A friend told me about Zumwalt Acres, an intentional
community committed to sustainable agriculture in Illinois. This sounded too
awesome to be true and I checked it out. Below are some excerpts from the
website:
Zumwalt Acres is a Jewish regenerative agriculture community working to develop a replicable model of ecologically sustainable and socially just land stewardship in Illinois.
Zumwalt Acres is an agroforestry farm practicing methods of
agriculture that are regenerative, draw down carbon, and align with Jewish
values. It was founded by the youngest generation of the Zumwalt family and
their peers in 2020 on land in Sheldon, IL that has been in the Zumwalt family
for over 150 years. JR Zumwalt, our farm manager, grew up in our farmhouse. He
has long envisioned a more sustainable and diversified system on this land.
We are also inspired by faith-based teachings on land
stewardship and ecological values. Spirituality motivates us to infuse our work
with care and intentionality, and reminds us of our obligations to future
generations who will tend the land after us. Jewish tradition, in particular,
will serve as the bedrock of our community, and Zumwalt Acres apprentices today
are working to incorporate Jewish mandates such as the periodic fallowing of
the land and the dedication of portions of our yield to communities in need
into our practice. Our community of apprentices also work to maintain a household
grounded in Jewish practices, giving us time to rest on Shabbat and guide
reflections on our work through the holiday calendar. We look forward to
cultivating an interfaith community that honors the array of traditions,
beliefs, and spiritual connection to land that future apprentices may bring.
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