The days of orientation seem to be getting so long! I just want to be out there with the groups. We finished up learning all of the programs today, ate at the Colonias site, then practiced all afternoon until chores, then learned some more about the Global Village sites. Then I checked my mailbox, and presto! I have my seeds for my Appalachian garden. I don't have all of what I need, but I'm getting there. I can't wait to break ground.
Colonias is a really cool site; it's basically the area 50 miles on either side of the US/Mexico border. The houses fit 12-15 people, and it's more like a refugee camp site. The meal was a tortilla with beans, peppers, and tomatoes. It was yummy!
I milked the goats today, which was interesting without a milking stand. I'm feeling pretty scatterbrained right now, but that's okay. I'm going to go visualize my garden. Can't you just taste the sugar babies and hominy? Mmm. Maybe not together, but yea. Ooh or cushaw squash and fried okra.
Maybe I'll feel more chatty later. Peace!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Garden Time!
Day 2 of Ed Vol Life:
We went through various more training activities, which included games to teach our groups and more discussion prompts on the importance of gardening. At this point, we were all clamoring to have our own. As Ed Vols, we are "in charge" of one of the Global Village site gardens. We all talked about our favorites, and when we got to Appalachia's site, I was like "this shouldn't be here, and where's the corn and okra? What about blackberries? When are you transplanting tomoatoes?" I think that pretty much solidified my vested interest in correctly portraying Southern Appalachian correctly. Needless to say, I've spend the last hour and a half or so trying to come up with a comprehensive list of the things one might grow in a typical Eastern Kentucky or Tennessee garden. I have big plans on expanding and finding crops that are traditional. Here's what I have so far, including what I already have and what I want to add: beets, turnips, carrots, tomatoes, beans, peas, squash, corn, watermelon, tobacco, yucca, huckle or blackberries. I'm drafting pictures of how I want the site garden to look. I'm so excited for a weekend of gardening.
On another note, I found out today that I'll be facilitating a group with Erin on my first day after Orientation. I'm a little nervous, but Erin won't lead me astray. I can't wait to get into it! I had a chance to shadow Glenn tonight as we joined up to facilitate a mini-tour, video, and Q&A session for the local Lions Club. They were cranky and rude at first. They kept telling us that they have been giving to Heifer for years, that they've seen the animals, and that they know the schpiel. Boy, were they wrong. Once we started quizzing them, they quickly found out that they didn't know much of anything. As in, the mission, why it's called "Heifer International", who founded it, what kinds of animals are sent, where they come from, and even what camels are used for. They were ridiculously uninformed, but they were really receptive to learning more about Heifer.
Ahh, it was a lesson in biting my tongue and answering graciously. I'll get it down with more practice. For now, it's off to draw my idyllic garden plot and go to bed. Goodnight!
We went through various more training activities, which included games to teach our groups and more discussion prompts on the importance of gardening. At this point, we were all clamoring to have our own. As Ed Vols, we are "in charge" of one of the Global Village site gardens. We all talked about our favorites, and when we got to Appalachia's site, I was like "this shouldn't be here, and where's the corn and okra? What about blackberries? When are you transplanting tomoatoes?" I think that pretty much solidified my vested interest in correctly portraying Southern Appalachian correctly. Needless to say, I've spend the last hour and a half or so trying to come up with a comprehensive list of the things one might grow in a typical Eastern Kentucky or Tennessee garden. I have big plans on expanding and finding crops that are traditional. Here's what I have so far, including what I already have and what I want to add: beets, turnips, carrots, tomatoes, beans, peas, squash, corn, watermelon, tobacco, yucca, huckle or blackberries. I'm drafting pictures of how I want the site garden to look. I'm so excited for a weekend of gardening.
On another note, I found out today that I'll be facilitating a group with Erin on my first day after Orientation. I'm a little nervous, but Erin won't lead me astray. I can't wait to get into it! I had a chance to shadow Glenn tonight as we joined up to facilitate a mini-tour, video, and Q&A session for the local Lions Club. They were cranky and rude at first. They kept telling us that they have been giving to Heifer for years, that they've seen the animals, and that they know the schpiel. Boy, were they wrong. Once we started quizzing them, they quickly found out that they didn't know much of anything. As in, the mission, why it's called "Heifer International", who founded it, what kinds of animals are sent, where they come from, and even what camels are used for. They were ridiculously uninformed, but they were really receptive to learning more about Heifer.
