March 6th

I guess I don’t know how to start this blog post because honestly it was just a normal day. However, I didn’t say that a normal day couldn’t be fun. Besides trudging through the waist deep snow in -15 degree weather. I really enjoyed March sixth. We got to get outside and play some broomball. We also got a big chunk of micro eco time to prepare for selling our products at the pancake breakfast. Sara Nelson also came up to the land school to have a discussion about the books we had been reading over the course of this Farmstay.

Another reason this day was so much fun was because that was the day we discovered doodle pacman on Google. Being trapped in a house with 14 people started to take its toll and we had nothing to do besides play ping-pong and listen to the same 5 songs the whole day. It was the only game we were allowed to play and being the 21^st century adolescents that we are, we would’ve taken that chance in a heartbeat. Overall, a very fun day. It just shows that even a normal day can be fun during Farmstay three.
by Miguel

photos from the Junior High May 2000 Tree Planting

Saturday March 2nd

Today was the first Saturday of the Farmstay. It started out with everybody sleeping in until 8:30, which I think everybody needed. Then we were all let loose to do what we wanted. We could go on a hike, play in the snow, go sledding, or chill in the basement. It was a cold and dreary day so most people ended up just playing ping-pong, foosball, cards, or just hanging out in the Homestead. At the beginning of the day there was an option to do work around the farm, but only some people did it due to the cold weather. We had free time the entire day, except for during meals and at 7:00 when we had movie night. For our movie we watched I am Number Four. It’s a movie based off of a book series. And that was the first Saturday of the Farmstay.

Cam

Monday March 3rd

Today was an average day on the land. We had a council meeting in witch we talked about food, freedom and responsibility. We also had a lot of time to do our Micro Economy projects (I advise you to come to the pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 8. People are making some really cool stuff) the rest of the day was chores and boring stuff but that’s okay because most of the days on the land are really fun. 

by Booth

The Middle of the Farm Stay

            We’re entering the time period of a Farm Stay that’s kinda weird. It’s the middle, but not really. People know who their good friends are and who they don’t get along with as well, every day is normal routine, and ping-pong, foosball, baking immense amounts of cookies, and listening to the same three songs over and over is starting to get old. It’s the time of Farm Stay that’s the worst, but at the same time, the best.

            This is the time when people realize what isn’t important, and what is. Does it really matter what ice cream bar you get? We start to really understand what it means to live together without getting incredibly annoyed with each other. Because, a week ago, that ice cream bar would have been the biggest deal in the world. But now, we get it. It doesn’t matter, and we have better things to do. Better things to learn. This part of the Farm Stay is where the most learning happens, and where people learn little things that otherwise wouldn’t really come up in a traditional school setting. What does each person have to offer? Even if I really dislike a person, what good qualities do they have that I can recognize, instead of thinking about the things I don’t like.

            Also, we’re having a ton of fun. We’re realizing that there ARE things we can do besides ping pong and Justin Bieber, and that those things are fun. They’re really fun! Playing tag in the hoop house, having parties in the woods, telling stories over the walkie talkies in the freezing cold. These are all examples of things that we’ve found enjoyment in, and have loved (even if it was actually freezing).

              The next week of Farm Stay will be very interesting. It’s the part where we find out if this will be an ok Farm Stay,  or an awesome Farm Stay. If people decide to complain, annoy eachother, talk/act before they think, and a host of other things that teenagers regularly do (myself included), then this Farm Stay will just be ok. If we work together,  have fun, do what’s best for everybody, and try our hardest to get along, it will be an awesome Farm Stay.

-Amal

Friday Feb 28th

Today we worked in the chicken pen to shovel out chicken poop for 3 hours. I was lucky that I was on lunch crew because I didn’t have to shovel. In the afternoon, we played broomball with Andy and that was very fun. We ended our school day with working on our micro eco projects. Overall, I really enjoyed today.

The White Stretches Out

            The white stretches out before me until it joins with the snow-laden trees. The land is a stunning white and has a peaceful feel to it that you can’t find in the city. It is cold out, but for a few minutes I am able to forget my freezing toes and fingers as I gaze out into the winter wonderland. I stand in three-foot deep snow that is almost impossible to navigate unless you have snowshoes on which make walking on the deep snow feel like walking on regular ground. Standing there and staring out reminds me of just how small I am in this world and how much is going on around me that I have no part in. We get so caught up in our own lives that it is easy to forget that there are others in the world around us. That is one of the things I like most about Farm Stay. I am able to experience a different life that opens me up to the lifestyle of others and makes me greater appreciate the contributions that everyone makes to this world and that I am not the only one and everyone has to do their part to create a successful community and in a bigger sense, the world.

            We arrived yesterday to this eye-opening experience. The day was full of orientation and getting an idea of what our lives were going to be for the next eighteen days. I had two adventures outside. The first was a walk we took with our Mentor Groups. We didn’t go very far, but I had a lot of fun climbing, crawling, and falling through the snow. My second experience was a snowshoe hike that we took as a group. This was much different because instead of sinking into the snow I walked on top of it. We hiked through the woods and were able to enjoy winter in its natural state, something you will never come by in the city.

            These experiences were the first time I realized the true beauty of winter. I am very happy that I chose to go on a winter Farmstay. It has made me realize how lucky I, and Minnesotans, are to experience the different seasons. That even though winter can get long, boring, cold, and wet sometimes it is a season of beauty and I think that we need to recognize that more.

Quinlan