Center for Sustainable Community – Stelle, IL

Special Course Features  

Guest Presenters:

Larry Korn: Translator of The One Straw Revolution
Larry spent 5 years in Japan, two of those with Masanobu Fukuoka on his farm in southern Japan. He lived in one of the mud walled huts in Fukuoka’s orchard and performed farm chores with the other students. Larry translated Fukuoka’s classic book The One-Straw Revolution into English which was then translated into twelve other languages including French, Dutch, Italian, Hindi and Spanish. Larry brings to us his experience and a slide show of his time studying with Fukuoka as well as some great stories about serving as a translator and guide for Fukuoka on his two trips to the United States. Larry was instrumental in introducing Fukuoka to Wes Jackson, Wendell Berry, Bill Mollison, Robert Rodale, Gary Snyder and many farmers and students interested in his philosophy of natural farming techniques.
Click here for more on Larry and his experience with Masanobu Fukuoka.

Neris Gonzales: Founder of Ecovida (Chicago)
Neris is a survivor of the civil war which ravaged El Salvador (late 70's till early 90's), and came to Chicago to recover.  During the war, she was brutally persecuted for teaching her fellow peasants literacy and how to feed themselves (with the use of permaculture).  After finding refuge in Chicago she discovered many in her new neighborhood in need of the same things as her Salvadorian kinsmen - nutrition, purpose and sustainability skills. She established the non-profit educational organization ‘Ecovida’ to address these needs using permaculture as a foundational piece. She is currently involved in a community building project in South Bend, IN. We are honored to have Neris join us for an international perspective on how permaculture can change the way we look at, and live in, the world. More on Neris.

Local Field Tours

Strawbale Home - Jon & June Haeme
We will be visiting Jon and June Haeme's strawbale home where they will present slides and share their experience of the past 10 years working to create a sustainable lifestyle.  Jon and June bought 5 acres near Stelle 12 years ago, and in 1994 started construction on a strawbale home (the first in Illinois).  After much hard work and the help of many friends, they were able to move into their new home in the spring of 1996. The home features a passive solar design, energy efficient lighting and appliances, a solar PV electric system, a solar hot water system, and a rain water collection system.

Other improvements on their property include a passive solar strawbale workshop, organic garden, and a wind break created in part from living Christmas trees planted each year after the holidays. Jon states that “we use an electric garden tractor rebuilt from a 1974 GE Electrac.   We also use a 20% blend of biodiesel in our big tractor and our VW Jetta which gets 50 MPG on the highway. We continue to look for ways to improve our lifestyle in a way that is sustainable for us and the World.”

Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast – Mark and Guia Hoffman
Also scheduled is a tour to Mark and Guia Hoffman's two acre Bed & Breakfast that will include a walking presentation through their permaculture oriented gardens and yard. Mark and Guia have experimented with a variety of permaculture concepts and will share their experience and knowledge.

Mint Creek Farm – Harry Carr & Family
Harry will describe how animals, primarily ruminants such as sheep and cattle, convert the sun's energy into healthy foods by grazing and digesting nature's storehouse of grasses and legumes. Harry has over a decade of experience converting conventionally farmed land into healthy and diverse meadows capable of feeding his growing flock of sheep (about 500). He will describe the health benefits of milk and meat from grass fed animals - for example, how high levels of heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids are produced - and much more. Click here for an informative summary of this topic. Included will be a meadow tour with description of some common grassland plants and the chance to experience firsthand a real sheep farm.

Spence Farm – Kris & Marty Travis
Spence Farm is the oldest family farm in Livingston County, Illinois.  Having followed the course of 20th century agriculture, the farm adopted the industrial approach from the 50’s through the 90’s, losing fertility and profitability over the years. Now that it is Kris and Marty’s turn to care for the family farm, they are in the early process of returning it to a widely versatile and sustainably oriented operation. Their talent and growing expertise lies in observing what is growing naturally around them and finding niche markets for these items. This year they will sell over $30,000 in wild leeks, lambs quarter, amaranth (pig weed), stinging nettles, and wild flower seed. Their creativity and concern for a sustainable way of living are inspiring.

AquaRanch – Myles Harston
Located not too far from Stelle is a very successful closed loop fish/greenhouse system. Myles raises thousands of pounds of tilapia (fish) a year and runs their nutrient rich water (polluted water?) through his 12,000 square foot greenhouse where he raises fresh basil for the Chicago ‘Whole Foods’ markets and beyond. One system's waste is another system's food! http://www.AquaRanch.com.
Even more on Aquaponics.