Her program for the summer included learning Paul’s peeled, round pole timber framing process, assisting him in designing the unique jig needed for the joinery, learning basic woodworking techniques, and (in her spare time!) thinking about how she might design one of the needed buildings for the Village Center. Klara also wound up on the core team for the Council Hall roof project, which recently planted a fourth of the lower roof in sedums and set up a drip irrigation system to see if this living roof method works.

Easy to love, work with and engage in upbeat conversation, Klara returned to Denmark following a visit to sister ecovillage Dancing Rabbit in Rutledge, Missouri, where she intended to interview a resident architect and see what more she could learn about community building design. We look forward to hearing more about that!

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Farmer and NikkiAnne in front of the MicroHut (Farmer’s residence at Earthaven) at Gateway Neighborhood. Photo taken Summer 2010.

On Tuesday night, Nov. 16,^,

Earthaven member Chris Farmer (often called “Farmer”) threw a farewell dance party in the Council Hall and said goodbye to Earthaven . . . at least for now.

“I’m leaving for the indefinite future,” he told friends in the packed Council Hall.  “I may be back, and I’d like to come back, but I’m not making any specific plans about it.” He’ll be living in Santa Barbara, California, close to his sweetheart, an environmental activist and former Earthaven work exchanger. Farmer has been an Earthaven member for 13 years.

Chris Farmer (left) with Brian Love.

One of Earthaven’s earliest advocates for agriculture, Farmer is co-owner with Brian Love of Gateway Farm, as well as their business, ArtiSun Construction. He co-founded the Forestry Co-op (1998- 2004): felling trees, mastering timber-framing carpentry, and innovating the use of a geopolymer concrete substance as well as a wall-truss system with wood milled from thinner trees.  He built a timber-framed 12’ x 12’ x 12’ “micro-hut” with chip-slip walls in the Hut Hamlet, and later built a similar hut in Gateway neighborhood in the hybrid natural/conventional style he and Brian innovated.

Farmer has stimulated and entertained Earthaven members, friends, neighbors, and visitors with his “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “Clueless Honky,” and “Open-Source Mythology” raps. (See videos.)

Farmer in a large goodbye hug at his farewell party.

Farmer was Earthaven’s Firekeeper (president) in 2007, where he lead us in dealing with state officials re water quality and distribution standards. He has served on Land Use/Site Planning committee and on the ad hoc Council Document committee, and is one of Earthaven’s best facilitators.

We’ll miss you Farmer. We wish you all the best!

Earthaven member Diana Leafe Christian is an internationally known ecovillage activist, author of Creating a Life Together and Finding Community (New Society Publishers), and publisher of Ecovillages newsletter. Click here for her website.

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An exciting development on Another Way this year has been the slow but steady progress on the Village Arts Building (VAB). Located right before the entrance to Useful Plants Nursery and the Third Creek Crossing, the VAB is the brainchild of Earthaven co-founder Paul Caron, known around Asheville as The Furniture Magician. Expanding his fully equipped woodshop to incorporate a working wood-products cooperative and an art and craft studio co-op on his leasehold has been Paul’s dream since before Earthaven was established.

Projects involving natural building become the hub of learning opportunities for amateurs and professionals alike. The Village Arts Building is now providing long-term interns and short-term students with a variety of opportunities to build naturally and take those lessons on with them. This year’s Natural Building School internship program, which includes folks from California, Alabama, New York and jolly old England, has to date included directional tree-felling, round peeled pole timber framing, basic rubble foundation work and dry-stack stone wall building.

Natural Building School Interns, Paul Caron (right), and friends.

Next up as the stone wall sets is a Natural Building Camp, a 6-day adventure in building with cob and compressed earth blocks that adds to the progress at the VAB. Combining the pre-made blocks with cob will allow more progress than cob alone, and will give participants an opportunity to seriously consider the pros and cons for privately and professionally building masonry walls.

Additional opportunities in natural building this year include workshops in other earth-and-straw wall techniques, cordwood and earthen plasters. Visit www.naturalbuildingschool.com for updated information and registration assistance.

The Natural Building Camp begins on Tuesday, August 24^th. Registrations are being accepted for the entire 6-day camp and for the weekend only. Cost is $100 per day or $425 for all six. You can also check in with Arjuna by phone for more information at 828 669-0114.

Arjuna da Silva is an Earthaven founder, Culture’s Edge president, and former Airspinner. She is coordinating the Natural Building School  workshops at Earthaven this summer.

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