I first became involved with the Ananda Marga folks in the high chaparral of California--sort of a forested, montane desert--where I helped manage a large and incredibly beautiful peach orchard and vegetable farm for three seasons. This seminal experience as a 19-to-22 year old helped lead me to where I am today, starting Raven Ridge Farm in North Carolina.
Mission
With a firm foundation as a working farm, Raven Ridge seeks to integrate numerous agricultural systems that fit the farm's steep Appalachian hills in order to build soil fertility, diversity, and a self-regulated health into the landscape. Practically, this means: managing the cow herd rotationally, allowing water fowl and laying hens to forage out-of-doors, planting orchard trees for fruits, nuts and shade, rotating crop fields with grass/legume pasture and gardening intensively in fertile, flat patches fenced off from foraging animals. Such a landscape provides beauty, diverse profit sources, an exciting array of farm chores, natural education and a high quality of life for farmers and their neighborhoods. In short, Raven Ridge Farm is an incubator of ideas on the practical "how-to's" of creating and replicating peaceful and productive patches of Earth. In particular, we're interested to work in conjunction with others who actively manage land, or who are interested to do so, for its increasing fertility, abundance and beauty.
If that's too wordy a mission statement, I''m sure I've written one different somewhere else, but frankly, love hearing it come out differently each time...
Raven Ridge Farm fits into Ananda Marga by focusing on its goals for sustainable rural development and education by creating a model for non-destructive, diverse food production on hilly land. To see more inspiring work of Ananda Marga check out the webpages below:
- http://www.amurt.net/ - AMURT is a disaster relief and development team worldwide. They manage a number of highly-acclaimed development projects happening in Haiti, one of the neediest countries in the world.
- http://www.prout.org/ - The Progressive Utilization theory is an economic model based on meeting universal human needs through dynamic, regionally-self-sufficient economies. PROUT gives a strong emphasis on cooperative enterprise, service-minded leadership of society, and environmental sustainability.
- http://www.anandamarga.org - Information on Ananda Marga centers, meditation and news worldwide.
Neighbors of Raven Ridge Farm
Another organizational affiliate of Ananda Marga, the Women's Wellbeing and Development foundation, based not far from the farm in Asheville, NC helps support 800 Ananda Marga-run schools as well as medical clinics and orphanages, especially in developing countries. The foundation owns and manages 40 acres just over the fenceline from Raven Ridge Farm as well as Cosmic Vision, a pleasant boutique shop in downtown Asheville. Here's their webpage: http://www.wwd-f.org/
The Prama Institute is another neighbor to the farm, also on 40 acres. It is a retreat and conference center focused on adult education in the realm of arts, health, universal spirituality and sustainability. Check out their ongoing programs and availability as a beautiful rental space for your workshop or seminar at: http://www.pramainstitute.org
If you are interested to learn more about the farm, please email me at geoffrey@ravenridgefarm.org. Any contributions to my project are tax-deductible.
The current need of the farm is for building materials to improve the milking operation with an addition for storage and sanitation. A slab has been prepared for a 16 by 20 straw bale structure adjoining the milk barn with hot water and a small processing room. I have estimated $ 2,100 to cover costs for: framing lumber, straw bales, electric materials and wiring, plaster, roof insulation, windows and doors. The labor will be provided by the farmers and another priceless education and confidence in building gained. Salvaged materials represent costs cut out of the equation and include: Tin roofing, windows, rebar, earthen plaster, tile and lumber. A little bit of thrift goes a long way!
If you would like to contribute to the farm, checks can be made out to 'ANANDA MARGA' and mailed to:
Geoffrey Steen
c/o Raven Ridge Farm
284 Catawba Drive
Marshall, NC 28753
That's Ms. Jessica Hill milking Dana. Right there by Jessica's head is a calf's head bumping against Dana's uterus. It's not easy to tell when a cow is pregnant, but the first sign is that the right side will appear bulgier when she's viewed from the behind. If you bump with your fist on the right spot [behind her third or fourth stomach], sometimes you can feel the calf bump you back. Dana is due to Calve September 30.
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