Issuu

s and images by Peter Forbes, Helen row, Savitri Bhagavati, and the Knoll Farm unity

ed by Axandra Boselli

d edition of 400 for the Knoll Farm unity

Ann Bemis Day, and to all past, present and future stewards of Knoll Farm

- Bobbie Conner Si Saawipam

Last November, the full moon rose so quickly, so yellow, so big that it stopped time. At least, it stopped me. I was halfway up Knoll Farm’s big hill, loaded down with tools, headed to the memorial forest, and there she suddenly was, a stunning globe of reflected light cresting over the Northfield Range. It had been a long day with more work still to do, but not at that moment. The moon had my undivided gaze for the five minutes of her full rise, and then, out from the silence, I heard a voice say, “This place is timeless.”

g an awe-inspiring moment. We said friendly goodbyes, as I went p into the woods and he walked down to his car, but I couldn’t get my mind the question he had planted, “What does it mean for a o be timeless?”

mber so much time passing here. The little girl in this photo is now 26. oman doing her first salutations to the moon? She and I have shared ace for something like 275 full moons. And we know and love the n who spent 600 full moons on this land before us. I can count y public parades, processions marking somebody’s beginning or ending, same hill that nearly ten soapbox derbies have zoomed down. Before this same hill, there were the famous “red sled” races of the 1970s that ht different parts of the valley together for bone-breaking fun. And, that, generations of farmers strode slowly across every inch of these digging up, carrying, piling huge mounds of stones. And, before that, ki people came to this enormous south facing opening in the forest y because of the life its edges attracted.

time, standing on this same hill, I remember a hundred gatherings ousands of faces. I can name organizations that have been born here Center for Whole Communities – and movements – like First Light – ere launched in discussions around these fire circles. On this land, I earned so much from so many, and watched myself grow older. And noll Farm itself is timeless.

was the fall of 1923, the cottonwood was barely shading the farmhouse, there were sixty community members, some of whom are the great grandfathers of people I know today, straddling beams, working together to raise the same barn that stands there today. Then came the Depression and World War II, young boys and girls from Boston slept in that barn during World War II to help farmers get the crops in. Decades later, young refugee families from Central America sought refuge – a meal and a safe place to sleep- in that barn during the 1970s and 1980s. Over the last twenty years, thousands of activists from every state have eaten meals there at the long table. There they had conversations that drew them apart and back together, and in that flux, many things of lasting power and meaning have been birthed into the world. So much has happened that has positively changed our nation and our region because of people brought together in that barn. A place that once housed cows and still shelters sheep, has also given birth to ideas. That barn has been a refuge, a safe place to gather and to prepare for what’s ahead. We often say that the land itself is the greatest teacher here, but it’s the barn that is the soul of Knoll Farm. The barn has held it all. Now that Helen and I are well past our second decade here it should surprise no one that we are thinking of our last great projects. We don’t intend to ever leave this place, only make room for others, but there are important remaining endeavors that need our energy and are necessary to keep Knoll Farm timeless.

years. Ann Day couldn’t have predicted what we’ve already enced: the need for a place of refuge, the pandemic, the shortening of s. Each generation of stewardship of Knoll Farm has had to face and me tremendous obstacles to keep Knoll Farm timeless. I think of the ge and risk-taking of the McLaughlin family 100 years ago to move a rom eleven miles away, haul it up Bragg Hill Road by oxen, and then e community to help them raise it.

ury years later, we are taking a similar risk and making a similar call community far and wide: help us to sustain that barn for another 100 She needs our care. It’s time for the community to gather around her raise her, again.

st great project is to renovate and adapt the McLaughlin Barn, to that she will last another 100 years. We will upgrade the barn for d public safety, add handicap access, build a beautiful communal n and dining space, including an outdoor dining deck and new g areas. The lower level will remain for agriculture, food storage and er space. The barn will retain its historic charm and story and be even useful for the next century.

The barn’s future is our future. Her condition and strength are our condition and strength. The renovations and adaptations that must be done include: • Practical, necessary renovations to wiring, electrical systems and lighting. • Renovating the lower level to expand food storage, increasing efficiency and our farm’s resiliency. • Creating new wood and workshop space that at the same time allows us to expand our existing farmstand for greater public presence and revenue generation. • Creating a commercial kitchen inside the barn that can meet programming needs as well as provide a wealth of future opportunities, while also allowing our other buildings to more appropriately be used as housing (the kitchen is currently in our residence). • Add a new sheep and hay shelter for more efficient, healthy flock handling. We devote this years’ gratitude book to that big, beautiful barn that has been the soul of this farm for more than 100 years. The McLaughlin Barn will always be about agriculture (more than 1,000 lambs born in it), but to survive, barns must also be about ideas and people.

