Ariel’s Story, D Acres Organic Farm, Rumney, NH
I’m a 19-year-old sophomore at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. I do a lot of farming, I’m involved in the sustainable food campaign to use more sustainable foods at school, and have worked in a community garden. I found D Acres online, and it struck me as cool that it was much more than farming, including education, forestry, art, poetry, and animals. It definitely taught me a new way of life. I didn’t really know what to expect, immersing myself in an intentional community with other people, eating whole, seasonal foods, and sharing a common space with people of all ages. There is also a hostel on the farm with guests coming and going The lifestyle was just so different for me from school or home in Schenectady, New York. It’s a strong community able to develop very meaningful bonds between people in short amounts of time. I went with a desire to experience something new, and open to change. I worked, did chores, and had time to just be there, focus on art projects, read at the library, and learn independently and from others. I had a really great time. I’ve already returned for a visit and plan to return again.
D Acres, founded in 1997, is a nonprofit educational center that teaches and applies skills of sustainable living and organic farming. Participants share a communal living situation and work together to raise awareness about people’s impact on the environment, to limit consumption of fossil fuels and other resources, and to encourage on-site production and consumption. D Acres provides training for the development of skills relating to organic farming, forestry, landscaping, eco-friendly construction, and cottage crafts. Work is primarily in the gardens, forest, and on building projects, and is related to the development, maintenance, and long-term economic viability of the community. All guests and residents share assorted tasks and perks including access to a large commercial kitchen, living room, laundry, woodshop, research library, reading library, yoga space, wireless Internet, telephone, and the forested property. In your free time you can explore the White Mountains and the Lake District.
D Acres of New Hampshire, P.O. Box 98, Rumney, NH; 603-786-2366;
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