homestead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KLw0CtKDf0

Dacha in a Documentary!

Cultura: art, film, writing, multi-media, DIY, film, media, the past, video , , 0 Comments

Our lovely friend and film maker from Montreal, Maxime Pelletier, visited us 5 years ago as he was traveling across the US to make this film. We were still building and gardening and had a little baby living in the house. Check it out. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KLw0CtKDf0

Film Description: American Utopias is a special journey on the mythical roads of the United States of America. We drove 10 000 miles across the country to view firsthand practicing utopias. We saw communities of tiny houses, intentional communities, an urban laboratory and also participated in Burning Man, an artistic gathering in Nevada. All along our journey, we wondered about the possibility of an ideal community and the core values that underpin any such initiative. Have you ever imagined living in a 150 square feet home? Could you live without electricity or gas? Would you live at a stone’s throw from your workplace? These questions and more are the subject matter of the feature-length documentary American Utopias.

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Mutant Corn Call for Collaborators!!!

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Triforce Triangular Formation, Activate!

Mutant Corn is a collaborative, agricultural art project that wants well…collaborators.  The project is inspired by the genetic, economic and social history of corn, and is in many ways an experiment in cross-breeding corn.  More importantly, it is an experiment in crossing the social boundaries of agriculture, science and art, which is something that can be achieved only through getting more people to join in.

Mutant Corn is looking for folks to come in, get inspired by the project and people involved, and then to add something of their own creation to the foundation that has already been laid.  Collaborators will get the chance to show their work at the gallery exhibit that will happen at the Dacha Project during harvest time. Learn more about the project and how you can get involved below, and read the full project statement.

For the summer of 2015 the Dacha Project (Freeville, NY) and  artCodex (Brooklyn, NY) have teamed up to lay the framework for a project that will gather a community to discuss corn in all of its natural beauty, as well as the many problematic issues that surround it.

(diagram)

At harvest time, we will have a gallery exhibit at the Dacha Project during which people can observe the effects of cross-fertilization, and also to see the collaborative projects that have been born out of the discussions that Mutant Corn has generated.  For example, one recent collaborator has decided to plant three chestnut trees in a triangle formation nearby the triangular beds of corn, in a sort of protest to growing corn altogether. The collaborator will do a write up of why she esteems chestnuts to be a superior alternative to growing corn. The write-up will be available at the gallery opening. Other ideas for collaborations include: an illustration of corn genetics, maps of where GMO is banned, and a timeline of the history of corn. The possibilities are all exciting and infinite, and more people are needed to generate and execute those possibilities in time for the opening, which is set for sometime in September.  Other ways of getting involved include planting, de-tasseling, and caring for the corn all summer long, as well as getting the word out.

The next meeting and work party is schedule for May 30-31, and you can check the Dacha Project website closer to the time to see a more detailed schedule.

If you would like to be involved, please contact Lea LSF from Dacha Project at   dachaproject at g mail dot you-know-what.

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Day at the Dacha

Events, support the homestead, visitors= we love you , , , , , 0 Comments

by Emma, Dacha Intern
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On Sunday, July 12 the The Dacha Project, with the help of IthaCan, invited folks of the community to take a tour of the homestead. Guests were welcomed to come throughout the afternoon, and each tour was tailored to the specific interests of the group. One family enjoyed exploring the garlic patch, and other groups were interested in the construction projects. Lily, was the primary hostess explaining the various projects such as the outside shower and solar panels.
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The outside shower, pictured above, is a project developed this summer to solve an on-going issue. The Dacha is something called an earth bermed home, meaning the earth is incorporated in the construction of the structure.Due to the participants of the Dacha being homestead beginners, moisture issues have developed after the construction that were not anticipated. The outside shower is a way to reduce these issues because less moisture will be created inside the house if more people shower outside. As an added bonus, the beautiful summer scenery makes for a relaxing time!

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As the tour concluded, guests were treated to fresh black raspberries, and red and black currants picked from the north garden. Since The Dacha is interested in biodiversity, every plant is chosen for a specific reason. In the case of berries, having a wide selection allows exploration of the nuances of different species, such as flavor, texture, and nutritional value. For example, did you know that black raspberries are different from blackberries? Blackberries, or Rubus allegheniensis, leave a differently shaped receptacle than the black raspberry, or  Rubus occidentalis.  When plucked, the blackberry leaves a flat receptacle rather than the cone shaped receptacle that the black raspberry leaves.

The Dacha Project hopes to invite more guests to the homestead for discovery and exploration. Stay tuned for information!


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Documenting Dacha: My first day on the homestead

buildings, Cultura: art, film, writing, multi-media, DIY , , , , 1 Comment

Hello! My name is Julia Nelson. I’m one of the new Media and Communication Interns for the Dacha Project. A recent graduate from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University, I studied sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, video and sound. I found my way to Ithaca due to my enrollment in the Community Herbal Intensive at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine.  While it is exciting to be learning about the vast world of plants and how they interact with the body, helping the Dacha Project gives me an opportunity to utilize and continue to develop my artistic skills.

I feel very lucky to be seeing first hand how a community like Dacha works. I am fascinated with process of what it  means to build sustainable living practices starting from the ground up. Even if an individual wasn’t necessarily interested living the path the members of the Dacha Project have taken, there are so many aspects to the projects they do here that can be incorporated into many lifestyles. It is the DIY aspect that intrigues me, and I am happy to help share their savvy with the world.

My weekly updates to the Dacha Project’s website will offer online followers an opportunity to learn more about building practices, gardening, and various ideas about how life unfolds here. Keep on reading for photos from Sunday, June 8th!

