Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Agriculture • January
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” – Masanobu Fukuoka
A large property requires many hands to caretake its acreage. At Sunburst, we look forward to the end of Covid restrictions, not only for the return of Sunday services, but for all manner of events. These will include opportunities to join in our daily activities, including those in permaculture, agriculture and environmental improvement.
This is the first of our Wednesday blog pieces to inform you about activities ongoing with Sunburst Sanctuary’s current crew. Everything from hiking trail maintenance, to water systems, agriculture, and more will be covered in text and photos.
Last summer we enjoyed delicious fruits from our raspberries and grapes. This year they’ll be even more abundant. Pruning is taking place in the grapes (Al):
and raspberries (Curtis):
The young orchard, which is also being pruned, is a mix of apples and peaches.
A few more years of maturity are required before these trees will bear fruit.
A cover crop protects the soil between the rows of trees.
More on “Light on Sunburst Sanctuary” next Wednesday.
by Letha Kiddie
As the Covid-19 pandemic moves into its fifth month, Sunburst has settled into a routine of both quiet reflection and active improvements around the property.
The permaculture garden is flourishing thanks to Sean Fennell, who joyfully now offers an organic CSA, and continues to develop a fruit orchard and greenhouse. What a joy to see the land being so well cared for by our brother Sean!
The new New Frontiers store in Solvang has adapted to the changes by offering curbside pickup and prepackaged deli food for easy purchase. It is truly a sanctuary for shoppers, with its spacious friendly energy and gourmet offerings. Hats off to Jake and Missy Collier who keep the store spinning in a positive direction.
Resident Craig Hanson has been hiking the Sunburst trails regularly and keeping them cleared. He has been increasing his knowledge of the local flora and looks forward to resuming Sunday hikes as soon as it’s safe. He also works to keep the landscaping in the Sunburst lodge area looking beautiful.
Missy, Dawn, Greg, Ischa and Letha have been responsible for contributing inspirational quotes, talks by Norm, and meditations by Sunburst ministers to the Sunburst Blog and Facebook page.
Elena and Emily are still running the Sunburst office, answering calls, coordinating zoom meetings, preparing for the prayer circle each week, and staying abreast of the current pandemic guidelines. We are anxious to reopen our doors, once the restrictions are lifted. If anyone cares to check in with Sunburst, please email the office at contactus@sunburst.org. We would love to hear how everyone is doing!
Heiko, Sean, Curtis, David, and Al are staying very busy keeping cows and horses fed, the roads and fences in good repair, the hayfields producing, and the water systems running smoothly, while juggling a whole host of other projects and ongoing ranch maintenance.
One recent project was the Sunburst kitchen being painted and the cabinets refinished by Paul Custer and Craig.
Sunburst spiritual director Patty Paulsen has been working hard on the Nojoqui Farms property to ready it for the next phase of development, which will hopefully lead to the next perfect owner of our beautiful farm. Please help us project success for this important Sunburst venture!
Last but not least we want to acknowledge Dr. Greg Anderson for his tireless work in recording the Sunburst ministers for online viewing of their Sunday meditation talks. Be sure to also check out his podcasts, as he offers insights of Life-Love-God, written by Sunburst founder Norman Paulsen.
As we move forward into the great unknown of the future, we move forward with faith, knowing that everything is happening in God’s time, that we can relax and enjoy this journey, relying on our connection to Spirit and to each other, for guidance, support, strength and inspiration.
Be well,
– Your Sunburst family
