Would you like to grow together?
Maybe you see what we see:
the industrial food system is deeply flawed, is based on animals suffering, produces non-nutritious food, and is degrading the planet
the climate is changing and wreaking havoc around the planet
the news is full of stories about soil loss, species loss, and pollution on unimaginable scales
people are more ‘connected’ and yet lonelier and feel more isolated than ever
I could go on.
The question is, how do we stay sane, how do we stay positive, how do we stay active in the face of all of this?
In our small corner of the world, in our small way, we are trying to do something about it. We are doing what we can to restore ecosystems, regenerate and build healthy soil, support biodiversity, adopt news ways of living and thinking, and co-create vibrant human communities.
We see ourselves as lifelong learners.
Some things we are excited about and are already engaging in:
rotational grazing & pasture-raised livestock (we have experience with sheep, cattle, laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, sheep, pigs)
summer meadow/Alm management
growing vegetables & fruit
food preservation
composting
orchard management
distilling, cider-making
herbs for culinary and medicinal uses
permaculture
sustainable building
non-violent communication and Art of Hosting
consensus & sociocratic decision-making
Some things we’re excited about but haven’t yet found the resources (time/money) for:
water resources & storage (ponds, etc)
keyline design
milking and making dairy products
silvopastures (trees + pastures)
growing grains or doing larger vegetable-growing projects
bee keeping
biogas
composting toilet, outdoor shower
alternative/outdoor education (for kids and adults)
community outreach
holistic management
more
Do you share our interest in any of these things?
Would you like to explore how we could do some of them together?
What we’re looking for:
Curious, energetic, positive, open-minded people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities who want to
learn, share knowledge, and grow food and grow personally, together.
engage in regenerative agriculture, forestry, educational, and/or other sustainability projects.
co-create a supportive community of people who want to grow together.
What we’re offering:
A place to meet other people with similar interests
Potentially a place to host or attend seminars, workshops, etc.
Land for individual or shared projects – space to have a vegetable garden, to raise some chickens, etc. (must abide by Austrian organic standards)
The possibility to join us in some of our projects
Lots of experience that we’d be happy to share
A fairly large library of books on many aspects of sustainability (mostly in English)
Exchanges, barters, trades of knowledge, labor, help, resources, etc.
Possibly: Longer-term accommodation (we may also have space for tents or other rustic accommodation for shorter-term ideas)
What we’re not offering:
Paid employment
Insurance
A structured teaching environment
How will it work? What will it look like?
The short answer is: we don’t quite know.
Some possibilities
Space for a garden or a flock of chickens
Community herb garden
Permaculture projects
A forest kindergarten or outdoor club for kids
A shared milk cow/goat/sheep
A chicken/egg club
…
We have some ideas and would love to hear your ideas – if you’re interested in getting involved somehow, let’s talk about it!
Nota bene:
We are learning and experimenting as we go and we do not know everything. Our lives are not without contradictions. We understand that we are fully part of a culture that encourages waste and a look-the-other-way mentality, and are trying to extract ourselves from that. We are doing our best with the time, money, and energy that we have, and are trying to stay on the path to changing our habits and mindsets. We are not perfect and don’t expect you to be, but we are looking for people who are willing to actually do the work necessary to create change and who want to help create a supportive environment for learning and growing together.
