A potluck at Frecon Farms brought homemade food, an orchard ride at sunset and connections with people who know a thing or two about growing. Our introduction to the Pasa community left us eager to learn more.
Learning from People Who Grow
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA
Nobody planted it, and we nearly weeded it out. Now this tomato beside our driveway is producing the biggest fruit of the season and feeding a squirrel or two.
THE SLOP IS HUMAN
Artificial intelligence is an extraordinary tool for humans but tools have never replaced craftsmanship. They amplify it, expose it, or diminish it depending entirely on the hands that hold them.
LEARN FROM ALL OF MY TRIES
After thirty years of trying everything, one machine refused to die. The Yazoo-Kees has outlasted tractors, crews, and better ideas, cutting fields, carving tracks, and taking a beating without complaint. I never treated it like a legend, but somewhere along the way, that’s exactly what it became, year after year of relentless work.
March & April Update
With Zone 1 established, Zone 2 underway, and infrastructure taking shape, Sans Souci is moving forward one long weekend at a time...
Unseasonable Excitedness Disorder
A childhood memory from the Allegheny woods leads to a botanical correction. The “leeks” we dug each spring were actually ramps. Meanwhile at Sans Souci, the first warm days of March pulled us back into the fields, clearing ground, planting potatoes, and starting the season.
Freeze, Thaw, Repeat
It’s late February and we are expecting another 10” of snow tomorrow evening. We spent the day prepping for and planting seeds for spring.
Small Steps, Big Questions
Permaculture teaches patience. It’s about building something that works because it belongs — not because it was forced. So we’ll keep planting, experimenting, and learning. Whether or not a microgrant helps push us forward, Sans Souci is already growing in the ways that matter most.
We Did Our Part
Zone 1 is in at Sans Souci—99 trees, 600 feet of hand-dug swales, and the first consciously designed permaculture orchard. Phase One ends with wildflower seeds and the shift from labor to patience. Our promise remains: leave it better than we found it.
A Trail Through the Woods
Another reminder of what Sans Souci is really about: building connections—with the land, with the people around us, and with the stories that continue even after someone is gone.
