Food Stories for Food Justice

By rachel | Published: September 19, 2011
Over the summer, Tahz and I were blessed with the opportunity to sit down and talk with a range of leaders working in our regional food system. These interviews have helped us prepare for an exciting new series of food justice workshops at The Stone House this winter. It’s been wonderful to engage in such a patient and intentional process, drawing on the vast wisdom of our community and exploring what we, as stone circles, can offer in the service of growing a commitment to justice in our food system.

We began each of these conversations by sharing experiences that have shaped our relationships to food, agriculture, and land. I noticed as my response changed each week, growing and deepening as I reflected on my family and personal history. We then turned the question to our interviewees, inquiring how their own story shapes their work.

As intimately related as all of us are to the food we eat, many of us struggle to uncover these powerful connections. My European-American grandparents and many others of their generation turned away from agricultural backgrounds in favor of the comfort and status of a middle-class, suburban lifestyle. One woman we spoke to shared her poignant experience of discovering as an adult that her family farmed in Palestine. She expressed her deep sorrow at losing this relationship to land, one she is beginning to rebuild as she ventures into the garden that friends installed in her urban front yard.

The primarily white members of the rural community where I grew up mourn this loss, and have sought to return to a sustainable relationship with the land.  While working on several small organic farms and at farmers markets as a young adult, I’ve gradually awakened to the boundaries of this community, defined by complex dynamics of race, class, and culture. As I claim and examine the many forms of privilege that have provided me (and denied others) access to fresh and sustainable food, I am beginning to explore my role in building a more just and equitable food system.
Our interviews have taught me the power of returning to my own story with new eyes, unclouded by shame or fear. What transformation might happen if we honored all our layered stories as valuable—even expert—knowledge? Perhaps we will discover that we already hold the keys to understanding both the current challenges and future possibilities of our relationship to food.
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Time for Rest and Renewal

By Claudia | Published: August 17, 2011

Dear friends,

By the time you receive this newsletter, I will be on a four-month sabbatical.  I was one of five leaders in North Carolina chosen for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s sabbatical award, and am incredibly grateful to the Foundation for the opportunity, and to the staff and board here for making it possible.  After our initial effort to get The Stone House off the ground, and recent effort to keep it going amidst financial crisis, my intention is to see what life is like – and what I am like – with what my friend Ted Purcell calls “unobligated time.”

Occasionally folks wonder if a place like The Stone House might provide its own experience of retreat for those of us who live and/or work here.  It certainly is a gift and a labor of love to be here on this beautiful land, doing this work, and meeting the amazing people that we do.  But, alas, it is not a retreat in the purest sense.
So, after some time on Ocracoke, I’ll be heading to New England to spend time with family and friends: my young-at-heart parents (both of whom turn 75 next year), my 12- and 5-year old nieces, brother, and sister-in-law, as well as some of my dearest friends whom I don’t see enough.   From there I’ll transition into a more solo stretch with an alternating rhythm between road trip and retreat.  I plan to do some writing, a lot of resting, and to be near the ocean as much as possible….and hopefully training for that half-marathon my brother talked me into!

We’ve been through some real challenges over the past year and the organization is moving forward in exciting ways, thanks to many of you.  We’ve done careful planning so that vital work moves forward and strategic outcomes will be met; our “transforming movements” work in particular will be ramping up in the fall.  This sabbatical period is also the beginning of a period of tremendous growth for the organization.  Jennifer has agreed to serve as Acting Executive Director during the period, and the rest of the staff and the stone circles’ Board of Directors (along with many other volunteers, committee members, etc.) will be holding down important leadership roles and responsibilities.  And, it also allows the organization to put a little more distance from its founder, an important step for any growing organization.

Overall, it’s a wonderful chance for us to practice what we preach as an organization on multiple levels – the importance of time for deep rest and reflection, work/life balance and shared leadership. It’s an amazing opportunity and while I’m grateful, I’m also aware how many others deserve it.  I hope you will find your own sliver of sabbatical at some point this summer – an afternoon playing hooky with your kids, a midnight swim, an adventure to a new town…perhaps a retreat of your own at The Stone House?

Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to reconnecting in the fall.

Much peace,
Claudia
Executive Director
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What’s Poppin’ In the Garden?

