COMMUNE

"The dream of living simply and naturally, rising with the sun, retiring when it fades, observing seasonal changes, planting, reaping, flowing with the poetry that is nature, was a dream shared by many of my generation. At the end of the Vietnam war and drug-troubled sixties, this dream was embraced especially by those in their late teens and early twenties. But the financial reality of obtaining a piece of land and buying the necessary implements to cultivate it kept the dream in an illusive state for the majority who shared it. Of those who pursued it, most successful by far was a small group of people whose dream materialized into a way of life." Jan Hansen-Gates / Santa Barbara Magazine 1975 In 1970, frustrated with the direction our country was headed, I joined a select group of like minded individuals to create an experimental, alternative community, based on living in harmony with the land and worship of a higher power. We called ourselves the Brotherhood of the Sun and I became their photographer from 1972 to 1979.

With self-sufficiency as our goal, we taught ourselves the skills necessary for working with the the land. We employed a team of Percheron horses to cultivate the soil and seed the fields for our crops.

Before we started our day, we would join hands in a circle to thank Mother Earth for the bounty she has given us and pray for the healing of our precious planet, much like the native peoples who came before us. We believed that all life forms were one with our own and there was no place that the Living Spirit did not exist.

One of the basic elements in the philosophy of organic farming, is the recognition of the soil itself as a living organism and the idea that the soil must be fed and nourished so that it can, in turn nourish the plants.

Angora and Nubian goats provided wool and milk for the community. The grazing of goats also assisted the Forest Service in maintaining fire breaks throughout the Los Padres National Forest. “Goat Camps” were established in the back country where members lived year round.

Structures were built with the adobe bricks we made on the ranch. Known for its excellent insulating qualities ,the adobe buildings kept us cool in the hot summer months and warm in the winter. Since we had no electricity, they also served as storage areas to keep our food “refrigerated”.