Fantastic, this journey to ecovillage.

I feel we are in a river definitely flowing to the sea, but which tributary we are going to take, needs to evolve.

I am discovering that it’s all about divine time not my timeframe. I never know what is going to happen from one day to the next (not that i really knew before this ecovillage journey, i just thought i did!)

We have had the lovely Melissa Boo here from the US. She has been studying ecology in Australia, found our project on the web and has just finished a preliminary permaculture layout plan for our Narara land. She presented it at this month’s gathering at Kirribilli and engendered some good discussion (see website ‘Latest News’). We also met with a consultant from the consulting firm Urbis, who generously shared his knowledge and expertise and reinforced our view that the Narara project ‘has legs’.

We have heard that the NSW government still wants to sell the Narara site, which may involve a revised valuation. SCEV Inc Assoc is considering options for a joint venture/partnership arrangement to work a way forward and at some stage soon, we may be asking members to indicate the types of contributions, they can make to the project. If anyone knows of an expert in corporate law and structures, please let me know.

I feel we are in a good position - a number from the broader SCEV community have indicated their delight with the project too. We have heard that innovative cohousing/ecovillage projects in the U.S. can even have a waiting list to get on the books. SCEV could represent ‘presales’ and so will be attractive to developers considering this venture. If we feel they can take us forward in line with our values and meeting our needs, we will consider working with them. When we find our right partner it will be win, win.

This recipe was a winner at our gathering on 3 May 2009:

Red Lentil Dhal

325gms red lentils 2tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tspfenugreek seeds 2 tsp mustard seeds 2 tsp turmeric powder 1 large onion ½ tsp coriander 1 tsp dried chilies

2 cloves garlic 4 medium tomatoes, diced 1 medium red pepper, chopped into large pieces 1 large sweet potato, diced 1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil 1 tbsp olive oil 1 bunch coriander, chopped Sea salt

Heat oils oil pan, when hot add cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop (almost immediately) add other spices and cook for 30 seconds before adding onion and garlic. Cover and sweat over medium heat.

Add lentils and 1 cup of water, stir through. Add sweet potato, pepper, tomatoes, 2 cups of water and some sea salt. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are very soft, adding more water every 10 minutes if required.

Stir in half the fresh coriander and cook for a further minute. Serve with brown rice, topped with the rest of the coriander