Spring 2011

Many blessings...Many changes

Hola compas! Last year's season was a wild, wonderful ride with so many wild, wonderful folks...I am so grateful and feel very honored to know each and every person who found their way here...We all synchronized an incredible variety of talents, experience, perceptions, earnest effort, laughter and and determination...Our shared labors coaxed Huerta de Vida to a new level of potential...New "goodies" here include: Electricity (think music, computer, movies) oh yes, and a light bulb!...A voluptuous outdoor wood-efficient oven (her name is Sophia)...Nearly completed wood-heated and fuel-efficient seating area inside cabin...Harvest/coppice of tall trees for lumber...BUNKBEDS and SHELVES for storage (yeah!)...My very cool cat, Humo...A plastic tunnel greenhouse in the field...Collaboration with neighbor friends to conduct very successful rocket stove construction workshop...The emergence of more local allies, permaculturalists, visionaries, cosmic messengers, wise folks...I feel certain that we have been blessed to do this beautiful, necessary and creative work here with folks who have tuned into quantum life.

Vida has moved on to follow her guiding stars. This beautiful place and the opportunity for so many to learn by doing are the reflection of her vision and hard work. She is a powerful teacher and has my heartfelt gratitude and respect.

This winter has been filled with lots of visitors, new friends and old souls...My winter dreams to be realized this coming year include: Initiation of a small CSA (community-suppported agriculture); Increased collaboration and inclusion of folks ready to "make the change", including emphasis on an apprentice-type of volunteer experience and increased effort to recruit Argentian volunteers...Construction of the outdoor common area which will be utilized as a classroom/kitchen/meeting area...Incorporation of more animal allies, ie, a flock of laying chickens and ducks; Bee hives; A mama sheep and her 1 or 2 lambs; A bunny stud to get things moving in the bunny department. Also, reflection pond outsided the large house to reflect light and heat into the interior greenhouse, attract frogs, toads, garden snakes and allow cultivation of water plants...And very importantly, completion of the house!!!

Despite being black-listed by WWOOF there are good folks getting ready to show up and help get things rolling. Many of you may have already seen this year's recruitment shout-out. If not, here it is along with a little therapeutic reflection re WWOOF:

Huerta de Vida Optimal Scenario 2011 Season
***en castellano abajo***

Hola gente! I’m looking for 5 spirited core people from mid-September 2011 until mid-February 2012 who are ready coalesce into a lively production group. If these dates don’t work for you but your desire to be here is strong, let me know and we’ll figure it out. We will each assume co-stewardship of a key aspect of the project, ie,
animals/compost/worms; garden/greenhouse tunnel; irrigation/water management/mud making; harvest/drying/canning/seed saving; and building (experience necessary for this one). I will teach/coach group to assure a satisfying experience for all, manage resources, and coordinate and guide project progress. If you desire to ace more than one focus, we will rotate at the right moment. Group info base will morph via group meetings, sharing our own knowledge and experience, local permaculture folks, dvd’s, reference books and internet. The garden and the stars above will teach us the rest.
Laughter, curiosity, imagination and dedication are essential. I love to be amongst folks who are passionate about conscious, sustainable living and joyful stewardship of a small bit of land. I am happy to put you in touch with folks who have already been here.
Experience does matter but attitude and desire are supreme! Maturity, flexibility, an outrageous sense of humor and physical and psychological strength will all come in handy. Spanish language capability desirable, but not required . Big learning, big growth guaranteed. If you’re feeling it, make it happen. Margot

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Huerta de Vida: Escenario Optimo Temporada 2011

Hola gente! Busco 5 personas animadas desde el medio de septiembre 2011 hasta el medio de febrero con ganas formar un grupo dinámico y productivo. Si estas fechas no son posibles pero tu deseo es fuerte, avíseme y podemos hablar. Cada persona va a ser guardián de cierto aspecto clave del proyecto, pro ejemplo: animales/compostaje/lombrices; huerta y invernadero; irrigación/manejo del agua/hacer barro; cosecha/preservación de comida en frasco y seco/salvar semillas; construcción (se necesita experiencia por esto).
Yo enseño y aconsejo al grupo para asegurar una experiencia exitosa para todos. Además, manejo los recursos, coordinar y guiar el progreso del proyecto. Si desean aprender más que un aspecto podemos rotar. Vamos aprendiendo todos por reuniones grupales, compartiendo nuestra propia conocimiento y experiencia, gente local de permacultura, dvd’s, libros de referencia y el internet. La huerta y las estrellas nos va a enseñar el resto…Risa, curiosidad, imaginación y dedicación son requeridos. Me encanta estar entre compañeros apasionados de la vida conciente y sostenible en hacerse guardián de un terrenito. Si quiera, le puede poner en contacto con voluntarios recienes. La experiencia importa pero mas vale el actitud y el deseo. Madurez, flexibilidad, sentido de humor fuerte, alguna fortaleza física y psicológica son importantes también. Hablar un poco ingles estaría bien, pero no es requisito. Si te anima, hazlo.
Margot
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BITE ME WWOOF

Fact: The WWOOF organization could not exist without small farmers. WWOOF charges for their list of small farm contact information. Fair enough. The charge applied is per individual, that is, each person of a couple and for each child. In many cases you have to pay for information for individual countries. These individual fees are good for 1 year. Do the math yourself… That’s a pretty chunky bank account, folks.

HdeV got the WWOOF boot for asking volunteers in an straightforward fashion for a weekly food contribution, equivalent to the cost of say 1.5 meals at a restaurant in any Argentinean town.
This cash moves through my pocket into local economy…no $ parked in my bank account. Folks who have come to HdeV give us great reviews consistently, eat well, laugh hard, stay healthy and learn a lot. We have also taken in plenty of folks who were having an unpleasant time at other WWOOF-listed farms. Latin American folks without $ are received here at no cost or for barter.

Prior to Huerta de Vida being booted from the WWOOF list I had noticed the long numerical code WWOOF volunteers were using to communicate with me. Kinda creepy. Seems like this price code-like number is how WWOOF keeps track of who has paid for their info and who hasn’t. Definitely creepy. WWOOF pockets a ton o’ cash and unilaterally decides whether I can ask you for a pretty reasonable food contribution. When I communicated with WWOOF Argentina about being blacklisted I received a patronizing message offering to help me figure out a better way to run my project.

Ok, so now I’m pissed. This smells familiar! Isn’t this the same sick Monsanto model that disempowers people and f*cks up the planet? freakin’ robotic bureaucraps…I trust you to make your own decision…I have cordially invited WWOOF Argentina to visit us here at HdeV any time they’re ready to join folks doing real work. I think it would be a lot of fun…even offered to throw in a pair of used but still comfy work gloves. No reply yet. I bet esos cabrones are buffing their Blackberries…

Please recommend helpX.com. volunteerlatinamerica.com, and/or growfood.org to your friends and let me know of other such user-friendly websites or just post huertadevida.blogspot.com anywhere your wild heart desires. I need a good crop of good folks this next season, bring ‘em on…