Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage Open House - Saturday, September 24th

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is hosting its 

Annual Open House 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

from 1:00- 4:00 p.m.

and we really want you to be here!!!

Come enjoy free tours, a peek inside several of the private homes, an insider's guide to life off the grid, info on renewable energy, building with alternative and sustainable materials, a village fair, live music, and much much more! We hope to see you there!

 

Our children are slow but cute. Please don't run over them.

If you get lost we'll be in the Milkweed Mercantile most of the day and can help talk you in. Our phone number is 660-883-5522. Please note that AT&T does NOT have cell phone reception in this area (maybe they're not so smart after all...)

Wear comfortable shoes, bring a jacket and maybe an umbrella, and your friends!

 The Rabbits demonstrate car-sharing.

A google map is available here:  http://tinyurl.com/mmdirections

Our GPS Coordinates are:
40 degrees 19.953' N
92 degrees 5.766' W

Driving directions from just about everywhere:

From the NORTH (Minneapolis, Des Moines):

• Follow 35 South from Minneapolis.
• In Des Moines, take the exit onto I-80 E toward Davenport 3.4 mi
• Take exit 141 to merge onto US-65 S toward Altoona/Des Moines 4.5 mi
• Take exit 79 for IA-163/E University Ave toward Pleasant Hill 0.4 mi
• Turn left at IA-163 E/E University Ave
• Continue to follow IA-163 E
• Continue onto US-63 S

• After going through the town of Bloomfield, turn left on Iowa Route 2.
• Head east to Iowa Route 15 and head south (a right turn onto 15). NOTE: If you are driving by during business hours, Milton Creamery has AMAZING cheese. They are on Route 2 on the right just before you turn onto Highway 15. Absolutely worth the stop. We highly recommend Prairie Breeze and Prairie Rose.
• As you cross the state line it will turn to Missouri Route 15.
• Continue on Route 15 all the way through Memphis.
• Several miles south of town at the bottom of the hill, take a left turn to head east on 136.
• Continue on 136 for a couple of miles. After the Pizza Hut and J’s Grocery store, turn right at Ridge Road/Highway MM.
• Ridge Road//Highway MM.will take you along the ridge, down into the river bottom, over the creek and back up the other side.
• At the T intersection, turn LEFT on Highway M.
• M will twist and turn, and eventually come to another T intersection. M goes left, W goes right. Turn LEFT, continuing on Highway M.
• When you see the sign where you take a right turn to stay on M and go into Rutledge, go straight instead, continuing on Route A. Take your first left turn in about 100 yards. THERE IS NO ROAD SIGN HERE BUT TURN LEFT ANYWAY. If you reach the railroad bridge (or the town of Gorin) you have gone too far.
• Go one mile and take a SHARP left turn on the first gravel road, once labeled "Woehrle" but sadly no longer labeled THERE IS NO ROAD SIGN HERE BUT TURN LEFT ANYWAY (we're working on putting up our own signs, but we haven't gotten to it quite yet!).
• Ignore the gravel road that goes off to the right and continue on 0.8 miles and you'll see the Dancing Rabbit sign on the right.
• Turn in at the next entrance, where visitor parking is located on your left.

From the EAST and SOUTH (Quincy, St. Louis):

• From US 61 near Quincy IL, head west on Missouri 6.
• Go 32 miles to Knox City and take a right on V (there is a route V after just a few miles on Hwy 6 - DONT TAKE IT, it is the WRONG V. Each county has its own highway V – go figure).
• When you come to a tee intersection, take a left on K.
• Go a few miles and take a right (north) on M--you'll see a sign that says "Rutledge 5 miles."
• Cross the line into Scotland County and go through Rutledge on M.
• Just north of the town, M comes to a tee intersection--go right (east) on A.
• Take your first left turn in about 100 yards. This road does not have a sign. If you cross the railroad overpass/bridge you have gone too far.
• Go one mile and take a sharp left turn on the first gravel road, once labeled "Woehrle" but sadly no longer labeled (we're working on putting up our own signs, but we haven't gotten to it quite yet!).
• Ignore the gravel road that goes off to the right and continue on 0.8 miles. You'll see the Dancing Rabbit sign on the right.
• Pull into the second driveway and park in the lot on your left
• The Mercantile is the big white building with the porch.