Ahh, it was a lesson in biting my tongue and answering graciously. I'll get it down with more practice. For now, it's off to draw my idyllic garden plot and go to bed. Goodnight!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Education Volunteer Week
Today marks the beginning of our (me and the other 5 Ed Vols) first week of specific training. We have to have every village meal so that we know how to make it when we have groups, so we ventured over to the China/Tibet site and made Zhamba. It's boiled milk (normally yak's milk, but we don't have that readily available, ha), crushed barley, sugar, and butter. We (Heifer) put sugar in it so kids eat it, but it's really really good, even without it. Jessica, another Ed Vol, has been to Tibet (I think she hiked there illegally from Nepal), and said their zhamba is much less oatmeal-like, and more like the consistency of cement, and they eat it with their hands. Either way, it was pretty good with some green tea.
Our next task was to learn how to put up the yurt, the traditional housing of the nomadic people of Tibet/China. It's basically a huge tent made of yak hair. Each year, a yak yields about a pound of hair, and a yurt takes around 200lbs of it. I imagine that a lot of villagers or herdsmen get together and share. I can't see how else they would make one in any reasonable amount of time. Anyways, it took all 7 of us (including Todd, our Supervisor) to put it up in about an hour. The Tibetans would have laughed at us! Whatever, it's a pretty sexy yurt as far as nomadic dwellings go.
In other news, Double Wide, as we have affectionately dubbed the fattest, most pregnant sheep EVER, gave birth to twins today when she was out in pasture. I'm sadly disappointed that she didn't have triplets; we were all banking on it. How's that for pathetic farm entertainment?
For Memorial Day, Dale, the recently retired director of the farm, invited everyone over for a big cookout at his farm! I found a great old bike in the basement with working brakes and tires. It has the big wrap-around handlebars. It was so wonderful to ride a bike again, especially in the warm summer evening. We're in such a pretty area; the farm has a gorgeous view to the east and south, and the hills around here just roll, tucking away tiny 18th century farmhouses and lichen-encrusted stone walls. Riding down the old roads was so pleasant! When we got to his farm, I got to ride one of his horses. It was so nice to ride again. The weather was perfect. New England is at prime summer beauty. Ahh, I'm quite happy indeed.
Time to make granola. Bye!
Our next task was to learn how to put up the yurt, the traditional housing of the nomadic people of Tibet/China. It's basically a huge tent made of yak hair. Each year, a yak yields about a pound of hair, and a yurt takes around 200lbs of it. I imagine that a lot of villagers or herdsmen get together and share. I can't see how else they would make one in any reasonable amount of time. Anyways, it took all 7 of us (including Todd, our Supervisor) to put it up in about an hour. The Tibetans would have laughed at us! Whatever, it's a pretty sexy yurt as far as nomadic dwellings go.
In other news, Double Wide, as we have affectionately dubbed the fattest, most pregnant sheep EVER, gave birth to twins today when she was out in pasture. I'm sadly disappointed that she didn't have triplets; we were all banking on it. How's that for pathetic farm entertainment?
For Memorial Day, Dale, the recently retired director of the farm, invited everyone over for a big cookout at his farm! I found a great old bike in the basement with working brakes and tires. It has the big wrap-around handlebars. It was so wonderful to ride a bike again, especially in the warm summer evening. We're in such a pretty area; the farm has a gorgeous view to the east and south, and the hills around here just roll, tucking away tiny 18th century farmhouses and lichen-encrusted stone walls. Riding down the old roads was so pleasant! When we got to his farm, I got to ride one of his horses. It was so nice to ride again. The weather was perfect. New England is at prime summer beauty. Ahh, I'm quite happy indeed.
Time to make granola. Bye!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
"Eating a tomato in January is like eating a waxy sack of nastiness."
That's a quote from one of my co-volunteers. We were discussing how great it is to eat produce when it's in season. I thought it was funny.
So, yesterday was pretty chill, and I took pictures of all of the animals. I had a day off today, and I slept until 9:30, which felt amazing. Then I got up and cleaned the hell out of Hemlock House. Apparently voluteers like to voluteer to tend livestock, plant 12 varieties, and teach children about Peru, but not to maintain their surroundings. Needless to say, I feel much better about living here! Ha, I bet the floors haven't been so clean in a long time. I also found a hammock and ping pong table in the basement, as well as a few bicycles. I can't wait to ressurect any of those.
Kim moved into our room today, and she made coconut maple cookies tonight. So good.
I think I am really going to love my time here. I really love Heifer's mission, and the people here give a damn about what they eat, what they support, and how they intentionally live their lives. I know I am going to learn a lot; I've learned so much this entire week! Tomorrow I'm going to leave and explore Holden and Rutland, and enjoy the lovely weather.
P.S. 6 new lambs today! All cute and lamb-like, and still slightly gooey.
So, yesterday was pretty chill, and I took pictures of all of the animals. I had a day off today, and I slept until 9:30, which felt amazing. Then I got up and cleaned the hell out of Hemlock House. Apparently voluteers like to voluteer to tend livestock, plant 12 varieties, and teach children about Peru, but not to maintain their surroundings. Needless to say, I feel much better about living here! Ha, I bet the floors haven't been so clean in a long time. I also found a hammock and ping pong table in the basement, as well as a few bicycles. I can't wait to ressurect any of those.
