Forest Farm: a home built of stone


The Good Life Center is located at the last hand-built home of Helen and Scott Nearing, located in Harborside (Brooksville), Maine on five acres of forested land overlooking Spirit Cove.

Mission Statement
The mission of The Good Life Center is to perpetuate the philosophies and lifeways promoted and exemplified by Helen and Scott Nearing, two of America's most inspirational practitioners of simple, frugal and purposeful living. Building on the Nearing legacy, The Good Life Center encourages and supports individual and collective efforts to live sustainably into the future. Guided by the principles of kindness, respect and compassion in relationships with natural and human communities, The Good Life Center promotes active participation in the advancement of social justice, creative integration of the life of the mind, body and spirit, and deliberate choice in living responsibly and harmoniously in an increasingly complicated world. The Good Life Center seeks to attain this mission through:

  • Conservation of the Nearings' last hand-built home, Forest Farm in Harborside, Maine, as an inspirational example of conscientious and thoughtful living in harmony with nature;
  • Sharing the philosophy underlying the "good life" practices at Forest Farm to encourage a diverse audience to apply this philosophy in their own distinct environments and life circumstances;
  • Offering residential and visiting fellowships, stewardships, and educational programs on homesteading and sustainable living at Forest Farm and other homesteads;
  • Extending Helen and Scott Nearing's broad social and political message by ensuring access to their publications, library and personal papers, as well as by publishing new works on related issues;
  • Serving as a resource and network for scholars, homesteaders, gardeners, social and political activists, and students of simple and sustainable living;
  • Practicing right livelihood and following simple living principles, in all pursuits, so that The Good Life Center itself models what it seeks to promote.


Who Were Helen and Scott Nearing?

Helen and Scott Nearing

In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, Helen and Scott Nearing moved from their small apartment in New York City to a dilapidated farmhouse on 65 acres in Vermont. For over 20 years, they created fertile, organic gardens, hand-crafted stone buildings, and a practice of living simply and sustainably on the land. In 1952, they moved to the Maine coast, where they later built their last stone home.

Through their 60 years of living on the land in rural New England, their commitment to social and economic justice, their numerous books and articles, and the time they shared with thousands of visitors to their homestead, the Nearings embodied a philosophy that has come to be recognized as a centerpiece of America's "Back to the Land" and "Simple Living" movements.

See the Wikipedia entry for Helen and Scott: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_and_Scott_Nearing

Resident Stewards

  • The resident steward program has been temporarily suspended until the building restoration and ground work are complete.

Board of Directors - 2009

  • Jocelyn Langer, chair
  • Joan Cheetham, treasurer
  • Nancy Caudle-Johnson, secretary
  • Diane Fitzgerald
  • Gwyneth Thomas

