Welcome to the longest day of the year. Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, the light has reached its zenith before beginning the timeless turn towards balance and the long nights of winter.
It is a day to celebrate the Light, and its source for us on Earth: the Sun.
And what better way than to spend some time in our newly constructed Greenhouse. As I sat surrounded by plants in the quiet morning warmth, raindrops resting on the translucent roof and walls, I thought about light not only as the source of vision and heat, but of food.
All around me plants absorbed photons from the sun and transformed them into roots and leaves and blossoms, and tomatoes, limes, and onion bulbs. All this abundance, all this deliciousness, sourced from water and soil and powered by the sun.
I know the science. But it’s still a miracle to me. To live right and here and now, staring at a tomato taking form, knowing that infinite interactions of frequencies in countless variations conspired for this moment to be. It’s sacred, isn’t it? It’s something worthy of reverence. The tomato alone is reason enough to abandon all wars.
And today I am also reminded that those infinite interactions also result in war. What do we do in a world like this?
I think we build greenhouses. Together.
Through a certain lens, this sounds like privilege. Having the land, the resources, the community, to bring this to be may feel like a miracle all its own in times like these.
But at some scale, it’s available to almost all of us: connecting with nature, with each other, with the seasons, with the soil and sun that power our lives. Honoring the solstice and the Wheel of the Year.
That connection nurtures relationship, which nurtures reverence. When we see our place in the grand ecosystem, in the family of being, war not only becomes unnecessary, it becomes impossible.
So, we are grateful to every person who brought this Greenhouse into being, through labor, wisdom, and through the gift of funds and of plants. It stands as symbol of relationship – to each other and to the Earth – and it IS those relationships too.
As Trystin and I consider how to help each plant thrive, how much water and light each one needs, and which plants will help us thrive by providing food and medicine, we enter into relationship not only with the plants themselves, but with the circle of sustenance, of interbeing.
The Greenhouse was our first project under this new vision of growing community and ecological abundance on these 6 acres because it represents that vision so well. But every project going forward will support that vision.
If you are already supporting these 6 acres, thank you. If you would like to join in, here are some suggestions:
1) Become a member here on our primary platform, or original platform, to receive all updates and financially support the greenhouse and future projects.
2) Provide one-time support for the Greenhouse by “buying us trees.”
3) Let us know how you would like to support these 6 acres in other ways – though labor, expertise, supplies, etc.
4) Share this project with friends and family who believe in the vision; following these 6 acres on Instagram and BlueSky is a good place to start.
The Greenhouse is our current focus, but additional projects will be announced soon. And so much has already been done:
- Thousands of pounds of invasive species removed
- Nearly 200 native and beneficial trees and shrubs planted
- A core trail network established
- The stream rejuvenated
- A substantial amount of litter and rubbish removed from the forest
- The Circle of Cedars and other special areas established
- And more
And after nearly 5 years on these 6 acres, we can feel the difference. Native plants are rebounding and the birds are thriving. Even with an increase in high-stress weather events, that land seems healthier than ever.
Each season we create more space and opportunity for our community to not only support, but enjoy and learn from, these 6 acres. I can hardly wait to see what the future holds, and how our community and the abundance of these acres grows.
Thank you, and please enjoy this gallery from the new Greenhouse. It is already such a special and restorative place; we are excited to begin sharing its abundance with you.
🌲Zach & Trystin