By Jennifer | Published: August 16, 2011
by Tahz Walker, Land Steward
The beans are blossoming, the squash has come and is on its way out again, cucumbers are plentiful, the chard is full and green and flavorful, and the lettuce is sweet, not bitter. The tomatoes are so very close – a few red ones but mostly still green;  I think any day now.  Each year I am amazed at the bounty that the soil produces and how the soil gets more fertile because of less tilling, more care and some periods of rest. This year alone I scared five or six frogs out of their home by pulling out last year’s ground cover from the garden beds. The soil has come a long way from the hard red clay of a few years ago that baked in the summer heat, was hard to work with, and was difficult to cultivate. Like the process of self-care, the process of growing soil is a restorative one; it can’t be done in one season, it can’t be done in a rush, and usually, if not always, it requires patience.
The sprouting vegetables also get me excited about what our cooks will whip up in the kitchen, maybe some new dishes, maybe some old favorites.  I think about what the groups and individuals that come out for retreat will take away from their experience on the land, in the soil, and from the kitchen.  It continually reminds me of what a gift we have here in the land at The Stone House, and the responsibility we have in making it a space that is accessible, grounded in justice, and in authentic relationships.
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Spiritual Activism At Work

By Jennifer | Published: August 15, 2011
by Evangeline Weiss, Board Co-Chair
Summer is the season for strawberries and swimming, and hopefully, time spent with people we love, enjoying the rituals which help us feel more connected to each other, ourselves, and the earth.
For many non-profits, summer is also the season of having youthful guests in our midst. This year, my department elected to have a 2-day summer fellow orientation to build a sense of team, and to reflect on our values and our theory of change. On the morning of day two, we began with the usual go-around of impressions from day one and one of the interns remarked that she was very moved by the fact that we (meaning the staff on my team) seem to care about each of them, as “whole people and not just temporary labor.”
Although I have devoted my professional life to improving non-profit work climates, I was pretty surprised when her remarks made me tear up. I was sad for her emerging activist, already sculpted by a culture of competitiveness and judgment. And equally important, I was grieving my own origin as an organizer – harsh working hours, little mentorship and a definition of self-care that inevitably included getting wasted.
My passion for stone circles’ work and for spiritual activism is steeped in this moment – to be dedicated to social change and to our unique human needs. Often, I have an urge to develop ritual and teach meditation to my colleagues. I become overwhelmed at the prospect of “selling” them on the importance of deep breathing or creating ceremonies to greet the work week. And sometimes, an opportunity emerges and we are ready! Such was the case with the recent orientation.
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Oppression, Appropriation and Spiritual Practice

By Jennifer | Published: July 31, 2011
by Sarah Cross, Summer Residential Volunteer
June 12, 2011
Yesterday, Tricia asked me to create a bouquet of flowers for the practice space for the Day of Practice.  At about 8am, I ambled down the already-hot road, choosing flowers and grasses from trees and plants.  Some Queen Anne’s Lace across from the chicken coop, some purple flowers from in front of the main house.  The largest flower came from a large bush I didn’t know, growing near the art room.  I passed Claudia and asked her if she knew the name of this large flower; she didn’t.
Fast forward a few hours to a conversation during the day of practice, a day exploring personal identity, race and oppression through yoga, journaling, meditation and conversation.  A conversation emerged about appropriation.  How do we practice yoga, for example, a tradition from India, without a disrespectful appropriation?  Is this possible?  How can we engage and practice with respect, tenderness, with care?
An analogy came to my mind during this conversation: is appropriating a spiritual practice like picking a flower without knowing its name?  Without knowing which animals pollinate it and use it for food, what its role is in the local ecosystem, how it figures in native human relationships?  A friend told me he thought it was the flower from a sumac plant, which I’ve just looked up on the internet.  Among different Sumac species, there are those used to make tea and medicine, one mixed with tobacco to smoke, a tannin-rich variety used to tan leather.  There’s also poison sumac – now that would have been a lesson about the consequences of picking a plant that one isn’t familiar with!  Can we experience direct unpleasant consequences to our person in appropriating someone else’s sacred practice?  What are the consequences for ourselves and for those from whom we may take something, perhaps something that should in fact be gifted or given consciously and with ritual or ceremony?
As others responded to the analogy that I introduced, the metaphor of a garden emerged, with rich spiritual traditions imagined as lush, well-tended gardens, and other cultures left with barren and lifeless ground.  Can we bring our own gardens back to lushness, these untended gardens that perhaps were left untended and unwatered by the pressure to dry up into the dominant US American culture?  And again, how do we engage with that lush garden that we didn’t plant or tend ourselves?  How do we receive gifts offered to us from that garden, gifts of techniques, cosmologies, wisdom, ritual, health?
The Day of Practice, this opportunity to explore our relationship to and awareness of oppression, appropriation, and spiritual practice was special and important.  Very significant to me was the chance to explore these profound and vital questions and realities with and through movement along with dialogue and writing – the more familiar and cognitive modes.  What new awareness might we reach through purposeful movement together?  What unconscious connections begun in these movements will begin to influence us in the future?  What is this movement cultivating?
One thing I do not question: I will feel and think twice now before cutting flowers.  All that complexity and history…
With gratitude to my brother and sister Day of Practice participants,
Sarah
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Coming Home to The Stone House