Group of Stewards

  • Ed Begley, Jr., Studio City, CA
  • Nancy & Warren Berkowitz, Blue Hill, ME
  • Michael Bollinger, Harborside, ME
  • Jack Brondum, Minneapolis, MN
  • Svevo Brooks, Creswell, OR
  • Connie Canney, Alachua, FL
  • Dennis Carter, Deer Isle, ME
  • Costas and Sally Christ, Brooksville, ME
  • Bill Coperthwaite, Machiasport, ME
  • Nancy Caudle-Johnson, Camden, ME
  • Cella DiFranza
  • Richard Garrett, Wellington, ME
  • Rebecca Gould, Middlebury, VT
  • Larry Dansinger, Monroe, ME
  • Karen DiFranza, Hubbardston, MA
  • Peter Diemond & Jean Gaudette, Harborside, ME
  • Diane Fitzgerald, Blue Hill, ME
  • Andy Geranis, York, ME
  • Jane Eagles, Northport, ME
  • Mark Durbin & Sasha Kutsy, Washington, ME
  • *Chris Eaton & Neha Shukla, Montpelier, VT
  • Peter Forbes, Waitfield, VT
  • Karen Frangoulis, Blue Hill, ME
  • Rabbi Everett & Mary Gendler, Great Barrington, MA
  • Joel Glatz, China, ME
  • *Rachel Glickman & Henry Zacchini, Brattleboro, VT
  • Doris & Rob Groves, South Brooksville, ME
  • Glenn Gunelic, Essex Junction, VT
  • Martin R. Haase, Chester, Nova Scotia,
  • Bob Hudson, Brookline, MA
  • Greg Joly, Jamaica, VT
  • *Jennifer Jones, Blue Hill, ME
  • *Jake Kennedy, Searsmont, ME
  • Ellen LaConte, Winston-Salem, NC
  • Matthew Mayo and Jennifer Smith-Mayo, Blue Hill, ME
  • Coleman McCarthy, Washington, DC
  • Jim Merkel & Rowan Sherwood, East Corinth, VT
  • Ed Hawes, Brunswick, ME
  • Abbie McMillen, Harborside, ME
  • Pat McNiff, Providence, RI
  • Kathy Mills, Yarmouth, ME
  • Robert Nearing, Troy, PA
  • Marianne New, Holden, ME
  • Lucy Poulin, Orland, ME
  • Molly Paul, Brookline, MA
  • Katie Prochaska, Harborside, ME
  • Randy & Jay Rolfe, West Chester, PA
  • Pete & Toshi Seeger, Beacon, NY
  • Ruth Robinson, Brooksville, ME
  • Kirkpatrick Sale, New York, NY
  • John Saltmarsh, Providence, RI
  • Elka Schumann, Glover, VT
  • Tamar Schumann, Glover, VT
  • Putnam Smith, Brooklyn, NY
  • Deb Soule, Rockland, ME
  • Noel Paul Stookey, Blue Hill, ME
  • Woody Tasch, Edgertown, MA
  • Studs Terkel, Chicago, IL
  • Gwyneth Thomas, Penobscot, ME
  • Patricia & Edward Van Dyne, Canandaigua, NY
  • John Vincent, Harborside, ME
  • Laura Waterman, East Corinth, VT
  • Kate & Rob Williams, Albuquerque, NM
  • Paul Winter & Chez Liley, Litchfield, CT
  • Susan Witt, Great Barrington, MA
  • Jim Zien, Cambridge, MA
  • Karen Anne Zien, Brookline, MA

* former Resident Steward

Bottom photo: Abbie Sewall Schultz, 1978

The Good Life Center's sister project in East Corinth, VT

What It Is

"Our center, located in East Corinth, Vermont, is an historic 43-acre homestead bordering the Waits River, established by Guy and Laura Waterman. For 27 years the Watermans lived simply and beautifully on the land they called “Barra,” named after the Scottish Island from which Guy’s ancestors hailed. Not needing the ecological footprint tool, they intuitively chose a sustainable lifestyle. A mature sugarbush, organic gardens, orchards and berry patches provided much of their food. They lived in a small, off the grid home built exclusively with hand tools and constructed a three-season log cabin for guests. They carried their water from a nearby spring and cut all of their firewood by hand. They voluntarily chose to live on a small income so that their time would be free to pursue their passions: mountaineering, homesteading, and writing. Books they wrote at Barra include “Wilderness Ethics,” “Forest and Crag,” “Yankee Rock and Ice,” “Backwoods Ethics” and “A Fine Kind of Madness.”

After Guy’s death several years ago, Laura moved into the small village of East Corinth and the land was given to The Good Life Center (the organization that manages the last homestead of the late Helen and Scott Nearing). They put the land in trust to conserve it in perpetuity and put out the call for long-term stewards to live at Barra. We responded to that call and discovered an astounding resonance with the land, Laura, and The Good Life Center. We are honored to have been given the opportunity to carry on the Waterman’s tradition of living lightly on the land.... "

--from the former www.globallivingproject.org website

Barra/Good Life Center History

In the mid 1990s, Laura and Guy Waterman of East Corinth, Vermont, homesteaders on 27 acres of land that they called Barra, expressed their intent to leave their homestead as a property gift to The Good Life Center at some future time in their lives. As part of their legacy of responsible land use and conservation, they partially funded the purchase of an adjoining 15.9 acre parcel (for a total acreage of 42.9 acres) envisioning that The Good Life Center would own both for the purposes of proper stewardship and conservation.

