Getting oriented

We are rapidly becoming acclimated to our new surroundings and duties. There is no other choice! ARI is a mini United Nations. Learning so many new names is a challenge, but we are all in the same situation. Staff members are teaching participants and volunteers to manage this farm together. The responsibilities are many.

I have poultry section this month. Each morning before breakfast and each afternoon before dinner, my team waters and feeds the Rhode Island Reds and turns their fermented floors. We collect, weigh and clean eggs. Some go to market. Guess who gets to eat the cracked ones! These are the freshest eggs we have ever eaten, for sure.

Bob works in the pig and cow section, where we are awaiting the arrival of a calf. Afterwards, he works with maintenance to replace doors, flooring and fix whatever needs fixing. Soon he will renovate the couples' quarters so we can room together!

Mornings and afternoons I work in the office assisting with Ecumenical Relations. In addition to proof reading and editing, I am working on a promotion piece to show ARI supporters the need for a new wood chipper.

We are getting used to eating rice at every meal and changing to slippers in each building we enter. Crickets in the bathroom are becoming not so unusual. We are surviving!