 For an internet map follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/4xlfa7

From the SOUTH and WEST (Kirksville, Columbia, Kansas City):

• Take US 63 north to Kirksville, where it will turn into North Baltimore Street.
• Take a right on Missouri 11 (the Hyvee store is a good landmark).
• After 20 or so miles, you'll come to a stop sign--go straight, crossing over Missouri 15. At this point, 11 will turn into highway K.
• Go through Baring on K, and after a 6.5 miles on K, take a left (now heading north) onto M. You'll see a sign saying "Rutledge 5 miles"

• Follow M all the way through the town of Rutledge until in stops at a tee intersection. Just north of the town, M comes to a tee intersection--go right (east) on A.
• Take your first left turn in about 100 yards. This road does not have a sign. If you cross the railroad overpass/bridge or reach the town of Gorin, you have gone too far.
• Go one mile and take a sharp left turn on the first gravel road, once labeled "Woehrle" but sadly no longer labeled (we're working on putting up our own signs, but we haven't gotten to it quite yet!).
• Ignore the gravel road that goes off to the right and continue on 0.8 miles and you'll see our sign on the right.
• Pull into the second driveway and park in the lot on your left
• The Mercantile is the big white building with the porch.

For an internet map follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/6yf7as

From Chicago

• 80 West towards Iowa (approximately 116 miles)
• Merge onto I-74 E/IL-110 W/CHICAGO-KANSAS CITY EXPY toward PEORIA. 31 miles
• Merge onto US-34 W/IL-110 W/CHICAGO-KANSAS CITY EXPY via EXIT 46A toward MONMOUTH. 21.7 miles
• Merge onto US-34 W toward BURLINGTON (Crossing into IOWA). 28 miles
• Take the US-61/ROOSEVELT AVE exit, EXIT 261, toward FT MADISON. Continue to follow US-61 South  18 miles
• In Ft. Madison Turn RIGHT onto US-61/AVENUE L/IA-2. Continue to follow US-61/IA-2. 3.3 miles
• Turn slight right onto IA-2W 0.2 mi
• Turn slight right onto IA-2W  8.7 miles
• Turn LEFT to take the US-218 S/IA-27 S ramp.  0.3
• Merge onto AVENUE OF THE SAINTS (Crossing into MISSOURI).
• Take the US-136 ramp toward WAYLAND/KAHOKA. Turn RIGHT onto US-136.  26 miles
• After going 26 miles, turn LEFT onto MO-A. DO NOT TURN ON THE FIRST MO-A THAT YOU SEE – IT IS THE WRONG ROAD (each county has its own highway A – go figure). 6.5 miles
• In south Gorin cross over the railroad tracks and continue south on MO-A. Watch the mileage – approximately 6.8 miles
• When you have covered approximately 8-7 miles you will cross a small overpass bridge that goes over the railroad tracks. Immediately after this is a paved road on your right. This is Old Highway Y. There is not a road sign here. Turn right. (If you get to MO-M you’ve gone about .2 miles too far).
• Go one mile and take a sharp left turn on the first gravel road, once labeled "Woehrle" but sadly no longer labeled (we're working on putting up our own signs, but we haven't gotten to it quite yet!).
• Ignore the gravel road that goes off to the right and continue on 0.8 miles and you'll see our sign on the right.
• Pull into the second driveway and park in the lot on your left

Back from the Black Abyss - Life off the Grid

After two dark, wind-free weeks, the batteries storing the last of our solar and wind power were finally tapped out, and we were left in the dark. It is not unusual for us to have a day or so where we have to be aware of our power usage, but two weeks felt oppressive. Kurt and I have been carefully alternating between our cottage and the Mercantile; we would do vital things (like grind coffee beans!) in whichever had a smidge more power.

