Hart’s Mill Business – Common Ground Ecovillage

2019: Getting to Groundbreaking!

Hope — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 20:41:21 +0000

The New Year’s Planning Party on January 13th lived up to its name, with music, dancing, food, fascinating conversation — and a solid path for getting to groundbreaking! 2019 is THE YEAR for Hart’s Mill to pull all the pieces together towards building the integrated Ecovillage of our dreams. Plans for the community farm are well underway, forest stewardship (the Wood Wide Web) has begun, and now we’re blazing to build the village in 2020.

The Wise Owl raises a glass

There’s so much to be grateful for and appreciate right now, and we opened the afternoon by filling glasses with sparkling beverages to toast our achievements to-date: the wonderful people who have come together, the beauty and abundance of the land, and the critical accomplishments that have gotten us to this launching point. Hart’s Mill is a vibrant community already, and it was wonderful to acknowledge the many ways in which we have already made a positive difference in lives and lands.

Yes, kudos for all of that…but what’s next? We’re fortunate to have among our members a planning maven, Allie Van. The Governance & Training Circle worked with Allie to shepherd an intensive all-Circle planning process that began in September, 2018. Some results of that process include a timeline of critical events and a set of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) defined by our Circles to achieve these goals. (Click here to view the PowerPoint slides.)

The timeline lays out an ambitious and optimistic (but not delusional) path focused on getting to groundbreaking. Katy Ansardi and others worked tirelessly with Allie to identify key benchmarks aligned across several project elements that will guide us through the year. It’s a great education in Ecovillage development to see all that must be accomplished compressed on a single page!

As for how we get there, each Circle has been working hard to identify what they can achieve to reach these goals. Circle leaders presented OKRs for the first quarter that correspond with the master timeline. A rich round of thanks goes to Allie and all who devoted their hearts and minds to forging–and to walking–this path.

It was time to take it all in and reflect on how each of us could fit into this picture. What will Hart’s Mill look like/feel like in 5 years? What will we be doing? How will we be living when we are on the land, together? It was a rich experience to go inside and visualize what Hart’s Mill has meant to us, explore the joys and challenges, and envision our lives based on the many Principles and Intentions that have moved us thus far.

After sharing with each other what we discovered, we all had an opportunity to explore what we can do during the first quarter to move this process along. What is each of us passionate about; what are our skills; what brings us energy; what would we gladly do to realize this vision? Participants translated their dedication into action, creating personal OKRs with specific offerings. It was wonderful to harness and receive such generous promises of time and talent.

And now….let’s celebrate! Turn up the music, clear the dance floor, enjoy the food and libations, and mostly–have fun with each other! It was a great way to energize all that we have become, all that we are, and all that we will create to make this corner of the world more beautiful, more loving, more sustainable and regenerative. And a lot less crazy.

Want to get involved? There’s a place for YOU at Hart’s Mill Ecovillage. Contact us and be a part of it–NOW!

Starting to see homes!

Hope — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:08:21 +0000

By Anthony Weston

At our October 27^thLast Saturday event, the Planning, Design, and Development Circle presented the Schematic Designs for two prototype HM residences to an appreciative crowd of about eighteen members plus a few toddlers.

To set the context, Hope led us in a review of the key values that are guiding the development of our architectural plans. It’s a wonder that there are more than 50 of them! Using a large Wheel of Sustainability taped to the wall, participants selected pre-marked post-its and placed each value in the most appropriate category. Here’s a sample: Social values in play include shared spaces and resources, shared dwellings, supporting diversity, a balance of public and private spaces, accessibility for all ages and abilities, and connected flow between homes. Ecological values include compact village layout, orientation to sun and wind, low energy demands, natural, local, and recycled/able materials, attractive outdoor spaces, kitchen gardens. Culture/Worldview values include intimacy with the natural world, a movement from “I” to “We”, inspiration, beauty and creativity. Economic values include economic viability, small homes, fewer possessions and more sharing, affordable housing and low building costs, self-build options, multi-use spaces, cooperative ownership model, flexible housing to meet different needs, and fairly comparable dwellings — no built-in inequality.

Next, I came forward (electronically, from Chile…) to briefly review the last six months of intensive planning work that have brought us to this point and that informs the plans we were about to unveil.

The “Building Block” plan is one: people who need a refresher (which us probably most people: it’s a complex thing) please refer back to this blog post from the Spring. and be sure to review Katy’s excellent slideshow linked to it.

I went on to explain how we came to be working with Jonathan Lucas of Asheville’s What on Earth Architecture. Under Jonathan’s guidance, PDD this spring worked out a set of “Design Goals and Considerations” to define the schematic design work that is now nearing completion. Among other things, we decided to move forward with two prototype designs: what we are now calling the Shared House (common living/dining/cooking/porch area with four 1-room suites that may or may not be lived in independently) and the Small Family Flex House (one-story 2 bedroom house with a 2-room attached suite, ditto).

Again a previous blog post reviews this in more detail. Key takeaways for now are: 1) These designs are only schematic in the sense that they are just first sketches. We’ve taken a long step toward specificity – we can now see what some of the residences might actually look like – but these designs are certainly not “set in stone”. We want feedback! And 2) There will be other residential options. We chose these two for our first designs because they are quite different from each other and therefore help define a range of possibilities and also set some general features of layout and style, but there will be others: next up is probably a two-story and duplexable 2 bedroom family house.

