FAQ
Some more info you might be wondering about...
What should I expect from the gathering?
Who we are:
Why are we holding this gathering?Why back to the land 2.0?
What should I expect for accommodations etc.?
What's the area like at this time of year?
Why should I register?
How do I get there?
I'de like to do a workshop, can I?
What's this business about sustainable building workshops the week after?
And Maynooth madness and the logger games ????
What should I expect from the gathering?
Primarily this is being organized as a space to come and share ideas and experiences, to socialize and build community networks of folks interested in this kind of living and projects. We also hope to encourage folks from long standing (or long fallen apart :-) communities to share their stories.
While the organizers will be putting together a schedule of workshops and planned events, meals and other logistical items ... it's a gathering, and the hope is that folks will take it upon themselves to self organize and facilitate.
Who we are:
The idea for the gathering came from members of the newly forming Black Fly Co-op and one of its neighbors at Dragonfly Farm, both located just outside Lake St. Peter, Ontario. Other local community members have joined in with us to help make it happen.
Black Fly is a group of Toronto-based activists, cultural workers and trades-people who bought 100 acres of bush sandwiched between Dragonfly Farm and 1000's of acres of unpatented land ("crown land"). We got it cheap and spur of the moment a few years back, and have been slowly organizing ourselves and figuring out what to do with it. It's a beaver-swampy, moose-trodden, sugar bushy, kilometer-off-the-road never-on-the-grid old homestead and logging camp– pretty and hung with the thick air of a long history. We're adjacent to 3 other landholdings of like-minded people, in a part of the country heavily settled by our back-to-the-land predecessors, depressed by (primary) industrial flight, and rarely touched by the yuppies that plague our urban lives. While many of us have worked with and appreciate environmental movements, organic farmers, and sustainable living practices, our backgrounds and activist schooling for the most part comes from an anti-racist, anti-poverty, and anti-capitalist focus which we are keen to keep present as we build things, grow things, and make use of this land.
Dragonfly Farm is 250 acres of old farmstead which is about to celebrate its 30th
anniversary. Existing in various forms over the years it holds with its still-standing farmhouse and conference site a rich history connecting back-to-the-landers and activists throughout the years. Members live both close by and across the country, and are connected to other communities in the area. The Dragonfly greenhouse is in
operation this summer again and they are happy to host the gathering and celebration of their anniversary.
Other community members from the area are helping to put this event on and have connections to various land collectives and communities in the area.
Why are we holding this gathering?
At the core of this is the new Black Fly co-op which in its early formations is eager to share space with others doing similar projects, those who have skills and knowledge they can pass on, and to take this chance to meet together with other community members in the area. There is a rich history in the area of many intentional communities and 'back to the land' projects and we hope to bring those stories and
experience to the gathering.
It's a chance to build and strengthen community networks.
Some of us just want to build cool things. Others want to socialize and celebrate the anniversary. Some want to camp and swim and hike, interspersed with good conversations and the mixing ideas. Some of us just like to organize things :-)
Why back to the land 2.0?
Many of us organizing this conference aren't planning on living on the land, or going 'back to it'. Some are. Some have. Some never want to again. :-) But we identify back-to-the-land as a movement going back several decades that moved from urban centres to the rural (as popularized in primarily white north american alternative culture :-) This movement held many of the values and sought out a lot of similar
experience that many of us today have learned from or somehow identify with.
And the 2.0 ... well it's really just a catchy phrase from the term web 2.0 which speaks of a new generation, but also a whole new way of looking at things in a different context as technology and thinking changes.
What should I expect for accommodations etc.?
Come as if you were going camping for a weekend (or more if you're staying longer). Bring food, toilet paper, tents, water, rain gear & sun gear. Collective meals will make a lot of sense and we'll organize that when everyone's there. Feel free to check in with us if you need to.
We'll have a field and camping space. It's called 'the conference site' and has been used as such before. Some rain cover for workshops and cooking. Some meals, and drinking water. There are outhouses nearby. Bonfire pit as well :-)
The farm with running water is a 10 minute walk. Basic groceries and a diner are 5 minutes away by car, a library with internet is 10 min away, a few box stores and a small town are 25 min.
What's the area like at this time of year?
If you've been to Algonquin Park you'll have a good idea. We're up fairly high here so it can get cool at nights, but August is thought to be the best time of the year when the bugs only come for late dinner, the days are sunny, and the water is warm.
Why should I register?
The more we know who to expect, the more we'll be able to prepare. Also, we may want to get in touch with you before the weekend.
How do I get there?
See this page on our website ... http://backtotheland20.ca/howtogethere.
Use the rideshare board, or if all else fails you can take the greyhound bus to Maynooth a few minutes away and if you let us know we can pick you up.
I'de like to do a workshop, can I?
At this point we're still looking for folks who want to give workshops, so please check with us. We're hoping too that the folks will feel free to start up discussions throughout the gathering.
What's this business about sustainable building workshops the week after?
There are two planned projects in the works around the time of this gathering. At Dragonfly they are building a cordwood sauna, and out on Black Fly there is a DIY yurt being made for people to stay in.
Both projects will be the focus of a workshop during the gathering, but will continue afterwards and we invite others to stay and help with it and learn how they are made.
And Maynooth madness and the logger games ????
Maynooth is the municipal center of the area and a great little town. If you happen to stay until labour day weekend, there is the bonus of the festivities happening in Maynooth and area. Street fairs, logger games, agricultural fair, and community parties. More info here at the MBA - http://www.maynooth.on.ca/.