But by last Saturday, the entire village was on “black power.” Green power is when the batteries are full, and electricity is plentiful. From there it goes to yellow, to orange, to red, and finally to black, when the inverter (essentially the on/off switch) is shut off. I opened the Mercantile in the dark, wrote out our monthly food order from the natural foods distributor huddled by the glass-paned front doors, and did everything I could think of while there was still weak daylight. By 5:00 p.m. we had the candles lit.

We’ve learned many tricks to living without power and by candle light – taller tapers are much better to read by than pillars, for example. Three tapers surrounding one’s book on the table (one on each side, one at the top) provides plentiful illumination. But we both find ourselves getting sleepy earlier, and are often in bed by 8:30. (Oh, how they party at the Ecovillage, she says sarcastically!). Additionally, we've got spots of wax everywhere - all over the table cloth, on books, on end tables, even on our shoes (carrying a taper in an elegant glass candleholder to the bathroom and back is often hazardous to one's footwear). Ack!

More problematic are things like the water pump – we have plenty of water in the cistern, but it takes electricity to get it from there up through the filter and into the faucet. Things we take for granted suddenly became things we were forced to consider.

I went to Rutledge and bought three blocks of ice. One went into the fridge in our house (which we had turned off), turning it into an old fashioned “ice box.” The other two went into the Mercantile freezer, which was the only thing plugged in over there.

For dinner, and for potlucks, I made items that did not require a mixer, a blender or a food processor. I had memories of my grandmother who always baked from scratch and never used a mixer – she beat the butter and sugar together BY HAND, and then added eggs and beat them in BY HAND. Whooeeee. I never knew what a powerhouse of an arm she must have had! I tried it for a batch of no-knead bread and it was just about all I could do – I was worn out.

When we moved here, I did not sign up for a Little House on the Prairie life. I am not looking to create a "simpler" time with no power. I'm more into being comfortable in a way that feels more sustainable than how I lived in a city. I enjoy lights, computers, and my KitchenAid mixer.

And then the winds came. Like the ancient Israelites wandering in the wilderness receiving manna, or the pioneer Mormons welcoming the seagulls to eat the crickets devouring their crops, the bit of sun and fierce, blustery wind have come to save us. For two days now the wind has been raging, sending our wind turbine into paroxysms of activity. We gleefully watch the numbers on the trimetric box (which shows the percentage of fullness of batteries, and the amps coming in to the system) climb higher and higher – we are currently at 87%.

So we are grateful. And humble.

That’s it for now – I’m going to go jump up and down outside in the sunshine and wind!

Conserving Resources - Life with Renewable Energy

This post is part of the Green Mom’s Carnival which is hosted this month by Micaela at Mindful Momma. Check it out!

Our home (indeed, all homes at Dancing Rabbit) is entirely off-grid. We have solar panels and a wind turbine; the power comes in and is stored in eight huge batteries. It is all a bit like voodoo to me – all I know is that we keep track of our power level and live accordingly.

Our solar panels (the ones on the pole are for our house, the ones on our house are for the Mercantile, which was built second, and not in a good position for roof panels). Below, up in the tippy top between the two oak trees is our wind turbine.

My life is filled with dramatic contrasts. Sometimes, when it is rainy and cloudy, our energy system gets low on power. We curtail our power usage – make press pot coffee instead of using an electric pot, choose not to watch TV (which actually isn’t hooked up to anything – we watch Netflix movies, mostly), perhaps hang out on the couch together in the evening and read by a single lamp. It may sound parsimonious, but it is one half of our ecological life. The other half is filled with days of bright sunny skies and blustery winds. On these days just about anything goes. Waffles for breakfast, cookies baked in the electric convection oven, the electric dehydrator churning out dried tomatoes all day long, because the power keeps coming and coming and coming. Our batteries are full, and we use as many “diversion” (or “dump”) loads as possible. If we do not use this power, we have no way to store it. It just dissipates, goes away, pffffft. So we divert.