Kim moved into our room today, and she made coconut maple cookies tonight. So good.
I think I am really going to love my time here. I really love Heifer's mission, and the people here give a damn about what they eat, what they support, and how they intentionally live their lives. I know I am going to learn a lot; I've learned so much this entire week! Tomorrow I'm going to leave and explore Holden and Rutland, and enjoy the lovely weather.
P.S. 6 new lambs today! All cute and lamb-like, and still slightly gooey.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
We're Being Oriented
So yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind, as was today. We were told that we were going to experience the Global Village, which is a major learning tool that the farms (Overlook, here in Rutland, and Heifer Ranch, at Headquarters in Perrysville, Arkansas) use to teach people about global hunger, poverty, and the problems they face. Basically, the Global Village has several houses that are specific to a few of the countries in which Heifer works. For example, ours has Peru, Guatemala, Thailand, Mexico, Tibet, Poland and Ghana (the latter two are under construction). We drew numbers, which randomly assigned us to families. Then, Todd (my supervisor) gave a few of us random disabilities. Lauren, my roommate, was pregnant, and had to give birth at some point that night. Rachel, in Guatemala, had a baby, and it had to be in constant human contact, as did Lauren's, once it was born. I had a bum leg, as did a few others.
My family was assigned to Thailand. Since I basically couldn't move, I stayed behind and started the fire, while my family members went to the market place (run by Todd and another volunteer, Glenn) to haggle for food. We actually did really well. We ended up making a delicious rice and kale stir-fry with carrots, and we even scored a few spices. After supper, Peru and Guatemala came over, and we played music and bonded a bit. It was the first time we actually got to hang out as the group of new summer vols.
In the morning, we made oatmeal and added some of Guatemala's salt, our ginger, and an egg from the laying chickens for some delicious mush. That was our experience with the Global Village!
Blah, then today, we had about 3 more debriefings about various (boring) things, and finally got a chance to shower and eat just now. Although I had a good night's sleep on a stilted house with board floors, I am quite tired.
As for the rest of the farm, life is going mostly well. We have one more new lamb today (I wasn't available to witness the birth), and I think some folks are out grocery shopping for delicious organic food. I am going to eat quite well here! The eggs are free and abundant, and when the veggies start coming in we'll have lots to get rid of that Liz (the chef) can't in the kitchen. Also, in about a month and a half we'll process some chickens, so we can have that meat too. (The other day I said "slaughter" instead of "process" and was quickly corrected).
In other news, I made some progress with the baby yaks. They weren't really socialized when they were younger, so they're very skittish. I was able to pet Ferguson for quite a little while today! Quite exciting.
Well, I need to go help with supper and figure out what's going on with chores. More to come (hopefully) tomorrow. I know that I can't explain stuff really well, so I REALLY ENCOURAGE you to go to Heifer's website. You can also learn a little more about Overlook. www.heifer.org.
Seriously, go there. Heifer has such an awesome mission, and I'm learning more about it and loving it more each day. :) Happy browsing!
My family was assigned to Thailand. Since I basically couldn't move, I stayed behind and started the fire, while my family members went to the market place (run by Todd and another volunteer, Glenn) to haggle for food. We actually did really well. We ended up making a delicious rice and kale stir-fry with carrots, and we even scored a few spices. After supper, Peru and Guatemala came over, and we played music and bonded a bit. It was the first time we actually got to hang out as the group of new summer vols.
In the morning, we made oatmeal and added some of Guatemala's salt, our ginger, and an egg from the laying chickens for some delicious mush. That was our experience with the Global Village!
Blah, then today, we had about 3 more debriefings about various (boring) things, and finally got a chance to shower and eat just now. Although I had a good night's sleep on a stilted house with board floors, I am quite tired.
As for the rest of the farm, life is going mostly well. We have one more new lamb today (I wasn't available to witness the birth), and I think some folks are out grocery shopping for delicious organic food. I am going to eat quite well here! The eggs are free and abundant, and when the veggies start coming in we'll have lots to get rid of that Liz (the chef) can't in the kitchen. Also, in about a month and a half we'll process some chickens, so we can have that meat too. (The other day I said "slaughter" instead of "process" and was quickly corrected).
In other news, I made some progress with the baby yaks. They weren't really socialized when they were younger, so they're very skittish. I was able to pet Ferguson for quite a little while today! Quite exciting.
Well, I need to go help with supper and figure out what's going on with chores. More to come (hopefully) tomorrow. I know that I can't explain stuff really well, so I REALLY ENCOURAGE you to go to Heifer's website. You can also learn a little more about Overlook. www.heifer.org.
