Landscape Residency
Landscape Residency is a 1-week dynamic conversation-based experience. Originating for graduate students to expand their understanding of place in their work and studies, the farm now allows for group experiences as well. In conversation with farm folk and neighbors, residents have the opportunity to live in community and imagine what it means to authentically recognize self, experience ancestors, and learn place. Our goal is to recall the natural of indigenous landscapes, recognize nature and the natural, appreciate healthy individuality, and create nurturing community. Landscape Residency is integrative seasonal landscape work engaging plants, animals, dirt, water, humanity and wind.
A generational working farm, JustLiving Farm engages the landscape through our values, with an ear to individual morals, community ethics, and landscape theologies. Our Landscape Residency program is an opportunity for you to explore your vocation, work, life and indigeneity* in the liminal space of landscape. JustLiving Farm offers you a one-week opportunity to consider how your life is intimately intertwined with the indigenous: plants, animals, creatures, humans, and earth.
We welcome graduate students and others who want to explore their fit with the landscape. Who want to step beyond the norm and engage in conversations that wonder and question how land, husbandry, ecology, nature and the cycle of life and death matters to justice, theology, philosophy and society.
*Indigeneity: the fact of originating or occurring naturally in a particular place.
How does this work?
When you arrive, you will be provided room and board for your one-week residency. All you need to do is get yourself to and from the farm. (If you are unable to afford travel, the farm offers a travel stipend per year.)
Each residency is uniquely based on your worldview. Together with farm staff, you will engage the life of the of the Toppenish Creek Valley landscape. Our goal is to help you engage the immediate landscape of the farm and the local reservation landscape to explore how this land and these ancestors might inform your vocational outlook and forthcoming life experience.
You will have the opportunity to observe and participate in the life of a working farm. We are here to help you understand, question, and imagine how rural farm practices matter in your life’s work. We will provide you the space to wander and wonder the similarities and contrasts of your home landscape and ours.
Your typical day begins at 6:00am. Breakfast around 7am. Lunch around 12-1pm. Supper around 5pm.
Who do you get to work with?
Creation, Nature, Natural, indigenous: First and foremost teachers of this landscape are the dirt, water, wind, plants, and animals (both wild and domestic).
Belinda Bell (Master of Social Work and Animal Health Technician) specializes in herd health, Hospice Care, grant writing, funding small non-profits, and developing out-of-school programming.
Rebecca Lee (Master of Social Work, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, MSW supervisor), specializes in seasons, rhythm, and how the body, intellect, and spirit naturally engages landscape.
Katherine Bell (Master in Peace and Justice), specializes in how boundaries and boarder affect people. Historically and currently, Katherine questions the entanglement of systems and cultures and how they manipulate and infect our personal lives and the lives of our neighbors.
David Bell (Master in Theology) specializes in the natural and indigenous. David engages questions of how our identity and existence is intertwined with creation and landscape. Foremost, David will work with you to begin recognizing your natural ancestral siblingship.
Some or all of these folk will help you explore your place within the creational landscape and how to imagine that the native world is in natural relationship with you.
Click under Landscape Residency for more specifics and an application. You can reserve your week today.
JLF Landscape Residency
We are told again and again that we have to find answers outside of ourselves. When you JustLive Your Landscape, you uncover deep wisdom of place and true strength of community. You begin trusting yourself, your community, and your ability to tap int the natural wisdom of your landscape. And you and your community begin to live as the Natural intended.
