In the next few months, the Browns hope to build a barn so co-op members can have workshops on bread-making, weaving, or even foreign languages. Those who want to learn the craft can earn points by working in the garden, donating books, or offering to teach a talent of their own.
Tim and Andrea Miller of McCordsville have offered to teach pottery classes.
“This is just a hobby for me — I’m a creature of convenience,” said Andrea, 41, the mother of a 3-month-old son. “I think there are some skills that have been lost, and I’d like to help reacquaint people with them so we can pass them down to future generations.”
For the past two years, Sarah has taught an eight-week “hands-on homemaking” class where women learn about everything from hospitality to harvesting.
“‘Simpler Times is about people coming together and sharing their gifts and talents with each other. This is all about making peaceful choices and creating a safe refuge for my family,” said Sarah. “It is my passion to show others how to say, ‘yes’ to children; ‘yes’ to giving; ‘yes’ to love, friendship, nature, beauty; ‘yes’ to adventure; and ‘yes’ to simplicity.”
The Apple family of McCordsville feels so strongly about simplifying their lives that they donated two acres for a second community garden for Simpler Times. The Apples regularly are host to busy executives who want to get away from it all and spend a few hours working in the fields.
The family, who recently moved to Indiana from Tennessee, was influenced by their Mennonite neighbors who lived without running water or electricity.
“When we’d go to their house after dark, the lamps were lit and they were sitting around reading and playing instruments. It made us get rid of our television. That was the first step toward simple living,” said Debbie, 39. She also homeschools their two children, Brayden, 10, and Rhayna, 4.
“I always tell people who start their quest for simpler living that it’s a slippery slope. There are a lot of outside influences. You really need to guard it and protect your family. If ever I’m tempted to do something because everybody else does, I find that when my heart leaves home, my family is neglected.”
Some families are interested in the health aspects of growing their own food.
“The connection to animals, nature, the earth is a great way to educate my kids,” said Laura Bobeck, 36, who lives in Pike Township, and is the mother of Henry, 18 months, and Hunter, 5. “I do genealogy and I often think that when my grandmother went to sleep at night she must have been very fulfilled after such a hard day of working outside.
“In the ‘70s when I grew up, I didn’t even know what a fresh vegetable was. I don’t blame my parents; it was just a time of Velveeta cheese and canned veggies. I want my kids to know where food comes from, and the only way they’ll do that is to get out and dig in the dirt.”
The simplicity movement has found favor with people many times in the past, said Roger Ware, associate professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, who even gave it a shot himself in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
He purchased 40 acres and built a secluded home in Brown County, and even made his own bread and beer.
“It’s a lot of work,” observed Ware. “It’s a good way to get away from the maddening crowd and become more connected to the earth, if you can stay with it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Co-Ops are about community, support, education and encouragement. If each of us shares from our own life experience, we all become richer. Farming, animal husbandry, art, music, textile skills…the topics to learn about at a co-op are literally endless. What would entice you to join a co-op? What would you love to learn about or teach? Learn more about Fun-Schooling Co-Ops at our Facebook group here.
Grab your copy of our “Thirty Creative Fun-Schooling Projects” journal by clicking on the image below! This Fun-Schooling Handbook guides you through the process of starting a Fun-Schooling Co-op or Planning a Project. This Handbook includes 170 pages of Fun!
