Community Building 101: For the Young and the Forever-Young

Adopted from Ashland Co-housing Community 


Turn off your TV
Leave your house
Know your neighbors
Look up when you are walking
Greet people
Sit on your stoop
Plant flowers
Use your library 
Play together 
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Garden together
Support neighborhood schools
Fix it even if you didn't break it
Have potlucks
Honor elders
Pick up litter
Read stories aloud
Dance in the street
Talk to the mail carrier
Listen to the birds
Put up a swing
Help carry something heavy
Barter for your goods
Start a tradition
Ask a question
Hire young people for odd jobs
Organize a block party
Bake extra and share
Ask for help when you need it
Open your shades
Sing together
Share your skills
Take back the night
Turn up the music
Turn down the music
Listen before you react to anger
Mediate a conflict
Seek to understand
Learn from new and uncomfortable angles
Know that no one is silent though many are not heard
Work to change this

I briefly introduced the Ashland co-housing community in a previous blog.  The concept has interested me for the last several years, so I was glad to have a brief first-hand experience at our friend Leah's place.  

Like most community-anything, co-housing community takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to maintain its mission.  Although leadership role naturally exists in a community, no one person (or persons) has authority over others. Most decisions are made by consensus.  That can be challenging; such is the reality of living in a co-housing community.  

Every household has part-ownership of the property; every household shares expenses of maintaining the common grounds through homeowner association dues; every household signs up for upkeep of the common grounds and chores.  It is a community that emphasizes shared resources and living sustainably - hence, by default, active participation of some sort is required.  It is also a community that everyone must learn to interact with each other, resolve conflicts, practice tolerance, and perhaps, believe in the good of the people.  It has its rewards, and it has its work cut out.  

The Welcome Committee at the entrance of the complex

The Common House where meals, activities,
regular meetings, and parties take place 

The Common House is a large 2-story space
with full amenities for kids and adults

Upstairs has a spacious guest room,
where guests of all residents are welcome
to stay.  Guests may make a donation
to the "general fund" if they'd like.  

Residents also enjoy a clean 
and comfortable yoga room 

The center of the Common House is a large
eating area.  Residents share optional meals several times
a week.  Chores are shared amongst all households,
including house chores, cooking, cleaning, and maintenance.
Sign up sheets are posted and organized for all. 

Optional shared meals.  What a tremendous concept and a huge relief for parents who have young(er) children.  Imagine a living community where you know everyone.  Imagine coming home and on "shared meals" day, there is a nutritious, wholesome meal already prepared for you and your children.  Enjoy in the company of others, instead of the TV. Sure, there are dietary restrictions and preferences and this and that - but those are just details to be ironed out.  The concept, the fabric of the concept, is tremendous.  

"Love people.  Cook them tasty food."   ~ author unknown

A professional, complete kitchen makes it
a joy to cook here.  All cabinets and drawers
are properly labelled.  There are no shortages of
shared appliances and gadgets:  KitchenAid, Cuisinart, 
bread and pasta machines.  You name it, they've got it.  
Most are donated by residents; additional items are 
purchased with homeowner association dues.  

The shared-chores concept obviously work here -
the place was clean and comfortable, and the
kitchen was spotless.  As a guest, I became keenly
aware that I am in someone else's house, and it is
by their grace and generosity that I get to enjoy
the amenities for free. I dare not take anyone's
 kindness for granted.  

Guests are welcome to use the
Common House kitchen as their own.  We met some friendly
and generous souls while preparing dinner. 

Play area for the kiddies. World maps, books,
games, comfy pillows.  

Everything is in a honor system - these aren't
coin-op washing machines.  

"Family room" has a huge screen for movie nights

"Bulletin Board" shares news about the community garden,
general maintenance needed, activities, meeting minutes,
sign up sheets for meals, etc. 

"Wherever you are, that is your platform.
Please take responsibility for the energy
you bring into this place."  ~Oprah

Bike barn is big enough to park bikes for all 13 households .
Eric found the bike that he gave Leah more than a decade ago! 

Residents organize work parties in the community
garden during growing season.  Everyone is welcome
to the produce, and everyone pitches in.
Pick what you need.  

An outdoor play area is located immediately 
in front of the homes.

Ashland Co-housing Community

Winter Sojourn: Week's Ranch, where City Person meets Happy Cows

I love cows.  I love eating them even more. 

It may sound "terrible", but the god-awful truth is that the breeds of cows widely recognized and available today would have never existed if it were not for domestication and meat consumption.  But enough about that.

  

Week's Ranch is an 1,000 acre cattle ranch in Santa Rosa, owned by our good friend Jack.  Besides running the ranch, Jack's other full time jobs (not in any particular order) include being an airline captain of a 747, a father, a good friend, and others.  Jack and Eric used to fly together, and remained good friends; I am the beneficiary of their good friendship.  During this trip, I realize I am the beneficiary of many good friendships between Eric and his friends, for which I am immensely grateful.  

