19850 Camino del Oro East (home of Crestone Energy Fair)
Huge thanks to all the folks that helped buck up all of the firewood for the Community Firewood Program 2021-2022: Skip Patterson, Tommy Lyle, Jason Irwin, Tony Cannata, Paul Grice, Taylor Shplettit, Jeff Winsett & Dave Jacuk and to Donovan Spitzman for being their ringleader (This group is kind of like a circus). Thank you to Lisa Bodey and Mary Lowers for their overall project management efforts.
We will host a community cookout and education day on Sunday, November 14 to start wood splitting. Come out and learn chainsaw basics, how to split wood, heating with wood and the always popular wood splitting contest with prizes and stuff.
Pete Van Horn & Matt Evers- 2020 Wood Splitting Contest Winners
Local Foods Local Places Interview by Abe Rosenberg – with Sherice Shiner & Lisa BodeyLiving Facilitation Retreat – January 2022 (L to R) Sherice Shiner, Jae Sanders, Goldie Mariola, Lisa Bodey, Chelsea Braden, Melinda Myers & Lydia Sprouts
Living Facilitation Retreat – September 2021
Yellow Barn Farm, Boulder CO By Lisa Bodey
Seven San Luis Valley leaders attended “Holding Space for Transformative Experiences” a Living Facilitation Retreat, led by Adam Brock and Asia Dorsey of Regenerate Change. This four-day training held at Yellow Barn Farm in Boulder is based on an ecological model of permaculture and looking at living systems to think about how to lead and build resilient, equitable and inclusive communities. La Puente received a grant from Colorado Health to identify and cultivate grassroots leadership and community led solutions. As part of this grant, Sherice Shiner, Healthy Food Access Coordinator of the Food Bank Network of the SLV, organized scholarships for: Liza Marron, Averill Doering, Abe Rosenberg, Melissa Ketchum, Suzanne Rouge and Lisa Bodey to attend this training.
Excerpts from attendees:
“We learned about the concept of “edges”; thinking about the edges of bio-zones where there is the most diversity, activity and growth. Imagine riparian areas where meadow meets stream or zones where grassland meets the forest or where estuaries meet the ocean. For the participants these are the areas in life or community building work where we might avoid because they are uncomfortable or where we would have to stretch, grow and be uncomfortable.” Liza Marron
“Ever wonder… what it really means to thrive here? about stepping into our unique potentials? about coming together, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds & division? about how our groups could best serve? about generating true community wealth? Living Facilitation gets to the root of these kinds of questions by applying the principles of permaculture to our social systems and by going beyond theory altogether, and using physical activities to move us out of our intellect alone, and into our whole bodies. Connecting with powerful people in the valley, seeing their strengths, appreciating their vulnerabilities, and establishing loving relationships, has become rich, fertile ground for our emerging collaborations. Essentially, Living Facilitation offers the idea that with trusting relationships at the heart, the potential for fruitful community engagements is limitless.” Averill Doering
“The opportunity to cross pollinate ideas using common language and shared experience feels like an important goal for SLV that was achieved. Blessed with abundant trees, meadows and a stream, the space embraced the content as well as the contributors. The facilitators illustrated activities and games for building relational soil that put the participants at ease while introducing basic permaculture design elements. They also had the courage to invite a relevant live mediation session that demonstrated skill sets in shifting outcomes. My big take away was using the elements to describe attributes, skills, styles and patterns of facilitation. Earth: Containing, Water: Deepening, Fire: Disrupting, Air: Perceiving.” Suzanne Rougé
“The concepts of permaculture, which takes the natural patterns of nature, like “ecology” and lends this framework to our human “egocologies”, or how we interrelate in groups of people was the core focus of this training. By being able to have so many people of the valley come, we brought back a holographic memory of all the different styles of being able to create “relational soil” between individuals to strengthen our communities, organizations, and coalitions.” Sherice Shiner
“This experience was an invitation to explore the depths of interpersonal relationships and authentic connection, something we all desire to create within our own communities. It asked us to show up in integrity through the conversations, gatherings, and facilitation done within our own communities and organizations. It was an opportunity to understand the complex inner landscapes of others as we build relational soil, the soil that is required to foster authentic and nourishing connections. It allowed us the tools and techniques to ensure that all voices, stories, and experiences are taken into account when bringing diverse groups of individuals together for a shared goal or experience.” Melissa Ketchum
Adam spoke at the 32nd Annual Crestone Energy Fair and we will be presenting Living Facilitation in the SLV around mid-January with Spanish translation services. If you would like more information, please contact Sherice Shiner at healthyfoodaccess@lapuente.net or Lisa Bodey at crestoneenergyexchange.org.