By Jennifer | Published: July 31, 2011
Coming Home to The Stone House
by Tricia Lindley, Hospitality Coordinator

 

One after another, individuals arrived this spring, in need of and seeking retreat at The Stone House.  They came, one at a time, many weary from the journeys that brought them, full of curiosity, excitement and hope, a few in the midst of life transitions, or looking to reconnect with themselves and deeper wellsprings of life.  Some with favorite projects or discernment in mind and others not yet able to articulate what they need.
Folks come here, looking for a chance to rest, to sink into a slower pace and quieter setting, to see the beauty of a blue heron flying over an open pasture or to just take off their shoes and walk in the green grass.  They come, looking for a rest-filled night’s sleep or to disconnect from the constant motion of the world and their lives.
And in the process of retreat, The Stone House holds and cares for each person.
The sacred and beautiful land shows herself in a myriad of ways.  With the gift of sight, one beholds a sunrise over the pond, a flowering fruit tree in spring; the glimpse of a shooting star on a clear night, or the fireflies dancing among the branches and leaves of the pecan tree.  One discovers the aromas of life with each breath – sweetness from the small white gardenia flowers in front of a cabin or the yellow roses that grow beside the main house for a short time each spring, a variety of spices blended into mouth-watering foods from the kitchen and herb garden. The bounty in the garden sustains bodies and spirit through the work put into it and the food that comes out. Perhaps a chance to taste the juicy tomatoes in a fresh green salad, savory dishes with colorful, organic veggies, or a little mint added to a refreshing glass of lemonade.
The lovingly tended spaces become home while here. And while the retreat lasts only a short time, The Stone House is here and waiting, for that next visit and the chance to welcome new and old friends back home.
We offer the gift of individual retreats to guests freely, and follow the tradition of dana, or generosity, from those who are able to contribute in that way.
Please contact info@stonecircles.org for more information and to book your own individual retreat.
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stone circles On the Road

By Jennifer | Published: July 31, 2011
stone circles On the Road
We’ve been doing some exciting work on the road this Spring, including:
  • Michelle Johnson and Claudia taught a daylong version of their popular “Yoga of Social Change” retreat in Washington, DC.  We had 17 people attend, including old and new friends.  Many have asked about the possibility of a quarterly series in DC and we will see if we can help make that happen.
  • In May, Claudia teamed up with Marisol Jimenez-McGee from OpenSource Leadership Strategies to co-facilitate a three-hour networking session at the Hispanics in Philanthropy convening in Winston-Salem.  The next day she offered a session on sustainable leadership that included instruction on mindfulness.  One of the many gifts was learning how to be a better facilitator with simultaneous translation!
  • In mid-May, Jennifer presented at the GoodWork mini-conference in Durham, which was tailored to benefit emerging and existing entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Presentation topics included resilience, leadership beyond the business, social entrepreneurship, spiritual activism, the reuse economy, sustainability, wellness, and asset-based community development. Jennifer’s talk was on “A Case for Space”.
  • Also in May, Jennifer served as a Curbside Consultant at the Conservation Fund’s Resourceful Communities ProgramGrassRoots Convening in Asheboro.  She coached a number of participants on Life/Work balance and other issues related to sustainable activism.
  • At the end of May, Claudia traveled to Asheville for the Kellogg Foundation’s America Healing conference for their grantees doing work in racial healing and racial equity, where she was one of 20 facilitators that guided small groups through a day of storytelling. It was an inspiring gathering of over 300 practitioners from around the country who are doing exemplary work in everything from community-based healing to structural policy work.
  • In late June, Tahz presented at the Sustainable Agriculture conference in Minneapolis, MN.
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Still/Here! Thanks to you.

By admin | Published: January 20, 2011

Update

Last September amid significant financial setbacks we needed to close an $80,000 gap.  And with your help – and difficult cuts – we did it.  In the last five months we have received over 250 donations, in amounts ranging from $5 to $10,000.  In addition to some painful cutbacks, we’ve raised over $55,000 from individual supporters.  Many of you gave and very generously.  We could not be more grateful or bolstered by your support.  We simply wouldn’t be here without you.
We look forward to sharing a more complete update on our reality and future in the next month.  To continue operating sustainably in the future, we must: 

•    Generate income from some of our land,

•    Increase our rental business,

•    Restructure our mortgage, and

•    Ensure that we are raising $8,000 from individuals each month like you who value the work and this place.   If you meant to donate in 2010 and didn’t get a chance, start 2011 off right with a gift.  Just click here to make a secure donation on our website.

2010 Annual Report

To see the news and highlights from 2010, click here for our Annual Report.