Katy then unveiled the floorplans and elevations for the two prototypes. She walked us through each of them in turn. You can find them here and here. Please take the time to review them carefully, notice that both have multiple pages and quite a bit of detail. The elevations are several pages in.

The Last Saturday session continued with break-out groups to explain the plans in more detail, and to gather reactions, suggestions, and general feedback, which they then brought back to the whole group for a debrief.

The general reaction was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic! People repeatedly pointed to the thoughtfulness of the layouts, the flow of the spaces, the prospect of well-lit interiors, many outdoor spaces, and the earthiness of the colors and finishes as very attractive features. In fact the biggest complaint we got was a general dislike of the wet bar in the bedroom of the two-room suite, which is easily changeable with a few strokes at the architect´s keyboard. Those of us who have had our noses to this particular grindstone for months (OK, actually, it´s really fun sometimes too, but still a long haul) are gratified and grateful all around – to the community, to Jonathan Lucas, and to each other – for a job done well. And now, onward!

Any HM member who did not have a chance to attend the Last Saturday meeting is also welcome to come by Hart’s Nest (with notice!) and review all of the attached documents including larger printouts of the plans. Email inquires are also more than welcome to me at weston@elon.edu or Katy at katy@hartsmill.org.

Please do take the time to respond – this is the moment when things can be readily changed, and we need to hear everyone´s thoughts and suggestions before taking more definitive responses and suggestions back to Jonathan.

What a Concept! Update on Architecture

Hope — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:29:05 +0000

by Anthony Weston

Our Architect, Jonathan Lucas of What On Earth Architecture, has taken PDD – the Planning, Design, and Development Circle – through a systematic process to develop the designs for our residences. it’s time for a progress report on developments so far.

With Jonathan’s guidance, we worked out specific Design Goals for the village generally and for two types of residences in particular. We chose to work first with a 2-bedroom house with an attached 2-room suite and also a Shared house with 4, 1-room suites. (if you need a reminder about the “Building Block” plan with suites, check out this blog post from April.) There will be other types of residence as well – these two may not even be the most common types – but we picked these two as prototypes because they are fairly different in a variety of ways but between them should allow us to sort out basic design issues for all of the residences.

The next step was Concept Design for those two types of residences: not all the way to an actual floor plan, but a layout of the relative sizes and interconnections of the rooms, to insure that everything works and flows as hoped. So… below are the Concept Designs we are working with. Comments and questions are welcome to Anthony at weston@elon.edu.

The really exciting bit comes next: Schematic Design — actual floor plans and elevations (drawings of the buildings as they will look from the outside). Indeed PDD is now working through the first Schematic Designs for the Shared House, and will circulate these shortly too. Speaking of which… all members interested in architecture should also take note of the October Last Saturday event, October 27th 3-6 pm, where we will share our architectural program and progress in detail. Please come! RSVP to Anthony: weston@elon.edu.

Start imagining living in these spaces! KEY: Blue codes for private areas; yellow for common areas; brown is transitional space; green is attached outdoor space (porches).

2-bedroom with 2-room suite. Click here for larger image.

Shared house with 4, 1-bedroom suites. Click here for larger image.

Amazing August Calendar, and July Highlights

Hope — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 01:35:22 +0000

Indian pipe, McGowan Creek trail

JULY HIGHLIGHTS
Subscribe to the Hart’s Mill blog to read more and keep up with the latest news!

We have a fully functioning solar-powered well pump! Thanks to Jeffry’s hard work, acquired engineering skills, and much ingenuity and problem-solving, we now can pump water from the well into a 1500-gallon Cistern and along drip lines into the farm field. This is a major accomplishment! Anthony is hard at work master-minding and building a one-of-a-kind pump house. Come to the land and take a look!
Thanks to Membership & Marketing, Hart’s Mill had a presence at the Festival for the Eno on July 4&7. Marilyn and Victoria prepared a “seed bomb” activity to enable kids to take home and plant a clay ball infused with milkweed seeds. Margret provided “eye candy”—beautiful greeting cards that she has produced with her own exquisite artwork—and they made an enticing display. It was a great opportunity to get the word out about our Ecovillage, network with other communities in the area, and talk with many interesting—and interested!—people. Special thanks to Amy for coordinating this even
The Governance & Training Circle Last Saturday: Three communities gathered in circle at Hart’s Nest to look closely at Hart’s Mill adopted Conflict Policy and the top-secret attitudes, approaches, and facilitation hints that make it work. Thank you to Blue Heron and Elderberry for joining us as we all shared our successes and failures in community living. Special thanks to Joe Cole and Maria Silvia for collaborating with Governance & Training in this offer to the larger community.

