our domestic budgets at our half-year financial review.  Budgets we are considering trimming include our medical expenses, recreational expenses, discretionary funds, and civic support, among other budgets.

What’s Happening: January 2013

Health in Community

Many East Winders (about half of us) spent some time this January sick in bed with the flu virus.  Natural and conventional medicine and treatments were readily available, and most East Winders recovered quickly.  Echinacea, elderberry, elecampane, eucalyptus, ginger, peppermint, lemongrass, and licorice root are some herbal favorites for their immunostimulant, antiviral, decongestant, and demulcent properties.  East Winders suffered symptoms such as fatigue, muscle soreness, congestion, sore throat, fever, and stomach upset before overcoming this highly contagious virus.

Community is still struggling to rid ourselves of scabies, microscopic parasites that first arrived at East Wind over six months ago.  Approximately ten East Winders have been afflicted, and most have overcome these parasites with diligent treatment and hygiene.  Most have opted for prescription permethrin treatment, and some have treated themselves naturally with sulfur, neem, tea tree, rosemary, turmeric, etc.  We hope to rid ourselves of these pests in the near future.

East Winders have been conducting another series of medical trainings this winter.  The emergency medical care workshops are between one and two hours long and take place after brunch on Sundays.  The first workshop included information on what to do in emergency situations, when to call 911, symptoms and treatment for heart attack, shock, stroke, and sudden cardiac arrest, how to perform CPR, and how to use an AED.  Over a dozen people attended the first workshop, and are hopefully now more prepared to provide confident and competent care in case of an emergency.

New Year’s Eve & Time Capsule

East Winders greeted the New Year in style with a classy dance party extravaganza in our HMX shop.  We also sealed an East Wind time capsule that we be enclosed in one of the concrete pillars underneath RB, our central building.  The time capsule includes photos, a notebook with messages to the future, and other memorabilia from our time.  It will be sealed indefinitely… until someone decides to open it.

Waiting List Still in Effect

There is still a waiting list in effect for space at East Wind.  There are over seventy people living in community right now, and all rooms and personal shelters are currently occupied.  Five individuals who visited in the fall are still on the waiting list for rooms at East Wind.  Space may open up this spring and summer, but we may continue to have a waiting list well into the foreseeable future.

Fig Cuttings

Three years ago, East Wind received a fig sapling as a gift from Short Mountain Sanctuary after their annual Beltane celebration.  That tree has now reached about eight feet in height and has provided us with plump, delicious figs for the last two summers.  This fall we took cuttings from this fig tree, and some of them have sprouted roots and will be the start of our new fig orchard this spring.

What’s Happening: December 2012

Winter Solstice & Artmas

East Winders celebrated the winter solstice together on December 21^st.  Twenty-five people participated in this year’s artmas exchange, an East Wind tradition celebrated by exchanging unique homemade gifts. Though the shortest day of the year was fun, most of us look forward to the days growing longer.  The winter has been mild so far, but the cold air and grey landscape leave many of us yearning for spring.

New Sawmill

We recently purchased a new sawmill from Peterson Portable Sawmills to replace our antiquated old sawmill.  A site on our New Land was selected and prepared this fall, and our new sawmill now sits securely under a shiny new tin roof.  We milled up our first logs on the new sawmill this month, producing oak boards to side the new sawmill building.  The new sawmill is more fuel efficient, and can be easily run by a two person crew.  We intend to produce lots of quality lumber to be used for building projects throughout community.