Blessings to Jesse

In mid-December we said goodbye to Jesse Vega-Frey who transitioned from his work with stone circles to his primary vocation of teaching meditation.  Jesse has been a vital part of the organization for the past seven years.  In addition to providing enormous energy in getting The Stone House off the ground, Jesse helped guide our spiritual activism fellowship, stewarded the redesign of our website, offered teaching and training, and served as a vital presence here on the land.  He’s currently in Burma, managing a 3-week retreat for his teacher, Michele McDonald.  You can see his teaching schedule here. We miss him, wish him well and look forward to overlapping paths going forward.

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Step Up for The Stone House!

By admin | Published: September 29, 2010

We Need Your Help!

Leaves drift from the trees and the days and nights are of equal length. The air is getting cooler and our fall season is underway: Yoga of Social Change, the Freedom Through Understanding 10-day meditation retreat, cooking classes, opportunities to work on the land and much more. Our rental calendar is filling up into 2011.  And we’ve just celebrated our Third Anniversary. Since 2007, more than 3,500 people have come to the land for workshops, retreats, land programs and more. Clearly, there is power in the path.  You can read more about the past year in our annual report.
 
The Impact of the Economic Downturn
Like other nonprofit organizations, our financial health has been severely compromised by the economy. Foundation funding is down significantly and and it is unclear how we will meet our financial obligations after Oct 30. We have already made extensive budget cuts, which unforutnately has included phasing out some key staff positions. Mindfulness teaches us to prepare for the unexpected. We are pushing deeply up against the unknown and we need your help.
 
 What Is Needed Now?
We have an $80,000 deficit to erase by the end of the calendar year; our goal is to raise $50,000 from individuals before the end of November.   
And we’ll get there if:
5 of you give $5,000 each; a serious contribution for sure.
10 of you give $1,000 each; yes it’s a big gift but for some of you, definitely doable, no?
20 of you give $250 each, a monthly gift of just 20 bucks!  And so easy to do through the monthly giving option on our website.
50 of you give $100 each, which is less than 50 cents a day.
75 of you give $50 each, probably an easy check to write for many of you.
75 of you give $25 each, a much-needed contribution.
 
That’s 230 gifts – fewer than 7% of the people who have experienced the magic here. Like always, giving is super easy and secure; just click here and do it through our website.
We’re also inviting people to help us raise money in fun and creative ways that broaden the circle.  You set a fundraising goal and we provide materials, ideas and support.  You can click here for more information and email Megan (at) stonecircles (dot) org to get started.
What About the Future?

 

The task is to create a healthy bottom line in the short-term while we enact a long-term strategy for sustainability.  To that end we are:
  • Implementing recommendations to increase earned revenue made by two students at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University during their internship with us last semester;
  • Researching the feasibility of a conservation easement;
  • Pursuing a restructuring of our debt, other long-term financing and land use options; and
  • Engaging in a dynamic planning process (that has already garnered wisdom from 50 people) to help hone strategic direction and long-term financing.  Please let us know if you have wisdom to share.
Your Support Matters
The work of stone circles and The Stone House offers the space, time and tools to those that, in the words of our friend Annie Lanzillotto, “need it the most but get it the least.”  The advocate for homeless women who got her first good night of sleep in months.  The young people who have learned how to grow and prepare fresh food for the first time.  The local organizer who spoke about The Stone House as a place that “synthesizes my deepest values.”
 
The amazing response to our programs, facilities and land confirms that we are meeting important needs.  We are eager to craft a revenue model that will allow the work to continue into the future, and we can get there with your help – your wisdom, your volunteer energy, your organization renting the space, your networks, and yes, also your financial support.
 
We made the down payment for The Stone House through an enormous wave of support from friends like you. Please become part of the wave that will carry us into the future, and give as generously as you are able before October 31.
 
We will send out periodic updates over the coming weeks. We truly cannot do this without you.  Thank you in advance for your thoughtful action, gift and support.
 
Peace and blessings,
Claudia Horwitz, Executive Director
Chad U. Jones, Co-Chair, Board of Directors
Evangeline Weiss, Co-Chair, Board of Directors
For the entire stone circles staff and board
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Stone House greeting cards for sale!

By admin | Published: September 10, 2010

PURCHASE A BEAUTIFUL SET OF 4 GREETING CARDS FOR A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $20!

The lovely and talented duo Tricia and Cristina have created these cards from our photos of flora and fauna from our land. They are really pretty. I mean REALLY pretty! Each card is an eggshell white frame will a beautiful photo slipped in with love and love!

 

 


You can order a set by:

1. Making a check out to stone circles. 

* And mail to stone circles 6602 Nicks Road, Mebane, NC 27302
* Indicate on the check “PhotoCards” OR
2. Donating online at  www.stonecircles.org
*The donation icon is in the upper righthand corner
* Once on the donation page, follow the directions and under the “Comments” box, please type in “PhotoCards”

 

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