AUGUST, 2018, CALENDAR
Note: All events are open to everyone unless noted otherwise, and Zoom teleconferencing is also available for Circle meetings—but RSVP is necessary!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 6:30-9:00pm
Membership & Marketing Circle
Chapel Hill
RSVP Joe: drjoecole@gmail.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 9:00am-2pm
Work Day on the land
We’ll gather at 9am at the Pavillion. A major project will be cleaning up our Frazier Rd. entrance. This involves come mowing and weeding, clearing the roadsides with weed whackers and loppers, and some gate mending. Other possible work projects include further pump house construction, trail maintenance, pasture mowing, and trash removal. work will end about 1pm, when we will gather at the Pavillion for lunch. Bring some food to share! We’ll conclude about 2pm. In addition: Tours for new members and other people who want to see the land in more depth start at 11am at the Pavillion (RSVP required to Paul: voss@hawkweed.net) Anthony will coordinate a camping option the night before (Saturday night to Sunday morning) for folks who are intersted (contact Anthony for details: weston@elon.edu)

RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2:00-4:00pm
Land Stewardship Circle
Mebane
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 6:30-9:00pm
Financial & Legal Circle
Mebane
RSVP Geri: glaplaca@earthlink.net

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 6:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
This is a dinner meeting. Open to PDD members only. Location TBA
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THIRD THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 7:00-9:30-ish pm
Potluck and Sharing Circle
Mebane
***Child Care available upon request***
We’ll eat together (potluck) while we sit in a Sharing Circle -a bit more informal than the ones we’ve done in the past. While still honoring Talking Stick and No-crosstalk protocol, this sharing will have no topic attached, latecomers are welcome, and we’ll eat while we talk (OK -not exactly at the same time). RSVP María: mariastawsky@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 7:00-8:30 pm
Compassionate Connection, presented by HM Member, Marilyn Grubbs, and Farrunnissa Rosa
Unity Center of Peace, 8800 Seawell School Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Education and practice session in the body of work developed by Marshall Rosenberg, originally called Non-violent Communication (NVC). $10 suggested donation.
RSVP Marilyn: marilyngrubbs@gmail.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23
General Circle Meeting
Mebane
Potluck: 6:00-ish
Meeting: 7:00-9:30 pm
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com
***Child Care available upon request***

LAST SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 3:00-6:00PM
Q&A session on All Things Hart’s Mill —Presented by the Membership & Marketing Circle
Mebane
RSVP for details: María Silvia at mariastawsky@gmail.com
***Childcare & overnight accommodations available upon request***
Especially targeted for our newest members and for those of you who are curious about Hart’s Mill, come and ask your questions! Representatives from our Functional Circles will share what they know well and what they are learning, as Hart’s Mill becomes the reality we are trying to manifest. For fun, later that night we’ll go DANCING, 10:00pm, Tandem Restaurant (Carrboro). 70’s to today’s music. A hoot! Free admission. Please join us for this part even if you cannot attend the Q&A. We’d love to chill and goof around with you!

LAST SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 4:00-6:00pm
Governance & Training Circle
Mebane
RSVP Maria: mariastawsky@gmail.com
***Child Care available upon request***

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 (eve.)—MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Labor Day Work Camp
Hart’s Mill land
Meet on Friday evening to camp out, ready to get going on Saturday and Sunday from 9-1. Camp out Saturday night, too! You are welcome to attend all or a part of this event.
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

*Save the Date* SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 3-6pm
Hart’s Nest Birthday and Autumnal Equinox Celebration
Mebane
Stay tuned for details!

RACIAL EQUITY INSTITUTE TRAINING, sponsored by Organizing Against Racism (OAR)
We strongly recommend these 2-day trainings as a way to begin a shared conversation about racism and social/environmental justice at Hart’s Mill. Click here to read Geri’s post about attending Phase 1 on January 23rd. They fill up fast! Check the OAR website(OARalliance.org) for details and registration for these upcoming workshops and more:

August 4-5, YOUTH REI Phase 1, Chapel Hill
August 6-7, Phase 1, Durham
August 4-5, YOUTH REI Phase 1, Durham
August 18-19, Phase II, Raleigh
September 10-11, Phase 1, Chapel Hill
September 14-15, Phase 1, Durham
Sepbember 27-28, Phase 1, Raleigh

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 7PM
Life Design Weekend
Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE: Do you long for a future that inspires you? Are you stuck, confused or curious about your next steps? Would you like to learn best practices for self-organization, motivation, and direction? Discover the tools to turn your dreams into action. This is a weekend experience that will inspire and catalyze your next steps in life. Create a clear vision of what kind of life you want to create going forward. Learn practical, hands-on strategies that help you to envision life in a fresh new way. Discover your unique expression and purpose in life. Gain insight into the patterns and meanings behind your life experiences. Define personal needs and values that will help to create new potential pathways for your future.
Learn More >>

DOING OUR OWN WORK: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People
Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South
Part 1: September 6, 7, 8, 9 – Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Durham, NC
Part 2: October 11, 12, 13, 14 – Trinity Ave Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC
Thurs. evening, 9-5 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday, and 1-5:00 Sunday afternoon
Doing Our Own Work is an intensive seminar for white people who seek to deepen their commitment to confronting white privilege and challenging racism in all its forms. Offering more than 40 hours of “class time,” Doing Our Own Work equips participants with the analysis, skills, and tools needed to be more effective anti-racist allies. By limiting enrollment to 16 people, this seminar provides a context for in-depth reflection, learning and dialogue as participants work to deepen their knowledge of systemic racism, offer each other support and accountability, grow beyond shame and guilt, and practice the skills of interrupting racism.
Leader: Melanie Morrison
Cost: $475. Scholarships available. Click HERE to register.
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, rcwmsnc@aol.com

JUBILANT JULY 2018 CALENDAR and June Highlights

Hope — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:34:49 +0000

White milkweed, HM wetlands

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS
Subscribe to the Hart’s Mill blog to read more and keep up with the latest news!