r shade. It takes constant and emotional energy to one’s values. Ann Day at when she put a vation easement over the 40 years ago. We have y our values by bringing nds of people here on hips and by converting m to run on sun and The values that help to Knoll Farm timeless are ge, keeping things as as possible, respecting , putting relationships ngaging the hard ons of the day, knowing actually happened here, g the earth and Knoll better than we found it.

in their shade. It takes constant work and emotional energy to live by one’s values. Ann Day did that when she put a conservation easement over the farm 40 years ago. We have lived by our values by bringing thousands of people here on fellowships and by converting the farm to run on sun and wood. The values that help to make Knoll Farm timeless are courage, keeping things as simple as possible, respecting people, putting relationships first, engaging the hard questions of the day, knowing what actually happened here, leaving the earth and Knoll Farm better than we found it.

y, time, advice, appliances for the kitchen. It will take everything that offered to us to create a beautiful place that is worthy of the people

ome here. We hope you’ll come out and wander through the barn,

n the field, watch the moon rise, walk up into the memorial forest and

omeone who might inspire you.

learned so much from our years at Knoll Farm. Whatever others

gained, we gained more. We are grateful to know you, and grateful

ery small opportunity to be helpful and to earn our keep within this

work of place-making and land justice.

ts are multiplied in relationship; thank you for being in relationship with

$750,000

ed:

$418,363

ors:

101

need $331,638 to reach our goal and

hope to double our number of donors!

Goal:

$750,000

Raised:

$418,363

Donors:

101

We need $331,638 to reach our goal and we hope to double our number of donors!

We can’t know the future, but we can be prepared. We want to always be prepared, always ready. This coming summer of 2024 will be a time of hard work raising money and raising buildings, but also of celebration and music. Please join us. We will be building a sauna up at the yurt village, doing all the things to the barn, so that we realize our vision to be a refuge for others. We do know that our nation – and our region – will always need safe gathering places. We know why we are here.

ears of land care and love

75 years of land care and love

the events of their world as an occasion to change their hearts, an inexhaustible source of generosity and new life has been opened, offering hope far beyond the limits of human prediction." - Henri J. M. Nouwen

up the work, and give orders. d, teach them to yearn for the nd endless sea.”

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

divide up the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

stop telling thwaite. Weour did this to continue telling their stories, to keep their about them.” ries alive in our hearts and on this land.

- Gary Holthaus

inspired this place and loved this land. We want to honor by not forgetting them. The small huts extend their stories and touch new lives. They are there in the woods waiting for a visit or a conversation. Go walk up into the woods and meet these friends, sit in their hut and spread their stories, see their handwriting, touch their books and tools. Watch as it all decomposes back to the earth. We create huts to practice remembering and returning. Ever since we came to Knoll Farm, we have imagined a place within the forest that honors the human beings who have inspired the things that happen here. We have created a place that honors our elders, that allows any one – their families, our work community, our alumni, anyone who has enjoyed Knoll Farm as well as all who will come to Knoll Farm in the future – to take a walk into the woods and to sit among these elders.

s would be a four-foot-high stone circle to elevate small fires that could ned safely and ceremonially by visitors. Scattered in a pleasing and onal way around his hub are simple, inspiring structures that serve as emorials where one, or two people at most, can enter to be with this Pictures, letters, personal objects, mementos are tacked to the wall Things that they made, such as books, chairs, a canoe paddle, lie on a r float above on a cable. It’s a place to ask questions and to find hints answers. It all returns to the soil in a few years, but the stories of these reach out to us and we will carry them on.

rials a year to honor people who

helped to make the earth better, to

mber anyone who our community

to remember. We look forward to

g up to the memorial forest to

hese people, like greeting the trees, thank them for making so much

nThat to bewehere. regularly hear children at the farm, especially after our worked ave grown, is due to the creativity and invitation of Eddie. His bly hard inthe a first generation of memorial huts. ts created ed way to his unique for education alive, and we ateful that he thed that vision ll Farm.

- Robin Wall Kimmerer

ns every hundreds summer, of miles we have frominvited this hillside. cohorts of people doing ant social and environmental change together to sit at those fires. eight, firsta12co-creation years, we between focused that hundreds intention of leaders, throughPenobscot, the maquoddy, zation we created Maliseetcalled and Micmac Center for Nations, Wholebegan Communities. humbly in That g sations was focused betweenonNative culturaland change: non-native in bringing peopletogether around people a fire at areKnoll for the Farm earth in 2010. with People people who later care for began our similar communities, work inwe ntoexchanged close the gap ideas, in understanding like seeds, around between those the same two. fires The here lastinofthe programs ains of Vermont. focused Our on young nationconservationists has always needed, of color and—had, many safe, of natural were Indigenous places in which — coming the caretakers together with of the young, earthwhite — coming different vationistsexperiences to better understand and divided thehistories national—sin could of the gather taking to of nd compare, life fromtest one and group rest, of and people find possibilities to serve theinother. each other. Knoll s one of those places. Caring for those fires and keeping them nis years the most later,difficult there are work now of conservationists a lifetime: we have working stayed closely with with it, nous d, paused, leadersstarted to return again, thathardly land. ever This is being called fully First successful Light and butis bed evermore givenfully up. at www.dawnlandreturn.org.

