by Caroline Schier, 2013 Summer Intern

If one thing can be said about community it is that teamwork is key to success. This is something I have come to understand more during this week of work at Songaia. They are not only a team amongst themselves, but also in their partnership with Journeys. We had the pleasure of helping to send the children off on their backpaking trips this past weekend. Journeys does an espcially good job of trying to make the trips a growing experience for the participants;  I was happy to get to share in that and look forward to see the difference when they return. 

And we also got to be a part of the teamwork in action. We  gathered a large crew in the garden to help move a hoop house from one garden bed to another. It was a hoopla of a time and gave us all something to celebrate at the end of the day.  On our last work day of the week we had a group work in the garden all day and got to enjoy an abundance of good company while staying busy. 

All in all, Songaia is a machine full of many parts, and without each of those parts operating together the machine could not function. It is a blessing to be a part in this powerful machine. 

I am in Agricultural Engineering/ Natural Resources Engineering at Purdue University, this is basically a different approach to environmental engineering. Until my third year of College, I’d never heard of the term “food security” and once I started to learn about all that it entails, the more I became intrigued.  One of the things that I have learnt in my life is to always start at the base and work up from there, so once I knew that I was interested in food security, I really wanted to get a handle on what it looks like to produce the food, hence wanting to be at a place like Songaia, a whole community that eats from their own garden!

All in all this summer has been so busy and so non-stop and so amazing. Week One was a blur. We met so many people in such a short time, I’d say it was overwhelming, but the excitement was too high. 

Reflecting on how we applied to this internship, I remembered  a question about our experience with co-housing and intentional communities that we were asked.   A key thing that this week taught me, was that intentional was not the typo I thought it was when I answered the question about my international community experience. I learned that within Songaia, there is an intent to thrive in a way that supports the changing world that we face, which is refreshing and exciting.

 Oh, well, I also learned about bind weed.

by Madeline Johnston, 2013 Intern

Week one of my summer Songaia experience has been full of surprises. I was not expecting the amount of constant tending it takes for a garden of Songaia’s size to flourish to the extent that it does. I was also unprepared for the plethora of plant species that grow in the garden, a lot of which I have never even heard of. 

Even as a novice gardener, two days in, I can already see the rewarding feeling that comes along with investing time in taking a plant from a seed in the ground to something wonderful on your plate. There is something really special about coming across the occasional carrot or strawberry in the midst of a hard days work and taking a break to enjoy what you have worked so hard to grow. I am looking forward to the weeks to come so that I can see the garden changing through the season.   

Of my two days in the garden thus far I have already gotten to lend a hand in many different projects. Our morning garden walk with Helen has been a highlight as it really gave me the opportunity to observe how the garden is changing. I would have to say, I am very impressed by the level of knowledge that all of the Songaia garden workers have. It is really fascinating following them through the garden as they identify the teeniest little sprout and are able to tell what it is, while to me the it seems too small to distinguish from all the others. I can only hope that some of this rubs off on me the more time I spend in the garden. 

by Caroline Schier, 2013 Intern

I have successfully survived another week at Songaia, and I already feel as if I could become their official tour guide. It has not taken much time to adjust to the way of life here. Spending the days in the garden is like entering a time warp, you get caught up in the tasks of planting, weeding, mulching, harvesting, or whatever it may be and time flies by. 

Through these speedy work days I have gotten to know the garden much better. At first glance it seems almost like a chaos of plants;  a row of tomatoes in one bed, beans in the next, weeds covering several others, trees, bushes and various other crops seem to be just scattered about. But, there is certainly some method within the madness of the garden and that is where true beauty lies.

The more I get to know the garden the more I understand its organization. The way certain crops complement one another, how weeds can benefit unplanted beds, why plants are placed in different locations. Although I have a very limited knowledge of the garden, I feel as if every time I walk through I can identify something new. The garden is showing me the way it operates, and it is my job to respond to its needs. 

One great way I have discovered how to do this is by tinkerbell-ing, a term that I think deserves a spot in the dictionary of gardening (if there is such a thing). Laura and I were working on building trellises for the green beans that were just planted and we were instructed to just tinker around with methods until we found something that worked.  And apparently in the movies, Tinkerbell, a garden fairy herself, does the same thing when presented with a problematic situation. She knows how to tinker and that is just what a garden like the one at Songaia needs.  Experimentation and then response and reaction are necessary for the workings of the garden. This is what I took away most from this week. I intend to try my best to better listen and learn from the garden so that I can help it to thrive.

by Caroline Schier, 2013 Intern

Arriving at Songaia for the first time was like entering the unknown. My good friend Laura and I, on a whim decided to WWOOF this summer, stumbled upon Songaia on the web page and with limited knowledge on co-housing, permaculture or gardening in general, drove across the country to the community we intended to call home for the next two months. And now after just one week at Songaia home is just one way I would describe this place. 

Songaia is a bubble; outside is urban sprawl at its finest but  within is this community that automatically embraces you with their quaint, tranquil, and innovate mindset. I can surely attribute this feeling to the family vibe that is always present and the immediate welcome that we received. Within minutes of our arrival we were in the community garden popping strawberries into our mouths (something that has now become a daily ritual) and getting to know the space we would be helping to transform for the rest of the summer.  

The following day, work day number one, was just a continuation of the introductions and new experiences. We started off helping to make breakfast for the community, planted tomatoes, weeded in the garden beds, participated in orientation for the backpacking organization, Journeys that we would also be helping with and learning about bagged earth in a hands-on workshop.  This was just the jump start point to a week in which nearly every moment I could easily use the phrase, “Well I’ve never done this before”.

There is no doubt in my mind that there is an abundance of learning to be had here. All of the people we have meet so far have clear passions and love to practice and project upon their interests. It is so exciting to be a part of a community where people are actively pursuing their visions. They span from planting specific crops, permaculture methods, composting, aquaponics, cooking, cycling, yoga, poetry; you name it and someone here can relate.

My thoughts about Songaia went from blank and unknown to fruitful in such a short time. I intend to absorb as much in these coming months as possible, and would love to come away from this experience with a more clear vision of my own passions and goals.