For now, I’ve got a ton of photos. Enjoy!

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: adventure, alternative, art, desert, featured posts, graveyard, Madrid, New Mexico, outdoors, tourism

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Intern housing at The Farm

Way out in the Tennessee hills lies a 1750-acre establishment that has been quietly affecting change for almost four decades.

The Farm, an intentional community, was formed in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and a group of hippies who were tired of the status quo. Like so many other groups at the time, they chose a new path, dropping out of society and moving to a plot of land outside Summertown where they could start fresh. Like other groups, they were dedicated to peace and love and new age spirituality.

Unlike many other groups, The Farm survived.

39 years later, it’s not much of a farm. In fact, almost no farming goes on. It feels more like a small town with its own roads, store, school, town hall and university. The long-term population is around 150 people, with plenty of visitors who come and go. This is a huge drop from the peak population of 1500.

People used to drop their lives and come live on The Farm, but it doesn’t work that way anymore: now, they come for education and training, then take their knowledge back home.

One of The Farm’s biggest draws is its school of midwifery. Ina May Gaskin is the author of Spiritual Midwifery, a seminal book that reinvented childbirth practices in the 1980s. Ina May is now considered “the mother of authentic midwifery,” and continues to practice, teach and write. Together, the five Farm midwives have birthed over 3,000 babies in 38 years.

But that success couldn’t shield The Farm from the harsh realities of survival in America. By the mid-1980s, the group was deep in debt and, to save themselves, had to abandon some of their more radical practices. From a loose commune, they became an intentional community: a group of like-minded individuals who are responsible for their own wellbeing, while still sharing the most important resources.

Residents own the land in common and share property taxes, roads and water costs. Apart from that, they’re on their own to build their homes, create their lives, and figure out how to survive.

As a part of the community’s evolution, Farm residents began taking on individual projects that were supported by community money and chosen by a vote from all members. This led to the founding of Gaia University, Plenty International, Kids to the Country and other endeavors. The Farm had become, rather than a unidirectional commune, a diverse community united by a desire to improve the world.

From what I could tell, the key to The Farm’s success is that it has adapted over time. From a fever dream of hippie farmland to a grown-up, idyllic town, this group has clearly dedicated their lives to finding the answer to that age-old question: how can we all live together in peace, without going broke?

Not to wax overly poetic, but that’s really what it’s all about. Residents of The Farm appear to have figured out that their work here can have wider effects: they are a testing ground for a new type of community that most people only dream of.

That’s why The Farm was chosen as the host of the Bioregional Congress in 2009. And that’s how I came to visit Summertown, Tennessee.

Hilarious: a TVP silo.

Next up: uh, what’s a bioregional congress?

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: alternative, community, ecotourism, education, farm, featured posts, gaia university, green living, intentional community, sustainable, Tennessee, the farm

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The word “Asheville” followed me across America. I first heard it uttered while picking dandelions in Paonia; after that, I heard it spoken of in nearly every city I visited. “Asheville,” people would say. “You gotta go to Asheville.”

So I went. They were right.

How to describe it? Well, it’s like taking all the best parts of Nevada City, Portland and Berkeley, and sticking the whole thing in the middle of beautiful mountains with gorgeous weather.

I almost feel like I shouldn’t tell you about it, because it’s a secret that wants to be kept. Locals and tourists alike recognize the yuppie wolf at Asheville’s door: moneyed do-gooders in Priuses and SUVs, ready to move in and pour their Starbucks all over this fiercely independent town.

But to be honest, I don’t see how a bunch of yuppies could possibly change a town this strong in spirit.

And anyway, rich folks discovered Asheville hundreds of years ago.

photo by Exothermic

This used to be Cherokee land, but the natives were unceremoniously exterminated and Asheville slowly grew into a hillbilly township. After the Civil War, one George Washington Vanderbilt decided to construct a “little mountain escape” just outside of town: that property became the Biltmore Estate (largest house in America).

Funny thing about the Biltmore Estate, however: unlike many gilded mansions, this one was intended to be self-supporting. The United States’ first forestry school was founded here; there were farms, gardens, a dairy, and scientific programs for managing all sorts of resources.

That’s one trend that held true throughout my visit to Asheville: people here seem to be united by a true love for the land, and an active interest in understanding and managing it.

That may be due to the fact that there are mountains everywhere you look. Beautiful, rolling blue hills encircle the city, omnipresent in the background, patient, serene and enticing. It would be hard to live here and not be enchanted by the landscape—and certainly, the town attracts a very specific type of person for just that reason.

