Welcome to our Changed
Newsletter Format!
Whole Village has begun to produce a quarterly newsletter to keep our associates and friends up to date on our project. It is our hope that through this communication tool we will be able help these individuals develop stronger ties with this community. We plan to share information regarding community living; sustainable agriculture, & land stewardship in an effort to help our friends better understand our mission, vision and guiding principles. If you have questions or concerns you would like to see addressed in the newsletter, forwarded them to the editor though our e-mail address:
info@wholevillage.org
Whole Village CSA Garden Yields
Plenty of Organic Veggies in its
First Year
Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system that makes it possible for a
farmer to grow food with the financial support of the individuals who intend to
consume that food.
The financial risks are shared equally between the farmer and this group of individuals—described as the CSA membership. Each CSA member pays a fee for his/her share of the year’s produce. The fee is calculated by dividing the annual expense budget by the number of members. Providing the necessary capital early in the year (e.g. to purchase seeds, plants, etc) frees the farmer to apply her/his skills to the task of planning and maintaining the garden, maximizing its productivity.
In April of this year,
Natasha Bye (one of the farm house residents) became WV’s first gardener and
CSA coordinator. With support and suggestions from Whole Village members she
developed and implemented the garden plan in the spring and early summer. She and her helpers planted kale, Swiss chard, beets,
peas, potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and various
herbs. CSA members each paid $300 for a
share this year and began receiving their weekly boxes of vegetables in early
July. They are delighted with the
garden’s yield and glad to know that they will continue to receive veggies
through October.
For personal reasons Natasha
had to move away from Whole Village at the end of June. Roslyn Levin-Gold stepped in and assumed the
leadership for the weekly harvesting, while various Whole Villagers provided
regular labor to maintain the gardens.
Next year the Village will be looking for a new CSA coordinator from
among the ranks of its members and associates.
How Can You Get Involved?
People are regularly
contacting Whole Village to learn about the
project and see how they might support it or get involved. We recommend that you begin by receiving an
initial orientation at one of our monthly group sessions. The village continues to actively seek
individuals who want to become full members, making the personal and financial
commitment required to live in the planned farmhouse. However, here are some
other ways that you can become part of this venture without making such a
commitment.
Contribute your skills by
coming out to the farm and volunteering to help out with farming, gardening or
construction. Please call ahead to make
arrangements: (519) 941-1099.
Associates support the
project through regular monthly contributions ($10/month). They are put on our e-mail list in order to
be notified in advance about upcoming organizational meetings, workshops and
events. As well, Associates are
eligible to become CSA members (see article in this newsletter for info on the
CSA).
Fellow Stewards are
individuals who live near the farm, in the area referred to as the Shaws Creek
Watershed. These individuals have a
common interest in land stewardship and the environment. It is our hope that such individuals will
become involved in cooperative ventures with the Village that are mutually
beneficial.
If you pledge to make a
financial contribution of $500 per year, you will be considered a Patron. As Whole Village is not a registered
charity, we are not in a position to issue charitable tax receipts.
Support the community garden
financially and ensure that you and your household receive a weekly box of
fresh organic vegetables from July through October. We would encourage first time members to sign up in early March
to avoid disappointment, as there will be a limited number of memberships
available each year.
The cost is $10 for a 1.4 kg
container.
We will be appealing to
friends and associates to donate specific goods as the need arises. Watch for these appeals on the web site, in
e-mail communication and in the newsletter.
Let us know of events in your
community that we could attend to promote our work.
Whole Village Ltd now owns
the farm. The sale was finalized in
early July. This is a major milestone toward the group realizing its
vision.
In June we hosted an
information evening for our immediate neighbors. Thirty people turned out to the meeting, including the Mayor of
Caledon, and our two Ward Councilors. The meeting was part of an on-going
effort to develop positive relationships with individuals living in the
area. Many questions and concerns were
addressed. It is our intent to follow
up on several suggestions that were made that night and to stay in touch with
our neighbours.
Whole Village played host to
the Ecovillage Network of Canada’s annual gathering this summer. It took place over the August 24-25th
weekend.
Worldwide Workers on Organic
Farms (WWOOF) is a global service that matches organic farms with people who
are willing to exchange their labour on a farm for room and board. There are host farms on every continent. The system makes it possible for individuals
to travel and have a genuine experience with local people Whole Village hosted “WWOOF”ers from Canada,
France, England, Australia and Japan this year.
We have 20 mature beehives
and just completed our second harvest, totally 1300 pounds of honey! If you are interested in buying honey, call
the farm.
Who
are Whole Village Members?