Hello Crestone, this year’s Thanksgiving will see a drastic, but necessary change. We have been holding our breath throughout the year in the hopes that the situation would change enough that we would be able to host Thanksgiving as usual in the charter school. This is unfortunately not the case, as the charter school is not permitting the public to enter the school. As a result we have had to look for alternative venues and ways to facilitate this local tradition. Last year an informal poll was conducted and we found that over 100 people attendees would otherwise not enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, if it were not for the one provided by this community. With this knowledge, it is unacceptable in our eyes to give up and just wait till next year. Instead we have worked diligently with the Little Shepherd on the Hill Episcopal Church as well as the Crestone Mercantile and Neighbors Helping Neighbors to bring you a revised format for this year‘s Thanksgiving celebration. We will host a “to go“ meal at the Little Shepherd on the Hill Parish Hall, whereby from 8 AM to noon on Saturday, November 21 we will have intake of dishes, and then from 1 PM to 5 PM we will distribute to-go containers of Thanksgiving meals. Meals will include regular, vegan, and gluten-free options. We will once again need volunteers to cook turkeys, as well as to help us sort and serve the food received. This will also be a fundraiser for Neighbors Helping Neighbors. It is our hope that this is the only year that we will have to do it this way, as we know that this will be difficult logistically but hope that you will still participate and bring the joy and beauty that Thanksgiving stands for to this event. All workers will be utilizing strict protective gear for the maximum benefit of the community. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday November 21. The Crestone Energy Exchange, a year-round extension of the Crestone Energy Fair, will be facilitating this project. For more information, please visit our website at www.crestoneenergyexchange.org or call or text Nick Nevares at 719.480.9384.
Crestone Energy Fair WINTER DRIVE for Dine & Hopi Reservations September 5-12, 2020
Dear Community…we have a new addition to the Crestone Energy Fair! We will be collecting items for donation to the Dine & Hopi reservations for their COVID relief and winter preparation efforts. Elders will be joining us for our Opening Ceremony on Saturday, September 12, so we will be able to send them home with items next weekend.
Items can be dropped off on Mary Lower’s front porch Saturday, Sept 5 through Friday, Sept 11. – 330 W. Galena Avenue, Crestone. You can also bring items to the Energy Fair on Saturday, September 12. If you can’t stay for the event, you can drop them off at the registration tent.
We are also looking for volunteers to help us with sorting and organizing throughout the week and at the event. Please contact Lisa Bodey, 719-480-5925, crestoneenergyfair@gmail.com if you can help.
Please share with others you know and trust.
WE SEEK WINTER CLOTHING FOR ALL AGES
-from infant sizes to the Elderly on the Dine’ and Hopi reservations. Our intent is to complete delivery of the clothing and other items before the weather starts to turn. It can get as cold as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit!
–WARM SWEATERS, SOCKS, BOOTS, SHOES, JACKETS, GLOVES/MITTENS, SCARVES AND OTHER WINTER APPAREL- in a variety of sizes, even 2XX and 3XX.
-MASKS AND CHILDREN’S MASKS
-CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND TOYS- for ages 3 through grade 12, in good condition and culturally appropriate (note: Tonka toy trucks are a big hit as are Legos)
-STUFFED ANIMALS- new, or almost new and clean/ sanitized
SCHOOL AND ART SUPPLIES- notebooks, notepads, sketchbooks, pencils, markers, crayons and pens.
VERY IMPORTANT!!! ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING MUST BE WASHED/SANITIZED, ITEMIZED/LABELED, BOXED, AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE or they will not be accepted!
PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ITEMS YOU WOULD NOT WEAR OR USE FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR LOVED ONES. AND PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE INTIMATE ITEMS SUCH AS BRAS, UNDERWEAR, ETC.
This is part of a larger Winter Drive and Go Fund Me effort and the organizers are in desperate need of people in the Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville and Longmont areas to donate space for storage until the end of Sept. DO YOU HAVE ROOM IN YOUR GARAGE OR KNOW FRIENDS IN THAT AREA?
For more information, please contact Maria Michael at:
In an effort to support NHN clients and our Work-Trade partners we will not resume firewood sales as part of our program until Spring/Summer 2022. To be put on a list for updates, please send an email to crestoneenergyexchange@gmail.com and ask to be put on our firewood updates list.
UPDATE 12-15-20
Thank you to everyone who has supported the startup of our new Community Firewood Program. At this time we have sold out of cords of firewood. We will continue the Work-Trade, Community Service/Volunteer Days and delivery of Emergency Firewood.
The Crestone Energy Fair has partnered with Neighbors Helping Neighbors(NHN) and Baca Grande Emergency Services to offer a NEW Community Firewood Program. Community members who can afford to purchase wood at full price will be helping to supplement those who want to work-trade for wood and/or receive free firewood through the NHN assistance program. This will help us to create jobs and empower individuals to help join our team in supporting the entire community.
Due to COVID and other circumstances, we have had a lot of difficulty sourcing bulk wood and the price of firewood has increased this year. To cover our costs and create an effective program we will be charging $250/cord. At the moment, we are able to order Spruce to cut, split and deliver
For more information, please contact Lisa Bodey 719-480-5925 or crestoneenergyfair@gmail.com
For free firewood assistance through Neighbors Helping Neighbors, please contact Mary Lowers 719-256-4185 or lowersmary2@gmail.com