nearly every happens hundreds summer, of miles we have frominvited this hillside. cohorts of people doing important social and environmental change together to sit at those fires. Firstthe For Light, firsta12co-creation years, we between focused that hundreds intention of leaders, throughPenobscot, the Passamaquoddy, organization we created Maliseetcalled and Micmac Center for Nations, Wholebegan Communities. humbly in That conversations offering was focused betweenonNative culturaland change: non-native in bringing peopletogether around people a fire circle care who at Knoll for the Farm earth in 2010. with People people who later care for began our similar communities, work inwe Oregontoexchanged hoped close the gap ideas, in understanding like seeds, around between those the same two. fires The here lastinofthe mountains those programs of Vermont. focused Our on young nationconservationists has always needed, of color and—had, many safe, of simple natural whom were Indigenous places in which — coming the caretakers together with of the young, earthwhite — coming from different experiences conservationists to better understand and divided thehistories national—sin could of the gather taking to of argue,and land compare, life fromtest one and group rest, of and people find possibilities to serve theinother. each other. Knoll Farm is one of those places. Caring for those fires and keeping them going is years Fifteen the most later,difficult there are work now of conservationists a lifetime: we have working stayed closely with with it, faltered, paused, Indigenous leadersstarted to return again, thathardly land. ever This is being called fully First successful Light and butis also nevermore described givenfully up. at www.dawnlandreturn.org.

naki haveCommunities. been nurturedWe intohave movements raised $1.5 thatmillion change to create geography the first and naki possibilities foundation for renewed on land culture relationship. for all people.

are things happening at between Knoll Farm that oneofcan’t always ight many has become a co-creation hundreds leaders — see,Passamaquoddy, and that’s fine. The storiesand of change hardlyworking ever ourstogether to tell. scot, Maliseet Micmacare Nations at work doneland-holding fifteen and twenty years ago help nurture a 5 nonnative organizations — totoreturn land, money, and n-making to Wabanaki communities. We areand stronger ation of leaders who could bring conservation socialtogether: justice many zations mighttobe able to achieve whatplaces one organization could not. in er continues inspire change in real today. It’s alive today gh moving at theacross speedthe of country trust, these groups g acts of repair thatland-holding understand why it’sare futile to ng in nature the direction of healing the Wabanaki dozens of land heal without human Commission relationships,on and that the most projects benefit Wabanaki culture, economy, and relationship to ctive waythat to decarbonize is to decolonize.

model rests on both the Native and non-native worlds organizing in eparate communities toward the shared goal of returning things. Both ve efforts aspire to reciprocity: to expand Indigenous stewardship, ce and relationship to land for our collective well-being and to create a er conservation movement that includes and reflects Indigenous m and experience. All will benefit from this, and it all begins with a equitable redistribution of land and resources.

circles, haveCommunities. Wabanaki been nurturedWe intohave movements raised $1.5 thatmillion change to create geography the first and Wabanaki create possibilities foundation for renewed on land culture relationship. for all people. There are many things happening at between Knoll Farm that oneofcan’t always First Light has become a co-creation hundreds leaders — readily see,Passamaquoddy, and that’s fine. The storiesand of change hardlyworking ever ourstogether to tell. Penobscot, Maliseet Micmacare Nations But work doneland-holding fifteen and twenty years ago help nurture a withthat 65 nonnative organizations — totoreturn land, money, and decision-making to Wabanaki communities. We areand stronger generation of leaders who could bring conservation socialtogether: justice many organizations mighttobe able to achieve whatplaces one organization could not. in together continues inspire change in real today. It’s alive today Through acts moving at theacross speedthe of country trust, these groups ongoing of repair thatland-holding understand why it’sare futile to working in nature the direction of healing the Wabanaki dozens of land try to heal without human Commission relationships,on and that the most return projects benefit Wabanaki culture, economy, and relationship to productive waythat to decarbonize is to decolonize. kin. Our model rests on both the Native and non-native worlds organizing in their separate communities toward the shared goal of returning things. Both collective efforts aspire to reciprocity: to expand Indigenous stewardship, presence and relationship to land for our collective well-being and to create a stronger conservation movement that includes and reflects Indigenous wisdom and experience. All will benefit from this, and it all begins with a more equitable redistribution of land and resources.

ociety evolves.”

