I was a hippie. I didn’t identify myself that way back in the day, but driving an old school bus to the back woods of Oregon and building a house around it might support the label. I hauled water in buckets to a garden that kept the local rabbits in greens and some good laughs, I’m betting. The saw was a chain saw, the lights were oil lamps, and the “facilities” had a house of their own. Why am I telling you this? Well, the answer is simple. Dr. Bronner.
It all came rushing back when I picked up a jar of organic coconut oil by Dr. Bronner. I hadn’t encountered Dr. Bronner for decades, not since using Castile soap way back when Dr. Bronner's was the hippie choice for cleanliness. It’s so difficult to find products that can be trusted to be made with organic ingredients, to care for the earth and for employees—which the Bronner family seems to have continued to be devoted to.
On the back of the jar is written:
Dr. Bronner’s sister company Serendipol is the world’s foremost supplier of fair trade and organic coconut oil—working with over 1200 farmers and employing more than 250 workers and professional staff at its factory. Serendipol farmers are implementing regenerative organic practices like mulching, composting and intercropping that enrich the soil, promote biodiversity, improve yields, and sequester atmospheric carbon-building a resilience in the face of a changing climate. A Fair Trade Fund is used for community-led projects to improve health, sanitation, education and infrastructure for rural Sri Lankan communities!
So much synergy with what we want for the future of the land that is the current Monastery and so much of how we want to approach stewarding this beautiful property in Sequim.
Here are some updates on that beautiful property…
I’ve never experienced weather like this. There’s often bright sun during the day, and often thick fog that comes and goes periodically throughout the day. Sometimes the fog is first thing in the morning, sometimes afternoon, sometimes evening. All stemming from different conditions—warm air, cold air, warm ground, cold ground—according to what I’ve read. The birds are there at the feeder, having treats midafternoon, the bright sun appearing before and after the thick fog.
The native trees and plants we’ve ordered will be ready to pick up on the afternoon of March 4. They’ll need to go in containers to keep the roots wet until their location is determined and a hole dug for them. I’ve engaged the owner of the local native tree nursery to act as consultant, making sure that the right trees (privacy fence) go in along the fence and the right shrubs (habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and bugs) go in next. This is a MAJOR learning curve for me!
The first part of the fence is nearing completion, a very small bit of the final fencing which will enclose the main, mowed area around the house. This part is going in now because we only have a month before the trees and shrubs will be ready for pickup and planting. It would be ideal to put in an equal length of fencing on the other side of the driveway, but the ground is too wet now. I’m hoping in a couple of weeks we might be able to get that length in.
If we can get the other half of the fence in before March 4, we can get both the privacy fence and the habitat fence started this year. If not, that side will need to wait for next year. It’s not that there won’t be plenty to do without getting that side done, and it would be lovely to have the two sides match and all the plants to grow at the same rate. If we can get the main part of the fence to match the one already in, we will be able to do a temporary (keeping the deer out) fence across both sides of the area in front of the house.
More soon!
In gasshō,
ch