Quarantine days at the LoveGrows farm

“There’s an animal on the tree!” shouted Lili and everybody ran to check out this new arrival. A sense of excitement and much curiosity in the air. The speculation had already been started about what the animal could be by the time I arrived to the “scene”. A bear faced monkey from what I could see. We went back to our chores after this little adventure and decided to google it the next day if our solar-powered router had had enough daylight to be operational.

Welcome to the “LoveGrows” farm!

We have 6 new tiny puppies which brought so much joy to our small community that is in quarantine for an ambiguous amount of time here in the north of Colombia. Given the beauty of the surroundings, our freedom to stroll around in the fresh air, and of course the lovely bunch of people we can’t really complain about our special circumstances at the moment. We all took a big risk by choosing to stay here and not catching the last flight to Europe. By this we simply have to accept the consequences of our not-so-easy decision if the worst comes... whatever it is.

But for now I feel so blessed every morning when I climb up the hill to meet the rising sun and breath in all the goodness. I love feeling the earth underneath my bare (and now pretty tough) feet and enjoy the sensations that it creates. My alarm clock these days is the roosters as they start screaming way before dawn. I feel so excited to come out of my tent to inhale the fresh and crisp air deep into my lungs and salute all the beings around me; trees, birds, insects, etc.  As I make my way towards the communal area the dogs surround me jumping and hopping with way too much enthusiasm while the little puppy which can’t jump that high starts biting my ankles. I rush to the kitchen to save myself and there I find a chicken on the table and another flying across the room, two cats on the shelves while another inside one of the pots. I chase them all out but then a herd of hungry chickens and roosters start chasing me, this time making crazy noises. I can’t help but laugh in front of this madness. Of course today is a good day! The chickens didn’t knock the compost bin down and made a mess in the middle of the kitchen, or turn the washbasin which had all my laundry in upside down getting everything muddy. On those days the situation isn’t quite so entertaining.

When I finally climb up the hill and look around me I feel mesmerized by the scenery. Here I can neither close my eyes to meditate nor listen to the music. I sit there in awe watching the sunrise which comes up in a different shape each day while listening to the sounds of nature. I look around curiously to see if the hummingbirds will appear today. According to Native Americans hummingbirds are healers and bringers of love, good luck and joy. I think of my very crazy dear friend, Joey, who gave me the nickname “hummingbird” and hopefully send him some good energy via the bare rock face of the mountain range in front of me. According to our indigenous Kogi neighbors, who see themselves as the guardians of life on earth, these are like portals which can capture the negative energy, emotions and feelings that we want to get rid of and transport positive energy.  On my first day here I felt such a vivid presence around me that I had the urge to introduce myself to this land and set my intentions.

After breakfast we have our daily meeting for any updates and job allocations followed by a group stretch and a hug. We are now all set to do some work! I genuinely love working here and whatever I do, I do it fully. If there is a job I don’t want to do I try to take on that to stretch beyond my comfort zone. I have to admit I’ve been avoiding getting cow poo from the neighbor for the compost but I will do it this week. Isn’t that funny how our sense of normality can change in the blink of an eye. I remember asking for things like salt or oil from my neighbours but now I collect cow poo from them. So far apart from cooking and washing up I helped making swales using an A board, turn compost over, made a wall out of mud, plastered another wall, chopped firewood, watered plants (so therapeutic) , moved baby trees and named them after my friends, harvested beans, did some fairly grim toilet duties, etc.

One of the highlights of our week is when Jose Fabian brings shopping. When hearing him shouting across the valley we all leave whatever we are up to and run for help. This journey involves crossing a river either skipping from one rock to another or walking in the knee high water before climbing up a steep hill. The transport isn’t easy but opening parcels is pretty exciting although it is mostly the same order each time.

The freshness and lightness of the morning replaces itself with a calmer afternoon as most days the clouds cover the whole sky and there is a hint of heaviness in the air. The energy levels naturally go down a bit. Most afternoons I go for a swim in the river and lie on the big rocks under the sun to dry. My favorite afternoon activity is the permaculture course. It’s fascinating to find more about the miracles of nature, all the small simple actions we can take to minimize our negative impact on nature and little tips like how we can improve our gardening by incorporating it into the lunar cycle, etc. So far we covered patters, water and trees. Also watched a great documentary called “Inhabit”. For those who are interested in Permaculture check out “Permaculture Women” and register to receive daily short videos about the topic.

I enjoy the community living but I also appreciate being able to be on my own when I need/want to. It is great to live with others without having the pressure to make things work as it all seems to flow organically. Even after a dramatic incident that happened recently we managed to clear the air by holding a sharing circle as a group where everyone had a chance to express their feelings/opinions.

Although the pace of life here is very slow the days still seem to go fast. After dinner one by one people move to the hammocks or retire for bed. Occasionally an animal moves on the roof and we all run to see it.

Throughout the night I hear the noises of the animal kingdom. They, too, enjoy their crazy night outs.


Challenges, worries and struggles

Here we choose to appreciate every little thing and practice gratitude which helps us not to get into the harsher realities of the rest of the world. However there are of course issues that we all need to deal with in our own way.

1. We aren’t self sustainable. Most of our food including fresh vegetables and fruit come from outside delivered by a local man. What happens if there’s scarcity of food?
2. We still don’t know if any of us has the virus. Unlikely but it is possible. Also we still have contact with our shopping guy and occasionally a guest comes. Even the shopping itself is a risk.
3. Rainy season is coming soon which will have its own impact on the community, our outdoor space, and our solar power.
4. Ambiguity. How long will the quarantine last and what will happen next? Nobody knows.
5. Being away from all our loved ones. Self-explanatory.
6. Creature comforts. I'm so, so glad to have a tent but I do miss sleeping on a comfy bed, having a warm shower, eating what I want to eat when I want to it, PEANUT BUTTER, washing machine, cycle rides, cuddles and sometimes a glass of bubbly.