In the middle of town, there’s an underpass mural that is far and away the best I’ve ever seen. Created by the Asheville Mural Project, it features portraits of locals, chosen by nomination. There’s a woman spinning wool; a man with a shovel; a cyclist; a city planner; a gardener; musicians; dancers; and a snake-haired tattoo artist. The message is clear: this town loves the alternative, the artistic, and the sustainable.

  

  

It rained the first two days I was in Asheville, and when the sun re-emerged, so did the entire town. The streets were crawling with buskers: young dudes in old-timey clothes playing old-timey music. Sort of like a bumpkin Nashville… and in every corner without live music, there was a piece of weird art. The place was bursting with creativity, and the Carolina sun graced it all with glorious color.

Over the next couple of days, I’ll tell you about some of the specifics of my time in Asheville. If you can’t wait, check out my photos.

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: alternative, Asheville, community, ecotourism, ecotravel, featured posts, nature, North Carolina, outdoors, tourism, travel

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The first time I visited Boston, I stayed in the HI Hostel on Hemenway Street. I moved on after just a few days, but loved Boston and wanted more—so I circled back through later in the summer, staying with a couchsurfer the second time around.

What was the difference between the two experiences, and which would you choose? Here’s how they stacked up.

(Not familiar with couchsurfing? Find out more here.)

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Read the rest of How to Travel Cheap & Green: couchsurfing vs. hostel (985 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: adventure, alternative, Boston, buy nothing, community, couchsurfing, ecotourism, ecotravel, environment, featured posts, freegan, hostel, how-to, lodging, travel

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Reign of Grace cob bathhouse at Dandelion Sustainability Farm

My longtime readers will remember Dandelion Farm (Lower Lake, California), where I had my first WWOOFing experience way back in December. The other day I received this message from them, and thought I’d pass it along for anyone in California who’s interested in natural building.

Candace Stolley writes:

volunteers building Reign of Grace
Photo courtesy of Dandelion Farm

We have just broken ground for our first little cob cabin in Enchanted Encampment…hurrah! So we are planning our first work/party on the 18-21 of Sept (Fri AM to Monday PM).

We ask $25 ($35/ couple) for first time volunteers only for this period to help with food/expenses.

This is also a good time to get to know us and us you to see if a longer stay would work for all sides. Please have other options for after the party…we may be full even before it starts.

USF students at a 2008 work party

Loren and Candace Stolley

If you have not cobbed before (mud and straw building) this will be a great opportunity to experience this building technique that anyone can do, so naturally! We hope if you are musical you will come prepared to entertain the mud fun. The ponds will be refreshing and a good way to get that mud off. Overnight camping will be available. Bring a sun hat, your sleeping bags and pads and a good flashlight!There MAY be indoor space, but you must reserve early with your $25. to be sure of that.

Please email and let us know if you can make it so we have an idea how many to cook for.

We will possibly host more work/parties later to finish the building. If you can’t make this one and wish a later date let us know!

HOPE we get to share the work and fun with you and show you all the progress that your help here has led to!

Warmly,
Candace and Loren

Queen of Heaven Gate at Dandelion Farm

Dandelion Farm is full of incredible metal and natural art. See more photos or visit Dandelion online—or email Candace and Loren to reserve your spot on the work party!

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: agritourism, biotecture, building, California, cob, community, construction, education, farm, green building, natural, organic, sustainable, training, volunteer, voluntourism, WWOOF

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So I met up with Quiet Earp in Columbia, Missouri. I’d been staying in Louisville, and he was driving from Nevada to New York. Going to Missouri was a bit of a backtrack, but it turned out to be the best backtrack ever. Why? Because we discovered Marble Creek, that’s why.

It was dumb luck and maybe a little synchronicity that got us there: you see, the town of Columbia doesn’t have a lot to offer as far as recreation. Earp & I conferred, and decided to hightail it back to Louisville to visit Kevin and Nicole. That meant we’d be heading southeast, straight into the Ozark Mountains.

As you know, I’d already tried once to get to the Ozarks and failed. But this time it was happening for sure, and what’s more, we were going camping out there in the backcountry!

We picked out a random campground from Earp’s atlas, but somehow drove right past it (possibly because I was navigating). Instead of turning back, we looped around to hit Marble Creek—and wound up driving into the only free Forest Service campground in Missouri.

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Read the rest of Marble Creek, Missouri: Free Camping in the Mark Twain National Forest (730 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: buy nothing, camping, eco travel, ecotourism, ecotravel, free sources, freegan, lodging, Missouri, national forest, nature, outdoors, recreation, summer, tourism, travel, volunteer, water

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(1) …Our narrator arrives.

