These pics are from the Indigenous People’s Day weekend in Wassaic, NY. A farm some people from Occupy Wall Street are turning into a self sustaining farm. Permaculturist, Andrew Faust was there the day I arrived leading an entire day’s event on how to turn the land, Interpret a landscape and its ecological implications. Create maps, graphical analysis, assessment, and presentations. Understand key design strategies for systems of varying scale. Discover and develop working relationships between elements, goals, and site realities. Design methods, techniques, observation skills, pattern recognition, and systems understanding. Apply Permaculture principles, ethics, design techniques and strategy.

Arc 38 is a federally recognized not-for-profit intentional community situated on about 180 acres of protected wetland, agricultural property and forested hills teeming with biodiversity. Located in the beautiful Harlem Valley in Amenia, New York, we’re a mere 2 hours from New York city, adjacent to the last stop of the Metro North Harlem Line train, and a 2 hour drive from Hartford, CT.

Being within such easy access of big cities, and so close to the appalachian trail, has opened opportunities for many diverse people to experience our vision. With it’s roots firmly grounded in activism, sustainability, agriculture, building networks, spirituality, philosophy and radical pacifism, Arc 38 strives to embody a living experiment in community building.

Our experiment upholds diverse principles of many models for society developed throughout history and attempts to modernize them, creating a manner of transition to new ways of living. In doing this we hope to provide a support system to help people in need throughout the greater community outside of Arc 38 and build a model which others may use to help other communities all over the globe. We’ve been maintaining our gardens, trails and campsites while working with nature to protect our forest and marshland, keeping them alive and well! Forging friendships and alliances empowers our common goals and gives each individual the power of many!