Head’s up! Tomorrow’s June 30, work day dawns from 9-1. Pitch in on a plethora or projects and then come over to the Nest for the Last Saturday Membership and Marketing workshop from 3-6pm at Hart’s Nest. You’ll learn a lot about our membership process and how you fit into the Hart’s Mill picture. Then we’ll shift the conversation to an exploration of diversity and racial equity—key priorities for our community. Won’t you join us? There’s still time to RSVP: Amy_Halberstadt@ncsu.edu
We have an intern for the summer! Jess Pusch is a student at Elon University majoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. She brings many skills and loads of passion for our vision and mission. You’ll see Jess working on the land and at Circle meetings and events. We are so grateful that she has chosen to offer her time and talents to Hart’s Mill Ecovillage!
Anthony and Jeffry continue to mastermind–and labor to build–a pump house and an irrigation system for the farm. Anthony is brushing up his stonemason skills by crafting a circular enclosure. Jeffry is working on the mechanics, rigging up a solar-powered pump and other ingenious devices to get the water flowing. They’ve had a lot of help, too, on work days and in-between. Thanks to everyone who is pitching in—keep showing up!
In the interests of getting started on tending to our forests, Randy contacted Mountain Works Sustainable Development in Boone, NC. He was intrigued by their approach to forest management which includes horse logging. And they were intrigued enough by Hart’s Mill’s vision and mission that Ian and Brett came to visit for the day, walking the land and spending the night at Hart’s Nest. We made a good connection with this synergistic group and look forward to an evolving relationship.
Governance & Training Circle offered advanced training for our leadership to provide education and support for our extremely busy team.
Our Summer Solstice Third Thursday evening opened with a duo juggling act and concluded with a play reading of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights dream. It was a hoot! Read all about it here.

JULY, 2018, CALENDAR
Note: Our Functional Circle ongoing meeting schedule has changed significantly. Review the calendar carefully. New members and observers are welcome—please RSVP!
Please note: the July 8^th birthday party for Hart’s Nest has been postponed to September 22. Save the date!

JUNE 1-JULY 31
Exhibition of Botanical Art by Margret Mueller
The Museum of Life and Science, Durham
Watercolor paintings by HM member Margret Mueller will be on display during all of June and July in the gallery space at the entrance to the butterfly House. Margret will donate 10% of all sales to the museum.

SUNDAY, JULY 1, 3:00-4:30pm
Land Stewardship Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 10am to 2pm
SATURDAY, July 7, 2pm to 6pm (+ tear-down)
Festival for the Eno
Come help us get the word out about Hart’s Mill Ecovillage! We’ll have a table set up and will be making “seed bombs” with kids to take home and spread the milkweed magic. The festival includes arts, crafts, food, and entertainment galore. We’re looking for folks to take 2-hour or 4-hour slots and then you’ll be free to enjoy the festival for the rest of the time! Some free tickets are available.
CONTACT AMY as soon as possible: Amy_Halberstadt@ncsu.edu

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 6:30-9:00pm
Membership & Marketing Circle
Amy/Anthony home, 2702 Spencer St., Durham
RSVP Amy: Amy_Halberstadt@ncsu.edu

*POSTPONED* SUNDAY, JULY 8
Hart’s Nest Birthday Party
Save the date: September 22^nd (Fall Equinox)
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

SUNDAY, JULY 8, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 6:30-9:00pm
Financial & Legal Circle, 6:30-9:00pm
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Paul: voss@hawkweed.net

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 3:00-5:00pm
Governance & Training Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

SUNDAY, JULY 15, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
This is a dinner meeting. Open to PDD members only. Location TBA
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THIRD THURSDAY, JULY 19, 7:00-9:00-ish pm
*CHANGED* Star Night on the land..Well, actually Solar System night: it’ll be the Moon and possibly all five visible planets (Mars only visible after about 10, Mercury at dusk hopefully). Jeffry may bring his telescope too. However, Star Night is assuming that the night is clear enough, and right now the forecast is 50% cloud cover, which might or might to be OK depending on if it is just generally hazy or if the clouds kinda pass through. We’ll just have to wait and see! If you are interested, an RSVP would be nice, but in any case call me at dusk before coming: 919-353-8218. Bring flashlight. Park in the regular parking area and walk over towards the farm fields. RSVP to Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 7:00-8:30 pm
Compassionate Connection, presented by HM Member, Marilyn Grubbs, and Farrunnissa Rosa
Unity Center of Peace, 8800 Seawell School Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Education and practice session in the body of work developed by Marshall Rosenberg, originally called Non-violent Communication (NVC). $10 suggested donation.
RSVP Marilyn: marilyngrubbs@gmail.com

THURSDAY, JULY 26
General Circle Meeting
Amy/Anthony home, 2702 Spencer St., Durham
Vegetarian potluck: 6:00-ish
Meeting: 7:00-9:30 pm
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

LAST SATURDAY, JULY 28, 3:00-6:00PM
Dancing with Conflict—Presented by the Governance & Training Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
CONFLICT is a natural part of being human. It’s not only unavoidable, but somewhat desirable. (What!?!?!?) Please join us as we all polish our skills together so that when conflict shows its face, we know how to say “Welcome!” For fun, later that night we’ll go DANCING (actual dancing!), 10:00pm, Tandem Restaurant (Carrboro). 70’s to today’s music. A hoot! Free admission. Please join us for this part even if you cannot attend the workshop. We’d love to chill and goof around with you! If you’d like overnight accommodations, please talk to María.
Please RSVP to Maria, so that we can set a comfortable space for all: mariastawsky@gmail.com

LAST SUNDAY, JULY 29, 6:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 9:00am-1pm
Work Day on the land
Stay tuned for more details on what’s popping and hopping.
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 (eve.)—MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Labor Day Work Camp
Meet on Friday evening to camp out, ready to get going on Saturday and Sunday from 9-1. Camp out Saturday night, too! You are welcome to attend all or a part of this event.
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

LOCAL EVENTS OF INTEREST TO EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL/CULTURAL HORIZONS
You are encouraged to submit events for next month’s update that align with Hart’s Mill’s vision, mission, and aims. Send them by the 25^th of the month to Hope at hopematrix@fastmail.com.