Current Status

Guy Waterman died in February of 2000 and Laura moved off their homestead. At that time The Good Life Center began actively working with Laura to secure short-term care-taking of Barra and making arrangements for long-term stewardship. The Good Life Center accepted the property gift from the Watermans and acquired the adjoining property during the fall of 2001.

Goals of the Project

The homestead in Vermont is being administered as a land trust demonstrating an example of good land stewardship. It is land to be held in trust by The Good Life Center, made available through a lease to prospective and qualified homesteaders to practice an experimental and alternative way of life lived close to the land consistent with the responsibilities of good stewardship. As a land and cultural conservation project, The Good Life Center's goals for Barra are:

  • environmental, protecting the integrity of the land and its natural resources;
  • social, making it available to individuals and/or organizations for a simple and environmentally sound life of homesteading and related activities;
  • and economic, keeping the property available and affordable to future generations for similar purposes.

Facilities

The Homestead includes a cabin that is 30 feet by 16 feet, divided into a living space, a small bedroom, and small wash-up room. There is loft for storage and a basement. The porch (10 x 12) and the woodshed (18 x 24) are attached to the house. A shelter is presently used for storage. A hand-hewn log guesthouse has bunk sleeping space for six. The outhouse is located up hill from the cabin. A small orchard is to the west of the cabin, and sixteen high-bush blueberry bushes are downhill from the orchard. The vegetable garden, an area of 200 x 70 feet, is located on a relatively flat piece of ground about fifty paces downhill from the cabin. An eight-foot fence to keep out deer encloses it. Within the garden are contained the permanent crops of raspberries, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, and a few herbs. Flowerbeds are located on the slope between the house and the garden. The hardwood forest rises up steeply behind the cabin. The bulk of the woods are on the other side of the garden, another hillside of sugar maples, red oak, white ash, hop hornbeam, beech, birch and a scattering of softwoods. The sugar shed is located in the midst of the woods, about a ten-minute walk from the cabin. The water source is a stream and underground springs located a short distance from the garden.

Resident Homesteaders

Rowan Sherwood is trained as a speech-language pathologist. She earned a B.S. from Ithaca College and has worked extensively in education and human services. In 1998 she shifted careers to devote her life energy to the healing of Earth and the empowerment of people to make sustainable choices in their lives.

MONDAY NIGHT AUDIO ARCHIVES

All files are MP3 format. Click to open mp3 in a new browser window. To download file, use the "Save Page As" function in that browser window.

June 11, 2007: The Green Scare and America's Eco/Political Prisoners

June 18, 2007: Organizing to End Prohibition: Jonathan Leavitt, Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative

July 2, 2007: The Good Life of Helen Nearing: Mimi Killinger, Associate Professor, University of Maine, Orono

July 23, 2007: Biofuels in Maine: Three Perspectives: Joel Glatz, Frontier Energy; Logan Perkins, Protect Maine Farmers; Peter Arnold, Chewonki Foundation

August 6, 2007: A Subversive Plot: Bringing the Delicious Revolution into Your Own Backyard: Roger Doiron, Kitchen Gardener's International

August 13, 2007: More Food Equals More Forest: A Sustainable Model for Rural Development in the Tropics: Florence Reed, Sustainable Harvest International

August 27, 2007: Peace, Compassion, Sustainability: The World Becomes What You Teach: Khalif Williams, Institute for Humane Education

The Library at Forest Farm

The library at Forest Farm contains Helen and Scott's personal library as it existed at the time of Helen's death.

Researchers are welcome to use the collection onsite. Please call in advance to make an appointment.

