Our annual Ancestors Feast brings members, residents, friends and neighbors together in the Council Hall to highlight stories of beloved friends, family and teachers who have gone before us.

When we all gather for a feast in the Council Hall, it takes all our tables arranged in a tight crescent to fit us around the altar. We get to mix with folks we may not see much of. At one table, Aidan sat next to (clockwise) Amelie, who sat next to Chuck who was across from Mary, Dorien, Sue and Geoff. Earlier, we sat silently in a contemplative mood of pictures of our ancestors and our memories of them.

The Ancestors Feast is a unique and treasured annual event many of us look forward to each yer. We offer a special bow of appreciation to Kaitlin Johnston for organizing such a beautiful and sacred event for us!

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On a Saturday in mid-June, several folks from Earthaven went to our neighbors’ farm. It was a great day filled with many chores to assist Cove Creek Farm in planting and to learn more about where our local food comes from. Alvin Lytle, his father, Therman, sister June, and daughter Alexis’s family have been farming in this area since the late 1700’s.

We took turns sitting on Alvin’s modified tobacco planter, dropping seed potatoes, which were then covered with soil by the cleverly crafted blades of the planter. Not sure how many potatoes we actually planted, but we cut up four 50-pound boxes of seed potatoes earlier.

Then came the sweet potato slips, and melons, all planted by hand…lots and lots of them. In the meantime, other folks were helping plant a large field of crowder peas (hence the name field peas).

After all the hard, sweaty, hot sun work, we sat around in a cool forest setting and had a good ole fashion feast of barbecue, beans, and of course watermelon….yum, oh yeah, and cool sweet tea to wash it all down.

It was great to bring back farmers helping farmers, and neighbors helping neighbors. Getting done what needs to be done in order to eat.

Alvin wishes to thank everyone who was involved in this day. He and his family are very grateful for the help and the strong relationship developing between us all. Best I can say to this is Ditto!

Alvin has been bringing his produce to the Coffee and Trade here at Earthaven every Tuesday morning for over a year. So now we can say when we eat those potatoes…hey we helped plant them…now that’s connection to your food!

Rae Jean has always lived on the edge one way or another. For the last eight years it has been at Earthaven. Along with raising heritage chickens, ducks, veggies and herbs, she designs and creates knitting patterns.

Field Day photos by Stephanie Usery

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If you’ve ever survived an awkward February 14, when others fuss over romances and secret crushes, while your “significant” relationships seem humdrum…or worse…you might like this practice as much as we do.

The concept came to us from Twin Oaks Community in Virginia and, for years now, we take the time to appreciate one another on February 14, which we now call “Validation Day.”

Our project involves making collage cards a month ahead of time with cut-out pictures and words that evoke each person. Once complete, fellow community members sign the cards—it can take weeks to get to them all!

On the 14^th, we gather over a hearty feast and give out the cards. Some folks report keeping theirs close by all year as welcome reminders of how others appreciate them or of sweet connections to others. It’s quite a boost.

You can do it too, with your family, people at work, classmates—wherever the opportunity seems right. May you experience heartfelt validation this year and always!

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