- Bryan Stevenson

way society evolves.” - Bryan Stevenson

- Zora Neal Hurston

ting herself.”

- David James Duncan

recreating herself.” - David James Duncan

s change."

- Octavia Butler

and soul are mbering to slow down, to to be present, and to itize with intention, ction to the land and to and community. Thank everyone who has d this sacred space and ur generosity in sharing it thers."

- from visitors journal

body and soul are remembering to slow down, to reflect, to be present, and to reprioritize with intention, connection to the land and to others, and community. Thank you to everyone who has created this sacred space and for your generosity in sharing it with others." - from visitors journal

st once, with beauty and courage. ps everything that frightens us is,

eepest essence, something helpless ants our love.”

- Rainer Marie Rilke

act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” - Rainer Marie Rilke

ways practicing hing.”

- Alta Starr

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Western science, following Roger Bacon, believed man could force nature to reveal its secrets; The Sioux simply petitioned nature for friendship.” - Vine Deloria, Jr.

ge means ng to stand one another recognize l thriving is l.

creating theWe conditions for relationship andthe collaboration, whichwhich is the of renewal. make refuge by creating campfire around ation real progress on today’s most complex problems. fromfor different movements for change come together to envision ossibilities and begin to create them. Every year those campfires burn had and two into responsibilities Farm:60 to fellows, refine our skills of at building mmer the fall as at weKnoll welcome dozens d growing food for others, and to nurture our commitment to social zations, as well as hundreds of visitors and blueberry pickers. and reciprocity that we express through radical hospitality here at the and what grows from that into programs across the country. We call aking Refuge, a life’s work that arises from our identity, values and se. Making Refuge is our long-term commitment to making a healthy tead, sharing it openly with others to build relationships across nce, and then to put that trust to work elsewhere.

as been our persistent practice for decades. We raised our two girls the thousands of once-strangers who arrived and lived for a time de us. We’ve done it within a small, realistic economy of what we e land itself can provide, amplified by our community of supporters.

about of creating theWe conditions for relationship andthe collaboration, whichwhich is the week renewal. make refuge by creating campfire around foundation real progress on today’s most complex problems. people fromfor different movements for change come together to envision new possibilities and begin to create them. Every year those campfires burn We’ve had and two into responsibilities Farm:60 to fellows, refine our skills of at building all summer the fall as at weKnoll welcome dozens soil and growing food for others, and to nurture our commitment to social organizations, as well as hundreds of visitors and blueberry pickers. justice and reciprocity that we express through radical hospitality here at the farm and what grows from that into programs across the country. We call this Making Refuge, a life’s work that arises from our identity, values and purpose. Making Refuge is our long-term commitment to making a healthy homestead, sharing it openly with others to build relationships across difference, and then to put that trust to work elsewhere. This has been our persistent practice for decades. We raised our two girls amidst the thousands of once-strangers who arrived and lived for a time alongside us. We’ve done it within a small, realistic economy of what we and the land itself can provide, amplified by our community of supporters.

sibility ting concepts of care-taking of tenure here andwhile belonging. also creating Tenurereal means opportunities ownershipforand people tend totomulti-generational have relationship love — toand belong commitment — to this place. to a specific Making place;

eing is the refers larger to the work inalienable of transforming right that white humans spaces, have transforming to nature and landto ship the itself, land of to their be about ancestors. people caring for other people.

elieve in access to land as a right for all people. We practice this at Farm by working very hard to make Knoll Farm welcoming to all, to who may feel entitled to be here as well as those who feel they don’t . Everyone belongs to the land; we work hard to make everyone

to this place. Knoll Farm is where we practice what we preach, and ples of that work spread far beyond the boundaries of this farm.

competing concepts responsibility of care-taking of tenure here andwhile belonging. also creating Tenurereal means opportunities ownershipforand otherextend can peopletotomulti-generational have relationship love — toand belong commitment — to this place. to a specific Making place; belonging Refuge is the refers larger to the work inalienable of transforming right that white humans spaces, have transforming to nature and landto ownership live on the itself, land of to their be about ancestors. people caring for other people. We believe in access to land as a right for all people. We practice this at Knoll Farm by working very hard to make Knoll Farm welcoming to all, to those who may feel entitled to be here as well as those who feel they don’t belong. Everyone belongs to the land; we work hard to make everyone belong to this place. Knoll Farm is where we practice what we preach, and the ripples of that work spread far beyond the boundaries of this farm.

xisted. Such respite is hard to find right now in the age in which e. I feel thankful for this land and those who keep it." -

- from visitors journal

spiritual. We are spiritual trying to be human.”

- Cheri Huber

to be spiritual. We are spiritual beings trying to be human.” - Cheri Huber

MELESS TUNNEL