RACIAL EQUITY INSTITUTE TRAINING, sponsored by Organizing Against Racism (OAR)
We strongly recommend these 2-day trainings as a way to begin a shared conversation about racism and social/environmental justice at Hart’s Mill. Click here to read Geri’s post about attending Phase 1 on January 23rd. They fill up fast! Check the OAR website (OARalliance.org) for details and registration for these upcoming workshops and more:

July 13-14, Phase 1, Northern Orange County
July 16-17, YOUTH REI Phase 1, Durham
July 20-21, YOUTH REI Phase 1, Raleigh

TUESDAY, JULY 10 & 24, 9:00am-3pm
The Elderhood Journey
Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
A SERIES GUIDED BY CAROLYN TOBEN & MIKE MCLEOD: Calling Elders, and people of all ages who are interested in the powerful role of elders in community! As a group we will discover new horizons for how to live more aware in the latter third of life. We are reimagining a special role in our community and we are exploring what the inspiration of elderhood is asking of each of us. We each have some of the answers that we need at this time in the world, and through this collective journey, we will bring them together. This is an invitation to participate in an exploration of conscious aging, engage in a community building process, and explore what it means to be an elder.
Learn More >>

June Calendar of Events and May Highlights

Hope — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 23:10:30 +0000

Baby box turtle, HM wetlands

JUNE 2018 CALENDAR and May Highlights

MAY HIGHLIGHTS
Activity and interest in Hart’s Mill swelled with the rains and burgeoned alongside greening plants and newborn creatures. So much goodness is sprouting, paths converging, relationships strengthening. Here are but a few of the fertile stories from the past month:

Our development team welcomed Jonathan Lucas of What on Earth Architectureto visit the land and grasp the depth and breadth of the Hart’s Mill vision and aims. We’re now awaiting sketches that will outwork and illuminate our principles and intentions through harmonious home designs.
The Financial & Legal team intrigued 28 people at Hart’s Nest with an overview of the economic infrastructure needed to undergird our community’s development. How can we finance the dream of the regenerative, creative community that we’ve been carefully creating for 10 years and that wants to manifest now? We’re so grateful for all who cogently presented and for all who showed up for this crucial conversation. We also made significant progress towards our goal of raising $150K by autumn to complete our pre-development activities. Read a more detailed account with a link to presentation slides in our blog.
The Governance & Training Circle offered our bi-annual introduction to culture change through cooperative skills development and sociocracy. It was a powerful experience of building awareness and skills to move from competitive to collaborative community living at Hart’s Mill. SAVE THE DATE for the next training, October 12-13 (Friday evening, Saturday morning).
The Cob Haven maven, Greg Allen, welcomed a group of us to visit his Mud Dauber School campus in Snowcamp. We are so fortunate to have a local expert in the science, craft, and art of earthen building. Turns out that there are many methods and options for combining clay under our feet, straw in local fields, wood from forests, and other earth-friendly materials into graceful, lasting, and cozy dwellings of all sorts. We learned a lot and are very grateful to Greg for sharing his time and expertise with us.
Have you visited the land lately? So many gifts emerging from the soils, winging through the skies, moving on the ground; nations of wildflowers, abundant crops, verdant pastures, flourishing wetlands, and towering trees await you. Feel free to park at Hart’s Nest and take a stroll—just give Hope or Paul a heads-up.

JUNE, 2018, CALENDAR
Note: Our Functional Circle ongoing meeting schedule has changed significantly. Review the calendar carefully. New members and observers are welcome—please RSVP!

SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 3:00-4:30pm
Land Stewardship Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Jeffry: seeingstarsfarm@gmail.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 6:30-9:00pm
Membership & Marketing Circle
Amy/Anthony home, 2702 Spencer St., Durham
RSVP Amy: Amy_Halberstadt@ncsu.edu

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 3:00-5:00pm
Governance & Training Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 6:30-9:00pm
Financial & Legal Circle, 6:30-9:00pm
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
RSVP Paul: voss@hawkweed.net

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 7:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
Via Zoom Teleconference—RSVP for link
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

THIRD THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 6:00-ish to 9:30-ish pm
*SUMMER SOLSTICE* Midsummer comedy and frolics at the Nest!
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY) RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com
Ready for some Midsummer magic? Come together in the gloaming of this Summer Solstice eve. In addition to outdoor frolics, we’ll enjoy yummy food followed by a collective reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (shortened version) which will last about an hour. This is an Anthony/Amy household tradition, and it’s a BLAST! No need to prepare in advance and no talent required; just show up and get ready to spin this enchanting yarn together. Want to play a role? Got one in mind? Let me know with your RSVP. Invite your family and friends–there are roles for kids. The more the merrier!
Food/drink: potluck–bring your favorite summer dish (all cuisines welcome) to pass and a beverage of your choice (you can grill something at the fire circle if you wish)
Frolics: in addition to the play, there’s likely to be badminton and frisbees–also quite possibly juggling! Costumes and fascinators are welcome.
It’s going to be charming, but only if you are there — see you at the Nest!

SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2:00-5:00pm
Training for Our Leaders: Running Effective Meetings
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
This afternoon will include a piece on How to Run an Effective Meeting, which will be aimed at newbies and old-timers alike!
RSVP is critical to Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

LAST SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 6:00-8:30pm
Planning, Design, and Development Circle
This is a dinner meeting. Open to PDD members only. Location TBA
RSVP Anthony: Weston@elon.edu

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 7:00-8:30 pm
Compassionate Connection, presented by HM Member, Marilyn Grubbs, and Farrunnissa Rosa
Unity Center of Peace, 8800 Seawell School Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Education and practice session in the body of work developed by Marshall Rosenberg, originally called Non-violent Communication (NVC). $10 suggested donation.
RSVP Marilyn: marilyngrubbs@gmail.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 28
General Circle Meeting
Amy/Anthony home, 2702 Spencer St., Durham
Vegetarian potluck: 6:00-ish
Meeting: 7:00-9:30 pm
RSVP Hope: hopematrix@fastmail.com

LAST SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 3:00-6:00PM
Human Community: The Next Frontier
Presented by the Membership & Marketing Circle
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
The vitality and health of a community is nourished by its members. What are the guideposts we’ve put in place to build a membership in tune with our vision to live in harmony with each other and the land? How does our commitment to racial and environmental justice and diversity inform who we are and what we do? What are the challenges and opportunities ahead as we seek to grow to full strength and inhabit the ecovillage? Come and learn about how the Membership & Marketing Circle is building strong foundations for community sustainability and resilience, and discover how YOU fit in this picture.
RSVP is crucial to Amy: Amy_Halberstadt@NCSU.edu

*SAVE THE DATE* SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2018, 1:00-9:00PM
Hart’s Nest celebrates one year of cultivating community!
We’re throwing a “spa day” to rejuvenate the Nest followed by a party to honor all that she has made possible for our growing community. Details to follow soon!

June 15-16, Phase 1, Moncure
June 21-22, Phase 1, Durham

SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 9:00AM-12:30PM
Earth’s Turn Community Work Day
2119 Doe Run Rd., Mebane
Come out and support our sister community right down the road. Projects include harvesting potatoes, pulling tires and metal out of the woods, and starting a permaculture rain garden. Come for as short or as long as you like.
Contact Tami at tamitw@earthlink.net, 314-604-5736

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 10AM-12PM
Maya/Sufi Journey
Hart’s Nest, 1625 Ben Jones Dr., Mebane, NC 27302 (one-way road; drive SLOWLY)
Join Sofianna (Sue-Anne) for a Maya/Sufi journey. You will learn about the Sacred Mayan spiritual calendar, the Tzolkin, and the 20 Nawales, which are the guiding energies for each day, and how to integrate them into your spiritual path. We will also integrate some Sufi wisdom and practices with this Maya wisdom. After the workshop you are free to enjoy the grounds at Hart’s Mill. There is no cost for this, but a donation will be gladly accepted. For more information email Sofianna at beauxzoe1@gmail.com.
RSVP to Hart’s Mill co-sponsor Marilyn Grubbs: marilyngrubbs@gmail.com for directions or information about the venue.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 10AM
Heart-Based Environmental Educators Training
Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Does your heart open while you’re outside with children? Would you like to discover how you can follow your heart’s calling to work with children as teacher, parent, or counselor? Do you want to develop the skills to inspire natural curiosity and wonder in the people around you? We have created a 4-day training program to empower you to take the next steps in the heartfelt path of teaching and learning. The Heart-Based Environmental Educators Training also qualifies for 20 hours of Criteria II towards the NC Environmental Education Certification.
Learn More >>

FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 6-9pm
Triangle Traditional Music and Dance Retirement Society
Community Church of Chapel Hill
We will be presenting the key elements in our roadmap for the creation of our community. Info at dancingintoretirementnc.org

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 9AM
The Elderhood Journey
Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
A SERIES GUIDED BY CAROLYN TOBEN & MIKE MCLEOD: Calling Elders, and people of all ages who are interested in the powerful role of elders in community! As a group we will discover new horizons for how to live more aware in the latter third of life. We are reimagining a special role in our community and we are exploring what the inspiration of elderhood is asking of each of us. We each have some of the answers that we need at this time in the world, and through this collective journey, we will bring them together. This is an invitation to participate in an exploration of conscious aging, engage in a community building process, and explore what it means to be an elder.
Learn More >>

Hope Horton <hopematrix@fastmail.com>

MONEY: Investing in Our Values

Hope — Thu, 31 May 2018 00:54:49 +0000

by Paul Voss

Last Saturday, 28 Hart’s Mill members and friends gathered bravely at Hart’s Nest to talk about the role and meaning of money in the context of our evolving intentional community.

Under the guidance of members of the Hart’s Mill Financial/Legal Circle, presentations and discussions focused on (1) the inner workings of the financial and legal life of both the Hart’s Mill Ecovillage and the Hart’s Mill, LLC (Limited Liability Company), (2) a detailed summary of where our money comes from and how it’s responsibly spent, (3) how these topics relate to our anticipated home ownership model – a limited-equity housing cooperative

model, and (4) avenues for Hart’s Mill members to deepen their involvement with the community, including how they can become part-owners of the project by investing in the Hart’s Mill, LLC. To see the presentation slides, click here.