Library at Forest Farm


The Nearing Collection [Papers] at the Thoreau Institute / Walden Woods Library

"...The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods holds a rich collection of documents spanning eight decades in the lives of Scott and Helen Nearing, the New England pioneers of homesteading, organic gardening, and sustainable living. The gift of these papers to the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods from The Trust for Public Land as an agent for The Good Life Center helps make the Institute a focal point for the study of the twentieth-century sustainable living movement and the remarkable individuals who influenced it..."

--from the Nearing Collection at Thoreau Institute website.

Walden Woods Library Thoreau Institute/Walden Woods Library
44 Baker Farm Rd.
Lincoln, Massachussetts 01773-3004
Phone: (781)-259-4700
Fax: (781)-259-4710

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More Nearing papers are stored at:

Found Digital Objects (free access):

From the Internet Archive:

Know of more open-access Nearing-iana online? Let us know and we'll post the links...

Work Opportunities

  • Resident Stewardship
  • Summer Apprenticeship
  • Volunteer!

Resident Stewardship

The Residential Stewardship is a one-year renewable residency sponsored by The Good Life Center. Resident Stewards live at Forest Farm, manage the gardens, live off the land, and entertain the many hundreds of visitors who come to Forest Farm every year. It is designed to perpetuate Forest Farm as a place of inspiration, to help promote the mission and goals of The Good Life Center, and offers recipients a rare opportunity for simple living, organic gardening, and inspiration. It is hoped that a year or more of immersion in the Nearing lifeways, combining hand labor and intellectual pursuit, will enliven the Stewards’ capacities to make future contributions to progressive social change.

The Resident Stewards term begins in March each year. The application deadline is typically October 31 of the preceding fall. Keep an eye on this website for future Resident Stewardship openings.

Resident Stewards perform their annual magic:

presto.jpg

 

Resident Steward Alumni:
--click for bios--

Summer Apprenticeship

Each summer The Good Life Center hires an Apprentice to assist the Resident Stewards with gardening and hosting visitors. We look for someone who is comfortable with the public and a willing worker, but no experience is necessary. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who is interested in social justice, sustainable living, self-sufficiency and learning more about the life works of Helen and Scott Nearing.

The length of the apprenticeship is negotiable, as is the amount of time required to be at the farm. However, to make the most of this learning opportunity, the position should cover at least three months of the growing season and would be at least part-time (20-25 hours a week). There is ample opportunity to learn organic gardening and homesteading, as well as event organizing and public relations. We encourage applicants who seek a worthwhile educational experience and who are currently involved in, or are pursuing, social justice work.

On-site living accomodations are not available, although we will assist the apprentice with locating a place as near The Good Life Center as possible. Email us for more information.

We will begin reviewing applications in MARCH of each year with a deadline of April 15. If you would like to apply, please send us a letter describing yourself and what you would like to get out of this experience. Any relevant work experience or activism may also be included.


WANTED!!! 2008 SUMMER APPRENTICE
We are looking for a responsible, hardworking, and enthusiastic individual to apprentice at Scott and Helen Nearing’s Forest Farm. Responsibilities include working in gardens, greenhouse, maintaining grounds and giving tours. Individuals will also be encouraged to attend workshops and Monday Night Meetings and look forward to learning about simple living and sustainability practices.
Stipend available.Please call Juli or Joel at 326-8211 for more information.

--download Application here--


Volunteer OpportunitiesWe've got the tools...
Your support, in a contribution of dollars or time, is needed to carry on the Good Life Center's legacy.

Volunteers are the foundation of The Good Life Center.

Instead of being a spectator when you come to visit, join the fun, and we'll put you to work as Scott and Helen would have done. Come for an hour, a day, or on a regular basis with or without prior skills, but with an eagerness to work. An extra pair of hands is always appreciated. Projects are seasonal and may include: harvesting seaweed, making compost, collecting hay, gardening, weeding, mowing, food preservation, stacking firewood, etc. Or contact us if you have any special talents to share. In any case, be dressed to get dirty.

We are always interested in learning about homesteaders near and far, suggested speakers for Monday Night Meetings, and other organizations and individuals who may be interested in our work. Write, email, or call us and share your ideas.