News from Rachel Carson Centre

"Emerson College winding down - Rachel Carson Centre stronger than ever."

 

I would like to tell you, as a friend or supporter of the biodynamic department at Emerson College, about the dramatic recent events at the college. As you might know the college as a whole is currently being wound down after many years of operating deficits. There are currently various initiatives from people of good will, trying to rescue what can be salvaged.

The good news is that the biodynamic department is thriving - we had more than 170 inquiries since the beginning of January for our courses (more than ever before - by far), and the taster day that we had organised was fully booked (25 prospective students) with a waiting list. We will continue to operate the biodynamic trainings and short courses under the name of Rachel Carson Centre for Biodynamic Agriculture and Sustainability.

Apart from the training in biodynamic farming that we are currently offering, from September 2010 students will also be able to train in biodynamic horticulture. There is a healthy demand for well-trained vegetable growers in this country, and with the Transition Town / local food movement gaining pace this is only set to increase.

The news of the trustees' decision last week, to wind down Emerson College, has spread fast. It is very encouraging to see the responses from the local community and from further afield.  In the 48 years of its existence Emerson College has touched many people and changed many lives, the voices of these people are now being heard all over the world.
 
The process of securing the future of the training is being worked on at three levels: short term solutions to enable our current students to complete their training and leave with an official diploma. Secondly, securing the land and our teaching building for the training and thirdly, organising the administration and running of the training. For all of these issues, we have found very cooperative partners who are willing to help. Good will and commitments have been expressed by several organisations and individuals.
 
The Rachel Carson Centre was founded at Emerson College for the purpose of biodynamic training, nutrition and sustainability. It is our intention to pick up this impulse and carry it through. You can now find us on the web at: www.rachelcarson.org.uk
 
We are fully committed to the continuation of the full-time trainings in biodynamic agriculture.  If you would like to help and show your support for the future of the biodynamic training, you can do so in various ways. Please write a letter of support, in which you indicate why you think it important that the training exists and continues.

Alternatively you can help us fund the purchase of the building and the land. We will need just £100,000 on top of all the funding we have secured so far to allow a local land trust to buy the building and and some of the surrounding land to secure it for education in biodynamic agriculture.

To find out more information please contact:

Nir Halfon: nhalfonrachelcarson.orguk
Arjen Huese: ahueserachelcarson.orguk
 
With warm wishes,
 
Arjen and Nir
 

Roxana Reichel: first year student

In March 2008 finally: after 13 years in the Steiner Waldorf School I had my A-levels lying right in front of me. And now? I never had a dream profession, and all my ideas for university studies had turned out rather shortlived until then. One positive result from a visit to the Open Day at the University of Zurich: the firm knowledge that I for one wouldn't be spending the next 5 years of my life as yet another anonymous face among several hundred other ones in vast university auditoriums!!
So, time for a gap year, to travel, learn a few languages and discover some new corners of the world.
An affordable way to combine art, travelling and learning languages is WWOOFing - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. From January 2009 I started travelling through France, working on various organic and biodynamic farms in exchange for a room and meals. After a few months working between vegetable fields, cows, sheep, cheeses, greenhouses and fruit trees it slowly dawned upon me: biodynamic farming... that's what I want to study! Read further...