A closing “commitment round” resulted in generous pledges of more than one-third of our $150K predevelopment fund-raising goal. What a wonderful afternoon!

Included in the discussions were many personal expressions of how the vision and practice of Hart’s Mill calls to our hearts and expresses our values. In the face of deepening national crises (including diminishing affordable housing, widening income and wealth disparities, shamefully stubborn social, racial, and environmental injustices, urban/rural inequities, and disgracefully broken governmental institutions), Hart’s Mill is resolved, through our farm and community practices, to be an agent in moving forward an agenda of deep and meaningful cultural change.

How we organize our financial and legal affairs is but one piece of a larger agenda of voluntary joyful community life as we do our small bit to meaningfully address issues from the personal to the planetary.

Where Do You Fit in This Picture? Send Us Your Residence Type Preference Survey NOW

Hope — Tue, 15 May 2018 01:32:54 +0000

By Anthony Weston

Many members of the Hart’s Mill community gathered on Saturday April 28^th for a fuller exploration of our new Building Block plan and the options it creates for economical and appealing house and suite design. The result was a lot of community excitement, along with some very useful feedback to the Planning, Design, and Development Circle as we go to the next stage of planning with our architect.

Couldn’t make it? We still want to hear from you! Add your preferences into the emerging picture of the mix of dwellings in the village! Here’s how you can learn about the options and make your preferences known.

Start with Katy’s slideshow on the overall conception of Building Blocks — you can access it here. (We are working on a narrated version of this slideshow also.)
Following up on the slideshow, here is an illustrated outline of Shared Housing Options.
Here is an Illustrated outline of Suite Configuration Options.
Here is an Illustrated outline of Private Housing Options.

We need your response!

When you are ready to fill out the survey, go to the Housing Preferences Survey Form in Word format. Please fill it out and email it to weston@elon.edu.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Design Work Springing Ahead!

Hope — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:05:33 +0000

by Anthony Weston

The Planning, Design, and Development (PDD) Circle’s Spring design priority is to achieve a village design that is workable both architecturally and financially, and so appealing and functional that it will earn ready assent from current members and can help us effectively (and quickly) inspire and recruit new members. This design will have to be co-developed alongside detailed site engineering, financial planning, etc. but we think the actual, visualizable house plans will be the dramatic next step.

We are currently moving toward this goal in a variety of ways. This post outlines the main ones, but can only touch the high points. All members are invited to find out more when PDD hosts April’s “Last Saturday” event at Hart’s Nest, on Saturday 28 April, 3-6pm. Everything discussed in this post will be laid out and explained in detail, with ample time for questions and discussion too. We’ll have some specific questions for the community as well, as we tune the new models to members’ wishes and interests. Please mark this event on your calendars and make it a point to come!

“Building Blocks”

Katy, Paul, Donna, and Anthony road-tripped to Atlanta in early March for an extended consultation with Greg Ramsey and associates at Village Habitat Design (we also toured the plant of a potential construction partner on the way). Greg and his partner Dennis McConnell sparked a major re-conception of the design program of the community

Our zoning provides for 32 units. We’d been assuming that we’d mostly be building a few kinds of houses, each basically a Single Family Dwelling Unit (that’s a zoning category), adaptable for individuals, couples, or families with a few kids and maybe a renter in an upstairs bedroom. We were planning one or two shared homes as well.

Greg and Dennis introduced an entirely new element. Suites are semi-independent units linked to a house with a door (with a lock) and with an external entrance as well, fully equipped as a small apartment (1 or 2 BR plus bath, sitting area, and “wet bar”: a small kitchen without a stove (but microwave is OK). The key thing is that a house with several such suites still counts as a Single Family Dwelling Unit. Thus we can still build 32 units, all officially Single Family Dwelling Units, but at the same time significantly increases both the number and the variety of living situations we can offer to members.

Katy worked out a luminous visual presentation of the basic idea which she presented to a March joint meeting of PDD and Finance/Legal Circles. These slides are a quick illustration. (Please realize that the hexagons are just c0nceptual. The actual houses are not likely to be hexagonal!)

Achitecture

We need to do a variety of consultations with the County and with potential funders to be sure that this “Building Bock” schematic design meets legal and financial requirements. The key work, though, is to begin to visualize and work it out architecturally. How will the homes actually lay out and what will they look like?

To help answer this question we are bringing an architect on board: Jonathan Lucas, of What on Earth Architecture in Asheville, http://www.whatoneartharchitecture.com/ We have been in conversation with Jonathan for several years – his style promises a very good working fit with our own – and he has experience with cohousing design as well as a wide range of other projects. Jonathan can offer both floor plans and perspective drawings and also 3D visualizations, energy-use modelling, and virtual walk-throughs. We have begun consultation with Jonathan by Zoom conference and are setting up a three-way conference between us, him, and Greg Ramsey very soon. He will also be making a visit to the land later in the Spring.

As you can see from Katy’s slides, our new model makes it natural to work with “building blocks”: suites and houses of various sizes, keyed to members’ wishes, combinable in a variety of ways. For economies both in design and construction, we’ll want to work with fairly few “blocks” and maximize the ease with which they can be combined and varied. We do want to note that this we may need to adjust or replace our current Sunslope schematic design. It may not be adaptable enough for the multiple configurations we are now envisi0ning. Still, of course, major design elements from Sunslope will remain, such as the large south-sloping roofs for major photovoltaic panels and fully liveable single-floor options, as well as an attempt to moderate the range of style preferences we have discovered among us.