Entrance to the habitat of Happy Cows

Jack is 5th generation on the property.
His great great grandfather homesteadded here.

A winter shot from the backyard

Orange Juice tried to sneak a bite
of my chocolate cake

I spent four days on the ranch with the cows, the horses, Axel the border collie, Orange Juice the cat (as well as Rice Crispy and Ginger).  While on the ranch, I learned how to skin a turkey with my bare hands.  We made stir fry, fed hay to animals, went for long hikes, smoked turkey jerky, watched sunrises and sunsets.  We enjoyed the great company of each other and "LOL" a lot.  I was obviously on vacation mode and felt I could live on the ranch for the rest of my natural life...  In reality, my feeble body can't even lift a corner of a bale of hay, nor has Jack invited us to live as squatters on his property.  Like new and shiny bling bling, ranch-living glamor is short lived.  

I remain, a City Person who met Happy Cows at Week's Ranch.  Here lies my documentation.  

Axel chillaxing on the tool box of "his" truck

Jack has a herd of certified Red Angus - you know you are a legit breed if you have your own magazine!  People are probably more familiar with the name Black Angus. In reality, there are no differences between the Red and Black Angus, whether in the breed or the taste of their meat, except black was arbitrarily chosen as the "proper color" over red early in the development of the Aberdeen Angus.  And the rest is history.  

Natural, grass fed, hormone and antibiotics free.
These don't eat a kernel of corn! 

I was having a silent moment with the cows
during my morning hike up the mountain. 

All cattle on the ranch are grass fed, free range, hormone and antibiotics free, and are not fed a kernel of corn or grain. You could not meet any happier and healthier cows. You may have already learned from some health-food or environmental manifesto that it takes 16 pounds of feed and some 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.  That is true, but do you know it takes 25 acres of land to raise a grass fed cow naturally to slaughter weight?  I did not.  There is so much I do not know about ranch life, so Jack is my walking encyclopedia.  I was not afraid to ask the most basic and seemingly moronic questions.  After all, I was raised merely a City Person.  

Our sometimes entertaining conversations would go something like this...  

City Person:  What kind of grass do cows like to eat? 

Ranch Person:  The green kind.  

City Person:  Oh.  (Silence...)

Ranch Person:  (Chuckle chuckle...) 

City:  What is the difference between the yellow and red tag on the ears? 

Ranch:  One is the identifier of the breed and the other is the number of the cow.

City:  Do you know the cows by their faces, since you see them everyday? 

Ranch:  Sure!  I see the cow, look at the tag and say "here comes #164!"

City:  Oh.  (Silence...) 

Ranch:  (Chuckle chuckle...)

City:  Why do you supplement with hay in the winter? 

Ranch:  To make sure they have enough to eat this time of the year,  especially the pregnant ones and the calves.  

City:  How heavy is a bale of hay? 

Ranch:  About 50 pounds heavier than you.  

City:  I want to help you with the hay. 

Ranch:  Of course - here!  

City:  (Using proper lifting technique...but failed to lift anything off the ground)    

Ranch:  (Chuckle chuckle...)

City:  (Back to taking pictures)  May I pet the cows? 

Ranch:  Sure, but just pet the bull.  

City:  Which one is the bull? 

Ranch:  That one.  No, not that one.  The one in front of you. 

City:  This one?  Which one?  THIS one right here?  
Ranch:  Yes. 
City:  Why just the bull? 

Ranch:  Because he is pretty sure of himself and he knows he can drop kick you if he wants to.  

City:  Oh.  (Silently and gingerly scratching the bull) 

Ranch:  (Chuckle chuckle)

Raising grass fed cows is expensive.  It takes about 25 acres of grassland and 20 months to raise a cow to maturity.  Even with a thousand acres, much of the property is covered with trees, or without grass.  On a typical year, Jack's cattle roam and feed freely until 7 months.  He then picks the cream of the crop and raises them to maturity and slaughter weight; slaughters and sells the beef, whole or half, to customers.  The rest of the cattle are sold at 7-months to commercial operations such as feedlots.  These cows will finish their lives in commercial feedlots, likely CAFO, although there is no tracking of the cattle beyond the sale. They come packaged at grocery stores and become dinners in various forms.  Such is the fate of domesticated cows, strictly as a matter of fact.  


Week's Ranch has its own bulls, and breeds its own "next generation" of Red Angus. We saw plenty of calves roaming about with the moms - it looked as though they were taking turns babysitting each other's offspring.  After giving birth, the cow typically hides out with the calf at some "undisclosed location" for three days, then she brings her baby to show off to the rest of the herd.  

The calf shown in this photo was merely 4-5 days old - a docile, sweet looking calf that already weighs more than 80 pounds!  