There are currently ten Whole Village members, representing eight
families. These are individuals who
have made a legal, financial and personal commitment to the project. They intend to live in the new farmhouse,
work on the farm, and enter into a familial relationship with the rest of the
Whole Village residents. Members are also shareholders and the directors of
Whole Village Ltd. Their financial investment provides the bulk of the revenue
to keep the project moving forward.
We have five individuals
involved as subscriber members. These are individuals who are working toward
full membership and have made a smaller financial contribution.
There are several Associates
who are currently playing an active role in all aspects of the project. While they are not voting members,
Associates attend meetings, volunteer on committees, work at the farm and assume
leadership roles where their skills can be put to use.
At the moment there are five
people living in the existing farmhouse.
Other members and associates visit the site regularly in order to work
in the garden, harvest honey from our newly acquired beehives, plant trees, and
make minor renovations and improvements to the property.
The original vision for the
Whole Village involved the creation of a thirty unit co-housing style
residential complex in conjunction with the farming operation. However in the summer 2001 we abandoned this
ambitious plan because we realized that it would involve seeking an official
plan amendment—a long, circuitous and costly endeavor, with no guarantee of
success at the end. Instead we opted to
develop a site and building plan that would accommodate those individuals who
had already committed to Whole Village and at the same time comply with
existing zoning by-laws.
Proceeding with this new
plan, we applied for a building permit to construct a “one family” residence on
the vacant 91 acre lot that is part of the Whole Village Farm. While there appears to be no technical
problems with our permit application, it seems to be in limbo. It is our
current understanding that our permit application may be denied due to concerns
identified by town planning officials.
These are the professionals who determine if an application for a permit
conforms to existing zoning by-laws and the intent of the official plans for
the Town of Caledon and the Region of Peel.
We are not certain what
concerns the planning officials have identified. We have decided to seek a court ruling on our situation. A ruling in our favor would result in the
court directing the town officials to treat us as a family for zoning
purposes. While such a ruling may not
result in the granting of a building permit, it would strengthen our case. Should a building permit not be granted, we
would have to return to the courts for a second ruling—this time on granting the
permit itself.
o are the Whole Village Members?
Over
the last five years I have had several opportunities to meet John Seed, an
internationally known Deep Ecologist. I am always struck by how peaceful and
positive he is, even though he sees continually the destruction of more and more
wilderness. I find myself very moved by both the person and his message. If I
can try to summarize what Deep Ecologists have to say it is this: for most of
human history our home was in the forest, surrounded by the natural world,
depending on our connection to it to feed us day by day, and respecting the
other species around us as equals. It is only the modern human who has left the
forest, and has lost that connection and intimacy with the natural world.
Indigenous peoples around the world have seen what this has done to us, and do
not envy us. By living on a sustainable farm I feel I will be placing myself more
in balance with the natural world, because I will know that I am living in a
way that respects that world. Also my contact with the land will deepen in a
way that is more than just enjoying the pretty scenery. One little example: in
the brief time I have been beekeeping at the farm, I have gained a real delight
and fascination with their life. Taking the cover off a hive, and putting my
ear down as close as possible, I can listen to the mysterious sound of 50,000
bees.
James LaTrobe
For
an environmentalist and fifth generation farm girl, ecovillages make all the
sense in the world. Over the years, I've been looking for a project that would
combine my love of the earth, my hobby of organic gardening and an interest in
intentional community. After hearing about the concept of Ecovillage
at
a conference on building sustainable communities in Findhorn, Scotland, I began
searching for a way to create one with others. Whole Village seemed the perfect
fit! Enthusiastic members and a beautiful farm with lots of potential for
growing healthy food drew me in. Then my dream of building an ecological house
came true when plans were developed with the help of our own architect/ member.
After taking possession of the farm, the teamwork began - growing our own food,
planting a tree nursery, beekeeping, and repairing farm buildings. It's been a
great feeling working with like-minded people to create a new model for
sustainability. No wonder the United Nations declared ecovillages a “best practice”
for sustainable living!
Brenda Dolling
The
simple answer is that I want to live in an intentional community. The 'living'
part is important. I belong to several communities now, for example, my faith community
where I go once or twice a week. While such interactions are good, they are not
sufficient. I want to live in community -- every day. The 'intentional' part is
also important. Part of the membership procedure is to read your biography. I
bared my soul in my biography because I wanted them to know what they were
getting if they accepted me. The third important reason is that I want to live
lightly on the land. Mairy Beam
Support Our Project
Any letters, telephone calls,
faxes or e-mails to the Town of Caledon on our behalf would be appreciated.
Contact Mayor Carol Seglins at
905-584– 2272
or by e-mail at cseglins@town.caledon.on.ca