Testimonials

"Being an intern here in Fairfield has made an incredible difference in my life. I feel more at home in the world, more in my place, than I ever have. I can no longer see the world as a place of scarcity, where resources are jealously coveted. I now see abundance everywhere; in the sun, wind, waters, forests, and in each other. I no longer see work as something apart from life; as toil or drudgery. I now see vocations, life works; where people express who they are within the greater circle of life.

"Through the unending support and enthusiasm of the friends and teachers that I've met here, education has taken on a new significance in my life. Through studying the knowledge and skills to harvest energy from the sun, wind, and plantlife around us, establishing gardens and nut trees, and plumbing up rainwater and solar hot water systems, a new world is opening up before me. It really is amazing to imagine how these ways could easily apply in our towns and cities. Imagine schools where students grow gardens together and eat nutritious food for lunch time, and water the garden with rainwater caught off the roof. Imagine they are taught that their leftover food is not waste, but nourishment for the soil and future food. What will this teach them about things like working together, food and nutrition, and what they can accomplish with a little effort?

"I can see towns that grow their own timber in well stewarded food, medicine, and fuel forests and harvest electricity from the sun's rays.

"When the the different areas of study I have engaged in during this internship combine and work together, I see an alchemy for transforming our world into a very, very nice place. And I now see that creating an abundant, creative society that lives in harmony with the natural world is not only possible, but truly quite an easy transition if we just choose it to be. This internship has definitely given me a great vision."

“Leaving California, we arrived in Fairfield the spring of 2001 with the intent of being interns at Ecovillage, learning renewable energy in a village setting. We were so impressed with Ecovillage and the Fairfield community that we moved here and developed an off-the-grid homestead and recreated the Ecovillage model at our home in Fairfield.”

"Big Green Summer is a terrific blend of big ideas and practical knowledge that will engage young people. This is the way to address the 'Brain Gain' we all hope to encourage in Iowa. Community development starts with young people and this project will engage them at a level unlike anything else in Iowa. Understanding our sense of place has never been more important or better addressed than through the Big Green Summer programs. "

“The Sustainable Living Coalition is doing very important work in our community, by educating the public and promoting the value of sustainable living practices. The maturity and expertise of the practical programs and knowledge available in our community is impressive. The creation of an Internship to expand the availability of this knowledge is a brilliant and logical step towards creating a better society.”