Cleo's Garden Artists' Retreat

07/12/2016

Update on Cleo's!

Starting in August, we will be renting the farmhouse to grad students with an orientation toward sustainability (or like-spirited individuals who want to live in an intentional community). Ad for the farmhouse is below if you are (or know of anyone) a interested. Still one room left!

Move-in date: August 15th.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Looking for mature, responsible and respectful grad students who are willing to work 3-4 hours per week in exchange for subsidized rent in a FURNISHED and RESTORED 125 year old 4 bedroom farmhouse located on 30 beautiful wooded acres. Three bedrooms are spoken for and one remains as of this posting. Rent is $300/month, plus 1/4 of utilities. Horticulture, Ag, or Forestry majors are preferred (or relevant experience and aptitude) and must have the willingness and experience to help with upkeep of the acreage and buildings.

Unless you are enthusiastic about sustainability, permaculture, native prairie and woodland restoration, and actually enjoy the hands-on engagement it takes to develop these things, this is not the situation for you. If you are keen on these things, this will be one of the coolest places you will ever live.

Located two miles south of Ames on Highway 69 (Duff Avenue), you will be actively involved in the upkeep/restoration of out-buildings, woodland trails, stream, meadows and old growth forest, and will play a role in the transformation of a property that will eventually host a variety of creative activities.

The buildings, forest and prairie areas are in overall good condition, but the woods have been overtaken by honeysuckle (which needs to be eradicated). We are in the process of restoring the open areas to native prairie through prescribed burns and native plantings.

If you are interested, please respond via email or text with a bit of background and why you would be a good fit as a member of the household. Thanks!

11/19/2013

Hey there - Lots of overlap in 'likers' for both pages, but we also have a project in Dubuque called Convivium Urban Farmstead. See and like below :)

Nonprofit Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Urban Farm & Education Center

07/11/2013

Although it is a slow process, plenty has been going on at Cleo's!

Blueberry bushes are already producing after being planted just last fall. We planted Four Chestnut trees this spring - Two are actually still alive!

We just brought three trailer loads of horse manure from a nearby farm with the goal of setting up a vermiculture composting system. Thanks to Cousin Jon (Klicker) we also have a commercial worm harvester which we hope to put to good use in the near-mid future.

Next up will be retrenching water lines and re-roofing greenhouses. HOPEFULLY by the 2014 growing season we'll have chemical free (!) crops of some sort being grown.

We're soooo looking forward to sharing the music, art and great food that will be such a meaningful part of Cleo's future!

02/11/2013

Pallet garden

02/11/2013

Real Homeland Security
~Jam

02/01/2013

It's Raining Strawberries!

(recycled rain gutters as strawberry beds).

01/30/2013

FIND, RATE & SHARE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD NEAR YOU

Enter your Zip Code @ http://eatlocalgrown.com

The Eat Local Grown Project

01/14/2013

Underground Greenhouse Manual available here in .pdf format.

01/10/2013

http://www.facebook.com/groups/231289166954215/403055993110864/?comment_id=405706919512438¬if_t=group_comment_reply #!/photo.php?fbid=468416423194523&set=a.468377849865047.93821.100000785073837&type=1&theater

11/01/2012

Be the change...

http://www.pachamama.org/blog/video-the-vital-importance-of-sustainability-explained-in-two-minutes

At The Pachamama Alliance we strive to educate and empower individuals to play an active role in creating a more environmentally sustainable future. In this short animated video, the principles…Read More

10/22/2012

"When the economy tanks, it's natural to think of yourself first. You have a family to feed, a mortgage to pay. Getting 'more' appears to be the order of business. It turns out, that the connected economy doesn't respect this natural instinct. Instead, we're rewarded for being generous. Generous with our time and money but most important, generous with our art. If you make a difference, people will gravitate to you. They want to engage, to interact and to get you more involved. If you make a difference, you also make a connection. You interact with people who want to be interacted with and you make changes that people respect and yearn for. Art can't happen without someone who seeks to make a difference. This is your art, it's what you do. You touch people or projects and change them for the better." -- Seth Godin