Time for a Dugnad

A Norweigan tradition, in preparation for the next season, a dugnad takes place. The community gathers to tidy, clean, and fix a space so that it will continue providing an optimal situation for the community as a whole. In preparation for the next phase in history we suggest a dugnad. The spirit of will to work together is the mind set that will carry us forward. By combining the labor and ideas of many, we can produce something that will support the lives of many. The systems are made possible because of the combined efforts of many people’s desire to make them work; to create a landscape that will continue to grow and provide for us even after we have stopped working the land. Setting up for an increasing yield while decreasing work, we design a landscape and the plant community to be the volunteers in this ongoing dugnad that will support our natural community of people, animals, and plants.

We have been rooted in setting up the main homestead site, but Dugnad Farm is a mobile collaborative of individuals interested in giving and getting back to the land, who are interested in alternative building techniques, low impact forestry, renewable and recycled materials, energy efficiency, self sufficient technologies, and permaculture. We are a collective of people calling a dugnad to explore these alternative systems, to live more harmoniously with eachother, and our planet and take responsibility for our own health and resiliency as well as our community’s.

Over the past 5 years we’ve planted 25 varieties of perennial fruit and nut bearing shrubs and trees, while raising chickens (and a duck) who love to help cultivate the land and prepare for plantings. In three main crop gardens and two greenhouses we grow annual vegetables, which usually consists of a variety of leafy greens, peas and beans, herbs, storage root vegetables and winter squashes.

By involving ourselves in the whole process of saving seeds, transplanting seedlings, weeding and watering, and observing the natural patterns, we become closely connected to what we eat and where we live. Waste materials such as seaweed, wood chips, leaves, coffee grounds, cardboard, burlap, and compost are collected from various locations to bring back to the property to build soil. Growing and harvesting our food while giving back and building the soil is a reciprocal relationship and this balance of giving and receiving  brings deep joy and appreciation for food. The soil is our partner, this kind of relationship is necessary for an abundant future and meaningful connection to the planet.

We are deeply connected to and therefore affected by our environment. When living harmoniously and alongside the natural world, both our bodies and our planet thrive.  A strong foundation of love and compassion for where we inhabit is key to embracing abundance and allowing our health and vitality to flourish symbiotically. Feeding our bodies whole, vibrant, organic foods nourishes our whole being, supporting health, healing, and resiliency.  Being in touch with the cycles of the earth reconnects us with our own cyclical nature and healing. We are passionate about self sufficiency, resilient health and self healing through mind-body connection, moving the body, breathwork, and food and herbal medicine.

We are surrounded by an abundant amount of resources. Sometimes it takes looking outside of our everyday mindset to see what is available and open to see possibility in materials around us. Being resourceful with what’s available has been necessary for building and creating the main site by using discarded, waste and local resources.

Logs from other properties, driftwood (which includes round wood and pressure treated lumber) are collected for building fences and structures that complement and support the life around them. Discarded building materials such as windows, doors, insulation, 2″x4″s, and bricks as well as local materials from the site like timbers and rocks are used in building.

We strive to create structures that are beautiful and harmonious while providing habitat for the other creatures and plants that live alongside us. We value reusing materials while also living in a way that generates less waste and considering our interconnectedness is a crucial part of the design. The main aspects include designing a landscape that collects and stores water, increasing plant diversity, introducing animals into the landscape, managing a woodlot, and reviving traditional building techniques. Our contribution is to build an abundant and resilient local community while inspiring new generations to connect with nature, the land, and their hands. This site is a place to explore these ideas and projects.

Photos: Jess Morales Photography