There is a phenomenon in upstate New York that is drawing young radicals out of the grunge of the urban to the dirty farm work of the rural. The 65 acre collective farm in Germantown walks the line between the cultivated and the wild as they attempt to connect with and support their community through concrete projects based on sustainability and creativity. The house has been a functioning...
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There is a phenomenon in upstate New York that is drawing young radicals out of the grunge of the urban to the dirty farm work of the rural. The 65 acre collective farm in Germantown walks the line between the cultivated and the wild as they attempt to connect with and support their community through concrete projects based on sustainability and creativity. The house has been a functioning collective for a year. With the help of The Bob, another collective farm down the road, they are putting in simpler more sustainable systems that are easier to maintain, such as gray water reuse and a composting toilet. There are plans to build a greenhouse, prune the orchard, and put out a publication by the spring, and to become economically self-sustaining over the next year. More and more city kids are learning about the project and travel north for extended weekends to help out and hang out. The local community is also influenced as the core collective members regularly weigh in at town meetings, inspiring teenagers to rethink the stereotypes of rural living. Kaya, who has been involved in sustainable farming projects in the area for three years, says “We all find meaning in working with the land, but we want our work to engage and serve the community on a broader scale in addition to nourishing ourselves.”
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