Land / Why We Live Where We Do

Nasalam is situated on 21 acres of wooded land. The trees are mostly young oak, with a sprinkling of eastern cedar, hickory, redbud and other native species. It is our goal to increase the diversity of this forest through judicious thinning and planting. Parts will be allowed to become as wild as possible to provide both food and cover for the local wildlife.

Gardening has been a challenge because the previous owners did not garden and no land had been cleared. We now have about a quarter acre or so in garden in raised beds and we have put in a twenty tree orchard. In 2006 we added a building back behind the garden and this has become part of the rebuilding of the community, which is being relocated closer to the garden.

As we develop the rest of the land it will be devoted to forest gardening, a particular form of permaculture that we find appealing as a way to leave the land in as natural a state as possible while still producing food for consumption. It is a slow process to develop, but one that we are incorporating as part of our community vision.

But the most important reason for living in our current location is the energy of the land. The Ozarks are ancient hills and the energy of ancient spirits is strong here. This is energy that can be utilized to further our work to create a new paradigm for a new age that transcends anything humanity has known before.

We plan to acquire more land in the future as the community grows.