The next photos are for the geeks among us:

Deep cell batteries that hold our power...(3 of 8 shown)

The "key of life" which tells us how much power is in our batteries (right now we're at 85% of capacity)

More tech-weenie voodoo renewable power system gizmos (the tech stuff is CLEARLY not my strong point. If you'd like some REAL info contact me and I'll get you in touch with "my people.")

Those 5-gallon buckets you see in my oh-so-glamorous yard (below)? They are collecting water that the sump pump in the Mercantile basement has collected, and will be used to water the garden. Why waste the water when it can be put to good use? Indeed.

(About 25 tomato plants, 15 pepper plants, two gone-to-seed asparagus beds, a gob of basil, tarragon, parsley and oregano, and what looks to be a chair farm. (The horizontal panel just to the right of our front door is a solar water heater; that's a whole 'nother post...)

In the winter, when we heat our house with a wood burning stove (Jotul brand) we conserve energy in a different way. As Kurt always says (good-naturedly) as he chops firewood and brings load after load of it into the house, “firewood warms you twice – when you chop it and when you burn it!” But to keep our firewood usage to a minimum, we take care to cover our windows at night. Not to keep prying eyes away, but to keep the warmth in and the cold air out. Some of our windows are double-pane beauties from Marvin, others are single-panes reclaimed from building demolition. Both benefit from being covered in cold weather). Our window coverings are roman shades made of Warm Window fabric, a multi-layered fabric that creates a vapor and draft barrier. In the daytime we raise the shades to let the sun in and warm us and our floor to take advantage of any passive solar gain we might receive.

Food is another way we try to conserve. I love having a garden in my front yard. I grew up in the post WWII suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area. In our housing tract (built in 1956) there were four house designs, but all looked pretty much alike. And every house was surrounded with lawn. We rarely used it; most socializing was done in back yards. It was, I now realize, a buffer, a moat, a defensive area from the outside. I suppose this is exactly why I love the Edible Estates concept. Watch these two short videos for inspiration – you’ll be glad you did!

This one in a home garden, in the middle of suburbia:


And this one in a commercial garden, which points out the remarkable contrast between "lawn" and a real green space:


We can/preserve a lot of food for the winter. I have not yet reconciled the energy usage that it takes to preserve, say, a quart of tomatoes. I’ve “canned” on both wood-burning and propane stoves, and it takes a lot of fuel to heat the water to boiling and then for the jars to sit in the boiling water bath that will keep us all from dying of botulism this winter. I continue to research additional ways of food preservation. Lately many (many!) Rabbits have been embracing the joys of fermentation. Fans of Sandor Katz’s book Wild Fermentation are fermenting kraut, kimchee, yogurt, and many other foodstuffs all over DR, most of which is not heat-processed. The food we cannot eat goes into our compost. I love compost. It enables me to throw out scraps and uneaten food and view it all as nutrients for our future gardens. No more guilt!

A group of us demonstrating our cooperative vehicle skills last winter for an issue of Communities Magazine

Another aspect of resource conservation that we embrace here at Dancing Rabbit is our vehicle use. We share two VW Jettas and a big ol’ Ford truck between about 45 adults. Each Sunday we meet and figure out who is going where, in which vehicle. We all do errands for one another; for example today Kurt and I are going to Quincy to pick up Maikwe at the train station. We’re using the trip as an excuse to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary, and so in addition to a romantic dinner we’ll stop by the plumbing, electric and reclaimed building materials supply stores. (Ah, romance…). We’ll also be stopping by our friend Dan Kelly’s Blue Heron Orchard to pick up apples for Bobolink Food Coop, the Carleton Family and ourselves, plus other assorted items (party supplies for Tereza’s birthday on Thursday, feta cheese for Sharon, etc.). By not owning our own vehicles, and by sharing trips and errand-running we save ourselves lots of money and hopefully, save on fuel.

That’s it for now – thanks for reading!