earth releaf

Grew up in small Wisconsin town in a family of 5 with a big garden in the back yard.

Lived a relatively low stress childhood somewhat close to nature in a typical "father knows best" american family of the times. Took an active interest in nature thru helping in the garden, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, etc.

Graduated from high school in 1967, went to college for less than a semester before dropping out and exploring the alternative lifestyles and ideals evolving out of the sixties. Spent a brief time taking child care classes at a technical school after dropping out of college.

Refused induction into the army and faced a possible two year jail sentence, however due to the slow processing of the courts by the time my trial came up two years later,  by then the judge was more lenient toward those who opposed the war, and gave two years probation working for humanitarian cause.

So i worked in surgery at a hospital in northern wisconsin where i became aware of the traditional medical profession and saw many various surgeries.

During this time working at the hospital i bought 40 acres of land in northern wisconsin and resolved to live a backwoods type alternative lifestyle in harmony with nature. Developed deeper interests in self-sufficiency, gardening, building, etc.

Also during this time i got married to the ideal homesteader wife with all the skills of a pioneer woman. I built a three story log house (featured in a national geographic book entitled, "exploring americas backcountry") while wife did homemaking chores and crafts and on a cold november evening in 1975 the two of us alone delivered a baby in our log house.

The time around the pregnancy and after was a very spiritual and learning time for me exploring and reading all kinds of alternative literature, especially related to child rearing and spirituality since problems were beginning to develop in that area between me and the wife.

Over time, due to different opinions on child rearing techniques and lifestyle wife and i split up and a very challenging period of my life. Wife moves in with my best male friend. I get very introspective and withdrawn and start searching soul for deeper spiritual meaning, and ways to resolve my situation. I started an intensive yoga practice which continues today and also started investigating raw foods and fasting for health refinements. After considerable hesitation i decide to hit the road in search of more ideal family, and leave all belongings and land to wife and child.

Travel around the mainland US in search of more ideal cooperative extended family, encounter many and various situations and learn a great deal but never find quite what i am looking for or idealizing.

Land at my blood sister's nuclear family in portland and decide to stay there for awhile to regroup. While there i take classes in alternative health and spirituality at a community college at nite while working part time days for some carpenter friends. Sister and i decide to open a small daycare for children in her basement where i learn more about the spiritual nature of children, etc.

Start growing tired of city living and searching and longing for a country home again after a few years on the road. Go on the road searching again and end up in Hawaii penniless. Start a little wheatgrass business and hanging out at the local food coop. Getting interested in coop politics but don't like the way they operate so i start making suggestions to initiate consensus decision making to the board and slowly over time they change to consensus. I run for the board, and get elected, and also volunteer a side job as grounds keeper at the coop. Fond memories of some of the family spirit around the coop at that time, many lessons learned some easy, some difficult.

Being around the food coop inspires me to start looking for friends to start a consensus intentional community, so i start initiating meetings to form one and form a non profit group called earth releaf. Over time we get a piece of land, or should i say several land attempts, due to trial and error, and lack of partners keeping their word. We come and go a few times from land bases on the island. Finally after several failed partnership attempts i decide to get me own life more in order on a homestead.

Begin developing a homestead again, while at the same time searching for more serious consensus partners. Trial and error continues and i learn from more mistakes what it will take to make a consensus family. Long on and off periods of hermithood, with many visitors off and on.  Homestead slowly (25 years now, as of 2011) develops into an extensive orchard and buildings capable of supporting at least six core group partners in land trust, but to date no serious partner/s yet, tho intuition and considerable support and/or interest on the sidelines indicates i may be on to something. Testing, one, two,.............