Construction Methods and Partners

We also continue to research and compare a variety of different construction materials and methods. This search relates closely to architecture, but it is still a separate question since often very similar designs can be realized in a wide variety of materials/methods.

Sustainability, affordability, adaptability, availability are all key desiderata, and the decision is going to require weighing of all of them and probably making some hard choices between them. Also, choosing between construction methods is often to choose between specific firms with whom we might partner, introducing yet another set of considerations. The right partnerships will be crucial!

We have narrowed down the list of alternatives considerably. For example, we are unlikely to choose blown-in foam or rigid styrofoam-type insulation, though it can be used in some highly efficient and affordable panelized forms, because ultimately its very longevity is a disadvantage. You can’t get rid of it, ever. Many also have off-gassing issues. On the other hand, our current candidates include some intriguing methods and materials, such as hemp-lime mixtures for insulation (possibly also available in panelized forms). We are also considering whether and how far earth-building methods could be an appealing choice for parts of the village, farm, or other buildings. At the same time, we continue to consider traditional stick-building methods, which have significant advantages and can be adapted to our sustainability and other requirements as well.

Other PDD Irons in the Fire

There are many other, related items on PDD’s plate:

We are revisiting the Affordability question at the same time that we are beginning to get harder and more specific data on likely costs and prices.
Another big-picture question is how far can/should we welcome multiple styles (designs, construction methods, etc.), and if so, at what scale?
The Common House also needs to go back on the agenda. We’ve back-burnered the Common House in favor of the residences for a while, but on the Building Block plan, smaller suites presuppose the Common House: it probably will have to be built concurrently after all.

Again, please plan to find out more when PDD hosts April’s “Last Saturday” event at Hart’s Nest, 3-6pm on Saturday 28 April. All members are welcome!

What is Hart’s Mill Trying to Become?

Hope — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 23:04:37 +0000

Thoughts by founder Anthony Weston

It seems the Engaging with our Vision Retreat (January 27-28, 2018) did us the great service of bringing questions to the fore — issues that are fundamental, not easy, but that need to be articulated and addressed as we carry on and ramp up this work together.

I cannot speak for everyone (and do need to note that “founders” is not a defined or in any way decision-making group in our governance or organization) but here at least is my take.

Fundamentally we want to be an agrarian ecovillage. This does mean that our primary endeavor is ecological — it has to do with how we relate to the larger living world and consequently as a human community within the more-than-human world. It would be a radical thing to create a community that simply modeled and realized a “regenerative” kind of ecology in the most concrete way — in terms of what kinds of buildings and physical village we build and how we feed and power ourselves, how the land fares under our stewardship. Yes. Indeed this would be itself an act of “social activism” in the world as it stands.

But: we (meaning me and I believe others who share this way of thinking) also hold that “ecology” or “sustainability” or “regeneration” do not stop there. Human communities also are situated within the larger human world, so there is an ecology of human relations situated with the more-than-human ecology too. Very specifically: if we form an all-white community in the midst of a racially mixed area, moreover with all the history of race-based exclusion and dis-empowerment (even in the ownership history of our very land), etc. etc. we would be failing to acknowledge and regenerate the human ecology that we and others also live within, and that is actually continuous with the land, the larger ecology, too. After all, traditional southern agrarian society was also deeply racist. We are after a new kind of agrarianism in those terms too. So the project of outreach and diversity so viewed is not an “add on” or something that might just be taken up as a personal, outside-the-community commitment (though it certainly can be that too), but is essential to the constitution of the community itself.

At least we must seriously try, and continue to try, to create a racially diverse and responsive community that does not just re-inscribe the old social relations. For my part I am willing to go ahead with financing, design, and construction work even if these efforts have not yet borne much fruit — as long as we do not let go of them but truly intensify our efforts. (I am not sure this is true for everyone, though I think it probably is.) I think this provides a pretty clear way forward for most members, including most or even all of those who spoke up on this issue at the retreat. This will remain a place where members have varied views, but I think we can still readily head in broadly the same direction.

There are major decisions to be made, for sure; there are major obstacles; we are attempting something wonderful and at the same time multi-faceted and difficult and there are no guarantees. At the same time, though, I have such a sense of a huge project taking major steps forward all the time – beyond any one person’s capacity even to sum it up. And very little of this is seriously controversial to anyone. We may want a different balance or focus between the various parts… we may worry about where the money is coming from, etc. etc. — again, all valid for sure — but the fact is that we have an energetic, stable, almost stately project going here that I believe does not warrant dismay and is not particularly confused about itself or consumed by some sort of internal conflict.

Of course it may be that the ambition and range of the HM project are not for everyone. I know, not everyone can wait for the village proper. None of us want to wait. Still, what we have going is fairly clear-sighted, and I think that project was basically reaffirmed and even somewhat further clarified at the retreat. It’s that very clarity that is leading some people to re-evaluate their commitment to HM — and again, that certainly can make sense. But the project itself remains strong and dynamic. Hope gave voice to this at the Retreat (I am tempted to be cute and say that Voice gave hope to this at the Retreat too) when she said that this project has gotten to be bigger than any of us. Long live Hart’s Mill!