Seriously, go there. Heifer has such an awesome mission, and I'm learning more about it and loving it more each day. :) Happy browsing!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Day 1!
To my family and friends,
Welcome to my blog about my summer in Rutland, MA on Heifer Project International's Overlook Farm! This is my first time to blog, so I hope you can stick with me as I figure this whole thing out.
Let me give you a brief rundown of my past 4 days before I pass out; to my college friends, I understand that it's only 11pm, but I find that my day here seems to have exhausted me. I have the feeling that I will experience said exhaustion often.
I had my last exam at Maryville on Thursday morning. After checking all my residents out and packing up myself, it was 4am Friday morning before I finally finished. My tiredness seemed to affect my logic, so, instead of going to bed and finishing in the morning, I decided to just leave right then. Seriously. So, at 4am, I left Maryville for Newark, Delaware. Needless to say, my two naps on the way were well appreciated, and I arrived safely at the University of Delaware around dinnertime to begin a joyous reunion weekend with my best friend in the entire world, Beth.
I left Sunday around 1, and making a short detour through the Bronx to see my beloved cousins and aunt, I finally arrived in Rutland, Massachusetts around 10:30pm. What an incredibly long weekend.
That would mean that today, Monday the 19th, was my first day of work! We started with a staff meeting at 8, then a 3 hour long introduction to the world of farm chores (done twice daily). Outlook has a bazillion animals, including, but not limited to, Abu the camel (he's hilarious and so sweet), 17 cows of various breeds, a bazillion chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, water buffalo (they honestly smell like NOTHING I've ever smelled), yaks, rabbits, and guinea pigs. I believe we're expecting a shipment of some kind of heirloom turkey chicks later this week. Amazingly, the chores only take about 20 minutes when everyone pitches in. It's a really great atmosphere.
Today was a fun day in that I did several things I've never done before. I promise I will explain in more detail tomorrow, but as I said, I am exhausted, and I need to get my sleep if I'm going to be on Lamb Watch for the rest of the week (it's lambing season, and we need to check the ewes every two hours to make sure their births go smoothly). A short list: milked a goat, herded cows, corralled rogue kids and lambs (it is UNREAL how friggin adorable they are; more details and pictures to come), learned ridiculous facts about chicken eggs and other roosting birds, fed baby yaks (so cute), and ate tofu for at least one of my meals.
Okay, seriously, it's bed time. More tomorrow.
Peace,
Chelsea
Welcome to my blog about my summer in Rutland, MA on Heifer Project International's Overlook Farm! This is my first time to blog, so I hope you can stick with me as I figure this whole thing out.
Let me give you a brief rundown of my past 4 days before I pass out; to my college friends, I understand that it's only 11pm, but I find that my day here seems to have exhausted me. I have the feeling that I will experience said exhaustion often.
I had my last exam at Maryville on Thursday morning. After checking all my residents out and packing up myself, it was 4am Friday morning before I finally finished. My tiredness seemed to affect my logic, so, instead of going to bed and finishing in the morning, I decided to just leave right then. Seriously. So, at 4am, I left Maryville for Newark, Delaware. Needless to say, my two naps on the way were well appreciated, and I arrived safely at the University of Delaware around dinnertime to begin a joyous reunion weekend with my best friend in the entire world, Beth.
I left Sunday around 1, and making a short detour through the Bronx to see my beloved cousins and aunt, I finally arrived in Rutland, Massachusetts around 10:30pm. What an incredibly long weekend.
That would mean that today, Monday the 19th, was my first day of work! We started with a staff meeting at 8, then a 3 hour long introduction to the world of farm chores (done twice daily). Outlook has a bazillion animals, including, but not limited to, Abu the camel (he's hilarious and so sweet), 17 cows of various breeds, a bazillion chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, water buffalo (they honestly smell like NOTHING I've ever smelled), yaks, rabbits, and guinea pigs. I believe we're expecting a shipment of some kind of heirloom turkey chicks later this week. Amazingly, the chores only take about 20 minutes when everyone pitches in. It's a really great atmosphere.
Today was a fun day in that I did several things I've never done before. I promise I will explain in more detail tomorrow, but as I said, I am exhausted, and I need to get my sleep if I'm going to be on Lamb Watch for the rest of the week (it's lambing season, and we need to check the ewes every two hours to make sure their births go smoothly). A short list: milked a goat, herded cows, corralled rogue kids and lambs (it is UNREAL how friggin adorable they are; more details and pictures to come), learned ridiculous facts about chicken eggs and other roosting birds, fed baby yaks (so cute), and ate tofu for at least one of my meals.
Okay, seriously, it's bed time. More tomorrow.
Peace,
Chelsea
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