Latest News
Spring is here, daffodils are blooming, and we are all spending more time outdoors here at QIVC.
A few weeks ago we had a firewood workday in which we tackled a huge pile of (bought) logs: first chainsawing them into lengths, then splitting them by hand because our log-splitter was in need of a new on-off switch, then stacking them head-high along the west wall of the farmhouse. It was too much to do in one day, so In the days that followed, various people spent time splitting and stacking for exercise. There is still a lot to do!
With spring come lambs. We have four so far with lots more on the way. Two have black noses which greatly raises their already high cuteness factor. One day their moveable fencing was set up in an area with a woodchuck hole, and the lambs spent much of the afternoon playing in and around the entrance--jumping into the wide, shallow vestibule, butting each other over who got to stand in it, lying down in it, and sniffing at the entry hole itself. The woodchuck itself was nowhere to be seen that day!
The apartment below Sandy's house is 95% completed, a certificate of occupancy has been granted, and our newest inhabitants of the land (except the aforementioned lambs) have moved in! The apartment (owned and rented out by QIVC) is light and bright with many south-facing windows and a view down the hill of the fields and pond. Local builder Andrew Stall did a great job and Anne managed the project and put in lots of time tiling, painting, budgeting, etc. to get it all done. We are excited to have a new dwelling in the community with new dwellers in it!
We've hosted interested visitors over the winter and are expecting more in May and June. If you'd like to come visit QIVC and find out more about how we live and what we are about, you are welcome to contact us.
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read earlier news)
Who we are
We are currently a community of six member households and two families interested in membership, living close to the land on 135 acres of mixed woodland and pasture. We range in age from infant to 60s, with 14 adults and 13 children. We strive to live spirit-focused lives that are simple, sustainable, and joyful, benefitting from and enjoying our close connections with each other and the land. We don't all need to identify explicitly as Quaker. We welcome diversity of all sorts. (More about us)
Where we are
We are in the gorgeous Hudson Valley of upstate New York (2.5 hours from NYC/Boston, 10 minutes from our local Quaker Meeting), in the foothills of the Berkshires.
How we live
We are thriving in a range of green homes such as strawbale, slip and chip timberframe, stickbuilt, passive solar; many of us built our own. Many of us farm our land organically, raise chickens, sheep, and other livestock, and produce piles of pesto. We also support several local farms through CSA shares (that's Community Supported Agriculture). We use Quaker processes in our self-government, including consensus that seeks God's will, discernment, and the clearness process. We value equality, diversity of experience and viewpoints, and deep listening. We come together around five guiding intentions:
Our Five Intentions
We believe community can be a means to advance the following five intentions:
1. To increase the mindfulness, spiritual focus and God-centeredness of our lives by finding and living with others who share these goals and thus will reinforce, on a daily basis, our desire to live in worship.
2. To strengthen our family life both by creating a "village" setting in which to raise our and others' children, and by caring for our elders. This includes an emphasis on leaving behind cultural obstacles that interfere with providing the time and energy that healthy family life requires.
3. To examine carefully our participation in the national/international consumer economy and begin to build the critical mass necessary for viable business networks and sources of goods and services more appropriate to our Quaker testimonies.
4. To consider the near and far environmental impact of our actions as we strive for thrivability while living in unity and harmony with the earth.
5. To include a good measure of joy, fun, creativity, and service in our lives as we strive to meet the first four objectives.
We believe that our communities' success in achieving these five intentions will be aided by memberships diverse in race, age, ethnicity, sexual preference, and economic situations, and therefore it is our aim to gather communities whose members are diverse in these ways as well as others.
If you have questions about QIV-C and would like to find out more or visit us, please e-mail qiv-c@qivp .org or call Spee Braun at 518-392-0891 (between 9 and 9 please).
