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Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living

Jamaica and Corsica Sabbatical Serving Assignment

12/7/2012

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_ December 3, 2012

 

Dear Quiet Creek Friends,

            One Family-Two Islands-Endless Relationships might describe the year 2012 in six words.  Even Walker and Ashton’s incredible blogging on www.quietcreekherbfarm.org does not give the experience a fair shake.  The seven month sabbatical, personally funded, impacted our lives teaching us many lessons about our family, our food, our community, and our world. 

            Four months we served the mountainous community of Harmons where we gleaned the wisdom of the elders, “New broom sweeps clean, but old broom knows every corner.”  Local food was abundant, available to wildcraft, to grow, and to barter: mangoes, cassava, coconuts, pineapple, star fruit, papayas, pimento leaf (allspice) ackee, scotch bonnet peppers, jack fruit, and cashews.  A single mother, Faith, and her eleven children

welcomed us into their family teaching us how to cut a chicken into thirteen servings and jerk it over an open fire; pull and carry water out of a 20’ cistern to scrub clothing; shred cassava into delicious, locally-grown pizza crusts; and singing out hearts out to glorify God.  New materials in earthen building broadened our knowledge after building three ovens and gaining an appreciation for Pennsylvanian orange clay.  Eight houses constructed from Christ’s foundation up to the rooftop solidified our love of the Jamaican people. 

            During a two week layover in May, we witnessed the excitement of Rob and Jessie Orth, as they stewarded Quiet Creek.  This amazing couple made our sabbatical possible and pleasurable.  Thanks to the Orth Family, the Jamaican “no problem, man” mantra carried us to Corsica, France. 

            This Mediterranean island offered endless hours of hiking and swimming, awesome coastal and mountainous scenery, a hearty supply of driftwood to carve, a fresh diet of vegetable and fruit free of any genetic modification, and Ashton’s reality of French beaches.  We bicycled to an organic essential oil farm twice a week volunteering our skills while gaining an “intern” perspective to farm management, studied the Corsican history dating back to Greek domination, struggled with the French language, became known as the Americans who eat grass, and became a closer-knit family that only a sabbatical can create.  We returned to Quiet Creek refreshed ready to serve our community, our interns, and one another. 

            Arriving mid-August permitted us to support Max, Quiet Creek’s theatre camp director, and a dozen campers raising the environmental consciousness associated with natural resource extraction.  School groups largest (Punxsy’s 160 first graders) to smallest (Lenape’s 30 Culinary Arts students) embraced sustainability along with hundreds of visitors this fall and winter.  Mother Earth News welcomed Quiet Creek to share four presentations and an educational booth full of tools to make soap, grow mushrooms, raise worm compost, and forage for wild edibles.  Walker made his speaking and carving debut sharing native staples plus new delicacies from France and Jamaica, in addition to his hand crafted Pere Noels. 

            The year ahead promises to be exciting while we balance stewardship education with deep rooted, relationship building throughout the world.  Goals include developing intensive sustainability workshops (3-14 days), encouraging others to take a farm sabbatical at PASA’s annual conference, attending the US Composting conference, mentoring food chemist Benjamin from Brittany, France,  incorporating essential oil distillation classes, and jazzing youth about a healthy diet full of whole grains, veggies, fruits, and exercise. 

 

            We so appreciate your continued support helping us meet our mission at Quiet Creek.  Thanks for partnering with us; many blessings to you and your family in the upcoming year.

                                                                      With lots of love,
                                                                          Rusty, Claire, Walker & Ashton  

 

 

Yes! I can help cultivate Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living, Inc.

 

Enclosed is my check for

 

__  $25       __ $50   __ $100  __  $250 __ $500  __ $1000    $_______________

 

 

___Donated materials for everyday use on the farm (please list and drop by at your convenience)

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 __ I would like this donation to be used for any priority of Quiet Creek Herb Farm

 

 __ I would like this donation to be used for this specific purpose: _______________________

 

_____ I would like more information on how the corporation I work for can use its tax dollars to educate school children through Quiet Creek’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.

 

 

Please comment on what you find most meaningful regarding Quiet Creek’s mission:______

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.  Charitable contributions are tax deductible.

 

Name_________________________________________________________________

 

Address _______________________________________________________________

 

Phone _________________________________________________________________

 

E-mail _________________________________________________________________

 

Please send to:

Quiet Creek Herb Farm

93 Quiet Creek Lane, Brookville, PA 15825  

(814) 849-9662  

 

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Ya Mon

10/15/2011

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Ya Mon - Over fifty volunteers organized by Won by One to Jamaica, a non-profit Christian mission group, will be traveling to the mountain town of Harmons, Jamaica the last week of February.  Rusty and Walker will be joining them. This is Rusty’s second trip and he is anxious to share the experience with all of us. Walker just happens to be the first.


For nearly twenty years the dedicated Won by One to Jamaica folks have impacted many lives.  Not a minute is wasted, nor a penny squandered, as this well-oiled machine ministers in many ways to the Jamaican community. Building houses, teaching school, and offering medical assistance are a few examples.  


Every American taking the trip packs two fifty-pound suitcases full of items needed by the people of Harmons. Every ounce is shared including the baggage; the workers return with only the clothes on their backs.  


The list of needed items is extensive.  A sewing machine will provide income for a mother and her family, brown and black school shoes will assist a child to attend school, and clean infant clothes will promote healthy babies.  


Rusty and Walker are collecting things and it occurred to them to give up some of their stuff, instead of going to the Buy-it-All marts.  This concept is reinforced in a book called The New Friars by Scott Bessenecker. 


The author points out that third world children working fifteen hour days in clothing factories are making less than two U.S. dollars a day.  Conversely, corporate CEOs enjoy eighty thousand dollars a day.  Nearly half of the 2.8 billion workers in this world make less than two dollars a day.  Buying cheap stuff (made by these workers) even if it is given back to them, perpetuates poverty.  


A twenty minute film clip, www.storyofstuff.com, shows that 95% of what Americans buy ends up in the landfill within six months.  When we reuse this stuff -- the prepackaging waste, the extraction of natural resources, and the factory pollutants are all reduced.  


Ironically, we live in a world that is dying from both being stuffed and starved. We find ourselves overweight with homes filled with duplicate items especially clothing that would last us months, without even wearing the same thing twice in that time frame.  In places like Jamaica, these hungry folks would do so much better given the tools, skills and knowledge to generate food and income without the influence of corporate America.  


If you would like to simplify your life, consider giving away some stuff.  The first century Christian church described in the book of Acts tells of Christ followers selling their possessions and giving to anyone in need.  


Check out Quiet Creek Corner on www.quietcreekherbfarm.org for a complete list to lighten your load and help Rusty and Walker’s load up for their trip to Jamaica.  

Please consider sending these used items (good quality):
1. Children’s clothing --#1 need
2. Black/brown heavy school shoes
3. Size sheets
4. Sewing machines in good working order
5. Infant clothing 
6. Tape measures
7. Composition notebooks
8. Backpacks
Feel free to drop off at 93 Quiet Creek Lane, Brookville, PA 15825

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    Rusty and Claire Orner, with their two sons, Walker and Ashton, are stewards of the non-profit educational organization, Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living in Brookville, Pennsylvania. They can be contacted at 
    ​
    www.quietcreekherbfarm.org 
    Quiet Creek © 2018

    ​

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