My first mission is to finish this fence made with saplings and branches from felled trees around the property. The saplings and branches are still “green” meaning that they haven’t completely lost their living moisture. By weaving these flexible branches and trees we can create a sturdy, tall fence to keep out those pesky deer. Another trick to keep deer out of the garden is to plant aromatic herbs like garlic around the perimeter. There are few herbivores that like the taste of these plants.

The fence will also act as an armature for some pea plants that are growing along the edge. These climbers can get to be around six feet tall! They will look beautiful intertwined with the natural wood of the woven fence.

Here is a photo of some thriving gardens next to the homestead. There are salad greens and herbs growing here. I had the pleasure of picking some for my lunch.

Marina, a resident of the homestead, is starting an herb garden on the side of the house. She is also attending the Community Herbal Intensive and my first visit to the Dacha project was at a potluck she organized for the members of the herbal class and the Dacha residents. That gravel is meant to prevent any vegetation from growing next to the house’s foundation, which can compromise its stability and keep moisture where it shouldn’t be. It will also help to catch rainwater falling from the gutter and send it to the plants. Marina built a raised bed because the soil is too clay heavy for the herbs. With some wood she found lying around, and a rich horse manure mixture to fill the cavity these herbs are set up to thrive.

It was a full Sunday familiarizing myself with the homestead, working on the fence and talking to the Dacha Project community members. I can’t wait to get back to work next week. I hope to investigate beekeeping and gather footage for a series of video shorts. Tune in next Friday for the results!

 

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Dacha Looking for Intern(s)!

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Picture of Intern (a previous intern). He is very happy to do this sludgy concrete pouring work, although these days most work is a lot less concrete- y and more earthy. But still, just look at that smile! It should be noted that Intern demanded that we call him Intern, and would only answer to that, it's not that we thought of that idea.

Communications and Media Intern

We are looking for a person with exemplary writing and communication skills and a passion for, and at least a basic knowledge of, the sustainability movement and growing community.

Responsibilities Will Include:
– Regularly documenting through writing, photography and video various new projects and finished projects, as well as events at the organization
– Managing our blog, Facebook, and Twitter
– Working with us to develop new ways of engaging interested people and sharing our work
– Reaching out to other local organizations with overlapping interests in order to build a stronger network and purpose partnerships

Preferred Qualifications:
– Strong writing and communication skills
– A working knowledge of how to post and edit in WordPress or other blogging platform
– Experience with social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter
– Basic photo and video documenting and editing skills
– Overall strong web and digital skills
– A strong interest in all things sustainability: growing food, land stewardship, community building, building/water systems/heat systems design, and more.

This position is unpaid. We are a 501c3 umbrella organization, so if you had the interest in finding a grant to fund your position here you could use our sponsorship. What we have to offer is helping you develop stronger PR/communications/video/social media skills. You would work with a handful of us, all who work professionally in that relevant fields. You will also be exposed to and involved in a lot of hands-in-the-dirt type work, which is usually soul expanding. Also, we are mostly very nice, which makes for a wonderful work environment.

We are looking for someone to start as soon as possible, since the season for exciting things is getting fast underway. We require a 5-10 hour per week, with at least a three month commitment. In many ways, we are flexible and are willing to work with the right person to tailor this program to individual strong points.

Please send a resume and cover letter.

If you read this and think of someone who might be interested in this, help spread the word.

We are also looking for a gardening/building intern and will post a description for that soon. Thanks!

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Dacha Made: Spatulas, Onesies, Puppets and Syrup

craft, DIY , , , , , , , 2 Comments

These are photos of just some of the things made recently here on the homestead.

1. Spatulas, made from cherry wood blanks on the band saw, finished with linseed oil.

2. Onesies, dyed with turmeric and annatto seed. Find the how-to guide on our website.

3. 100% recycled puppets from LilySilly toys.  Available for purchase on her website or on her Etsy!

4.  Maple Syrup, Grade B .vs. Grade A, a collecting and boiling labor of diligence and love. Yum!

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Hedge Fund with Carrots

Economics, garden , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Here at the DP we believe in three sustainabilities: environmental, economic and emotional. Investing in a third planting of carrots in mid-July grows our savings, and earns us interest. Growing carrots increases soil capacity, by breaking up the soil and attracting beneficial organisms. Pulling and eating crispy and sweet carrots in December makes us giddy. Invest in a third planting of carrots next summer, it’s the responsible thing to do!

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EcoJarz! Some of our own Dachettes helped launch this company

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A few of the Dacha Project’s members helped start a company this year, and they are just unveiling their second product. They have been working very hard from conception to production, and we’re very proud of them! Check it out, it’s EcoJarz and they are nice-looking, super-useful and will go a long way to help prevent waste.

Their new product is a silicone version of their first. It’s a hot green drink top that makes any small-mouthed jar into a to-go container.  Not only that, but the tops are completely non-reactive, with no-BPA, and no leach. Try as hard as you might, this is very hard to find.  With one of these lids you can have an all glass, steal and/or silicone drinking vessel, and that is still rare in the marketplace.


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Dacha Work Party Weekend

buildings, DIY, Events, support the homestead , , , , , 0 Comments

It’s fall and we dacha squirrels need to start organizing our nuts. We need your help as we finish up some dacha projects before winter. Come toil, take a tour, and have lunch with us, maybe play some horseshoes. Possible projects include plastering, building a small structure out of pallets, berming and putting a small roof on the old tent frame. We can use power tools! If you have rakes, please bring them with you. Come either Sat the 22 or Sun 23 or both. We’ll be here all day. Invite your friends, your family, and strangers or strange friends, sure.

The details:  Sat and Sun Sept 22 and 23, 10:30 am – 6 pm

Bring rakes or hoes if you’ve got them.

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