Triform Camphill Community

Last week, the Triform blog took a quick tour of all the wonderful things growing in Triform’s vegetable garden. This week, let’s check in with Triform’s kitchen and bakery to see how we put some of those veggies to use! When I stopped by the bakery in Triform’s Phoenix Center this morning, I found things humming with activity as students and coworkers were cheerfully readying lunch for the community. The air was full of the wonderful smell s of garlic and of bread still cooling from the ovens.   In addition to fresh meals, another vital job of the bakery is making the best possible use of the true cornucopia of produce we receive from the garden in the summer months—that means finding ways of preserving food for the community to enjoy for months to come.   Pickling, for instance, is one great way to make the most of all the cucumbers from the garden. Folks in the bakery were excited to share their recent experience whipping up a batch of bread and butter pick...

Here at Triform, we’re very proud of our gardens and with this summer’s rain and sun, things are really beginning to grow!  For years, the farm’s gardens have provided opportunities for Triform students to become engaged in practical garden activities, helping to keep Triform fed with delicious and healthful   home grown meals,   while also participating in the broader ecological community   of the farm. Gardening at Triform is a holistic project. Using organic, Biodymanic methods, work is usually led by Etienne, our gardener. With the help of coworkers and students, the gardens become a joyous place to learn and work that allow community members to integrate personal growth with connections to each other and to the land. As, always there’s wisdom to be had along with the bounty our garden provides, as co-worker Evelin had to say about last week’s rains:   “while it puts a damper on our long list of to-dos, it's a reminder to slow down and appreciate th...

Triform artists setting up for the big show! For the past three years, Triform students have participated in the NYSACRA (NYS Association of Community Residential Agencies) Art Show held at the Sagamore Hotel in Lake George, NY. This past April was full of writing our short artists biographies, preparing and selecting the art to be hung. We also took time to practice the poem The Spell of Creation by Kathleen Raine and movements which we performed for the art-going audience at the art show.

This fall we received a gift of 5 pairs of snow shoes.  We’ve been waiting for snow and it finally came (in abundance).   After lunch today, we strapped them on with ease and began our first walk.  The walk started out a little tricky as we traversed a steep hill.   

An article by Ben Davis for Stella Natura Calendar of the Soul verse for the 44 th week: Reaching for new stirrings of the senses, Mindful of Spirit Birth achieved, Clarity of soul imbues Bewildering, sprouting growth of worlds With my thinking’s creator will.

Triform students in yoga class  An article by AnnMarie Costanza        The ultimate goal of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, is " Yogas cittah vrtti nirodaha". This translates to the cessations of the fluctuations of the mind. This is a lofty goal for the average person even after years of practicing yoga regularly. However, they can achieve momentary stillness of the mind and the reward in those moments is able to hear the wisdom that is in their heart. For the person on the Autism spectrum or the person with OCD or ADHD, quieting the body is a tall order let alone the mind. However, I have been privileged to see firsthand that with yoga it is possible even for the briefest moment. For those brief moments, the student is aware of their breath and their body allowing their mind to come to stillness.

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights in India, is celebrated based on the Lunar calendar, this year celebrated on November 5th. Everyone was invited to gather outside Phoenix Center and was welcomed with traditional Bindi’s (colorful stickers for the forehead) and Tikka (a red mark made on the forehead with a paste of Saffron Crocus that grows in India).