Branding season takes place in January.  Although branding can be achieved by heat or liquid nitrogen, the state of California only recognizes heat branding.  Witnessing how cows live and graze on Jack's ranch naturally made me think about the farmers who raised the beef in my freezer.   

Meanwhile, back at the homestead, other ambitions ensue.  

City Person capturing the opportunity
to pose on a D5 

Aaron the ranch hand sawing the
two 40-year old fir trees into manageable sizes

Jack had to take down two 40-year old fir   trees a week ago - they would have crushed the house in the next big windstorm.  The beautiful trunks will be crafted into a cupboard or cabinet or some sort.  The rest was organized into stacks of firewood for the winter.   

Getting ready to haul the trunks to the saw mill

Red and orange and yellow and green
complement the blue sky beautifully

Hundreds of beautiful Hachiya persimmons 

Another persimmon tree, with much smaller fruit

Black Jack, one of four horses on the property,
works hard to round up the cows with Jack

Black Jack, left
Duke, Right

City Person learned how to skin a turkey
with her bare hands!  I have only known one
way to clean a poultry - dunk it in boiling water
then pluck the feathers.  Jack taught me a much
quicker, less messy way.  Skin it!  

Smoked turkey jerky,
Jack's famous recipe!

The "roping device"

Sunrise,
taken while I was taking a morning hike up the mountain

Going for a hike on the property

Poison oak abound, we could've used a GPS...

The ranch was paradise found. Not only because of its scenery, but because of its unpolluted characters, founded and built by the good, hardworking people of the ranch.  

I was grateful to have been a temporary, small part of the ranch for mere four days.  I was more grateful to have been a beneficiary of Jack and Eric's friendship. The friendship is real; unpretentious; open.  The conversations are genuine.  The people are warm; generous.  


I learned a lot about myself, and once again, it helped with my adjustment and my mindset for returning to work.  I have a deeper and better appreciation that life - my life - is about being playful, with intermittent moments of seriousness; not the other way around.  How others choose to live theirs is not my business.  As for me, being playful is plenty to live by.    

Winter Sojourn: Ashland, where Lumberjack meets Granola

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again!

This song gets stuck in my head every time I pack up Albatross for a road trip.  I wish I have a harmonica to jam with a guitarist or two.  Not that I know how to play harmonica, but who cares. 

Our Winter Sojourn is taking us wherever the sun may greet us. South of Seattle is the general direction. It is off to a great start.  

First stop:  Ashland, Oregon.  It is a small town about 50 miles north of the California border. 

Historically a lumber town, Ashland is now a year round haven for arts and crafts.  And the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the summer, of course.  Downtown Ashland is glistened with gift shops and boutiques that boast local talents.  To top it all off, there is the Dagoba Organic Chocolate and its Tasting Room.  It was wicked cold during our visit, in the 20’s to low 30’s everyday with freezing fog in the morning, but beautiful clear blue sky in the afternoon. 

Downtown Ashland at dusk

Boutique-y gift shops line the streets
in downtown Ashland

Another view of downtown Ashland

Moroccan oatmeal with lots of nuts, dates, raisins,
and warm spices

Morning Glory, a local favorite cafe

Chocolate never requires any caption

It's a tasting room, and "taste" we did...

Waiting for the freezing fog to dissipate
so we can go for a hike

We found our way to Mt. Ashland, the highest peak in the Siskiyou Mountains, on a clear, blue bird afternoon.  The air was crisp, cold, and blowing at high velocity.  I lasted all but a minute with all my warmest clothing on, but it sure was gorgeous.    

Evergreens line the road up the mountain.

Panoramic view from Mt. Ashland.
Mt. Shasta is the snow capped mountain directly in front.

I was forever thankful that we were able to stay with our friend in Ashland.  I did not want to lose any fingers to frostbite wild camping.  Leah lives in a co-housing community.  Co-housing is a type of collaborative housing community in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhood.  The physical design of the community encourages social contact, and always has a theme of "shared resources".  There are defined characteristics of a co-housing community that are very different from just any "condo living", however.  


Imagine a community where all residents know each other, have access to extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.  The common house is the social center with a large dining room and kitchen, lounge, recreational facilities, and frequently a guest room, workshop and laundry room. Communities usually serve optional group meals in the common house at least two or three times a week.  


I have long been enamored with the idea of co-housing and the concept of "shared resources" amongst people you know.  I look forward to revisiting Leah on the way home,  staying at the "guest room", and learning more about her community.  

The co-housing community

A shared bike-parking area.  

Community garden in the co-housing complex

Children's playground at the back of the community,
directly in front of the houses

Tools garage where shared equipment such as
lawn mowers, edgers, and others are kept

Our friend Leah's complex

The Welcoming Committee at the entrance