At long last, the first video in my Dancing Rabbit video blog series is now complete and ready for viewing. I set up a space on the Dancing Rabbit webspace called Dancing Rabbit TV, where all of the future videos will be posted.
The first entry is a simple introductory video to Dancing Rabbit, and how members strive to live sustainably through things like solar power, organic gardening, and natural building.
The past few weeks, I have been busy gathering footage, interviewing, and editing video in preparation for the first entry in the official Dancing Rabbit video blog. The idea is that I will produce videos about life at Dancing Rabbit and topics regarding sustainable living. Each video will have a certain theme or focus, all centered around sustainability and alternative living, whether it be natural building, organic vegetable gardening, biodiesel, solar power, whole foods cooking, or any number of the many things going on at Dancing Rabbit. To open up the series, the first video will be a simple introduction to Dancing Rabbit: what it is, how people live differently here, etc.
There are lots of little ideas floating around my head for future episodes, but for now I must set up an actual home for the blog, and organize distribution of the videos.
I was thinking recently about space. Personal and living space. Where I conduct my daily activities. Living here at Dancing Rabbit, I spend a lot of time outside: working, hanging out, eating, reading. And the time I spend indoors in spread amongst three different spaces: my own room, the Common House, and Skyhouse. I sleep and do computer work in my room. I cook and eat in Skyhouse. I hang out, talk, go to meetings, brush my teeth, and lounge in the Common House. My normal daily activities occur in these several places each day.
What’s the difference… well, I was thinking about how most of us live elsewhere. We either live in apartments or houses, and all of our daily activities are conducted there. We work elsewhere most of the time, but everything else happens at home, in one building. If we want to spend time with others, we specifically invite people to our homes. I thought of how homes here at Dancing Rabbit are typically small and personal: most people do not cook in their own homes or have personal bathrooms or showers. There is little need for more than a bedroom and small living space, and home designs are simple and contain only a couple rooms at most. And interactions with other people happen all the time, everywhere else.
I like that element of integrated living: sharing a kitchen and living space, bathrooms, etc. And interacting with people throughout the day in different living spaces. Personally, I spend little time in my own room, unless I am sleeping or napping or using the computer. But if I want to be alone, I can retreat to my own space. Otherwise, I am always around other people when I eat, etc.
The past couple of weeks have seen an influx of fresh veggies from the gardens at DR. Normally, we buy at least some vegetables from the Ramers, a local Mennonite family that grows organic veggies locally, but the Bobolink food co-op’s garden is notably robust this year, too. Lately, we’ve been eating lots of carrots, squash, greens, onions, green beans, garlic, potatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage. Tomatoes are still not ripe, and we’re still waiting on stuff like broccoli, edamame, celery, and others. We also made pesto from fourteen pounds worth of basil over the weekend… yumm.
It’s funny to think about how the most simple of foods, like salad (traditional salads, that is, with lettuce and cucumbers and tomatoes) are composed of vegetables that do not even grow during the same times of the year. It makes for a very different approach to cooking here.
But it’s an amazing feeling to see new vegetables being pulled up and brought into the kitchen each day, and overlooking the garden from the window near the dining table while we eat. Knowing exactly where your food is coming is great.
…In ESCAPE From SUBURBIA director Greg Greene once again takes us “through the looking glass” on a journey of discovery – a sobering yet vital and ultimately positive exploration of what the second half of the Oil Age has in store for us.
Through personal stories and interviews we examine how declining world oil production has already begun to affect modern life in North America. Expert scientific opinion is balanced with “on the street” portraits from an emerging global movement of citizen’s groups who are confronting the challenges of Peak Oil in extraordinary ways….
On July 2nd, my work exchanging (wexing) period ended, but I am continuing to work with Ironweed on their cob / straw bale kitchen for another month. It’s been a great experience thus far and I look forward to helping them out and seeing the progress each week.
Now that I am only working three days a week, I have started to work on some projects of my own: namely, a video blog series. I have been busy capturing footage around the village and planning ideas for a series of episodes about Dancing Rabbit and sustainable practices, etc. There is a ton of stuff worthy of documenting and it’s almost overwhelming to consider at times, but I am trying to be realistic about what I want to do. The first entry into the DR video blog series will be a simple Dancing Rabbit overview: what is DR, what makes it special, how people live differently here, etc. Nothing too-too in-depth, but a nice little five minute video summary. That is what I am focusing on now. Hopefully I’ll have something to show within a couple weeks.
Last night was a “no cook” night at Bobolink. That means individuals are responsible for cooking their own meals. Earlier in the week, Dan and I decided we would make another batch of mozzarella cheese, and then use it on some pizza. Last night was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Tuesday night’s cheesemaking was successful, and we produced about a two pound yield of mozzarella. Last night, we set about making the pizza. I think it’s safe to say this was the first time I ever made pizza that was pretty much entirely organic and made from local ingredients:
Dan and I made the mozzarella ourselves from raw, organic milk obtained no more than a mile away (and we made a small batch of ricotta from the excess whey, too)
The whole wheat used in the dough was freshly milled and came from Sandhill Farm, about three miles away
The tomato sauce was canned last year from Bobolink’s own tomatoes
Dan picked the basil right out of his garden beds right before we put the leaves down on the pie
The scallions were purchased from a local and organic Mennonite farm
The tofu was made from soybeans from Sandhill
Other than stuff like the vegetable oil, salt, and a couple other spices, everything was locally grown. So satisfying!
Anyway, we made four total pies: double cheese (mozzarella and ricotta), scallion, marinated and fried tofu, and plain. They were quite good and we offered slices to friends and passers-by. It was a great meal… yummm.
Last night, there was an “ice cream social” in Rutledge. Every so often, the town organizes little social events to raise money. (I think the cash goes towards some kind of school restoration fund or something). Anyway, Rutledge is a tiny community with a population of about 100 people. Most of the folks are elderly and have been around for a long time and everyone knows each other, and it’s a very strange feeling to show up in town at these little events with other Dancing Rabbit folks. There is such a world of difference between our community and that of these aging Rutledge citizens. The culture shock must be reciprocal, though. It’s not that we necessarily stand out from “normal people”, but it’s out of the ordinary for younger people to be seen in Rutledge, and everyone knows that you must be from Dancing Rabbit if not simply because of your age. Plus, people pretty much know everyone else in town, of course.
It is at times like these when I just have to laugh about this culture shock. I’m sure there’s plenty we don’t know or understand about each other.
(Although, as a footnote: I must mention that Dancing Rabbit does have very good relations with the outside community and we frequently invite locals to the community for tours, meals, etc. So we are certainly not isolated from the surrounding area.)
About
Hullo. I am Brian, but I am also called Ziggy. I'm a 24-year-old currently living at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, learning to fulfill my desires to live more sustainably and self-sufficiently. There's a growing need to help shape a more eco-conscious, less destructive, and healthy culture, and I hope to share some of my experiences living in a community that values these qualities on this here blog.