I’ve always wanted to visit Arkansas. Maybe it’s just the name. Maybe it’s the backcountry, down-home Americana imagery associated with that part of the world. Probably it has a lot to do with the Ozarks, that oddly-named bed of mountains promising lush greenery, clapboard shacks, crawdads and moonshine. Whatever the reason, once I realized Arkansas was right next to Texas (for a soi-disant travel writer, I am remarkably untalented at geography), I couldn’t stay away. And so I booked a midnight bus from Austin, which deposited me in Hot Springs, AR at 8:30 on a Thursday morning.

Hot Springs, as you may or may not know, is the hometown of former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton. It’s also home to the strangest National Park I’ve ever seen. The park was my reason for coming to Hot Springs in the first place, but it ended up being nothing like I expected.

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, there are a lot of hot springs around here. Because of the plentitude of pure, superheated, mineral-strong water, people have gathered here for millenia. From the Civil War onward, tourists and health seekers have come from all over the country to visit the bathhouses for spa treatments. And so, instead of a nature-filled National Park with lots of trees and undisturbed waters, Hot Springs National Park is a row of bathhouses.

Why are these photos all taken at night? Because it was too hot to walk around all day.

Yes, it’s a street. With sidewalks, and landscaping, and palatial white buildings promising mineral spas, soaks, rubs, wraps… Too, there’s a hot-water fountain where you can wash your hands, and a cold one where you can fill up on pure spring water. Once upon a time there were free showers; you can still visit and tour a restored bathhouse which doubles as the National Park Visitor Center. But yes, it’s just a street.

So it wasn’t what I’d expected. But I found myself a tent site in the Gulpha Gorge campground, where fireflies flickered above a shallow creek, and which was only a half-hour hike from downtown Hot Springs. The Ouachita National Forest was just outside of town, and I figured I’d camp for a few days, then make my way to the hills and do some hiking and swimming.

Alas, this was not to be!

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Read the rest of Hot Springs, Arkansas – In Which I Get Into Trouble (384 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Arkansas, bus, camping, hiking, Hot Springs, lodging, outdoors, summer, tourism, travel, water, weather

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Hostels, done right, are some of my favorite places to stay. They aren’t always awesome (see Abominable Snow Mansion), but the ones that have their act together are great places to meet people, live (and eat!) for cheap, and generally get the most out of whatever town you’re passing through.

I’d heard that the Austin hostel was one of the good ones, and as I read more about it, I decided it was definitely worth visiting. I didn’t need a place to stay, thanks to my friend Rhoda Hell’s generous housesitting offer; instead, I just walked down to Town Lake to check the place out. And I’m happy to say that not only is it an excellent hostel, it’s also a great example of a green business. In fact, it’s been designated as a Sustainable Living Center by Hostelling International.

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Read the rest of Austin's Green Hostel (725 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: alternative, Austin, energy, energy-efficient, gardening, green building, hostel, lodging, recycling, review, solar, sustainable, Texas, tourism, travel

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Got Couch? Trucker Cap

Today, friends, is the 2nd annual International CouchSurfing Day!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term: CouchSurfing.org is a web-based community built around the ideals of freeganism and community participation. The concept is simple: if you have a couch or extra bed in your home, why not share it with travelers? If you’re a poor traveler, why pay for hotels when you can stay free in someone’s home?

Couchsurfing as a general practice is often looked down upon by those who can afford hotels. But think about it, readers: how many times have you decided not to travel because you couldn’t spend the money? CouchSurfers refuse to be limited by the prohibitive cost of travel, instead choosing to share what they have with strangers. The results, as I can personally attest, are overwhelmingly positive.

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Read the rest of Happy International CouchSurfing Day! (349 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Austin, buy nothing, Colorado, community, couch surfing, couchsurfing, Denver, free sources, freegan, lodging, Texas, tourism, touristry, travel

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Right off the bat, I knew I’d love this place. 35 acres of organic, healthy goodness: Zephyros abounds with beautiful veggies, scampering lambs, mouthy goats, budding blooms, and one big black dog called Ullur who spends all day prancing around with giant sticks in his mouth.

The farm (and garden!) is run by Don Lareau and Daphne Yannakakis. They’re a bit hard to photograph, since they’re usually each in the middle of five hundred different and equally important tasks. Between the two of them, they run a diversified organic farm and CSA; manage four full-time interns and various short-term workers; raise two absurdly cute kids, Sophia and Diego; manage a website full of photos, links, recipes, and news; host farm dinners and educational sessions; serve in the local organic growers’ association; make gourmet bread and cheese and lasagna and run their own house besides.

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Read the rest of Zephyros Farm and Garden (524 words)

© jessicareeder for Uprooted, an eco/travel blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: agritourism, animal, Colorado, education, environment, farm, flowers, organic, Paonia, photography, spring, teaching, volunteer, voluntourism

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